This page was last    : August 30th, 1999

       Hi Everybody!      

As you already know we'll be taking a camper-trip through the States in september,
and recently we asked people in various Newsgroups for input, info, etcetera.

We've received more than 50(!) reactions!

We decided to place the most interesting ones on our page so that you
can share some of the GREAT links they send us.

For obvious reasons we removed the senders Email-addresses :-)
(If you want to get in touch with someone, just let us know....)

If you have ANY questions, just

Have Fun!
(Looking for a topic? Use Control<F>)

From: Robert R. Bumb
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

In my opinion, you will not find the time that you will spend in North and South Dakota and Nebraska to be as productive as Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington.

North and South Dakota and Nebraska are members of the Great Plains states. The land is predominately flat, dry and uninteresting. North Dakota is the only state in the United States that has consistently had more people moved from the state than move to the state. If you enjoy farming, then these three states are just what you want. If you do not enjoy farming, reduce the time that you plan to spend in these three states.

There are two National Parks worth your time in North and South Dakota. The Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and Mount Rushmore National Park in South Dakota. There is nothing in Nebraska but corn and wheat fields.

Fortunately, Roosevelt and Rushmore are at the western extremes of each state. You will not have to cross the length of either of the two states to visit each park.

I am certain that you already know of Glacier, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons National Parks in Montana and Wyoming. If you plan to visit Glacier and plan to drive the Going To The Sun roadway, be certain that the motorhome you rent is less than 21 ft. (6 m.) long and less than 8 ft. (2.5 m.) wide. If it is not, you are prohibited from driving it on certain parts of the Going To The Sun Road.

If you are able, enter Yellowstone at its north east entrance near Cooke City and on US Highway 212. This route will take you over and through the Bear Tooth Mountains. It is a most spectacular drive from Billings, Montana to Cooke City. The road will close due to snow sometime after mid-October and remain closed until the next May.

If you exit the Grand Tetons park to the west and into Idaho on US Highway 32, take US Highways 31, 32, and 33 north for a different and equally beautiful view of the Grand Tetons.

Glacier, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons parks can be very cold at the time of the year when you plan to visit. Be certain that the motorhome you rent will function in cold weather. By this I mean that the fresh water supply is protected from the cold and will not freeze, and the interior heater works and is adequate to heat the motorhome. It would also be wise to make certain that the motorhome has tire chains stored somewhere in it as chains are often required on some mountain passes in the case of snow.

While it can be sometimes cold, you will be visiting at the most beautiful time of the year. There will be fewer tourists, more wildlife, Autumn colors in the mountains, and pleasant weather. You will have a wonderful trip that gives life long memories.

Best wishes for your trip.

From: marasys
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Here's a few sites:
St. Ignatius mission church in St. Ignatius (western) Montana just off
I90 has some remarkable art.
Mt. Rushmore in western South dakota.
Devils monument in Northeast wyoming off I90
Wallace IDaho, an old mining town. The entire town is on the national
register of historic places.
The Cataldo mission just off I90 exit 43 in North Idaho. The oldest
building in Idaho.
The Enaville resort near cataldo, former stagecoach rest stop, brothel,
and other things - now a bar & restaurant.
Sandpoint, Idaho 40 miles north of I90, on the banks of lake Pend
O'Reille and arts town, home of the festival at Sandpoint (music) in
early August. check out http://www.keokee.com/sptonlin.html

Bill Meng
Hayden ID

From: Paul Yanko
To: John <cjl2@usa.net>

Hi John,

You don't mention Saskatchewan, specifically, in your message, so I'm not sure
if you're even considering passing through.

But given the route you outline Saskatchewan isn't out of the way at all, and
I think you'll find some very interesting and memorable things to see and do
here.

My brother, Dave, and I publish an award-winning magazine dedicated to telling
the stories of Saskatchewan's attractions, events, people, history and
legends.

You can check us out at the link in my sig, below.

Your proposed route takes you closest to the southwestern corner of our
province, and you can find a great story about this very scenic and historic
area here:

http://www.virtualsk.com/current_issue/lodgepole_legacy.html

Please feel free to e-mail me if you'd like more specific information.

Enjoy your trip!

Cheers,
Paul
--
Paul Yanko
Virtual Saskatchewan
http://www.virtualsk.com

From: Michael.L.Holder

Lots of interesting places (especially National Parks and National
Monuments) in the following states:

* South Dakota:
- Mt. Rushmore
- Black Hills
- Wind Cave NP
- Jewel Cave NM
- Badlands NP
- Crazy Horse Monument
* Wyoming:
- Devil's Tower NM (as seen in the Spielberg film "Close Encounters
   of the Third Kind"
- Jackson Hole
- Grand Teton NP
- Yellowstone NP
* Montana:
- Glacier NP (and as long as you're in the neighborhood, visit
Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta)
* Oregon:
- Crater Lake NP
- Columbia River Gorge
- Pacific Coast (nice drive)
* Washington:
- Mt. Ranier NP
- Olympic NP
- North Cascades NP
- Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
- Seattle
- San Juan Islands/Puget Sound

See http://www.nps.gov (National Park Service) and http://www.gorp.com
(Great Outdoor Recreation Pages) for more info on the various National
Parks and Monuments.
--
Mike Holder

From: Michelle

Hello Coby and John,

I read your post and looked at your web page for USA99. Since you've done a
large USA trip like this before, I assume that you don't need more of the
basic tips.

Here is one thing you may not be aware of: If you are a member of an
automobile association in your home country, you can get free travel books
and maps from the American Automobile Association, because of their
reciprocal agreement. However, if you join AAA, you will also be able to
take advantage of roadside assistance and travel-related discounts.
Membership is only about $30 per year. Depending upon your travel plans,
you can save some money. You can go to www.aaa.com for more information.
You will need to enter a US zip code to enter the site. Just use any zip
you can find.

If you are looking for things to do along your route, I recommend the
following:

In South Dakota, visit the Black Hills area. You have Badlands National
Park, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave,.National Park,
Crazy Horse National Monument, and Mt. Rushmore all within a short distance
of one another.

In Oregon, I recommend visiting Portland. Ashland, Oregon is the home of
the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where you can take in a performance on an
outdoor stage. The festival runs through October. Portland also has the
Crater Lake NP. Seaside, Oregon is where Louise and Clark reached the
Pacific. It's a little touristy, but still a little quaint. The coastal
drive through Washington and Oregon is very scenic. The Columbia River
Gorge separates OR and WA states and is worth seeing.

In Washington, you have the North Cascades, Mt. Ranier and Olympic National
Parks. And, of course, you have Mt. St. Helens. Seattle is a fun city to
visit and isn't too far from the 3 NP's. The North Cascades Loop (off of
I-5) is considered to be the most scenic drive in the state.

The info I'm giving you is fairly broad. If you have a more specific
question, feel free to write to me. My team and I at www.usatourist.com
will be happy to help! Or if you are interested in any of the things I
mentioned, let me know. I can give you more info, including some helpful
links.

Good luck!
Michelle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USATourist - USA Travel Guide
In English - Auf Deutsch - En Francais - En Espanol
http://www.usatourist.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Mickey Mathena
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

John,

Saw your post on the rv travel newsgroup.

One suggestion I have is to go to www.city.net they have information on cities all around the world.

There is a map on the opening screen, just click on the locale you are interested in. When you narrow your search one of the choices you will have is to click on "specialty guides". Here in the states, most states will have travel guides to view and mail to you.

You have selected a great part of the country to explore. I'm in Oregon 30 miles south of Portland. One of the things you might want to give thought to is visiting the various historical sights along the Oregon Trail. It runs through several of the states you will be visiting. Don't know if you know anything about the trail but it was the largest land migration of people in history. The trail was the migration route from the mid-west to the northwest between 1840 - 1860 when the transcontinental rail line was completed.

Give this web site a try and if you need further info, send me a line and I'll see what I can do.

Regards,

Mickey Mathena

From: MovinMoose
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Hi, Welcome to America, hope you enjoy your trip. Here are some web sites you
will find helpful in planning your trip.
National Parks is www.nps.gov you can get information on all the national
parks in the US and some even have e-mail addresses. If you are planning to go
to that many parks you might want to look into a passport for $50.00US
it might be less expensive than paying entrance fees to all the different
parks.
Web sites for some of the states are,
Washington, www.tourism.wa.gov
Oregon, www.traveloregon.com
Calafornia, www.gocalif.ca.gov
Wyoming, www.state.wy.us
Montana, www.travel.mt.gov
South Dakota, www.state.sd.us
Utah, www.utah.com
I also have some excellent suggestions for books on scenic driving and camping,
let me know if you would like to know about them or if you can get all your
information from the above sites.

Pat

From: Pat O'Connell
To: Coby&John Lit <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Where possible, try to plan to camp at the national parks. Less
expensive, and often better than a KOA. On the other hand, KOAs
and other private campgrounds always have showers.

Many scenic routes have Web pages on the Web, and the state
tourism departments can send you road maps that have scenic
routes marked. See the GORP Web site below.

Consider going to areas further south than the route you're
planning right now. Arches National Park in Utah and the Grand
Canyon in Arizona are worth the trip, as are Mesa Verde in
Colorado and much of northern New Mexico (I live in Albuquerque).

Timpanogos Cave National Monument is a small, gorgeously
decorated commercial cave south of Salt Lake City. One Caution:
the hike to the cave is a switchback trail that ascends 700 feet
(about 215 meters) up the side of a mountain to the cave
entrance. If you're out of shape, don't take the tour.

Special events:

The Albuquerque International Balloon Festival is the largest
gathering of hot air balloons in the world. 700 balloons showed
up last year. It starts the first full weekend in October, and
continues through the following full weekend. It's a thought.

Look at the various weather pages for the US and Canada. It's
much cooler up north and at high altitudes than further south or
at low altitudes.

Snow's possible in the Rockies and Cascades in the fall.

Check the GORP Website for general tips about US National Parks,
Monuments, Forests, etc.

http://www.gorp.com

There are good pages on GORP about scenic roads. One described in
detail is the road around the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.
--
Pat O'Connell

From: P. Olsen

There is a campground named Cherry Hill north of Salt Lake within easy (20
min non-rush-hour) driving to downtown. It is in the middle of an old cherry
orchard and campers can pick their fill of cherries during season. It has a
small recreation center with water slides, minature golf, water tube slides,
a batting cage and video barn. Also from Brigham City to Ogden south on
highway 89 are fruit stands by the side of the road for relatively cheap
fresh fruit.

Cherry Hills is listed in woodalls on-line at
http://www.woodalls.com/whercamp/directry/csearch.asp
The following is a paste from that page:
"Cherry Hill Camping Resort (Davis)
KAYSVILLE, UT
Activity oriented CAMPGROUND with mostly shaded sites in a cherry orchard.
S'bound from jct I-15 (exit 331-Kaysville) & Hwy 273: Go 1/2 mi E on 2nd St
N, then 2 mi S on Main St. Entrance on left. N'bound from jct I-15 (exit
326-US 89): Go 2 mi N on US 89, then 1 block N on Hwy 273. Entrance on
right.

FACILITIES: 241 sites, 119 full hookups, 41 water & elec, 22 elec (20,30 &
50 amp receptacles), 150 pull-thrus, phone (modem) hookups (need
activation), dump station, non-guest dumping $.

RECREATION: swim pool, playground.

Big rigs welcome. Clubs welcome. Big rigs welcome. Rates in 1998 $18-24 per
2 persons. Master Card/Visa accepted. Open all year. Phone: 801-451-5379."

Your route coming into Salt Lake from the north and exiting to the west on
1-80 will avoid the I-15 construction. For more up to date information try
http://www.i15.state.ut.us/ This lists the shut-downs and gives you a map of
the major streets.

enjoy

Phil

From: Michelle

Hello Coby and John,

I read your post and looked at your web page for USA99. Since you've
done a large USA trip like this before, I assume that you don't need more of the
basic tips.

Here is one thing you may not be aware of: If you are a member of an
automobile association in your home country, you can get free travel
books
and maps from the American Automobile Association, because of their
reciprocal agreement. However, if you join AAA, you will also be able to
take advantage of roadside assistance and travel-related discounts.
Membership is only about $30 per year. Depending upon your travel
plans, you can save some money. You can go to www.aaa.com for more information.
You will need to enter a US zip code to enter the site. Just use any zip
you can find.

If you are looking for things to do along your route, I recommend the
following:

In South Dakota, visit the Black Hills area. You have Badlands National
Park, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave,.National
Park, Crazy Horse National Monument, and Mt. Rushmore all within a short
distance of one another.

In Oregon, I recommend visiting Portland. Ashland, Oregon is the home of
the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where you can take in a performance on
an outdoor stage. The festival runs through October. Portland also has the
Crater Lake NP. Seaside, Oregon is where Louise and Clark reached the
Pacific. It's a little touristy, but still a little quaint. The coastal
drive through Washington and Oregon is very scenic. The Columbia River
Gorge separates OR and WA states and is worth seeing.

In Washington, you have the North Cascades, Mt. Ranier and Olympic
National Parks. And, of course, you have Mt. St. Helens. Seattle is a fun city
to visit and isn't too far from the 3 NP's. The North Cascades Loop (off of
I-5) is considered to be the most scenic drive in the state.

The info I'm giving you is fairly broad. If you have a more specific
question, feel free to write to me. My team and I at www.usatourist.com
will be happy to help! Or if you are interested in any of the things I
mentioned, let me know. I can give you more info, including some helpful
links.

Good luck!
Michelle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USATourist - USA Travel Guide
In English - Auf Deutsch - En Francais - En Espanol
http://www.usatourist.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Ralph Lindberg & Ellen Winnie
To: Coby&John Lit <CJL@globalxs.nl>

The rains will have started (almost certainly) by mid-October. But there
is still lots to see at that time of year.

You might (?) even consider taking the ferry from Port Angles (near
Olympic NP) to Victoria, then see the island and take the ferry back to
Vancover. Taking an RV on these ferrys is not cheap, but it is the only
way to see Victoria and Vancover Is

RV and Camping FAQ http://kendaco.telebyte.com/rlindber/rv

From: Glen Bumgardner
To: Coby&John Lit <CJL@globalxs.nl>

While I am thinking of it...make sure you spend at least one full day
(ideally 3) in the best part of Glacier...the NE corner...Many Glacier area.
And at Yellowstone make sure you go down the Uncle Tom trail in the Canyon
area (Eastern part) of Yellowstone. Glen

From: Glen Bumgardner
To: Coby&John Lit <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Oh yeah there is a KOA with camping cabins on both the East (St Mary's) and
West Glacier areas. In Yellowstone the KOA is about 10 miles away from the
West Yellowstone entrance and it has camping cabins too. The town of West
Yellowstone has lots of nice shops and several museums that are worth
seeing. Glen

From: Purpleman
To: <cjl@globalxs.nl>

If you visit Calgary, make sure to take the drive to Banff National Park
...about an hour into the rockies. then head straight south into montana
to glacier national park...nice scenery ,good drive.

AAA has free updated camping books available if you're a member. if not i
believe theres a small fee.

try to get your hands on one of those big Rand Mcnally Road Atlas' of the
US and Canada. they have the scenic routes marked.

at that time of the year the roads will not have snow on them....

make sure to buy a U.S. National Park Eagle Pass. it allows you to visit
all american national parks and monuments for free.theres a 1 year fee of
$50 per vehicle. but you'll save alot of just on your trip. you can buy
them at any national park.

if you're anywhere near southern utah, check out zion national park, the
grand canyon, canyonlands national park... well, there are alot in that
area...

you're traveling at a perfect time, so you shouldn't have a problem with
big crowds. hope this helps a bit and you have a great trip

Joe

From: Harrie Meeuwissen
To: Coby&John Lit <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Hallo,

Poeh, jullie hebben wel een behoorlijk lange route geplanned. Ik heb
julie web site bekeken en las dat jullie geen problemen hebben met
het afleggen van grote afstanden. Da's maar goed ook. Ik heb jullie
globale route door een routeplanner laten berekenen en die kwam uit op
5000 mi / 8000 km. Met alle plaatselijk ritjes zit je dus al snel aan
de 10.000 km. Ik vind dat toch wel veel, zeker met een camper.
Ik zou of Rapid city of Salt Lake en SanFran laten vallen.

Voor een trip door Noord USA vind ik Sept/Oct wat laat in het jaar.
Ik ben zelf 2e helft sept 1996 in Washington/Oregon geweest. Maar het
weer was zo slecht (koud, regen en in de bergen sneeuw) dat ik maar
ben afgezakt naar California. Onder weg ook nog effe Crater Lake
aangedaan, maar helaas: door de sneeuw en de mist was er niets te zien
van het meer. Toen ik later weer in Mnt Ranier NP was reed ik achter
een sneeuwschuiver naar het bezoekerscentrum. Hoog in bergen was
bloedkoud, maar het was wel een prachtig gezicht al die sneeuw.

In Seattle valt 80% van de jaarlijkse neerslag van Oct t/m April. In
die regio (Mnt Ranier en Olympic NP's) moet je dus zeker rekening
houden met veel regen en sneeuw.
In yellowstone NP gaan de meeste wegen, door de sneeuw ,1 Nov dicht.
Eind september zullen ze dus bijna zeker nog wel open zijn. Vorig jaar
juni was ik Yell en zelf toen sneeuwde het op een ochtend (niet veel,
maar toch..)

Scenic routes.
Ik vond de weg (ALT 14) van Cody (Yell Np) naar de Interstate 90
ontzettend mooi. Je rijdt dan zo een beetje over de toppen van de
bregen . Maar als ik het me goed herrinner was de weg niet
toegankelijk voor campers.
Verder is route 101 langs de kust van CA, OR en WA ook mooi.

Wat ik op jullie lijstje miste was Mnt St Helens. Dat vond ik toch wel
indrukwekkend. Ook de columbia river op de grens OR en WA is de moeite
waar, zeker als je van watervallen houdt.
Vergeet bij Olympic NP niet de "coastal section".

Greetings from The Netherlands
Harrie Meeuwissen - webmaster@hm-usa.demon.nl
HM USA Travel Guide - http://www.dedas.com/hm-usa/

From: Sara Shaak
To: <cjl@globalxs.nl>

I would recommend a quick trip to Vancouver Island, and Victoria, once
you're in Vancouver. And, if you're heading to Calgary anyway, make
sure you take the Jasper-Banff Parkway to see the Columbia Icefields and
the best of the Canadian Rockies.

From: Robert Wirtz
To: <cjl@globalxs.nl>

The Bear Tooth Highway northeast of Yellowstone is a beautiful drive.
We took it
last fall (our 2nd time) and it's breathtaking.

Also, if you can get to any of the National Parks in Utah (Arches,
Bryce, etc. you would see some beautiful rock formations).

It's too bad you could not get time in Colorado
also - maybe another trip?? There is some beautiful scenery in
Colorado. We flew to Denver a few years ago and spent 2 weeks drving
all around the state.

Hope you have a wonderful time in the States and that you have good
experiences!

Gail Wirtz

From: Roy S.
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Hi,

Read your posts on rec.outdoors.national-parks (RONP), and
now have time to make some suggestions. I am originally
from the Big Horn Mountains area of Wyoming and now live
near Salt Lake City, so I am familiar with some of your
route. I posted a response to a query about the Big Horn
Mountains in RONP today, you would probably be able to glean
a lot of information about that region from the links I
posted.

You have two routes to choose from over the Big Horns, the
southern route (from Buffalo to Ten Sleep) is easier in an
RV, and the northern route has the added attraction of the
Medicine Wheel (a must-see if you are interested in Native
American artifacts/religious sites). You can make a
side-trip to the Medicine Wheel and still take the southern
route without adding more than a couple of hours to your
drive through to Yellowstone Park. As an alternative, you
can head south to Thermopolis, with the mineral pools and
spa (site of the world's largest mineral hot springs)! For
my family, the stop there is almost mandatory! You can also
see the buffalo in the nearby park (although you will see
plenty more in Yellowstone!). From there, you can travel to
Cody, then Yellowstone and Teton Nat'l Park to Jackson. The
Big Horns are beautiful in the fall, as the leaves change
and snow starts to "stick" on the peaks. You may experience
some snow, but the temperatures are generally in the mid
40's - mid-60's at this time of year. There are campgrounds
on either side of the mountain on both routes, with little
usage until the 15th of October (Hunting Season starts!).

Be sure to stop in Cody (Wyoming) and visit the Buffalo Bill
Cody Museum. It is simply the finest in the world in it's
displays. A pass there (I think they are $7 per person) are
good for two days, and if you really wanted to see
everything there, you need more than the two days allotted!
Check out this link for additional info about the museum:
Buffalo Bill Historic Center . Make sure Yellowstone Park
will still be open during your planned vacation!

The drive from Jackson to Salt Lake is beautiful, and the
section between Jackson and Logan, Utah, is said to rival
the fall colors in New England! Jackson itself is a tourist
town, so if you are on a budget, simply cruise another 30 or
so miles down the road to Alpine Wyoming, a neat little
cross-roads town with lots of Western Hospitality and
reasonable camp facilities.

If you are Mormon (a religion), you may want to schedule
your visit in Salt Lake City for the first weekend in
October. If not, avoid Salt Lake that weekend (from
Thursday through Monday) at all costs. The city is packed
during that period, and the traffic is bad enough already
with all of the pre-Olympic's highway construction! When
you visit Salt Lake, please take time to visit Temple Square
(located in central downtown), as well as the various other
attractions the Greater Salt Lake area has to offer. You
can visit some of the Olympic venues, even ride in a
bobsled, if you're bold enough!

I would be happy to make more specific suggestions if you
have any more questions, I am just sort of shotgunning my
suggestions based on the average tourist! If you have
special interests or hobbies, let me know and I will try to
make your trip a little more interesting!

Have a wonderful vacation . . . a great time planning it!

Roy

From: Mickey Mathena
To: Coby&John Lit <cjl@globalxs.nl>

Coby & John,

Looks like you are a well experienced travelers. Here are some thoughts, some may be useful, others, less so. They are not arranged in any order of importance.

MAPPING SOFTWARE:
Try and get a copy of MAP-N-GO by Delorme, www.delorme.com . This is a CD based trip/mapping planning program. It has about everything you would want to plan your trip. In addition to the US it has some coverage of Canada and Mexico.
If you tell it where you want to go it will develop a complete travel package. Maps, driving instructions and information on places along the way. Places along the way is very powerful. You select what you are interested in finding, roadside services, restaurants, accommodations, camping, and attractions. The program can call into a central location and get up-to-the-minute information on weather, road construction, local events, etc. The program has some audio/visual presentations for some of the more popular location.
The program cost about $40 and I believe some of the features are available on line at their web site. If you have a laptop this would be a great real time aid. Program also works with GPS.

ROADSIDE REST AREAS:
You will find these along many major roads. Most maps will have rest areas marked on them. Usually at the first rest area inside the state boarder on interstate hwys there will be a tourist office with all the information you could ask for that state.
Many states allow overnight parking in their rest areas. Some are quite nice. Some rest areas have dump stations and fresh water for trailers and MH's. I would ask at a tourist office if they have any information on public dump stations. Some states have a lot and some very few.
If you stay off the interstate hwys, some towns will have tourist offices.
There is a book available that list all the rest areas on the larger hwys and tells what facilities are available at each. This book also includes information on overnight stays. This book can be purchased at most RV stores.

CAMPGROUNDS:
There are several large books published that list and rate campgrounds all over the country. One is by Woodall and the other is by Trailer-life.
When we are in transit, we look for places we can stay for little or no cost. Hate to pay $20 for a place to park overnight then be off on the road again the next morning. As I mentioned, some rest areas it is OK to park overnight. You'll find some small towns have campgrounds for little or no cost which entices you to stop and spend some money in their town. The local park may be one of these places. We usually ask at the police station about using the park. The Largest retailer in the country is Wal-Mart and their company policy is to let/encourage RV'rs to use their parking lot for overnight stays. Some localities have local laws that prevent this but they are in the minority.
Being self-contained you don't need electricity and water every night. Might as well save that money for something you really want to do.


THINGS TO DO AND SEE

You asked about more info on the Oregon trail. In association with this trail, there is the Louis & Clark Trail. This is a precursor to the Oregon trial. Louis & Clark were sent by the Government to find passage to the far west. They reached the Pacific ocean in the fall of 1803 (?) and spent the winter there before heading back east. It was the reports from this journey that encouraged the migration west several decades later. During this trip you will likely see signs noting the trail. At Astoria Or. there is a park called Fort Clatsup which was the name given to the small fort L&C built for their 6 month's stay. It is worth visiting. The original fort is long gone but a reproduction has been built along with a small visitor center. During the summer months the park rangers are dress in period costumes and explain and demonstrate what life was like during that time. Astoria is a great place to visit on it's own. The Columbia river is over a mile wide as it enters the pacific ocean.
Back to the Oregon trail.
(from one encyclopedia) "Oregon Trail (trāl), route used (1840s to 1870s) by Western settlers in the U.S. to reach the Oregon Territory. Their wagon trains generally started at Independence or Westport, Mo., traveled NW along the Platte and N Platte rivers to Fort Laramie, Wyo., and crossed the Rocky Mts. by the South Pass to the Colorado R. basin. The Oregon Trail continued SW to Fort Bridger, where the Mormon Trail diverged to the southwest, and then ran NW, via the Snake R., Blue Mts., and Columbia R., to the Willamette valley. It totaled c.2,000 mi (3,200 km) in length and required about six months for the average wagon train to traverse it."
Oregon City is the end of the trail and one of the first towns in the territory. There is a nice interpretive center in town. The buildings look like covered wagons. (Oregon City has other things of interest was well. First long distance x-mission of electricity in the US. Some early Oregon pioneers lived and died here.)
To the East, in Baker City Oregon, is a national interpretive center located on Flagstaff hill just east of town. This is a great place to visit. In addition to the visitor center there is several miles of the original trail that is preserved. You can still see deep ruts from the wagons.
On east I'm not sure of displays there are but do know there are markers in many of the states in which the trail crosses.
Exact figures on how many came across the trail isn't known but it is estimated to be in the range of 300,000.

OTHER THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN OREGON:

- General info. Oregon is a large farm and wood product state. Farming is very diversified. Lots of grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables grown and processed, plus livestock. Marion county, home of the state Capital, Salem is leading national producer of over 6 different crops. Much of the commercial grass seed grown in the world comes from here. Oregon has 3 world records, smallest natural harbor (depoe bay), smallest river (D river, 400 ft long, Lincoln city), smallest city park ( 24 ft long & several ft wide, in Portland). Oregon is also home to numerous luxury Motorhomes. The commercial bus size homes with prices of $250k and more.

- N.E. corner of the state, town of Joseph and Wallowa lake. These 2 items are only a few miles apart. Joseph is an older town and is now a art center. There are several Bronze foundries there that support the local artists. The foundries give tours. Numerous art studios in town. There is a very nice state campground at the lake. It is best know for the wild deer that run free within the campground.

- Eastern boarder, Baker City. Nice old town. Center of old mining district. Much of the old town has been restored. Several museums in town. Info on several Ghost towns in the nearby mountains. (Ghost towns are old abandoned towns. Many are associated with mining activities. You'll find these all over the west but you have to be looking for them. There is information available on these locations but are not the most popular attractions.) At the US National Bank in old down town is a very nice display of gold. The largest gold nugget every found in Oregon is on display. It is almost 2.3 kgms

- South Central, Crater lake & other things. I see you have a pic of this location so won't add anything. Will be close to winter setting in so need to pay attention to the weather. Close by on hwy 97 is Collier state park. Large open air museum focusing on logging. Across the hwy is a nice day use park.
Further south is the town of Kalamath falls. Very nice large lake of Lake Kalamath. There is a private museum in town called Favell museum of western art. Very nice.
Hwy 140 west of K Falls is very beautiful cross the cascades. It is a several hr drive over to Medford.

- Central Oregon, central and eastern Oregon is quite different than the western portion. Eastern is more desert like than the west which is rain forest. The division is the Crest of the Cascade mountains which run full length of the state N-S. Trees on the east are mostly pines and are firs in the west. Transition of trees occurs over very few miles, 2-3, at the crest. There are a lot of nice lakes in the Cascades in central Oregon. The area around Bend Oregon (within 50 miles all directions) is very nice. This is volcanic area. East & Paulina Lakes were created by collapsed volcano. Sisters is nice small town north of Bend. Hwy west of town crosses mountains into Salem, the state capital. There are several nice lakes along the road. It's 90 miles between Sisters and Salem.

- South West, Medford and other things. Medford is largest town in this part of state. Best know for the Rouge River that runs through it heading towards the coast. A few miles west of Medford is the old town of Jacksonville. Old mining community, site of first discovery of gold in Oregon. Tourist town today and is very interesting.

- Willamette Valley, is 100 miles long in the N.W. portion of the state and is the most populus portion of the state. Lies between the Cascades and coast mountains. Eugene and Corvallis are big University towns. The valley runs between Eugene and Portland. Salem is pioneer town and is home to Willamette University the oldest University in the west. Nearby is Mission Mills museums. There is a textile museum, some pioneer homes, and one other small museum at this one location. There are some nice small shops and a visitor center at this location as well. I'm sure you'll want to stop in Portland and there is many things to do and see.

- Columbia River area. The area is very scenic east of Portland. There is a scenic drive (Oregon side of the river) that follows the upper level of the gorge. It starts 17 miles east of Portland at the town of Troutdale and runs east for 30 - 40 miles. There are numerous water falls along this section of the road plus several very nice look-out points. 60 miles east of Portland is Bonniville Dam, one of the many Dams on the Columbia. On East are the towns of Hood River & The Dallas. Both are historic towns. Another 20 miles east of The Dallas if you cross the river, hwy 97, You'll be in Mary Hill Wa. There is a very nice park down along the river. At the top of the hill and just east of the hwy is a reproduction of Stonehenge. West of hwy 97 2-3 miles is the Maryhill museum of art. It was once a private home, mansion, Amongst the art is a large portion of the crown jewels of one of the small European countries. Seems the queen was good friends of the owners and made this gift to them.

- Oregon Coast. Very rugged coast line and in many places the Trees are growing right up to the beach.
Southern coast at Gold Beach, the are sightseeing boat ride up the Rouge River. Very nice day long trips available. It my be too late in the season for the boat trips.
Central coast are the towns of Newport, Depoe Bay & Lincoln City.
Along the northern coast is Tillimook and Astoria. Tillimook is home to largest cheese factory in the country. They have a visitor center and shop. Astoria is northern most point of Oregon. Old sea port, several museums, the Astoria Column, Fort Clatsup.


ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

- In several of the states there are old territorial prisons which have been turned into museums. These can be very interesting. It is not unusual that these prisons were built by the inmates. Can be found in Boise Idaho, Deer Lodge Montana, and Rawlins Wyoming.

- Museums in general. Many small town have local museums where you can learn about local history.

- This time of year you may want to keep watch out for local fairs. Fairs in America go back at least 100 yrs. They were places families could gather in the fall to show off their prized farm goods (crops, animals, etc.) for the year. The Women would also display/show-off there crafts as well. Today these things still happen but entertainment is a bigger portion of fairs. There are both local and state fairs.


OTHER STATES:

- Yellowstone. It looks like this is on your agenda. Could spend several days here including the Tetons to the south. Great area & lots of wild life to be seen.

- Three interesting ghost towns. Just NW of Yellowstone are the small towns of Virginia City and Nevada City Montana. Both are early pioneer towns for this area. Virginia City is not quite deserted. Many empty building still have merchandise in them which can be observed. Three miles to the west, Nevada City has been turned into a small museum. Great collection of building most of which are filled items. Stores are full of new, period items you would find in a store of the type they are displayed in.
A few miles east of Virginia City is the small town of Ennis which you will pass through coming from Yellowstone. Nice small town with some interesting sculpture on display.
West of Nevada City about 70 miles away is the town/state park of Bannick. Nice ghost town with gold mine. Park also includes 2 small campgrounds. Several yrs ago we paid $8 for touring the town and staying overnight at the campground. Maybe too late in the season but during the summer, one Saturday a month they have night, ghost tours, of the town. Have actors give the tour and lets you learn more about the residents of the town in the early days. We happened to be there on the right night for the tour. Was great. Bannick is about 25 miles from the nearest town but the night we were there, there was almost 200 people for the tour. Only several dozen in the campground. Where did they all come from?

- Butte Montana. Old mining town. Several mines to see and there is an outdoors museum at the University depicting a typical old mining town. The museum is on the site of an old LARGE mine.

- Hwy 12 west out of Missula Montana is a very scenic hwy heading towards Or./Wa. This hwy runs very close to the Louis & Clark trail. There are some nice small campgrounds heading up the Lolo Pass, Hwy 12.

- Lewston Idaho is a nice town on the boarder of Washington. Nice state park/campground just south of town on the Snake river.

- Idaho is desert like in the south & mountains/trees in the north.


The last item for this LONG letter are a several web sites.

www.tl.com Home of Trailer Life. This is a large organization (commercial business) with several different type of monthly magazines focused on recreational travel. Mags are available on-line. As mentioned earlier, they also publish a large campground directory. This directory is also available on line. A portion of this site is also for the Good Sams Club. I believe the largest of the camping clubs in America. Members receive 10% discount for staying at campgrounds affiliated with GS club. You may want to give thought to joining. I think few is less than $20/yr including the monthly mag. One of the benefits is there are volunteers all over the country that are available to help fellow members when they are on the hwy and are in need of help. Check out the GS home page. They can also be reached at www.goodsam.com.

www.rvamerica.com This is a large web site for campers with Recreational Vehicles of all types. A very popular site. They have several BBS. The main BBS is for general topics. They is another directed towards women and their interests and one aimed towards Canadian RV'ers.

If you need further help, just contact me.

Mickey

From: Dave_Calvert
To: < CJL@globalxs.nl>

If you are planning to go to Olympic National Park, go to Solduc Hot Springs. It is in the Olympic National Park. There are about 25 RV hook ups with electric hook ups and a dump station. Good fresh mountain water. Wonderful warm hot springs.
I am from Seattle Washington and have traveled extensively to the areas you are planning to visit.
Glacier National Park has a length restriction on vehicles going through the park. 21 feet maximum. The roads are narrow and twist and wind. But the park is beautiful. This park is also very crowded during the summer time. There are lots of RV camp grounds on either the east or west side of the park.
Yellowstone is extremely crowded in the summer, so make sure you have reservations or you will not have a place to stay. Outside of the park camping is limited and very crowded. Yellowstone is also a park where most of its beauty is off the main highways. If you are hikers plan to take some of the day hikes. It will be well worth it.
The North Cascades is considered the American Alps and has some spectacular scenery. Here in Washington State you can drive from the Eastern Washington desert, over the mountains and to the Rain Forest in a long day.
Mount Raineir is beautiful, and it would be well worth spending several days driving around the mountain. While you are in the area Mount St. Helen is also worth viewing.
If you need any information, just drop me a line and I will do the best to answer you.
Dave Calvert..........

From: Dave_Calvert
To: < CJL@globalxs.nl>

I also have noticed that you are going to Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and California. Have you selected any areas of interest? There are many interesting areas in each of these States. Are you more interested in the natural beauty or the populated areas?
An example is that you mention Salt Lake City. If you head east out of Salt Lake City you travel a split highway that goes for 115 miles across the valley to the Bonneville Salt Flats, where all the World speed records are attempted. These take place in the later part of summer. This is a site to see even if you are not a car or speed enthusiast.
Utah has Bridges National Park and Arches National Park that are very beautiful.
Nevada has Lehman's Caves near the town of Baker(Eastern Nevada). An amazing catacomb of natural mineral stalagmites and slagtites. Las Vegas, Reno, Virginia City and Lake Tahoe.
California has got to much to mention especially in population. Be careful in Southern California certain areas can be very scary.
Oregon is split like Washington with the desert on the east side and the forested west. Beautiful mountain drives and very nice camp grounds.
Dave Calvert.....

From: Bob Rider
To: Coby&John Lit <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Well, we've been to lots of those places and we live here in the San Francisco Bay Area... Maybe our web site would be useful to you. Come on by for a visit...

-Bob Rider
www.love2camp.com
Resources for camping, travel and the outdoors.

From: Mickey Mathena
To: Coby&John Lit <cjl@globalxs.nl>

Coby & John,

Noticed on one of your recent postings you have decided to visit Salt Lake City.

I would like to suggest you give consideration that if you were planning on going straight from Yellowstone to SLC you consider going due south from Yellowstone down to Flaming Gorge (on Wyoming - Utah boarder). This is a very scenic area and your timing is right for max fall color. The road crosses Sheep Creek which would make a very enjoyable overnight stop. One to two miles west of the hwy is a campground which you will usually find unused at the time you will be there. There is no cost to camp there and there is one spot we like where the front of you MH will be only a few steps away from the stream. At that time of the year you should find the stream full of salmon that have left the lake to spawn. Up on top of the gorge the Aspen trees should be in full color and are in nice contrast to the evergreens.

Continuing south another 50 miles is the town of Vernal, quite an interesting town. The old bank is brick and all the bricks were delivered by mail. The visitor center has I believe 10 small pamphlets covering all the places of interest locally. If you enjoy Dinosaurs, this is the place. Bout forty of fifty miles east is Dinosaur National Monument. The visitor center there is an enclosed hills side which has 100's of fossil dinosaurs visible. There is also a nice museum of natural history in town. Another site worth visiting about 10 miles out of town is a private ranch which is open to visitors to view ancient Petroglyphs which cover the nearby cliffs. These range in age from about 800 to 1300 yrs old. The owner has provide a nice parking lot suitable for a MH to park without trouble. The owner asks for a $2 donation to cover his cost to keep the trail repaired. The 2 times we've been there we were the only ones there.

If you were to decide to make this side trip it is only 50 mile further than going straight to SLC, not including any sightseeing along the way. I would be glad to give you any additional information you seek to include this in your itinerary.

Regards,
Mickey

From: L&J
To: Coby&John <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Some of my favorite places:

SOME SOUTHWEST POINTS OF INTEREST

NOTE: All map references refer to AAA map of Southwestern US. Listed
alphabetically by State (AZ, CO, NM & UT). Areas listed represent only
a selected portion of available locations. For more details, see your
local Automobile Association for Tour & Camp Books and maps. Also
check out the National Park Service Home Page:
http://www.nps.gov/parks.html

(AZ/CO/NM/UT) Four Corners (AAA Map of SW US Ref I25): The "CENTER OF
THE SCENIC SOUTHWEST". Only location in US where you can place your
hands & feet in four different States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico &
Utah). Not much to see here but is a point of interest (can see Native
Americans 'scalping' everyone else - financially). On the map draw a
circle with the Four Corners as the center with a radius of about 250
miles - include Albuquerque & Colo Spgs. Within this circle lies the
most spectacular scenery in the southwest! You can spend years trying
to see everything within this circle.

(AZ) Canyon de Chelly Nat'l Monument (AAA Map of SW US Ref J25):
http://www.nps.gov/cach/
Pronounced "Canyon de Shay". Located inside Navajo lands and much is
controlled by them. View points along North Rim Drive and South Rim
Drive (don't miss last view point on south rim). Hike down into canyon
to view cliff dwellings. Can also join Navajo tour to drive you down
into canyon. One day trip. Small campground. Motels nearby. Not too
crowded.

(AZ) Grand Canyon Nat'l Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref J20/21):
http://www.nps.gov/grca/ Grand Canyon National Park Service pages

http://www.kaibab.org/gc_home6.htm The "unofficial" Home Page on the
Grand Canyon

http://www.thecanyon.com/nps/index.htm Grand Canyon Association site

http://www.gorp.com/gcjunkies/canyon.htm Grand Canyon hiking and
backpacking

Too vast & spectacular to describe. Southern & Northern rims offer
different views. South rim very busy - expect difficulties in parking
at view points (crowded). Will have Park & Ride (Tram) operating soon.
North rim (Visitor facilities closed Oct 15 - May 15; Open for day use
only Oct 15 - Dec 1 or until heavy snows close road) limited lodgings -
reservations necessary even for campground. Mule trips booked up to a
year in advance. Hike the West Rim Trail (easy) or Hardy hikers can
hike to bottom for overnight trip - also booked far in advance. Scenic
views along drive. (MUST SEE)

IMAX Theater: http://www.ngtheater.com/grandcanyon Located in
Tusayan, 8 miles south of the western entrance (AZ 64/US 180; South Rim
of Grand Canyon), this 3-camera movie presents amazing views of Canyon
areas. Shows daily at half past the hour. Get there early as it will
be crowded (MUST SEE)

Grand Canyon Railray: http://www.thetrain.com/ Runs out of
Williams, AZ (I40 west of Flagstaff). Steam engine during summer months
(Memorial Day weekend thru September) and old diesel engine during
winter (October to Memorial Day weekend) Allows several hours stay at
rim of Canyon. Phone 1-800-843-8724

Drive down into Canyon Peach Springs, AZ - west of Williams on old
Route 66. Requires Permit from local Native Americans - their land.
Drive is about 20 miles (one way) on dirt road to Colorado River at
bottom of western edge of Grand Canyon.

(AZ/UT) Glen Canyon Nat'l Rec Area (Lake Powell) (AAA Map of SW US Ref
H/I22/23): http://www.nps.gov/glca/
Vast man-made Lake extends back into beautiful natural canyons. Boat
tours (from 1 hour to all day & dinner cruises) are available and
scenic. Rental houseboats for longer trips. Colorado river rafting
available Motels in Page, AZ. Camping nearby.

(AZ/UT) Monument Valley (AAA Map of SW US Ref I23 at AZ/UT border):
http://www.canyonlands-utah.com/tribn.html
Magnificent mesas & buttes seen in many John Wayne westerns. Park is on
Navaho land (Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Tribal Park) and mostly
dirt roads but well worth seeing. Half day.

(CO) Black Canyon of The Gunnison Nat'l Monument (AAA Map of SW US Ref
G26): http://www.nps.gov/blca/
Deep (over 2,000 feet) canyons cut into dark granite by Gunnison River.
Spectacular views from lookout points. Nice but small campground.
Flush toilets but no showers. Evening campfire talks by Rangers.
Recommend one day. Motels in nearby Montrose.

(CO) Colorado Springs (AAA Map of SW US Ref F29):
http://colorado.com/Colorado/towns/coloradosprings/index.html
A great place to visit and see local attractions: Garden of the Gods,
Seven Falls, Cave of the Winds, Pikes Peak, Cog Railway, Air Force
Academy etc.

(CO) Durango-Silverton (AAA Map of SW US Ref H26):
http://durango.org/. Some of most scenic views in CO. Start point
(Durango) for Durango - Silverton Narrow Gage Steam Railroad:
http://durango.org/durango/train.html &
http://www.visitorinformation.com/durango/train.html. All day trips
through canyons along Animas River. Reservations recommended. Phone:
970-247-2733.or 888-872-4607. Drive from Durango to Silverton & Ouray
highly recommended. Campgrounds & motels available. Also close to Mesa
Verde Nat'l Park. (MUST SEE)

(CO) Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Monument (AAA Map of SW US Ref G/H29):
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/
Located in high (7,800 ft) valley, dunes rise up to 800 ft above floor.
Hike up dunes but shifting sands make difficult. River flowing at base
of dunes 'disappears' into sand. Hike to top considered strenuous.
Hike up Mosca Pass Trail into green forest. Nice large campground.
Flush toilets but no showers. Evening campfire talks by Rangers.
Recommend overnight stay. Motels in nearby Alamosa.

(CO/UT) Hovenweep National Monument (AAA Map of SW US Ref H24/25):
http://www.nps.gov/hove/
An out-of-the-way site in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado
about 40 miles west of Cortez, CO. Consists of a main site and several
outlying sites. Main site has small Visitor's Center and small
campground. Lovely walk takes in several ruins around and within small
canyon. Ranger guided walk to rock art. Outlying sites somewhat rough
roads but worth visiting. Solstice markers at Holly site not marked but
worth observing during solstice periods (need guide to show where
located). Motels in nearby Cortez.

(CO) Mesa Verde Nat'l Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref H/I25):
http://www.nps.gov/meve/ and http://mesaverde.org/ and
http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/US_National_Park/co_mesa.HTM
Located off US-160 in southwestern Colorado, 10 miles east of Cortez and
about 30 miles west of Durango. Steep climb from highway up onto mesa
area - towed vehicles not allowed past Morefield campground - parking
allowed by entrance station. This is a very popular Park and summer
crowds can be heavy. The best examples of early Native American cliff
dwellings. Views from cliff rims and several Ranger-guided tours
through ruins. Balcony House, Cliff Palace & Long House require tickets
purchased at Visitor's Center (8:00am - 5:00 pm) (1998 rate: $1.75) -
about 15 miles before ruins. Expect waits in line and difficulties in
getting a time you want. Balcony House tour requires climbing ladders &
exit via hands & knees through narrow 'tunnel'. Do it if you can stand
the heights & climb.

Also see the Mesa Top Sites as they provide a history of the evolution
of the living conditions prior to the actual Cliff Dwellings. Guided
commercial tours available from Far View Lodge for morning, afternoon or
all day. Morefield campground (open thru mid-October) has 450 sites and
is almost never completely full but better sites go by noon or so. Deer
wander thru cam areas evenings & mornings (do Not feed). Evening Ranger
programs held at Amphitheater. Commercial Laundromat & pay showers by
campground. Knife Edge Trail an easy walk. Prater Ridge Trail longer
and on top of mesa. Hike up to Lookout Point strenuous but views worth
it (no guard rails). Commercial camping nearby. Far View Lodge inside
Park (advance reservations necessary) & Motels available nearby.
Recommend minimum of 1-2 full days.(MUST SEE)

(CO) Pike's Peak (AAA Map of SW US Ref F29 - west of Colorado
Springs): Famous for 'Pike's Peak or Bust' slogan of early settlers.
Over 14,000 ft elevation west of Colorado Springs. Can drive up or take
Cog Railroad (Manitou Springs). Drive from Colorado Springs to Cripple
Creek via dirt 'Old Gold Camp Road' very scenic. From Cripple Creek to
Canon City via dirt 'Phantom Canyon' road also very scenic (Not for
motor homes or towed trailers). (MUST SEE)

(CO) Royal Gorge (AAA Map of SW US Ref G29 - west of Canon City):
http://electricstores.com/bridge/default.htm
Wooden-planked suspension bridge 1,100 ft over gorge & river. A bit
'Touristy' but worth the visit. May walk or drive smaller vehicles over
bridge or take cable car across. Breath-taking view down.

(NM) Albuquerque (AAA Map of SW US Ref K28):
http://www.viva.com/nm/cen.html
Great place to start your tour. Lots of history here. Don't miss 'Old
Town' for shopping. Great southwest foods. International Hot Air
Balloon Fiesta in late Sept./early Oct (http://www.aibf.org/). Also
Sandia Tramway (Longest aerial tramway) east of Albuquerque. View at
evening sunset is wonderful. Restaurant at top - reservations
recommended.

(NM) Bandelier Nat'l Monument (AAA Map of SW US Ref J28):
http://www.nps.gov/band/
Native American ruins northwest of Santa Fe, NM. Combination of stone
dwellings and caves in soft stone. Small park subject to close due to
overcrowding on weekends. Nice quiet walk through Main Ruins Loop.
Moderately strenuous climb to 'Ceremonial Cave' 140 ft up series of
ladders & steps. Falls Trail below Visitor's Center to view falls and
on to Rio Grande. Frey Trail to/from campground. longer back country
hiking available. Nice but small campground. Flush toilets but no
showers. Evening campfire talks by Rangers. Recommend one full day.
Motels in nearby Los Alamos.

(NM) Chaco (Canyon) Culture Nat'l Historic Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref
J26): http://www.nps.gov/chcu/
Center of Anasazi Native American culture. Large stone ruins - stay off
ruins but walk through many of them very interesting. Several movies at
visitor center - should see. Drive into area via bumpy dirt road (20
miles via south entrance or 11 miles via north entrance) - don't take in
rainy weather. Road discourages many potential visitors but is well
worth the trip (and keeps the crowds small). Campground small & dry.
Take your own water. Flush toilets but no showers. Evening campfire
talks by Rangers. Hiking requires free permit (Visitor's Center).
Pueblo Alto Trail overlooks several ruins - begins behind Kin Kletso
ruin. Take 'Hidden Trail' up to first mesa level & continue up several
more levels - up to 5 mile hike but can take shorter. Don't miss
overlook of Pueblo Bonito. Tsin Kletsin (South Mesa) Trail begins at
Casa Rinconada ruin and goes up to mesa top overlooking much of Canyon.
Front side of trail interesting but back side takes you down some dry &
hot canyons - recommend go as far as canyon overlook on back side and
then come back down front side. Other hikes available. Recommend 1-2
day (2 night) visit. Motels & commercial campgrounds available in
Grants or Bloomfield. (MUST SEE)

(NM) Chama (AAA Map of SW US Ref I28):
http://www.viva.com/nm/nc.chama.html and
http://www.rmii.com/slv/alamosa/ccs/antonito/train.html
One of the most beautiful valleys (8,000 ft altitude) in New Mexico.
Start point for NM end of Cumbres-Toltec Narrow Gage Steam Railroad:
http://www.xpert.net/wedgwood/cumbres/index.html
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/drichter/focts.htm
Phone for reservations: (505) 756-2151. Day trips into mountains with
stop over for lunch - begins at 8,000 ft and climbs to just over 10,000
ft Cumbres Pass. Also starts from Antonito, CO. Departs at 10:30 daily
(Chama)/ 10:00 (Antonito); come early to watch train preparations.
Reservations recommended. Campgrounds & Motels available. Recommend
one day to ride train & another to film train from highway points.
(MUST SEE)

(NM) El Malipais Nat'l Monument (AAA Map of SW US Ref - at Grants):
http://www.nps.gov/elma/
Large area of lava fields created by early volcanic activity. Can view
portions from roads. Rugged trails through lava flow areas - free
permit at Ranger Station in Grants. Check with Rangers as to road
condition before going to the Lava Tubes. Ice caves are commercial
tourist spot. Large natural arch on eastern edge of area just off paved
road (NM 117).

(NM) El Morro Nat'l Monument (AAA Map of SW US Ref L26):
http://www.nps.gov/elmo/
Also known as 'Inscription Rock'. Prehistoric Native American markings
as well as early Spanish & American explorers. Large pool of water was
important stopping place in this arid region. Inscription Trail easy
walk on paved surface. Mesa Top Trail nice hike up cliffs for views and
Native American ruins. Nice but small campground. Pit toilets and no
showers. Evening campfire talks by Rangers. Campgrounds & motels in
nearby Grants. Recommend day visit.

(NM) Rio Grande Gorge Bridge (AAA Map of SW US Ref I29): Located on
highway 64, northwest of Taos. Drop of over 600 ft to Rio Grande River
at bottom of gorge. Drive along highway 64 from Taos to Chama very
scenic. Also, white water rafting around Taos.

(UT) Arches Nat'l Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref G24):
http://www.nps.gov/arch/
Also: http://www.canyonlands-utah.com/archn.html
Just north of Moab, UT, this area contains the most natural arches in a
relatively small area. Lovely hikes from short to moderately long.
Especially nice are Devils Garden/ Landscape Arch (moderate) and
Delicate Arch (moderately strenuous) - don't miss Delicate Arch even if
you have to take the easy viewpoint rather than the hike up to it. Nice
but small campground hard to get into - space available early AM. Flush
toilets but no showers. Evening campfire talks by Rangers. Recommend 2
days minimum. Motels & campgrounds available in nearby Moab. Also see
Canyonlands & Dead Horse Point. (MUST SEE).

(UT) Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref H21):
http://www.nps.gov/brca/
Not really a canyon but the edge of a mesa that has been eroded by water
and left spectacular views. Lookout points from long drive along top of
mesa. Lots of hiking. Several nice hikes down through scenic areas.
Navajo Loop Trail and Queen's Garden Trail can be done together. Hint:
Start at Sunset Point as trail is steeper there and easier to go down.
Two large campgrounds but park is very busy. Flush toilets but no
showers. Showers & commercial camping available outside park. Evening
campfire talks by Rangers. Recommend 2 days. Motels outside park
(MUST SEE)

(UT) Canyonlands Nat'l Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref G/H23/24):
http://www.nps.gov/cany/
also: http://www.canyonlands-utah.com/
A very large area located west of Moab, UT. Upper regions of Grand
Canyon. Many views only can be reached by 4 wheel drive vehicles.
Tours available from Moab. Motels and campgrounds in Moab. Consists of
three 'districts':
Island in the Sky (Northern area): US-191 about 10 miles north of Moab
to UT313. West & south to Park. Paved road all the way to Grand View
Point - lovely drive. (Note: Dead Horse Point State Park turnoff is
found about 18 miles into UT-313 - see below). Drive down/up Shaffer
Trail (dirt) not for 'faint-hearted' (1,200 ft drop in about 2 mile
drive) but worth every 'gut-wrenching' moment (Not for motor homes or
towed trailers). Hiking trails available but very hot in summer - take
lots of water. Water not available in the Island area but is available
in Dead Horse Point. Recommend one day for this area and Dead Horse
Point (see below).
The Needles (Southern area): US-191 about 40 miles south of Moab to
UT-211. West about 50 miles (all paved) to Visitor's Center - lovely
drive. Newspaper Rock (about 12 miles along UT-211 - see below).
Camping (pit toilets) & hiking trails available but very hot in summer -
take lots of water. Water available spring through fall. Four-wheel
drive roads are just that - need high clearance. Recommend one day.
The Maze (Western area): The most primitive area and not many casual
visitors. Lots of dirt roads and no water available. Have full gas
tank and take lots of water. From Ut-24 or 95, take paved (some) and
dirt (lots) roads to overlooks. Worthwhile for dedicated but not for
casual visitor. Primitive camping & hiking available.

(UT) Capitol Reef Nat'l Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref G/H22):
http://www.nps.gov/care/
Spectacular views from along scenic drive areas. Mostly paved but some
dirt to enter canyon areas. Be sure to take Scenic Drive. Hiking
available. Nice but small campground located in fruit orchard. Flush
toilets but no showers. Evening campfire talks by Rangers. Full day
recommended. Limited motels.

(UT) Dead Horse Point State Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref G24):
http://www.canyonlands-utah.com/
Very spectacular view point overlooking Colorado river (2,000 ft
below). View seems to change by time of day. Lovely drive just
northwest of Moab & Arches Nat'l Park. Continue further to view Island
In The Sky area of Canyonlands. Leave 'Pucker Pass' to the Pros. Nice
but small campground. Flush toilets but no showers. Recommend one day.
(MUST SEE)

(UT) Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument: (AAA Map of SW US Ref
H24): http://www.canyonlands-utah.com/newsn.html
A vast collection of early Native American rock drawings. Located along
state road 211 into Canyonlands The Needles area. Views along drive &
past Newspaper Rock worth effort. Motels & camping in nearby Moab.

(UT) Moab (AAA Map of SW US Ref G24):
http://virtual.moab.ut.us/
http://www.canyonlands-utah.com/moabn.html
Center of spectacular red rock scenery areas. Also, white water rafting
in Colorado river and jeep tours of Canyonlands areas. Motels &
Campgrounds available. Mountain scenery in nearby LaSal mountains.
(MUST SEE)

(UT) Zion Nat'l Park (AAA Map of SW US Ref H/I20):
http://www.nps.gov/zion
Magnificent views along road. Scenic Drive subject to crowding. Hiking
available from easy to strenuous. Drive through Park offers different
views when driving East to West and West to East. Cinemax theater
(Springdale) worth seeing. Two campgrounds in park. National
Reservation Service: 1-800-365-CAMP Motels & campgrounds available
nearby.

Native American Music: Check at Park Visitor Centers for music by R.
Carlos Nakai. Wonderful wood flute music (sometimes accompanied by
William Eaton on strings). Some of my favorite albums are: Canyon
Trilogy, Desert Dance, Carry the Gift, Sundance Season, Feather Stone &
Light and Changes. Also available through Canyon Records:
http://www.canyonrecords.com/artnakai.htm and some local music stores.

Larry/St Pete, FL

From: Tom Jennings

Coby & John,

We did a loop from Portland last year, mainly in Washington state. We
didn't camp, but some of the things along the way that we enjoyed were:

- Fort Klatsop (where the Lewis & Clark expedition stayed)
- Columbia River Maritime museum in Astoria
- short hikes in the old growth forests of Olympic Park
- ocean coast (especially Ruby Beach) at Olympic Park
- a day in Victoria, BC using the ferry from Port Angeles, WA
- Museum of Flight in Seattle
- Northwest Trek animal park between Seattle and Mt. Rainier
- Mount Rainier park

This year we plan to see Southern Oregon and east from there as far as
Tetons/Yellowstone. We'll be seeing some of the things in your itinerary,
but it will be more crowded than when you go.

Tom

From: Larry Narachi
To: <cjl@globalxs.nl>

Here is a tip:
When you are in Las Vegas, you HAVE to see the "O" show at Bellagio Hotel.
The Cirque Du Soleil is a great performance group and the ticket is worth
every penny. You should book your ticket early - you can go up to 28 days in
advance. There is a web site where you can watch a preview of the show at
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/

Also when you are in San Francisco - I don't know what you are interested
in, but the tourist stuff at the Fishermans Wharf and the GG Bridge aren't
that great.
Here is what I recmnd:
Greens Rest. at the Fort Mason Center - Veggie eatery farmed by Zen
gardeners awesome brunch
Union Street - better and more interesting shopping than Pier 39

Go across the bay to Berkeley and eat ONCE at Chez Panisse - the best place
in all of America in my opinion


Hope you have a great time!

Let me know what you are interested in and I can give more tips

Larry Narachi

From: Verale H.
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

I just wanted to pass on some Yellowstone Park Area possibilities. I do
not know what you plan to do during your time in Yellowstone but you may
wish to look into both of these options. I was born and raised in
Montana, but have lived and or spent much time in the other areas you
are visiting.. (Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Idaho and the Dakotas. I
may be able to help with any questions you may have about those areas or
at the least provide resources.

The weather during those dates should be very nice. Oregon is the
nicest during the fall as it rains less! The traffic through the
national parks, especially Yellowstone should be far more favorable
also. I do not know what specific areas / tourist attractions you plan
to view but I know there are many. The northern Oregon coast has some
great historic areas as well as beautiful beach areas where you can walk
along the beach, ride horses, dine, etc..and beautiful lighthouses.
There is also a great Zoo, Nike World, OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science &
Industry) in Portland, Idaho has some great mining type of historic
attractions near Wallace and a sky gondola (I haven't been on it yet)
Montana has Glacier Park, Flathead lake area, the beartooth highway near
Yellowstone park, Custer Battlefield (now called something else to be
politically correct) There is a great Museum in Bozeman Montana "Museum
of the Rockies" I know MOntana very well and can get you specific info
and contacts if you wish. South Dakota has the Badlands (ugly..ha!), Mt
Rushmore, The Reptile Gardens (if open in fall). I know there are many
things but I am writing late at night and the brain tends to be
sluggish.. ha!

I do know that these are both great activities .. the llama treks may or
may not be possible except on weekends during that time of year but they
are a great outfit and often have guests from all over the world. They
have guided backpacking, fly fishing, hiking and more!
http://www.imt.net/~llamas/

Yellowstone Alpen Guides provide year around adventures and activities
in Yellowstone Park. Please visit their web site and view some of the
possibilities.. more is available by filling out the contact sheet and
they will send a color brochure. http://www.yellowstoneguides.com

If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to ask! I
know you will have a wonderful time!


Best of Luck!!
VH

From: C.D. Stipp
To: <cjl@globalxs.nl>

I've been visiting your page, it sounds like a great deal of fun. Unless
you are going to drive like mad, I think that your time at various different
places and the time it takes to get there is a "little" on the short side.
Keep in mind that there will still be alot of tourist out on the road and
the road construction will still be going on. The road construction
could/will include detours and one lane roads where you will have to sit and
wait for your turn to proceed. Yes, you should bring winter clothes, while
it doesn't always snow that time of the year, at those elevations it can and
does. Two days in Yellowstone? Hmm, I think maybe three. If you get off of
the beaten path and visit some of the hike paths, you will see what I mean.
PLEASE remember the animals at Yellostone are not tame, there are deaths
every year because some tourist "forgot" that they are wild animals and will
act as such. Moose, elk, bears, wolves, buffalo all wild not tame. One
last note now that I see I have been rambling on, you may find it more cost
effective to buy a motor home when you arrive instead of renting one for
over a month. Just a thought, I imagine that the motor home is at least
150.00 a day for thirty days=4500.00 you could buy a used on for your
travels and then resell it through a consignment lot and recoup some of your
money, if not all especially at that time of year. Just a thought. Have a
great trip!

From: Tom Beauchamp
To: < CJL@globalxs.nl>

Hi guys

If you have time when in the San Francisco area make sure you visit "Muir Woods" It is one of the finest groves of Redwoods and provides a lot of hiking trails. It is located on Highway 1. the road is slow but it is short. If you are going to the Wine Country just cut across to Highway 1 and head south that will also take you to Muir Woods and the trip is beautiful. If you want to stop for the night try Olema Ranch Campground at the entrance to Pt Reyes Seashore. (if you are interested let me know and I can email you the area map) I envy you we have taking trips to the area you are traveling many times and each time we find some new sights. You are traveling at a great time, no crowds or reservations needed at most areas even Yellowstone if you get there early in the day. We were there in September and the nights got down to 28 degrees.

Have Fun

Tom

From: marasys
To: Coby&John <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Here's another:
Near St. Ignatius Montana which I mentioned last time is the National Bison
Range, where you can get as close as you want to a herd of buffalo.

From: Anne Stephany
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Coby & John,

Wow, what a plan for '99! I wish I could take a trip like that! My
husband and I took a trip last year through South Dakota and Wyoming
(and a small portion in Montana around Yellowstone). Our highlight of
the trip was the time we spent at the Grand Teton's. The Tetons are
just south of Yellowstone so most people spend the majority of their
time in Yellowstone and only a short time in the Tetons. We found this
to be a mistake. Next time we go back (and hopefully will will someday)
we will plan more time for the Tetons. (Although please take into
consideration that we are the hiking type). Don't get me wrong,
Yellowstone has a lot to offer, but don't cut short your time in the
Tetons.

Another place to see on your way to Yellowstone is the Beartooth
Mountains through Beartooth Pass. Beartooth Pass is in the southwest
corner of Montana just north of Yellowstone. The drive was incredibly
beautiful!! You may want to check the restrictions for the size of
vehicle that can go through the pass though. I'm not sure if they allow
large campers. But if they do it is well worth it!

One more place we found to be quite beautiful was the scenic drive
through the Bighorn National Forest. We found it to be an unexpected
surprise on our trip.

Not too far from the border of South Dakota and Wyoming (in Wyoming) is
Devils Tower National Monument. It is a good place to stop on your way
in between Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore. It is an interesting natural
formation and not too much of a detour off of the main highway. They
have a few hiking trails too.

While visiting South Dakota (in particular around the time you visit Mt.
Rushmore) there are several attractions you may want to visit if you
have time. Just south from Mt. Rushmore is Wind Cave National Park.
They have tours which are a lot less touristy than most around that
area. Also hit the wildlife loop in Custer State Park. It was a very
enjoyable trip - much more than you would expect for a state park.
Further south is a town called Hot Springs. They have a Mammoth
excavation in process. It looks touristy to start with but we found it
quite interesting and worth the small enterance fee. The only
disappointment for us is that we didn't leave enough time to hike
through the Black Hills. I would have set aside more time for that.

Hope this helps. Have a great trip.

Anne Stephany
Germantown, WI

From: Raymond de Hilster
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Hallo Coby & John,

Ik heb een groot aantal van de lokaties bezocht die jullie in je
reisprogramma hebben staan en naar bijna alle zou ik ook weer terug willen.
Dit met uitzondering van Salt Lake City. Als je niet Mormoons bent, dan kun
je deze stad beter mijden, want er is bijzonder weinig te doen.
Wat ik persoonlijk nog aan jullie lijst zou toevoegen zijn de volgende
plaatsen:
Victoria, BC (op Vancouver Island), Banff National Park, Jasper National
Park en Redwood National Park, Ca.
Victoria is de hoofdstad van British Columbia en het is een heel leuk
havenstadje met veel Engels aandoende gebouwen. Even buiten de stad bevinden
zich de Butchart Gardens (http://www.butchartgardens.com), die zijn zeer de
moeite waard om te bezoeken. Wat ik zelf verder heel gaaf vond, was het
Whalewatchen vanuit Victoria. Er zijn een aantal operators in Victoria die
boottochtjes van een paar uur organiseren naar de rond Vancouver Island
wonende Orca's. Ik ben zelf met de Prince of Whales organisatie geweest en
dat was zeer goed bevallen.
Wat betreft de reis naar Vancouver Island ben ik zelf vanuit Port Angeles
(bij Olympic National Park) met de Ferry naar Victoria gegaan. Dit is de
zogenaamde COHO ferry. Een paar dagen later zijn we vanuit Nanaimo weer met
de ferry naar Vancouver gegaan.

De Nationale Parken Banff en Jasper mogen jullie zeker niet missen als je
toch al van plan bent om naar Calgary te gaan. Calgary zelf vond ik
eigenlijk niet interessant, maar Nationale Parken in de omgeving maken dat
meer dan goed. Vanuit Vancouver zijn er een aantal wegen om richting Calgary
te komen. De meeste mensen (bij georganiseerde reizen) nemen de Trans Canada
Highway via Hope, Merritt en Kamloops. Ik kan uit persoonlijke ervaring (ik
heb beide gereden) een veel mooiere route aanbevelen.
Vanuit Vancouver neem je highway 99 langs Squamish, Whistler, Lillooet en
Cache naar Kamloops. Deze weg duurt weliswaar langer, maar gaat door een van
meest ongerepte en woeste berggebieden van de Canadese Rocky Mountains. Echt
de moeite waard.

Goede reis,
Raymond de Hilster

From: Chris
To: Coby&John <CJL@globalxs.nl>

If I am not mistaken you would like to know where you can send email from
here in the States. Most of the town libraries now have internet access and
you can send email from them. You would be wise to set up a "Hotmail acct".
This is free at Hotmail.com. This way you can recieve email while here in
the states also and it will be easier to send email as well.

Hope this helps. Have a good day!

Chris
North Carolina

From: Pete Dumbleton
To: Coby&John <CJL@globalxs.nl>

In some states, the public libraries allow internet/email access
to visitors, but in others, especially in tourist areas like Utah,
the terminals get too crowded so it's not allowed. Look for
CyberCafes, where they sell time on the net (and coffee) and also
look for places that sell net services to subscribers (they will
also sell time at an hourly rate). Also, near cities, look for
copy centers and office supply stores such as Kinko's (open 24
hrs), Office Depot and Staples, who will also rent time at some
(but not all) stores.

BTW, if you are looking for general information or just to relax,
there are two major bookstore chains, BarnesNoble and Borders, who
have coffee shops in the stores. It is acceptable to get some
magazines or books, touring guides, etc., and read them at the
table while drinking coffee, and then put them back on the shelf
if you don't want to buy. I personally enjoy buying the big
Sunday newspaper and reading it with coffee at Borders (I like the
Border's Blend best). They have a little card that they mark each
time and your 11th is free. If you get the "house mug", you can
continue to refill it while you are sitting there.

Have fun,
Pete Dumbleton

From: P.D. TILLMAN
To: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

As a generic recommendation, most public libraries (at least in
Western US) offer free internet access. Best to call first.

And cyber-cafes are ubiquitous, though sometimes a bit expensive.
Just look in the Yellow Pages of phone directory.

Have a good trip!

Cheers -- Pete in Tucson

From: msingbush
To: Coby&John <CJL@globalxs.nl>

We travel alot,and always use the towns-cities library to send e-mail back
home.its free.

Van: Brown, Craig K
Aan: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

I ran into you on a newsgroup oregon.
When you get to the oregon coast your going to love it, many places to see.
Southern OR must see sand duins Florance has a sea museum,
just before Seaside you cross a brige to your right.
There is a park Oswel west state park you have to walk down to the beach
say one mile but this is my favorite place on the coast.
It's got everything in one package but you have to cover lots of ground.
I live in WA state now but spend more time on the OR coast than WA coast.

Van: Flossy
Aan: Coby&John <cjl@globalxs.nl>

Hello:

You should hit Oregon when the weather just starts to cool off from the
Summer heat. Hopefully, no rain, yet.

Oregon is a beautiful state with a wide variety of sights to explore and
enjoy. From the cool ocean breezes on the coast, the fertile green fields
of the valleys, the high snow covered mountains, to the dry barren desert,
you have so much to see. History like the Oregon Trail to the new Rose
Garden for the Portland Trail Blazers Basketball Team. The busy streets of
Portland to the historic country atmosphere of Jacksonville.

We hope you enjoy your visit to Beautiful Oregon.

Lorraine

Van: Rednip
Aan: <cjl@globalxs.nl>

I've enjoyed visiting your page. The site where all responses were
posted seems lacking in Canadian content. Was there a small response
from Canadians? Or, I noticed that in March you were planning to go
Vancouver to Calgary etc. but by June your route map and itinerary only
included Vancouver.
In case it was lack of response I'll make a few suggestions.
The first is that the cost of traveling is much cheaper in Canada
compared to the US (except for gas) because our dollar has declined
compared to the US dollar. Currently it is fluctuating between CDN
$1.43-1.48 to one US dollar. Many stores/restaurants will give a 50%
rate, so a $15.00CDN meal is $10.00US.
But, more important, is that some of the most fantastic sites are in
BC/AB close to major roads. You are planning to drive many miles to
maximize what you see, so I assume road conditions are important.
The TransCanada Highway (TCH) from Vancouver goes up the Fraser River
valley through spectacular mountain/river vistas. Whitewater rafting is
possible at several locations such as Hope. Then the major parks of
Yoho, Banff and Jasper. Mountains, mountains and more mountains,
permanent snow caps, lots of lakes, horseback riding, lots of hiking
paths for everyone from leisure strolls to multi-day treks. Lots of
tourist literature so you can custom design your trip to satisfy your
wishes/dreams.
The TCH is a major route that is kept in excellent condition and is 80
to 100 KPH. The Icefields Highway branches off and heads north to
Jasper. It is in excellent condition for motorhomes. A couple hours
gets you to Columbia Icefield. It is a large, permanent
icefield/glacier which you can walk up to, and ,if you wish, walk on
it. Quite an experience. Enjoy the Hotsprings in Banff.
When you leave the Rockies, heading towards Calgary, there are two
excellent things to see. The dinosaurs at Drumheller, great museum, and
you can walk on the ground where they dug for the skeletons.
Head-Smashed-In is a native site with an excellent interpretive centre.
This would be taking you in a southerly direction towards the USA.
There are so many wonderful places and things to see that you may be
caught in a whirlwind of activity and not remember clearly what you did
and saw.
Happy Traveling Rednip

Van: Danny Mulders
Aan: CJL@globalxs.nl

Hallo Amerika Fans

Jullie komen ook in de buurt van Durango.
Als je een leuke trip wil maken met een ouderwetse trein (met stoompijp en al)
kun je een reisje boeken van Durango naar Silverton.
Deze reis duurt een hele dag (retour), en is echt een fantastische belevenis.
Zelf heb ik deze reis ook gemaakt ook via Jan Doets en is mij uitstekend bevallen.
Ik hoop dat je wat aan deze tip hebt.
Wij hebben via Jan doets de trip gemaakt van San Francisco naar Denver en hebben
genoten van de nationale parken. Het avondleven in de states is wel minder als hier
in Nederland, maar als je gaat om wat van de natuur te zien dan is het werkelijk
spectaculair.
Veel plezier met jullie trip.


Groetjes, Danny.

Van: Mike Miele
Aan: Coby&John <cjl@globalxs.nl>

Coby and John,
The trip you are planning is one I know you will enjoy a great deal!
Congratulations on a GREAT website that I know will be of great interest and
assistance to many people. The information people have sent you is of very
high quality.
For the past 17 years, other junior high school teachers and I have led
groups of students
on motorhome trips in the western United States. We have been to just about
all the places (and many more) that you have thought about visiting. I
could offers many suggestions (visit the Canadian Rockies unless this is
planned for a future trip, include Arches National Park at dawn, make a
reservation at the Fishing Bridge RV Park in Yellowstone, see the Grand
Coulee Dam laser show if it is still being shown, etc.) but without knowing
your specific interests, much of this would beduplicated or wasted effort.
I would be glad to help (if I can) if you have specific questions about
attractions, scenic wonders, campgrounds (more and more are installing
telephone availability for e-mail access), driving times and conditions, or
anything else. I know you have great Internet links and helpful people who
have been contributing to your upcoming adventure. If there is anything I
may be able to help with, please contact me! Have a great trip!!

Mike Miele

Van: Tim Wheeler
Aan: cjl@globalxs.nl

Greetings,

I have made a similar trip in a motor home.
The biggest concern I have for you is the weather.
Be sure and bring warm clothes! I don't have a crystal ball,
but you will probably see some snow and you may not be able
to see Yellowstone National Park.

We spent 5 years living in Germany and found that traveling in Holland
was our favorite.

Good Luck

Tim

Van: Doc Roberts
Aan: Coby&John <cjl@globalxs.nl>

Coby and John,

Our favorite is the Eastern Sierras. Fall is a great time of year with
less people and nice weather. We have lot's of trips on our web site:
http://TheLizards.com but it really is a matter of personal taste.

Don't forget the desert too. October things get very nice and Joshua
Tree is a real bargain ($10 to camp for a week) and great climbing and
site seeing.

See ya on the trail,
Doc
http://HIKER.cc

Van: Sherry Christensen
Aan: Coby&John <cjl@globalxs.nl>

I love your site and welcome you to our country for your RV trip....however,
I think you are trying to see too much in too short a time. I strongly
suggest you eliminate the trip to South Dakota & Salt Lake ENTIRELY, giving
you some much-needed time in Yellowstone, Tetons, Yosemite (Heaven on earth!)
Glacier, and Las Vegas (!) and along the Northwest Coast....MMMM Wonderful
Things to See! But SLOWLY to enjoy! Any possible way you can stay longer?
I live in Texas, have traveled in a motor home and in a travel trailer and
have traveled western US quite a bit, have lived in Seattle and traveled to
virtually every place you are going.
Also, I must mention that you will be running into some Winter weather on
your trip (it's almost too late to be traveling this far north in a motor
home) so be prepared with clothing and be sure you know how to avoid freezing
your fresh water and grey and black water tanks and pipes. I was in motor
home in Yosemite 1st week of September and had to hurriedly leave to avoid
getting snowed in during furious snowstorm! Driving on slick winter roads
can be very hazardous in big motor home, so be SO CAREFUL. Weather may cause
unexpected delays, do not attempt to drive if roads are bad, just stay put!
Better to be safe and late than......to never get there at all!

You will have a wonderful time, but hope you will take my advice!
Bon Voyage!

Sherry Christensen
Lubbock, Texas
P.S. I was in Netherlands in 1993, it was a wonderful experience.

Van: Charles Eggen
Aan: <CJL@globalxs.nl>

Sorry about not providing input earlier, but perhaps you can still
make use of some thoughts from an Oregonian that has traveled
often throughout the Western U.S. and Canada.
I'm sure that someone has already mentioned that you are truly
covering too much ground for a month. For one thing, you need to
allow for problems and delays, especially given fall weather and
mountainous areas. I strongly suggest that you go directly south to
Salt Lake from Yellowstone/Tetons and forget going to the Black Hills.

In looking over your tentative plans, I am not clear about your
routing from Vancouver to Spokane. The Canadian route, using
Prov. #3 east to the border town of Cascade where you can cross
over to US 395 that leads to Spokane, is a lovely route to consider.
At the end of your trip, you refer to the Olympic NP, which I suggest
that you delete, for I believe you will not have enough time. I am also
not clear as to your routing through Oregon after Crater Lake. If you
will email me about details on that section, I would be glad to provide
some specific suggestions. In the meantime, you might find the
following URLs of interest.

The Oregon Lodging Association, whose membership probably
includes 90% of all Oregon lodging (including RV facilities) is:
http://www.oregonlodging.com/index.html

The Oregon State Park information is all accessible at:
http://www.prd.state.or.us/

The Oregon Department of Transportation site will provide info on
current construction areas and other using road information. It also
will allow you to access their live cameras at various locations.
http://www.odot.state.or.us/travel/

The official State of Oregon tourist info site is at:
http://www.traveloregon.com

Finally, the Oregon 'Bluebook' site contains details about Oregon, its
history, community information, photos, statistics, etc. at:
http://bluebook.state.or.us/

Hope this is of some help.
Give me a call if you are going through Eugene/Springfield and I will
buy you a coffee/beer/wine - your choice, if this tight schedule
allows:)

Chuck

----- Oorspronkelijk bericht -----
Van: drruth blackburn
Aan: <cjl@globalxs.nl>

We live in Thermopolis wyoming--the world's largest hot mineral
spring and travel a lot --especially in our popup camper on our Ford truck.
Just came back from a trip to Calgary. Impression? Bad traffic
crowded campgrounds.
We stayed at a city owned campground in Turner Valley outside Calgary.
Site of the original gas well in Canada.
Little town great people. Did not stop at Lake Louise or Banff--too many
big motor homes
Enjoyed Creston and up north from there to the free ferry across
Kootenay Lake.
Stayed at Kootenay Bay Camground under big old spruce trees.
Yellowstone is gorgeous at that time of year when most of the tourists
are gone.
Don't miss all the elkat Mammoth Hot Springs. Don't go out
the east entrance to Cody.
Long narrow road under construction.
All us locals go out through Cooke City--but don't tackle that if you're
afraid of long steep hills.
Cody and Jackson are tourist traps. Careful of the long steep climb if
you plan on going over the Bg Horns to Sheridan. Can be hard on your vehicle.
Do the faces in the black hills in the evening. Don't miss the Crazy
Horse monument.
One thing to be sure to miss--the most terrible snarled up traffic
messin Salt Lake City.
I've probably forgotten something--oh yess visit us here in
Thermopolis!!!!
We have a hookup here and internet accesss and our own private mineral
water tank. Lots of germans in this town because of the dinosaur digs
and museum (Look up Wyoming Dinosaur Museum on the web)
We will leave around Sept 21 on our own fall trip to our ranch in Utah
and ferrying cars for our son's Colorado river trip. Then on to Texas to
visit our daughters in Dallas.

dr ruth--retired veterinarian and her husband -Mont--never tired old
cowboy and the elkhound Tass.

© by CoJo Productions 1999