CarolAHensel

I am looking into our summer holiday for next year and we have decided to fly to the States and rent an RV for two weeks and travel around. Did it five years ago and went through Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, etc. I know that a route with this many attractions will probably be hard to find, but we are totally open about where to start and finish. Has anyone got any ideas about where I should be looking. The kids are 7 and 10. Thanks a lot.

gail

Yellowstone and Grand Teton should take 7-10 days - you could expand outward from there.

Otis_B_Driftwood

Yes, the Yellowstone area is a must see. You would need at least a week to see that area including Jackson Hole.

Another option is Colorado. There's plenty to see there from the cave dwellings of Mesa Verde to the rugged Rocky Mountain National Park.

One thing to bear in mind. Gas prices are much higher than they were 5 years ago. Wherever you go in the West, distances are vast. It might be cheaper to just rent a car and stay in motels.

kleroux

I'd certainly consider at least finishing in Los Angeles so the kids could go to Disneyland..unless they have already been in Florida or Paris. I think flying into San Francisco, and going into Oregon and Crater Lake would be very interesting.. In Northern Calif. Mount Lassen State Park with its boiling mud too.. and then doing Yosemete, Death Valley, San Diego with its great Animal park would be a fun trip...even maybe a side trip to Las Vegas. Flying out of some place in S. Calif. I agree that an RV would be expensive and nights in a motel more economical... and a car is easier to drive in the city..

janisj

Two weeks on the California coast would be great. From the Redwoods in the far north, through amazing coastal scenery, places like Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Aquarium for diversions, and IF you want ending up in LA/Anaheim (though that wouldn't be necessary)

Or for a bit of variety - a week on the north/central coasts and a week-ish in the mountains (Tahoe/Yosemite/Gold Rush towns, etc)

curmudgeon

You've done the Southwest, I'd consider the Northwest. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier NP, Mt Rainier Mt St Helens and Olympic NP in Washington, possibly Banff and Jasper in Canada.

A California loop, from SF to redwoods, to Oregon Caves, to Crater Lake, to Lake Tahoe, to Yosemite, to central coast, then to LA or SF would also work well.

cheribeachlady

Hello Carol, my sister and I did a Western stint for one week last July 4th with my nephews, aged 7 and 10. We flew to Scottsdale, Arizona for 1 nite stay at the Chaparral Suites Resort 5001 N Scottsdale Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85250
800-671-9207. The kids absolutely loved the place, so did we, went back for our final nite. Originally our plans were for the North Western Coast, but for some reason got changed. Plans were to start in Oregon and head north to Washington and the coast. Start or end in Oregon or Washington and end in the opposite state. 101 on the coast is awesome. Oregon and Washingtong have lots to offer. Pacific, ocean roads and quant towns would absolutely capture your soul.

girlonthego

My first thought was yellowstone/grand tetons. If I were to rent an RV, that is the place I would do it.
Good luck

GJLinda

Hi Carol,

I would head to Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier National Parks, or the northwest. Are you from Britain? Somehow, I got that idea.

Although gas prices may be high, renting an r.v. is a very different experience than staying in a motel/hotel. Personally, I prefer camping, but my husband prefers the motel deal. We compromise and get a bit of each on all our trips.

We are leaving in a couple of weeks and taking our three grandkids to Yellowstone, etc. We are all looking forward to it.

The Pacific coast is wonderful, especially in Washington, Oregon and northern California. Of all the places I've been, that area of the coast is my favorite. My sister and I are heading there this fall==can't wait.

Hope this helps a bit. No matter where you go, the new experiences provide so much fun and enjoyment.

sobolik

What are some other criteria? It is a very Big country.

utahtea

I'd also go to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Yellowstone is really amazing. Scenery, thermal areas beyond description and so much wild life. It's hard NOT to find a heard of buffalo in the park. It's natures Disneyland!

With two weeks you could add either Glacier National Park in Montana or Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. I'd suggest Dinosaur National Monument but I read the Quarry has been closed.

As someone who has an RV and lives in California...I'd avoid camping in the state if at all possible during the summer. Everything is CROWDED!

Once you decide...and if it's in the west, I'll give you campground recommendations.

Utahtea

BarbaraS

With two weeks you could do Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands.

Barblab

A 2 week RV trip sounds great. I suggest you post this question on RV.net open roads forum. You will get expert suggestions and advice from RV'ers on both routes and campgrounds. Once you have the route and want to investigate campgrounds further go to rvparkreviews.com. Since you have already done the RV thing you know that it is not less expensive then going the hotel route. It is afterall an experience in itself. Gas is more but not a deal breaker in the overall cost of a trip to the states. Have a great time wherever you decide to go!

CarolAHensel

Thank you so much everyone for the suggestions. Most of them tend to include Yellowstone and Grand Teton, which is what I had also originally thought. Also thanks to those people pointing out fuel prices but even five years ago RVing didn't seem to be any cheaper than staying in motels, but the kids loved it so much - outdoor barby every evening, hubby and self sharing a bottle of wine under the stars while the kids were sleeping (rather than cramped up on the 2 ft sq balcony which most motels have), and not having to pack and unpack every night. Its just a lovely way to do the "camping" thing without actually having to put up the tent every night!
DJLinda: Yes, I am British (the 'thanks a lot' was probably the tell tale).
Sobolik: I didn't put any criteria in because we're pretty open and I just wanted to hear what suggestions other people had.

I will post again with some more questions once I have read up a bit on Yellowstone, but again thanks to all who responded.

Momliz

don't know if you're still around, Carol, but a few years ago we flew into Oakland and rented an RV there from Cruise America. We headed east through Yosemite - the Tuolomne valley is one of the most beautiful places on this planet, you can keep the valley - and then went south on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas. MAGNIFICENT! Then back east to LA and north through Big Sur. A great trip although, my DH said maneuvering that RV along Big Sur was exciting

BWBlakely

Go to www.lightninrv.com and then click on 'Rentals' on the menu on the left. Now, I'm in Atlanta, but am not trying to suggest you rent an RV from me and then head west. But, we have a lot of really great travel information on our website that might come in handy while planning your trip.

First, let me say something about the "gasoline issue" people seem to bring up. If you add your fuel and your food budget together, and eat just 2 meals a day in the RV, you will spend the exact same amount of money that you would renting a car, eating all your meals out & of course no one ever things about all the snacks, cokes, etc., we buy and eat all day long too.

This is to say nothing about only packing the RV one time and not having to pack up the car & then unpack at the hotel, every time you move. Nor, having a clean bathroom with you...all the time. Or having the kitchen with you ...all the time. Or, when you're tired, you can just pull over and take that nap you really want to take! Or have the freedom to change your mind when, where or how you want to do something. It's not always about the money!

Now, back to our website. Once you're on the 'Rentals' homepage, you find some fun & goofy things to see & do: "The World's Wackiest Tourist Attractions" and "The World's Largest Roadside Attractions". You'll find a ton of other helpful sites from MapQuest to a national D.O.T. site for road & weather conditions.

Take a look at our "Special Events Calendar" with a great selection of things happening all over the U.S. But, don't just look at it for the time period you are going to be here. Look at the entire year, as the sites we list, are good places to visit just about all year long.

If you decide to visit Yellowstone, there is a great RV Rental Company in Salt Lake City named Access RV www.accessrv.com for entry on the west side. If you want to enter on the east side, then I would recommend Pierce RV's in Billings www.piercerv.com ,but I would suggest looking at which you can get better or cheaper flights. Both companies offer excellent services & vehicles...not old junkers!

If you have the time, a favorite place of mine is the Four Corners area in southwest Colorado, especially around Cortes, Durango & Pagosa Springs...tons of great things to see and do.

padams421

Go to Alaska. We rented an RV in Alaska for a couple of weeks last summer with our children 9 and 11. We had a great time. There are lots of threads here on things to see and do in Alaska.

bluzmama

I'm not sure I'd choose Alaska unless I had a weapon. I took a hike near Dinali and the guide in front had a rifle as did the staff person who followed the group. Alaska is still pretty wild. You read every year about someone, even near Anchorage encountering bear with unpleasant results.

I believe that Alaska is also more expensive in general than the continental US.

I second the Pacific Northwest, but I'm probably biased since I live there.

How about flying into Portland, renting the RV and heading west to Astoria then down the coast, stopping at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream and the tour. There are jetboat rides that you can take from inland, I think near Grants Pass, but I believe you can also take them from the ocean. You can then head to Crater Lake, Shasta, or many other lakes in Oregon or California. You can head East or north to Bend, Mt. Hood. In the Columbia River Gorge you can visit a series of water falls, or hike in the area. Washington State is right across the river so you could head north.

Have fun wherever you choose to wander.

janisj

bluzmama: Not sure how you even found this thread - but the OP posted her question 18 months ago. Their trip was planned this past summer . . . .

tambennett

Carol, No matter where you end up going, it will be fantastic! My family and I took 3 weeks last summer and went to Sedona, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons in our Motorhome! It was truly an adventure! Don't worry about gas prices as they have fallen to around $2 gallon! I do have to say that we visited Yosemite a few years ago and it was stunning!!!! Have fun planning! Do check rvparkreviews.com before making any reservations!