Dream Trip.....

[Barry]

One of the phrases my bride keeps introducing me to is "at our age". And at our age, we should be doing more and working less.



A trip that I have dreamed of for years is to go to the far north end of Maine long about the end of August... ... ... ... ... . and wait. Wait for the leaves to turn and just explode into all the brilliant colors of fall... ..... and then move south 200 to 300 miles... ... ... ... ... ... and wait. Wait for the colors to catch up to us again.



The route would eventually lead to getting on the Blue Ridge Parkway meandering down until it drops off in Cherokee, NC and then working our way back to Florida for the winter.



Anyone ever done this trip or part of it... ... ... ... ?



Another trip I would like to do(in the fall) is the Natchez Trace Parkway that runs from Nashville, Tn. to Natchez, Ms.



Someday... ... ... ... ... ...



Whats your dream trip?

 

[HBarlow]

During summer of 2007, right after I bought the HitchHiker fiver, wife and I pulled it all the way to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Had to go that time of year when she could take time away from her job so didn't get to see the fall colors but I've seen that all before. I spent part of ten years living in CT and, when not at sea on a submarine, wandering around New England. Beautiful in spring, summer, and fall.

I've traveled from Halifax to Key West but not all in the same trip. Also traveled Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway several times.

About a month ago I spent several days in Cajun Land around Lafayette, LA and had time so started up the Natchez Trace. I made it as far as just south and west of Jackson, MS and spent the first night in a primitive campground in the park. Got up Saturday morning and got started and soon as I got into a clearing in the thick woods my cell phone downloaded a panic message from my wife left earlier saying she was out at our farmhouse and had locked her car keys, house keys, purse, wallet, and cell phone in the house and she was locked out.

680 miles later at 10 pm that evening with a 14,000 lb. fiver in tow I was home to let her in! Not one of my better trips. It turned out to have been a very bad time to travel all the way to the end of the trace anyway . . . that was the day Nashville was flooded.

 

[Barry]

Uncle Harvey,



You have been on the only part of the NTP that I have been on. Got on in Jackson, Ms. one afternoon and rode to Natchez for supper on the river.



Have never gotten on it again but it was enough to have bitten me. I want to see the whole thing.



Get the RV all loaded and spend 10 days or so making the run from one end to the other. No hurry. Just look. Eat. Nap. Look some more.



It really is not that far from Cherokee, NC over to Nashville to continue on my dream trip following the colors.



Trying to figure out how to get a 12' fishing boat over the cab in front of the 5er... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . "Man shall not live on land alone".

 

[Grizzly]

Barry, My wife and I made that trip to the most Northeastern tip of Maine in October of 2002. I thought we would be about two days late for the peak fall colors, but mother nature extended the season by a few days. Our timing turned out to be impeccable. We followed the fall colors into New Hampshire and into Massachusetts. Cape Cod was brilliant. Suddenly we get a call from my wife's family in Mobile, Alabama that her brother had died. We got to Mobile as quick as we could, but we definitely want to do that trip to Maine again.



In July of 95 we set off to Alaska on my then 95 Dodge DRW and my then 88 Holiday Rambler 5th wheel. Great trip. On the way back in mid Sept we left Tok in deep snow and in a couple of day we caught up with the Fall colors, which were spectacular and nothing we expected. We stayed in the fall colors more than half way into Canada. We planned to do the same thing on our return trip from Alaska in 2006, but we were too early by about two weeks.



Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado also have spectacular fall colors.

 

[Barry]

Grizz.....



In Nov of '88, I bought an A36 Beech Bonanza in Anchorage. Had to wait about a week for a weather window to fly out. Then it came. You could see for 200 miles... ... ... .



Ran 20 hours on the tachometer flying to Dallas, Tx. What a fabulous trip.

 

[HBarlow]

Uncle Harvey,

You have been on the only part of the NTP that I have been on. Got on in Jackson, Ms. one afternoon and rode to Natchez for supper on the river.

Have never gotten on it again but it was enough to have bitten me. I want to see the whole thing.

Get the RV all loaded and spend 10 days or so making the run from one end to the other. No hurry. Just look. Eat. Nap. Look some more.

It really is not that far from Cherokee, NC over to Nashville to continue on my dream trip following the colors.

Trying to figure out how to get a 12' fishing boat over the cab in front of the 5er... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . "Man shall not live on land alone".

I guess you wouldn't notice being a FL resident but the Natchez Trace, even the Smokies and the Blue Ridge, are too hot and humid for me in the summer. I prefer the south and south-east in spring or fall.

My wife has a responsible position at Texas Tech and has to plan her vacation days around university work load. She's taking the last two weeks of July off and we are planning to go up and wander around in WY. Two weeks is not really an adequate length of time but that's her limit.

Last year we went to Minneapolis, Duluth, and spent a long fourth of July weekend at Grand Marais, MN along the shore of Lake Superior. It was still cool up there in July!

 

[mrtrombley]

My home base is VT so I have seen the leaves change many times. A couple years ago I delivered a trailer to Nova Scotia. I traveled what we call the Skyline Highway because it pretty much follows the mountain ridge line from Bangor east to New Brunswick, Canada. Not a bad road now with many improvements over the years.



In 2000 I drove the Natchez Trace and then did part of it again from Nashville down to about mid MS on the motorcycle.



My favorite though was when I pulled the MC trailer from E. KS to Jackson Hole, WY area and then spent the long Labor Day weekend riding the bike. I rode the perimeter of Yellowstone park one day, sunny and cool, a great ride. I will try to add a few pictures from that trip, with my old bike.

 

[Bug Out]

Dream trip

I'd like to start off in Wa state and take I-90/80 to the east coast up to the tip of Maine. Of course stopping along the way at the points of interest.



The I'd like to "dribble" down the east coast and see Niagara Falls, NYC, Philly, DC and some of the history from the battle fields, then down to key west, Fl.



Eventually make my way back west via the southern route, stopping In New Orleans, Houston, Galveston, Corpus Cristi.



I'd like to include the Smokey Mountains in that run too. .



By the time I figure out how to pull it off, my Diesel P/U will be outlawed or drowned in urea fluid, and people who own RV's will be scorned upon as some type of anti enviro nuts... LOL

 

[HBarlow]

Bug Out,

Your Harley photos with the beautiful American scenery in the background make me long for a motorcycle again. I haven't owned a motorcycle since I left the Philippines 25 years ago but I get the urge every spring to own one again.

If I could own one again long enough to take just one extended cruise around the United States, maybe an entire summer, I'd probably get over the urge and never want one again. Before long I'll be too old anyway.

 

[GHerrmann]

HBarlow: I see your heading to Wyo for a little trip. If you enjoy the history of gold mining, you should check out South Pass, atlantic City area. Its about 30 miles south of lander. Their is a nice camp ground I can direct you to if you wish. It does not have any hook ups but is nice and the smell of pine trees is great. their is 2 camp grounds there one is better than the other, but the nice one has pretty small sites. They have a few bigger sites at the nice one but fills up fast. Each campground has only about 18 sites so it best to get their on a tue. or wed.



I have gone their at least once a year for about 15 years. I hate to leave and come home. Lots of interesting places around the area. The sinks,Willies handcart, mormon and oregon trails all in Gods country.



If you want some more info you can shoot me a pm.

 

[HBarlow]

Greg,

Thanks for the suggestions. I am already aware of the South Pass area from reading on the WY tourism website and in a travel guide book the state of WY sent following my request.

I would like to receive any and all recommendations for things to see and do in WY during the latter half of July.

I will start a new thread for WY travel and please post your suggestions. Anyone else who is knowledgeable about WY and interested can post suggestions and perhaps other TDR RVers might be interested in reading the suggestions as well.

 

[mrtrombley]

Harvey, I too am on the verge of getting too old for the motorcycle riding. So I am trying to do as much riding now as I can. I am still working, so I don't get as much time off as I would like. But I would like to take a long MC trip cross country. I do want to go back to WY, and I have friends in Denver, Las Vegas and AZ as well as relatives in So CA. That would be a long trip, it would be nice to have a whole summer to do it. Oh well, one can only dream!

 

[Barry]

Uncle Harvey,



I just moved to Florida 2 years ago. Lived in Texas for 35 years. Yes, it is humid down here in the summer. But now that I am here, I'd rather do 2 summers in Florida than one in Texas.



While I dearly love Texas, and the people, I am glad to be back in the SE.



I will admit, it has been a cultural shock. In the 35 years that I have been gone, there was not one mention in any of the Florida tourist propaganda that they had become infested with YANKEES!



If and when Texas succeeds, I am moving back!!

 

[HBarlow]

Barry,

In what part of Texas did you previously live?

I grew up in the armpit of Texas, Port Arthur, and was gone for 30 years but after I retired from the Navy I settled near Lubbock. It is mostly flat cotton fields but I love the climate here. Around 3000' elevation, breezes or strong winds all the time, and low humidity make it comfortable for me. Yes, we receive hail storms and it is in a tornado zone.

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey, I too am on the verge of getting too old for the motorcycle riding. So I am trying to do as much riding now as I can. I am still working, so I don't get as much time off as I would like. But I would like to take a long MC trip cross country. I do want to go back to WY, and I have friends in Denver, Las Vegas and AZ as well as relatives in So CA. That would be a long trip, it would be nice to have a whole summer to do it. Oh well, one can only dream!

I would love to spend a month during the summer or fall riding a motorcycle through VT where you live.

VT and NH was really my first thought for our trip this summer but with my wife's time limit and travel time from West Texas to New England and back there wouldn't be enough time to relax and enjoy the scenery and quaint NE villages.

 

[Barry]

Moved to Houston from Atlanta in '71. Then to Dallas in '73. Spent the rest of the time in and around the metroplex until I moved to Florida in '08.

Planted a Cowboy Church in Joshua, Tx. in Nov. '01 and it is still going strong.

I am by nature a rocks and trees, rivers and lakes, hills and mountains kind of guy. The bald prairie in Texas with a few Mesquite trees here and there is just not me.

We bought a house in Crystal River, Fl. just 2 miles from Kings Bay. Love Citrus County... ... ... ... its the way Florida use to be. Oo.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I am by nature a rocks and trees, rivers and lakes, hills and mountains kind of guy. The bald prairie in Texas with a few Mesquite trees here and there is just not me.

We agree, but do like the prairie too. We lived on the prairie for 18 years, but moved to the forests and rolling hills of east TX four years ago. It wasn't because of the prairie that we left, it was because of the rapidly encroaching big cities and big city problems of the DFW metroplex.



BTW, we've traveled the entire length Natchez Trace Parkway both in our 5th wheel and our slide in truck camper in the fall. The drive is outstanding around the first of November and the weather is usually very nice. We've driven both directions from Natchez, MS to near Nashville, TN. We like the drive south to north better than north to south. At that time of the year the sun is in a lower southern position and we are constantly facing the sun when going south and it's more difficult to view the colors. Going north, the sun is at our back and the colors are much more visible with the sun shining on them.



Bill

 

[Barry]

OH, good tip!!



I bet when the sun is over your shoulder beaming down on the reds and yellows, it has to be something to behold... ... ... ...



I wanna go!

 

[FParisi]

Hey

My wife + I are headed to Wy this summer - probably just Grand Teton + Yellowstone on our way to the Lost Prairie Boogie - a skydiving party in a remote spot 35mi west of Kalispell.

We'll probably head west through North Cascades N. P. + to Olympic Forest N. P. , then maybe down 101 back to So. Cal.

Harvey - a thought for you - when my wife didn't have time for a trip she flew out + I met her. Saved her taking the time to get to the destination. Me... I like a good road trip;-)

 

[mrtrombley]

Harvey, weather is another variable. The last few weeks have been mostly beautiful, but we all know that may not last long! The saying is, "if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes". Just hoping this year will be better than last year. It rained most of the summer of 2009.



Lubbock was a nice area. I hauled some cotton out of there back in the '80s when I was trucking. Buddy Holly country, right? Spent a little time in Amarillo too. I think it is neat to drive across TX on I-10, takes like a day & 1/2. About a 1000 miles isn't it? Anyway, it's a cool drive.



Hey, here's another WY picture you might get a kick out of. An eagle is a good symbol for today, memorial day. Thanks to all the veterans and those serving now.