First Longer Trip advice appreciated!

[hoyden]

How is Highway 1 north of the Bay Area?
Worth the trip?
Where to stay on that route?

 

[nikonron]

I do 4 to 6 weeks every fall, have no problem with food supplies. You have a fridge? Other than the dates of where you need to be, don't fret about a schedule too much, just go with the flow and relax. This years trip for me, pick up the wife on set date and drop her back off on a set date, that's the extent of my schedule. I despise a schedule of having to be here or there, no fun for me. Ron

 

[hoyden]

nikonron - have little dorm fridge!

I think I'm trying to fit in too much. I like having destinations, but the friends I want to see are in Berkeley, Oregon coast, and Washington State. Far. It's looking like if I do the trip I'm considering, I'll drive 3-6 hours a day but have mostly one night stands. Ha!
I mean, one night campering nights.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Oregon state campgrounds are among the best in the nation and all the ones I've stayed at have had free hot showers that were clean.

 

[hoyden]

I'm not sure I'm going to make it to the Left Coast this time. I've read a lot of accounts of full-time camper people saying that one thing they wished when they started out was to go slower and not try to see everything at once. This trip is supposed to be for me to get some life-perspective and re-learn how to relax and just be. Packing up to a tight schedule every day probably isn't that.
Bother.

 

[PaulT]

I keep the quarter roll in a Ziplock in the cabinet with the water heater winterizing valve so that it doesn't gel pilfered between trips. Don't trust myself to replenish it before the next trip.

Paul

 

[searching for nowhere]

One thing I've learned is that dealing with life's chores takes more time than I had anticipated. Shopping for food, doing the laundry, shopping for some repair item, driving in from the boondocks to get gas, getting water, looking for a place to camp, etc. The last item I have to work on. I can spend way too much time looking for the best camping spot instead of stopping at a good camping spot. And all the time I'm driving around looking, I'm not doing the thinks I enjoy.

Have fun.

 

[hoyden]

searching = my first few trips, I didn't plan my camping spots, and ended up with a lot of that frustrating searching. I think it'd be easier with a partner/navigator who could be looking while we drive, but what I have started to do, is get an idea of where I'll end up and pre-find camping spots within an hour of that area. That way, I have a multiple of choices and if I get tired sooner, have options too. It takes more pre-planning and I'm still not great at it, but it's defintiely gotten better this past year.

I haven't had the experience of having to do laundry, or much for shopping on the road, but I did lose a night on the North Rim to go track down a new turnbuckle. That was something I could have avoided by having spares with me. Can't account for all possibilites, but that one was a small simple one I had considered before I left. Der.

 

[allanb]

A ratchet strap is a good multipurpose tool to have along, that might have been a temp fix for the turnbuckle. Hard to carry spares for everything.
Hard to do I know. There is so much to see, and we want to do it all. But Maybe narrow your trip down some. Do you want mtns, desert or ocean? Than focus on a few places.

 

[Smokecreek1]

A word or two of wisdom to you from an old worry wort , who in retirement has learned to slow down, follow my nose and smell the flowers. Take it easy-sit back, enjoy the trip and let the dog drive for a while-remember that's why you bought that pop-up for ! Set your self some loooose goals and try to follow them, but number 1, don't over think things, and remember the name of this site "WTW" so use it to make thing easier!! Buy some neat maps-spread them on your living room floor and do a little planning! This is not the wild west anymore, there is a big world out there, lot's of things to see and do, people to meet and sunsets to see! HW 1, north of SF is one of the most enjoyable roads there is, lot's of beaches, CG's, especially after labor day during the week- stop and have a bowl of clam chowder and a beer at the Tides (the Birds) in Bodega Bay, smell the salt air and gum trees and redwoods! Get a homemade sandwich at that little bodega at Elk for the trip north!

Take your time-see Fort Ross, enjoy the Mendoceno and Sonoma coasts, drive fast throu Fort Bragg-unless you need gas and food! and spend a night or two at Rockport State CG, maybe even take a run into the lost coast area and then head north up into Oregon-nice CG's and beaches and before you go pick up a BLM/FS map of the south coast area(in case you want to run away and hide for a day or two in the woods). You can't see it all during one trip-so don't worry about it. Unless I plan a long daily run-I start looking for a place to camp around 2-3 in the afternoon so I have time to enjoy the rest of the day; maybie even read those info signs someone posted and walk a trail or use that overlook! Enjoy!

Smoke

 

[UHAULER]

nikonron - have little dorm fridge!

I think I'm trying to fit in too much. I like having destinations, but the friends I want to see are in Berkeley, Oregon coast, and Washington State. Far. It's looking like if I do the trip I'm considering, I'll drive 3-6 hours a day but have mostly one night stands. Ha!
I mean, one night campering nights.

I haven't done any multi week trips but if you are traveling up to the California and Oregon coast, or most of the western parts of the states, you won't have any problem with gas or food. There are small towns everywhere.
If you decide to come through Northern Ca you are welcome to camp in my yard , it basically looks like a campground. I'm in Nevada City.
Maybe you could get others to offer up a place to stay, it would definitely relieve the stress of trying to fine a campsite at the end of the day.

Sean

 

[Foy]

Yeah, I haven't fleshed out my return trip so it's just a big swath now. But I'd like to do the same 200-250 mile for that too.

Oh, OK. I get it now.

There are limitless opportunities for backroads driving and scenic disbursed camping from Missoula, MT all the way to Jackson, WY, and all the way to Denver, CO, all along essentially each side of the big swath.

Immediately coming to mind are Rock Creek Road from I-90 east of Missoula to near Philipsburg, MT, the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Parkway between Wise River, MT and Polaris, MT, MT 278 between Wisdom, MT and Dillon, MT, the Big Sheep Creek Backcountry Byway and the Centennial Valley along opposite sides of I-15 south of Dillon, MT.

In Wyoming, look at FS 300 between Lander, WY and South Pass/Atlantic City passing through the southeastern end of the Wind River Range, and BLM Road 2302 from Atlantic City to US 287 near Sweetwater Junction, WY.

Foy

 

[hoyden]

I need to be independently wealthy so that I can just go explore.

I now have too many maps in google and have confused myself. I think I need to start over.

Primary Goals: relearn how to relax. gain perspective.
Location Goals: hard line is be in Valley of the Gods, UT by Oct 19 ot 20th
otherwise: I'd like to visit FWC in Jackson, Wy
Would be great to see the ocean and Left Coat and/or NorthWest and visit some folks on Oregon coast, and up past Seattle (Marrowstone, WA)

 

[hoyden]

Whew, Foy! I just wrote all those out. Gonna look at them in maps now! Thanks!

 

[longhorn1]

Whew, Foy! I just wrote all those out. Gonna look at them in maps now! Thanks!

Hoyden, Foy has great stuff. In fact we leave tomorrow for Wyoming and Montana. Lander, WY along the Wind River Range, and many of the places he mention above in Montana. I will be posting on my blog when we get back. jd

 

[Bad Habit]

Foy needs to set up a trip planning service, I try and refer back to all of the incredible detailed information he shares about various areas, particularly Montana, Wyoming, etc.

Hoyden, if you do make to the left coast and try for Marrowstone, go around the Olympic Peninsula and explore the valleys as much as you can, you won't be disappointed. Very few places like it in the lower 48 anymore. Do bring rain gear. With any luck a big November storm could hit, quite something to watch on the coast (from a safe vantage point) with the waves crashing in with all the driftwood (full size trees) and rocks.

 

[hoyden]

Bad Habit - funny you should mention Marrowstone. A couple - friends I have known since grade school - live up there and it's on my map!

Trying to figure out how to make Denver AND Marrowstone AND Yachats, Or. AND Jackson, WY then to Valley of the Gods by the 20th work without being frenetic.

 

[Bad Habit]

yeah, you had mentioned Marrowstone (had to look it up to see where it was). Unless you have a LOT of time, I wouldn't push it all the way to the coast. That's a lot of miles to watch everything go past the window. Most of our trips have been that way and it's frustrating to not be able to explore areas more.

 

[Foy]

Hoyden, Foy has great stuff. In fact we leave tomorrow for Wyoming and Montana. Lander, WY along the Wind River Range, and many of the places he mention above in Montana. I will be posting on my blog when we get back. jd

You're all entirely too kind. It's really just that I can't go this year so I'm recruiting any or all of you to go in order that I may Wander vicariously through you!

Yes, Hoyden, grab your MT and WY Benchmarks and a cup of coffee and have a ball daydreaming/planning. Funny part is: excepting perhaps Rock Creek and the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Parkway (paved, by the way), none of the areas mentioned really jump out to you as being scenic during routine map study. But, Holy Moly, are they ever nice areas through which to travel. You'd NEVER guess BLM Road 2302 from Atlantic City, WY to US 287 would be spectacular, but given a clear skies day, it's an "on top of the world" feeling, with "only" the Wind River Range towering over the western horizon as indication you're not actually on top of the world. The Crow's Nest along that road is aptly named.

John, safe travels to you and here's hoping you find the areas we discussed as enjoyable as I have over the years.

Foy

 

[hoyden]

So basically, I'm going to leave Arizona, get up to Wy and MT, and stay there for a couple of weeks, before running down to Valley of the Gods gathering?