Cross-Country Family Trip (input requested!)

[Armed in Utah]

north of 70......

UR LC may leave some black paint on the rocks gettin here........

 

[BigBlueTLC]

Wow, quite the trip. Great way to spend paternity leave and get to know the new one. Here are few ideas.

You’re overdoing PM on the new LC and underdoing PM on the camper. Don’t change the diff oil change and don’t do an oil change half way through the trip. Replace all 4 camper tires with Goodyear Endurance or Maxxis 8008 trailer tires or equivalent. Don’t do that trip with China bomb tires. Service or check the trailer bearings, even if new. I’ve had new trailers with extremely skimpy grease and bearings running hot from bad adjustment. Doing those things and making sure the trailer battery(s) and lights and brakes are in good condition will eliminate almost all trailer-related problems on such an epic journey. And why do you need the weight and hassle of carrying a floor jack?

Have you considered adding a rear-view camera to the camper with a wireless monitor in the LC? That makes long distance towing much more relaxing because you have view of all that’s going on behind you.

In Kentucky, consider Mammoth Cave. Your “older” kid will be amazed.

In South Dakota, the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park has prairie dogs that your 2 year old would find a hoot. That NP (and many others) has tiny campsites that might be too small for your rig. Some, however, do have “overflow” sites for big rigs.

In Redwood NP, make sure you get to the part of the park that has old growth forest. Some of the park, especially that shared with the state park, is second growth and you’ll see only BIG stumps and medium sized trees.

In Utah, if you don’t mind climbing into into higher elevations with your camper, check out Cedar Breaks National Monument. It’s spectacular and personal-sized and is off the beaten path far enough to avoid the crowds of Bryce and Zion.

Pay attention to the kids (and yourself) at higher elevations on your trip. Altitude sickness can bother them if you don’t acclimate as you go up.

As you continue to book campsites, consider Corps of Engineer campgrounds. They seem to be universally well-maintained and easy in/outs. For example, their Fisherman’s Corner campground where I-80 crosses the Mississippi River is nice and right on the river so your young one can watch the big barges go by.

Thanks for point this out for the trailer. I have gone back and forth on this, and you just confirmed I will get LT tires for the trailer and grease bearings. I am planning to spend a few weeks upgrading/fixing/PMing the trailer based on the horror stories I've heard about Forest River and other similar "lite" campers. I am adding a Garmin rear view camera to the camper and will have it tie into my garmin overlander.

Mammoth Caves... this is perfect. I did read something about his, will look into it further! We are staying at Elk Prairie Campground in Redwood but will most likely need to go for hikes to be among the BIG redwoods. Will look at Cedar Breaks, I do want to avoid crowds as much as possible.

Good point about elevation.. I was actually trying to figure out elevation changes for the route to make sure we weren't doing anything crazy for both baby and pulling a camper. Will dig into this. Thanks for the info on the COE campgrounds, may be some good options heading back east. Thank you for this great info!

Thank

 

[BigBlueTLC]

That’s one heck of a plan. That being said, I’ve done similar trips a few times with my wife and 4 young kiddos. You’ll make wonderful memories.

My best advice is to spend more time in fewer places. Y’all are going to get pretty fatigued. Even 8 driving hours with kids ends up being more like a 10 hr day minimum. Especially dragging a trailer up and over mountain passes. Plan on some stressful situations.

We live in Idaho Falls. The parks are insane right now. Post Labor Day things should get better but the parks are literally a zoo right now. We were in the Tetons last weekend and never seen it so busy. Like literally no parking at any of the hot spots. So go in knowing you’ll be dealing with people.

I saw you have the Sawtooth on your itinerary. You could spend your whole trip in Idaho and barely scratch the surface. The Sawtooth is huge. But it’s our go to for camping. It’s what we consider “real” Idaho. Where are you planning to camp? And what do you want to see? Most all campgrounds are booked well in advance. There are some FCFS campgrounds but unless you’re getting way off the beaten path you might not score a site.

Hit me up if you need any info on Idaho. Or if you need anything as your passing through.

Biggest lessons we’ve learned from big road trips is frequent stops and letting the kids out of the vehicle. And patience. Lots of patience. And lots of ice cream. Seriously. They always looked forward to ice cream. You’re newborn won’t know the difference but your older one will.

Also know where you can get repairs completed. Just in case your trailer needs some attention. Unlikely the 200 will need anything but you never know. And carry emergency supplies (first aid, road side emergency supplies etc).

More may come to me. I’ll chime back in. Biggest thing is to not try and check a bunch of boxes.

Guy

Hey Guy - I am definitely trying to keep driving to 5-7 hours, but as you said, I'm sure those will stretch given baby stops and elevation changes. I need to reevaluate the route since it seems to be reoccurring feedback on limiting the locations and extending duration at each. We actually only have 1-2 nights planned for Idaho. Right now booked at a hipcamp site: Sawtooth Soul, Sawtooth Monkey, ID: 31 Hipcamper Reviews And 58 Photos. But I am definitely open to suggestions.... it is easy to change the camp location! I will definitely need to cut back on gear since I feel like I am overcompensating given the babies. Thank you for all of this info!

 

[BigBlueTLC]

I think it was mentioned but you can drive through the Badlands in less than 2 hours and move on. Use that time in the Sawtooth or Yellowstone.

We really enjoyed Custer State Park.

This is good stuff... thank you. Going to reduce my stay at Badlands and see if I can extend my stay at the Madison Campground in Yellowstone, if not hopefully I can find a good spot based on Guys' recommendation for Sawtooth.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

Hey John, You're not crazy... well with a 2 week old, you're a little crazy. But crazy is interesting. I had a similar opportunity back in 2013 and took it. Similar to yours, family of four (my kids were 4 and 6) but we took nine months to do a similar trip. I am sorry to report, the memories will be you and your wife's... the two year old won't remember a thing, obviously, neither will the 2 week old. Our son, 4 at the time, he remembers veeeeery little of the "big trip" as we called it.

We were inspired by the Lin family, known in the full-timing community as the Mali Mish, and coincidentally, we ended up meeting them on our trip and traveled several weeks together. Mali Mish have great Instagram and YouTube accounts, check them out. Another great resource: www.campendium.com. Brian and Leigh started that sight a long time ago, and it highlights camping spots, boondocking spots in particular. Our old Instagram account is still active, tinfoilhouse. we had a blog, but much to our dismay, it got deleted... very sad about that.

Make no doubt, you are cramming a lot into a short time, don't hesitate to deviate while you are on the road. That is part of the adventure. We did a similar loop to yours, but we started in Kansas and headed straight south to Big Bend NP. If you can find a way to make it there, I highly recommend it. In fact, I strongly suggest you travel farther south on your return trip. After the Great Sand Dunes, head south to Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Oliver Lee State Park NM, and then over to the Texas canyon lands... Palo Duro etc. Trust me, there is nothing to see in Kansas unless you are a big fan of prairies and middle America agriculture.

I understand your desire to explore the coastal California, but don't overlook US 395 in California. You will be near it during your time in Mammoth Lakes. Head south and hit Bishop (Schattz bakery), Manzanar National monument, Bristle cone pine trees, Death Valley, Scotty's Castle, Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, Tuttle Creek campground, Mt. Whitney... all of that is fantastic. There is tons of BLM land to camp in around there. either free or $2 a night. If you can't find a spot in Yosemite, it is an option. Keep checking Yosemite daily... we ended up lucking out and finding a spot for 2 nights, last minute... people cancel all the time. Camped under El Capitan... If you can't find Yosemite spots, look at June Lake, Convict Lake, Mono Lake... all fantastic spots to the east of Yosemite on 395. I am sure a Californian might have more insight.

California is amazing. You could probably spend 6 months traveling up the 1, down the 5 and back up 395...

If you are around Big Sur, hit up Monterey Aquarium (if they are open)... Laguna Seca has a campground inside the race track... it is pretty neat. (mega steep road in and out... 8% or 10%(?) I don't remember. It isn't too long, we did it with a Tundra and a 27' Airstream... it is doable.

The big 5 in Utah are great. Our favorite was the less traveled Capital Reef and the orchards there.

As far as your gear setup.... really up to you and what you are comfortable with and have room for. These beasts are fantastic, but are thirsty and have small tanks, so while my initial reaction to bail on the fuel cans, I see your concern. At least one... generator gas and emergency truck fuel if needed. I would bail on the floor jack... As another Mud member said, the preventative maintenance is over the top... I would invest in a good tire pressure gauge, and some nice D or E rated trailer tires... then check them religiously before towing.

Good luck, happy travels, and happy to answer more questions... I am sambushed on Instagram, I check that way more often...

Whoaaa... great info here! Thank you. Talking to my wife tonight about heading south at Great Sand Dunes based on your rec. It will probably extend our trip a little but I doubt we would regret it. I was not excited about the return trip East of Colorado, so this will be a nice change.

Thanks for the Cali recs, I will look into them, especially the Aquarium... our oldest would love it. Part of me wanted to stop by LRA in Boise and get the Long range tank installed but apparently they are on backorder and don't install onsite. You nailed in, bringing the jerry cans for the generator and as backup since I'm sure I'll be <10MPGs and was not planning the route at the level of detail to include gas stops.

Appreciate the info!

 

[SWUtah]

My family used to go on camping trips to Yellowstone and other national parks when I was growing up back in the 60s we had a 16 foot Shasta trailer and luckily my dad was armed, World War II vet. a guy tried to rob us when we were stopped at a roadside park didn’t work out for him since as I said my dad was armed. I would never make that kind of trip With a young family, unless you have a hand gun and a CCW permit. good luck and enjoy Your trip.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

My family used to go on camping trips to Yellowstone and other national parks when I was growing up back in the 60s we had a 16 foot Shasta trailer and luckily my dad was armed, World War II vet. a guy tried to rob us when we were stopped at a roadside park didn’t work out for him since as I said my dad was armed. I would never make that kind of trip With a young family, unless you have a hand gun and a CCW permit. good luck and enjoy Your trip.

Thanks for pointing this out. I didn't want to publicize it as to not start a gun debate but I will be carrying a handgun for this trip.

 

[Pelirrojo]

I recommend stopping in Casey, IL if possible. Spend a couple hours there visiting all the largest items in the world like rocking chair, pencil, ruler, mailbox, bird cage, mouse trap, Chevy key, golf tee, pitch fork, wooden shoes. It’s a neat place the kids would probably like and if you’re not there on a Sunday, all the shops will be open.

 

[liv2bike]

I’ve crisscrossed this great country with my family and as a solo traveler several times. Been up to and all around Alaska and Canada. Camped in state parks, national parks and boon docked plenty. I’ve yet to have an issue, break in, run in or theft of any kind over my years of overland travel.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

I’ve crisscrossed this great country with my family and as a solo traveler several times. Been up to and all around Alaska and Canada. Camped in state parks, national parks and boon docked plenty. I’ve yet to have an issue, break in, run in or theft of any kind over my years of overland travel.

This is great to hear. I do feel that generally people are good! Especially like-minded folks exploring our beautiful country.

 

[desmocruiser]

Tons of great advice!

2 things that have been mentioned are great points, 200’s are thirsty beasts and take quality travel breaks!

We just completed a 6300 mile trip out West. As we were preparing for the trip I opted to take the newer of the family’s 200’s for 2 reasons; I had added the LRA aux fuel tank and it doesn’t have the third row seats, both were invaluable on this trip.

Look for public along the route parks with playgrounds (hopefully they are still open and safe?) these were great places for meal and leg stretching breaks when my kids were younger! We had three along 70 for our Denver to Utah trips: Idaho Springs, Vail, and Grand Junction depending on the timing and need!

Oh, one other great mention, we did little planning other than lodging and the must see’s, the time just fills itself and is many times the best part!

 

[BigBlueTLC]

Tons of great advice!

2 things that have been mentioned are great points, 200’s are thirsty beasts and take quality travel breaks!

We just completed a 6300 mile trip out West. As we were preparing for the trip I opted to take the newer of the family’s 200’s for 2 reasons; I had added the LRA aux fuel tank and it doesn’t have the third row seats, both were invaluable on this trip.

Look for public along the route parks with playgrounds (hopefully they are still open and safe?) these were great places for meal and leg stretching breaks when my kids were younger! We had three along 70 for our Denver to Utah trips: Idaho Springs, Vail, and Grand Junction depending on the timing and need!

Oh, one other great mention, we did little planning other than lodging and the must see’s, the time just fills itself and is many times the best part!

I would love the LRA tank for this trip but does not look like it's going to happen. Great idea to have lunches at playgrounds along the way. Will need to make a note to find those. Yea... maybe I need to bake in a few days for each state that are not planned so that we have some flexibility for random exploring or relaxing. Thanks!

 

[Sac Cerevisiae]

I just did two days and about 1,000 miles driving from Sun Valley, ID to Newport Beach, CA with newborn twins (5 days old). Be prepared for longer stops than you imagine. Since your feeding about every 3 hours and each stop (for us) is about 45 minutes for changing, feeding, burping, and reloading a “8-hour” day is really closer to 11-12 hours traveling before factoring in normal stops for gas and eating if you don’t coordinate.

I would also echo the suggestions of taking the trip slower and enjoying your time.

Hope you have a great time. If you somehow make it to Southern California pm me.

 

[speyrod]

Thanks for pointing this out. I didn't want to publicize it as to not start a gun debate but I will be carrying a handgun for this trip.

Thanks for pointing this out. I didn't want to publicize it as to not start a gun debate but I will be carrying a handgun for this trip.

I would check each states laws just to be informed and if you permit has reciprocity in the states you visit. Not saying compromise protection of the family that is number 1.

 

[kcruiser200]

I can't begin to imagine a trip like that with a two week old. Best of luck!

my worry would be the 2 year old based on ours!!! lolll but seriously, this sounds like an epic trip. awesome for you that you get to take this time off. enjoy and have fun!! also agree with someone here who recommended on keeping the driveline fluids stock. maybe an oil change before you leave. I would leave it at 0W20 if I were you. Should be perfectly fine. But really I am splitting hairs. Have a ton of fun. This is a dream trip for a bunch on here, glad that you are getting to do it.

 

[BigBlueTLC]

I just did two days and about 1,000 miles driving from Sun Valley, ID to Newport Beach, CA with newborn twins (5 days old). Be prepared for longer stops than you imagine. Since your feeding about every 3 hours and each stop (for us) is about 45 minutes for changing, feeding, burping, and reloading a “8-hour” day is really closer to 11-12 hours traveling before factoring in normal stops for gas and eating if you don’t coordinate.

I would also echo the suggestions of taking the trip slower and enjoying your time.

Hope you have a great time. If you somehow make it to Southern California pm me.

Congrats on the twins! Appreciate the advice.

 

[Cruisin911]

You will remember this trip for quite some time. I took 6 months off when I left the Navy after 14 years. We traveled to all the National and a number of state parks west of the Mississippi. We also added in an excursion to Whistler, B.C. Overall, my oldest remember a lot of it, the other two were too young. Its an amazing time to do all of that as a family. Enjoy your trip, safe travels.

 

[molanginaeda]

I’ve learned over the few years travelled with my family. I’ve done cross country trip for the last few years and the family really enjoyed the journey. Matter of fact, I create a blog based on my travel. See my sig.
1. Don’t over plan. More plans will lead to disappointments only. Get a rough plan and go for it. Make changes and add more during the trip.
2. Stop often as needed. Stretch out and see the surrounding. You never know what you find next. I always enjoyed and appreciate things find along the trip.

p.s. You’re not crazy. It’s an opportunity. You hold on a good opportunity to travel the country and see the beautiful nature.

 

[molanginaeda]

Tentative Route:
8/27 - Depart Davidson, NC
8/27-8/28 - Kentucky, - Mammoth Cave National Park. Bourbon tour? Get a real southern fried chicken meal.
8/28-8/30 - Illinois, ??? - not much to offer. Most people will stop in Chicago to catch the city attraction. But I’ll avoid the area because of tolls.
8/30-9/1 - Iowa/Minnesota, If you take I-80, stop by the largest truck stop on I-80.
9/1-9/4 - South Dakota, Badlands National Park. - Wall drug is next to Badland. Unique town. Also, there is minuteman missile national historic site nearby.
9/4-9/6 - Wyoming, Big Horn Mtn Base
9/6-9/8 - Wyoming, Yellowstone. Find a day to side track to Grand Teton National Park too. Jackson, WY is a must stop. Also, maybe take the gondola up Jackson hole Ski area.
9/8-9/9 - Idaho, Sawtooth National Forest
9/9-9/10 - Oregon, Alvord Desert
9/10-9/13 - Oregon, Bend
9/13-9/16 - Oregon, Crater Lake
9/16-9/19 - California, Redwood National
9/19-9/20 - California, Napa (load up on wine)
9/20-9/23 - California, Big Sur
9/23-9/26 - California, Yosemite (unable to book any sites, looking for boondocking spots)
9/26-9/29 - California, Mammoth Lakes
9/29-9/30 - Nevada, Cathedral Gorge State Park
9/30-10/3 - Utah, Zion National Park. - hiking? Zion is mostly overcrowd. But it’s beautiful and it’s a paradise for hiker.
10/3-10/4 - Utah, Buckskin Gulch/Bryce Canyon/Capital Reef (nothing booked)
10/4-10/7 - Utah, Arches National Park/Moab - Don’t forget Canyonland it’s near Moab. Also stop at Dead Horse Point State Park before entering Canyonland. If you feel like to do some off-road, you’re in off-roading town.
10/7-10/9 - Colorado, Mesa Verde. - Take the tour. Cliff house tour is a must.
10/9-10/12 - Colorado, Black Canyon Gunnison - Near Ouray.... must visit. Ouray is also known as Switzerland of America.
10/12-10/15 - Colorado, Great Sand Dunes National Park
10/15-10/16 - Kansas, ???? Not much to do, except taste some real KC BBQ.
10/16-10/18 - St Louis, Friends House - Gateway arch, SL BBQ.
10/18-10/20 - Tennessee, Great Smokey Mountains -
10/21 - Back home to Davidson, NC

 

[Artie]

I’m waiting for the follow up story where y’all come home to discover your newborn will only sleep in a car seat haha