If you’ve been reading my blog for long, you know I like to lay out my tentative travel plans for the summer so if there are any of you readers (or viewers of the videos) who would like to join me, you can do so. Since many of these areas are new to me, I’m also asking you folks who are already familiar with the area for travel advice about when and where to go along the way. So as you read my very tentative travel plans for summer 2016, feel free to make plans to visit me along the way and especially to share your knowledge of the area.
Bear in mind that there are lots of pretty places in the country but I’m not looking for them! There are just too many pretty places to try to see them all in a short period of time. No, I’m only looking for the exceptional, world-class, knock-your-socks-off places where your jaw drops and an involuntary “Wow” comes out of your mouth!
Another thing to remember is that I really dislike populated areas and try very hard to avoid them. My plans for this year include some very populated areas (like the Oregon and Washington Coasts) and there is a distinct chance that being around all those people and traffic will overwhelm me and I’ll have to leave early. If I can’t enjoy it, why force myself to be there?
About Inviting me to Your House
Many of you are going to invite me to drop by your houses along the way, and I sincerely and deeply appreciate that!! Thank you! But, most of you live in towns surrounded by people and traffic and I just can’t stand to be in those places–I feel like a caged animal there! As much as I’d like to meet you all, I can’t cope with fighting my way through the hell that surrounds you. So, my camp is always open to you and you can plan to stop by and see me in my natural habitat where I will be relaxed and happy rather than me coming to you where I will be stressed and miserable. We’ll all be glad we did it that way!
Wildflower Mania!
Another thing to bear in mind about my planning is that is largely driven by the wildflower bloom and you can see it’s fingerprints all over this plan–nearly the entire schedule is done with peak bloom in mind. The problem is that nearly all the wildflowers in the mountains peak at about the same time in mid-July to early August and they are so far apart you can’t be there to see it all. For example, one of my priorities this year is the wildflower bloom in Mt. Rainier NP, but it will probably occur at the same time as the peak in Wyoming and Colorado, so I’ll have to choose which one to see. This year Mt Rainier is the priority so it will probably require some back-tracking and zig-zagging to see it all, and some things I’ll just have to miss.So here is a very tentative schedule and it is full of flexibility and the unknown so take it all with a grain of salt:
April:
- Alabama Hills/Lone Pine for the Paintbrush Bloom
- Bishop
- Convict Lake
- Mammoth Lakes
- Mono Lake
- Lake Tahoe
At the end of April or early May I may go over to Yosemite NP before the crowds get there and the waterfalls are at peak.
May:
Possibly Yosemite and Northern CA, but there is a good possibility of snow in the high country then. For sure I will be in Oregon and Washington, especially their coasts for Coastal photos. Also wildflowers and peak waterfalls along the way. Places I will plan to get to:
- Smith Rock State Park in OR is a top priority
- Wallowa Mts. near Joseph OR–may be the wrong time?
- Mt Rainer NP WA, but probably in July for wildflowers.
June:
Idaho and Montana are a priority for me this summer but the valleys can get very hot so I want to see them in June before the heat gets miserable. I don’t know enough about them to have many specific plans yet so I’d really like advice on them. Some places I have in mind are:
- Salmon, ID
- McCall, ID
- Lolo Pass
- Glacier NP
This map has a little more detail but is still extremely over-simplified.
July-August-September:
Some of July will be in Mt Rainier for it’s Wildflower bloom and any of the other mountains in Washington and Oregon that are known for their bloom. After those I’ll head back down to Wyoming and Colorado for what’s left of July (if any) and then all of August-September. Those are states I know really well but you can’t ever get enough of them! There are still lots of areas I haven’t explored and really look forward to finally getting to know. I’m especially interested in wildflowers and fall colors in the San Juan mountains but I’ll see lots of the state.
October November
Winter comes to the Sierras and Rockies in September and October and so I always plan to be in Utah for fall. It has much lower elevations so they are generally comfortable then and the Cottonwoods along the rivers can actually put on a very pretty yellow display, especially against all the Red Rock country around them. November is the perfect time to be in Zion NP because of the fall colors but mainly because the crowds are gone and you can drive into the Valley without riding a shuttle. The rivers are also very low so if you are doing any canyoneering, it’s the best time.
Back to Winter Camp
By the end of November cold or snow will have gripped most of the country so late November is almost always when I get back to the Arizona desert and for sure by December. The only other thing that calls to me in November is the Festival of the Cranes at Bosque Del Apache NWR near Soccoro NM. I’d go here ever year if I could but it can be quite cold there and it’s a long ways out of my way. Usually by the time it comes around I’m sick of traveling and just head down to Quartzsite, AZ instead. Every year I regret not going but it just seems to work that way.
So there you have my summer plans in a nutshell! They are unusually ambitious so I suspect much of it will be cut out. There are just a few things that are so important I’ll do them no matter what so I fully expect them to change, possibly radically change, as time goes on. I’ve made them using Guidebooks to help me know where to go and when is the best time. I won’t go into an area without them!
I never go to a new area without a good selection of guide books. If I’m going to drive thousands of miles and spend hundreds of dollars to get there, I don’t want to miss the best things because I wouldn’t spend $20 on a book that would tell me where they were!!
Also, you are ALL welcome to join me in my winter camp for any length of time. Many people have taken me up on that offer and there are usually 20-40 people camped with me all winter. Some of them get there in November and we camp together until January or February and that’s fine with me! I look at it as a training camp where you learn the ways of vandwelling and boondocking in a safe place and among friends. Of course it peaks at the RTR in Quartzsite when there there’ll be hundreds of us–hopefully you too!!
Friendships are the single most important thing we offer! You don’t have to do this alone! There is a large (and growing fast) tribe of nomads who would love to be friends with you–they need you, as much as you need them! Most of us are somewhat introverted or at least need a fair amount of alone, me-time. And that’s not a problem. You can come into the community, and then withdraw as much and as often as you need. Some of us camp close together and are very social, some camp further off and just drop in when they feel the need for company. Both are perfect and totally welcome here!!
Let me add, I need more alone time than most people do and I see my role here as a facilitator to bring you all together so you can develop strong bonds with each other. I want to think of all of you as friends but probably not as best-buddies–for one thing there are just too many of you and for another I am just too introverted for that. Of course some of you will become my best-buddies, but who knows how and why that happens, it just does. And even most of my best buddies don’t get much of my time! Ask my girlfriend how much of my time she gets!!! You’ll probably get an earful!
Join me anywhere along the way, and for as long as you’d like!
I’m making Videos on my good friends James and Kyndal’s YouTube Channel. See them here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_W_E5SFCxwpSOaqMjOOBTg
Thanks for supporting this site by using these links to Amazon. I’ll make a small percentage on your purchase and it won’t cost you anything, even if you buy something different.
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Whenever I travel I never go without having a Benchmark Atlas of each state. I couldn’t get to where I wanted to go (especially in the back-country) or find a campsite without one. You can get them from Amazon here:
http://amzn.to/1SqQttC
I also never go to a new area without first studying guidebooks, and especially photography and hiking Guides. My favorites are a series edited by Laurent Martres called “Photographing Washington–A guide to the natural landmarks of Washington” So far their are seven in the series and I own them all and would not be without them!! I have these and you can get them from Amazon using the link after the state:
Washington: http://amzn.to/25TkvQO
Oregon: http://amzn.to/1RNbPWf
Northern California: http://amzn.to/1RNc0kh
Southern California: http://amzn.to/1SIhEk8
Utah: http://amzn.to/1Q2auVG
Arizona: http://amzn.to/1SqQ8qO
Colorado and New Mexico: http://amzn.to/1RNcsPz
I just finished up my southeast Arizona exploration (Huachuca, Dragoon and Chiricahua mountains) and I’ve been unsure where to go next. Your plan seems good to me. I’ll catch up with you somewhere, like Lone Pine.
Al, you know you are always welcome!
Bob
Joseph, OR is absolutely beautiful. Highly recommend you go there. You won’t regret it!
Danielle, for sure Joseph is on my list! In the 70s I had a friend from there and I can still remember how beautiful it was.
Bob
Looks like another fulfilling summer. I’ll try and catch up with you when you’re in Colorado. I think Van Tramp may be in the area about then also. Other than a trip to Victoria Island to celebrate our 30th anniversary I plan to be in my home state until winter. But I do plan to be out and about exploring a lot. Only other plan is to possibly explore the Kokopelli trail with my son Ben sometime if he makes it back to Colorado.
Thanks Doug, I’ll try to get us all together!
Bob
Bob I lived in Donnelly Id ( 12 miles south of McCall ) for many years my mother and sister lived in Mc Call until recently. From what I have been told McCall and Donnelly have turned in boom towns due to resorts. A much better bet for the area would be Yellow pine,Sesash,Big creek Bergdorff hot springs And Warren all can be accessed from McCall just take a drive out Warren wagon Rd by the lake in McCall and in awhile your in God’s country. You used to make a loop all the way to the Frank Church wilderness but when I lived in the area the road was closed at Elk summit. Interesting fact my great uncle Jim Hackett ( Sunny Jim ) had a ranch at the south fork of the salmon river and was a professional baseball in the early 1900s and maps of the area still refer to it as the old Hackett ranch. Beautiful country and definitely NO TRAFFIC . Good luck on your voyages
Ps the road out or Riggins Id gets you into some great country too.
Bill, I’ll print this out and save it for when I get there. Thank you!!
Bob
Your welcome Bob. I really enjoy reading about your travels and adventures unfortunately due to illness I am unable to travel so I live vicariously through you ( with permission of course ) LOL. I wish you a long life and many adventures to share.
Thank you Bill I appreciate the good wishes
Bob
On your map above with the blue lines, you have a, b, c, d,ect…what do they stand for? There are several B’s, no way can been in same spot at the same time.
Mary, Google maps is pretty limited in the number of way points it lets you put in, that was a work-around I found to let me put a bunch in, they don’t really mean anything. I created my own map and they are on layers so each one starts over at the begining.
Bob
Looks to me we are traveling in the same circles this summer. I’m by Redding, ca. I’ve hadn’t had much luck with campgrounds so far, but hope to have better luck on this next one.
Lori, maybe I’ll see you out on the road!
Bob
Thanks Bob for sharing. I’m an RV vagabond wannabee. Rented in the past for a week or two and wish to go on the road PT later this year. The misses loves travel, but not as extended in an RV as I desire. So I may make some trips solo.
Your posts and videos are inspiring. I enjoy reading of your exploits and especially enjoy the pics. Arm chair travelers like me benefit greatly receiving your messages. You do more for us than offer tips and tricks for van/RV travel. We all get older, but we don’t have to get old. Imagining how we may explore the country, free of stuff cluttering news cycles, keeps us motivated to get more from our lives – even if we don’t act on our desires.
I sign off emails with “The difference between a dream and a goal, is a plan.” You certainly have the planning part down pat. Best wishes for continued success achieving your goals.
Joe, even though you may not be able to do all your dreams as much as you want, you probably can be doing some. I’d encourage you to follow them as far as you possibly can.
Bob
I’ve been to Mono Lake several times and love the area, but at least a few of the locals must get to thinking they own the damn place! We overnighted at an old ranch near there — camping for FREE as we always do. Some cyclists came by early in the morning and were extremely rude and loud. By the time I got my pants on they were gone. I found their unlocked bikes but not them? Had my young daughter not been with me, it would have been a long walk for them back to the visitor’s center to reclaim their “found” bikes. ?
Jim, I’m afraid there are always a few rude people. Just got to learn to cope with them the best we can.
Bob
Enjoy be safe I would like to be in your shoes I always wanted to do what you are doing but no money but lots of time , if you can check out a song from the bottle rockets it called Lucky break they are a country rock band you may relate to it I like these guys fun to listen to have a awesome summer
Thanks Joe, I’ll check them out.
Bob
If you don’t like crowds, I would seriously avoid Yosemite, especially Yosemite Valley. I will never forget the guy next to me in the overcrowded Valley shuttle complaining about it being “Disneyland National Park.” Yosemite’s problem is that a) it’s way too close to too many big cities, and b) that valley’s only 9 square miles.
I second that. Switchback Kids blog posted today, not on the beauty, features, or history of Yosemite but on how to find campsites. They give good, detailed instructions but I’ll have a hard time with a place that has that much traffic. And it’s still April. I assume that’s worse in summer.
The last time I was there in May, as long as you didn’t go on weekends it wasn’t bad. I camped outside it in the NF and i’ll try to do that again. It just gives you a long drive in and out every day. But, it’s worth it.
Bob
Mag, I was there in May before and as long as I didn’t go on weekends it was’t bad at all. I’m hoping it will be the same this year, but if it is I’ll skip it.
Bob
two things leap out to me:
“…people and traffic and I just can’t stand to be in those places”
“my planning is … largely driven by the wildflower bloom”
what a kindred spirit you are! I love that you follow the flowers, that is so…reverent!
I’m hemmed in on the east coast, living in a beautiful water’s edge community but surrounded by the swelling suburbs of Washington DC and the toxic stress that people accept for normal is really a hazard here. Makes it hard to get out-and-about; the only way to avoid it is stay home, or get out on the water.
anyway, I follow your blog now with increasing vancamp envy, and now that winter is over I’ll be back on the road with a few more features, soon enough.
Maybe one day I’ll head west.
Keep up the wonderful journey, I’m loving it!
Thank you so much Patrise for your kind comment! You are always welcome in my camp!
Bob
I hope to share camp with you while you’re in the PNW. Maybe John will join us too 🙂 Safe travels!
Suanne, that would be wonderful! Let’s plan on it if it is at all possible.
Bob
Bob, one more thing about Paradise at Mt Rainier NP. It’s a human zoo on summer weekends. Visit on a Wednesday.
Just a quick comment about your route crossing Washington – if you’ve never driven highway 20 aka the North Cascades Highway, you’re missing an incredibly scenic drive over the Cascades and through central WA. I suggest you follow 20 starting out at Mt Vernon and going all the way to Sandpoint Idaho/Lake Pend Oreille (with a short side trip down to Lake Chelan after you leave the Methow Valley). Though I haven’t been to nearly as many camping areas as you I would bet you can’t do much better than Hwy 20 in the entire lower 48!
Mark, I’ll do that for sure, thanks for the tip!
Bob
Since you are going to Mt Rainier in WA I would recommend HWY 410 instead of I90. It is a beautiful road through the cascades with great views and drops you off on the eastside of the park. Where you should go to Silver Falls for an easy hike.
Thanks for the tips Michael, I’ll definitely remember them.
Bob
Bob, you really should take in Olympic National Park/Forest if you are getting that close to it. The old growth forest there is stunning. The way the light streams in through the beautiful pine forests, the lushness of the ferns, the streams that run over moss-covered rocks – I think this is a WOW sensation, and your camera will love you for it. Olympic National Park and nearby North Cascades National Park are two of the least visited national parks in the country – plenty of privacy. Olympic National Forest borders the park directly on its southern boundary, so cheap national forest camping. The drive on US 101 as it hits the Washington coastline is spectacular. National forests also located south of North Cascades as well. I think there is nothing else like it in this country. Caution – have good rain gear! Olympic National Park/Forest is about as close to a rain forest as this country has. To me, that’s one of its charms and just adds to the haunting beauty of the region. I think for you it will be a stunning change of scenery given what I’ve seen of the pictures you generally take. I hope you go and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have in the past.
poorplayer, I didn’t mention it specifically in my post but they are both on my agenda. They have been on my bucket list for a very long time but if they don’t happen this year they will next summer (2017) when I’m tentatively planning Alaska again.
2017 may be Washington, BC, Canadian Rockies and Alaska.
Bob
such great travel tips for the PNW in this comment section! I look forward to seeing how your trip develops, as it’s in an area I’d like to start exploring this year.
If you ever venture north of the border to check out BC wilderness, here is a teaser to show you what you can find in my back yard:
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/off-road/adventures/off-road-with-the-bears/
Ming, BC and the Canadian Rockies are high on my list! Summer of 2017 may be Alaska again, if so I plan to hit them on the way North.
Bob
Bob,
Don’t all of those jaw-dropping places you speak of get completely overrun by crowds in the summer? Just wondering if that is so and how you deal with it?
Myke, only a few places are worth putting up with the crowds so I’ll try to get to them before the crowds hit. Another big thing is to avoid the weekends and just sit tight through them. I think May won’t be a problem, and June is in Idaho and Montana and that really is before the high season for them as well. Mt Rainier NP at the wildflower season could be bad and I will just have to see if I can handle it. July and august are the peak season and that is when I plan to take it easy in Wyoming and Colorado, both of which I know well enough to avoid the crowds.
I’m a boondocker, mainly I go to the remote areas so that’s how I avoid the crowds.
Bob
Hello Bob,
Snowpack is at 89% in Yosemite so the falls should be decent for the window you are planning. I don’t know how familiar you are with Tahoe. You are definitely picking the right time to go there as Summer crowds at Tahoe are almost unbearable. If you want some recommendations on some spots, I can definitely help there.
I’ll be in Reno/Tahoe until the 28th of April. I am going over to the wine country for a house-sitting gig the first two weeks of May. After that, I was either going to go down to Yosemite to photograph the falls this year before Memorial Day / Summer Season crowds or head up the coast to Redwoods and do multiple places in Oregon in Late May and June. My plans are similar for the summer in Oregon and Washington so perhaps will bump into one another more then once this year. I would enjoy meeting you at some point if our paths cross.
Take care and have fun with that Summer Trip. Looks like some great places and photos are to be had!
Thanks Jeff, yes please, I’d like all the advice about Tahoe I could get.
Bob
Big Falls / Desolation Wilderness Trailhead
This area is in the SW corner of Fallen Leaf Lake adjacent to Tahoe. The road goes by some cabins on the lake and is one of the prettiest areas of Tahoe Basin!
https://goo.gl/maps/HjrSEh19tvs
Vikingsholm / Emerald Bay / Eagle Falls
This is a popular area as it is one of the most photographed areas of Tahoe. If you can handle hike down to the water there is a great Swedish house that you can photography and tour as well as a great beach in Emerald Bay. Eagle Falls is another great waterfall that can be easily accessed from the road. The Lower Falls are right next to 89 as it rounds the western edge of Emerald Bay. The Upper Falls are a great small hike up a canyon between some great peaks before you enter into Desolation Wilderness.
https://goo.gl/maps/iJHd48HQjnm
Sand Harbor / Mt. Rose Highway / Tahoe Meadows
On the NE side of the lake toward Incline Village is Sand Harbor. This is another very popular spot for lake photos because of the geo-features there and the lake clarity. I would visit during the week as weekends are full.
https://goo.gl/maps/TFyUA4VJjGs
Mt. Rose Highway and Tahoe Meadows
Mt. Rose Highway is a nice drive up to the pass which is the highest year-round maintained pass in the Sierras. It peaks out around 9,000 feet. and it is a fun, scenic drive. Close to the top is Tahoe Meadows which has a few hiking trails in a meadow that sits about 8800 feet. The wildflowers don’t kick off here until late June usually, but it is still a nice area.
https://goo.gl/maps/C9QW8wjQw9K2
If you are inclined to drive a bit further over the pass and down the Reno side, I would suggest going to Winter’s Creek Lodge on Slide Mountain Ski Bowl highway on the map. There is a great vista there that looks over Washoe Valley and has a couple pullouts to see Truckee Meadows / Reno in the valley as well.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.3238841,-119.8796422,15.75z?hl=en
USFS Beaches / West Shore
There are some USFS beaches around the lake that you should be able to get in for free if you have the National Park Annual Pass as I think the pass covers those too. Baldwin Beach is my favorite beach at Tahoe as it is less crowded and makes a good day use area to branch off to Emerald Bay or Fallen Leaf Lake.
The West Shore is going to be less crowded compared to the East Shore, except for Emerald Bay. You might try looking at places to camp near Tahoe Pines and Barker Pass Road as that road will take you closer to the western crest and I believe into NFS land.
I haven’t tried free camping up there yet so I don’t have any recommendations for camp. I plan on working the area over the next couple of months to find some spots before the valley in Reno warms up.
https://goo.gl/maps/mJTohs2gmCU2
As always, you can drop me an email if you have additional questions or want to find out more. Let me know what dates you plan to be in the area and if I am going to be still in the area before I go to CA. Otherwise, I’ll try and catch up with you in Oregon.
Cheers!
Wow!! Thanks so much for all that great info!! Very much appreciated.
Bob
I ended up on the west side of the Sierras instead of the east due to adoption stuff, but I hope our paths will still cross at some point this spring/summer. There’s a chance I’ll be near Yosemite at the end of this month/early next month too so that’s one possibility. I’m also going to be in Wyoming beginning of August for a family reunion and after that will be working my way from Wyoming down through the west side of Colorado so that’s a second possibility. I guess I’ll just keep an eye on your travels and send an e-mail if it looks like there’s going to be a convergence!
Becky, that would be great if it happens! I avoid Yellowstone but I love the 5 entrance towns so it’s nearly certain I will camp at some or all of them. Hopefully we can camp together in WY and CO, but if not feel free to ask about boondocks, I know quite a few.
I can’t wait to meet your new furry kid and go for a walk with them!
Bob
Sounds good! I’ll ask for boondocking advice as the time draws closer, being a neophyte still myself I need all the help I can get. 😉
Yes, dog walks are definitely in our future!
Becky, very soon you will be the go-to expert!
Bob
We are heading to Yellowstone to work this summer. Start date of May 4. Stop by the Fishing Bridge Service Station and say hello if you have a mind to. Mind you, it will be a busy summer. Hub is a 35+ year ASE Master Auto Tech and he will be in the garage. I will be working the front as a retail associate in the store. Our days off will be Thursday and Friday.
Pagey, I very much appreciate the offer, but driving around Yellowstone is very hard on me. So don’t be surprised if I don’t make it! I will be camped at the entrance towns ans I’ve found great camping at all of them. It’s almost certain I’ll spend time near all of them. Maybe you can drop by my camp.
Bob
Hi Bob,
I have had as my backyard the Olympic Peninsula for many years. Lots of easy hiking and beautiful views.. I would like to suggest that you get the “Creaky Knees Guide to Washington” by Seabury Blair Jr. (Also an edition for Oregon), to assist in finding great easy saunters. You must see Hurricane Ridge as it is a drive up of 17 miles to beautiful views of the Olympics. Be forewarned that the Park is crazy busy in the summer, so do diligence is needed to find solitude!
Have a wonderful trip, I look forward to getting to RTR in the next year or two Janet in Shelton.
Janet, thanks for that great tip, I just ordered them for my Kindle!
Bob
Hey Bob! Hope your year has been spectacular so far!
I’m in Provo, Utah and would love to hang with you on my days off whenever you get to the state. I work at a Big Box store so my schedule fluxes but almost always includes mid-week days off.
Hi Donna, I try to get to Utah every fall but I’m not sure it will happen this year. Maybe you can join us in the desert this winter and if not I’ll probably be in Utah next Spring. Bob
I am at the point in my life where “things” are not nearly as important as making the most of the time I have left. I’ve cut back dramatically in my possessions and don’t use or need a lot of what’s left.
I have a small/midsize RV and would love to hit the road for at least most of the year … but I do have concerns about finding medical care (if needed) while traveling – and I just wonder if I’ve already waited to long to fulfill this dream.
I’m a 68 yr old woman in fairly good health, but on daily medication that needs to be refilled. I will be traveling alone … well, in the company of two fearless and tenacious Dachshunds. ?
How are chronic medical needs managed while traveling for months at a time (or longer)?