Going West

[BLUEBELL]

Going west next spring from Kansas City. Need advice on roads and campgrounds. Going to Zion, Moab, Lake Tahoe, Sonoma-Napa area.
25 foot airstream pulling with F-250 Ford truck.

[mayco]

We love US36.

[moosetags]

We made a similar trip this past summer. We were on the road for 81 days and visited all of the places on your list except Napa.
I did a trip thread, outlining our adventure with pictures. It is lengthy, but you may find some of it useful. Most of our trip was done avoiding Interstate highways.

Here is a link to the thread. http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...highlight=lucy

Brian

[KJRitchie]

Here is my trip report to North Rim, Zion and Bryce.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...-a-140805.html

Make sure if you want to stay in Watchman campground to book when the 6 month window opens up. Loops A/B have electric hookups. Need if for AC. It makes a great base camp; close to the visitors center where you can pick up the shuttle. If you camp outside the park then you have to hassle getting into the park as traffic can be heavy and the parking lot full. B-19 was the campsite we stayed in with our 25fb.

If you go to Bryce NP there is one loop that can accept reservations. No hookups.

I live further south of you so I headed west on I-44 to I-40. I only had two weeks.

Kelvin

[Len n Jeanne]

Late spring is probably better than early spring. You will be dealing with high elevations with some of these routes and places. Even late spring will probably still be winter, unless there is a very dry winter.

[Woosch]

We stayed at Spanish Trail RV in Moab and were happy there while we visited Canyonlands and Arches NP. If your going to Zion you may as well go to Bryce Canyon. Both are spectacular! We stayed at Rubys just outside Bryce main entrance.

[BoldAdventure]

Ken's Lake and Sand Flats Recreation Area are really nice in Moab if you aren't looking for high prices and hookups. There is a lot of camping in Moab. There is a really great boondocking spot just outside of Bryce too.

Also, I'd recommend campendium.com on your search. We've left 21 reviews so far.

[Mrjkq]

I'll be following this thread as I did Moosetags, we'll heading that way in the spring heading to Palo Alto, California ( south of San Fran). From Kansas City a couple detours as I'd like to take in Dodge City along the way along with Bryce & Zion. Kind of a zig zag route but I'll work it out as the time approaches. Our jump off point will be Buffalo, NY as we'll be there for my grandson HS graduation then westward bound.

[Bk Yd Safari]

Riverside Oasis is located on the north side of Moab and very near the entrance to Arches NP. The sites are a little tight but they are shaded. The campground is very nice.
We stayed at Zion Resort in Virgin, UT. It is about 14 miles from the Visitor Center at Zion. The campground is fairly new and landscaped nicely. The sites are narrow and the site we were in "crowned" in the middle (front to back) which made leveling a little challenging. The interior roads as well as the sites are paved.
Also try not to miss Monument Valley. Stay at Gouldings (you will need reservations) and try their Navajo Taco's at the lodge. The vistas, especially at sunrise, are awesome.

[Bk Yd Safari]

Originally Posted by Mrjkq

I'll be following this thread as I did Moosetags, we'll heading that way in the spring heading to Palo Alto, California ( south of San Fran). From Kansas City a couple detours as I'd like to take in Dodge City along the way along with Bryce & Zion. Kind of a zig zag route but I'll work it out as the time approaches. Our jump off point will be Buffalo, NY as we'll be there for my grandson HS graduation then westward bound.

Mrjkq
If you go to Dodge City you might consider going on to Colorado Springs, the Great Sand Dunes, Durango, Mesa Verde and Monument Valley. If you choose this route be aware that you will cross Wolf Creek Pass at almost 11,000 ft. elevation and a 7 percent grade. It is a multi-lane highway now which will make the going less of a "white knuckle" experience.

[Mrjkq]

Originally Posted by Bk Yd Safari

Mrjkq
If you go to Dodge City you might consider going on to Colorado Springs, the Great Sand Dunes, Durango, Mesa Verde and Monument Valley. If you choose this route be aware that you will cross Wolf Creek Pass at almost 11,000 ft. elevation and a 7 percent grade. It is a multi-lane highway now which will make the going less of a "white knuckle" experience.

Thanks for that info, I'll research it tomorrow as I'm still in the planning stages of this trip. 7% grades I'm ok with as I've done it before, my RAM when in tow mode works with braking to downshift the tranny. Thanks again.

[Climber]

Bluebell, for Napa Valley consider the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga. It's over-priced and not scenic but it's a great jumping off point for the Napa wine country.

If you're a military vet you can get a wonderful deal at the Travis AFB "Fam Camp" in Fairfield for $20 a night. A little farther drive to the heart of the Napa Valley, but worth it.

In Sonoma consider the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa if you're looking for a simple place to park for day trips. For a real scenic & characteristic NorCal treat, check out Doran SP on Bodega Bay. You get the ocean, the bay, and fantastic fishing if you're so inclined

Have a great trip!

Cheers,

Climber


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[PKI]

The fastest route West is I80, but Nebraska and Wyoming are bleak. Drop down to I70. You have to come down to get to Utah anyway. However, be warned that winter storms close the tunnel and there are some folks who believe the worst weather of your trip will always hit East of Denver. We experienced one of the heaviest rain storms we ever drove through, in the area just East of the Colorado-Kansas border.

But we still like I70 best. This summer there was construction to work through but towing slow is not a bad thing. Colorado is beautiful and a slower trip gives you more of an opportunity to enjoy it. If you do go South, Garden of the Gods, the Royal Gorge, and a cog rail ride up Pike's Peak are all must dos.

Not sure how you plan to go from Utah to CA. If you go South, then 395N up through Bishop sets you up for a drive through Tioga Pass into Yosemite. But we have not done that tow and it puts you West of Lake Tahoe. If you come across I80 to drop down to Tahoe, the Iron Horse RV Park in Elko and the New Frontier RV Park in Winnemucca are great places to overnight.

As suggested in a prior post, the fair grounds in Napa is the place. And think about taking a wine train tour while you are there. The route is along the highway so it's not a lot different view than if you were to drive it, but the train is an interesting experience and they serve a wonderful meal. There are a lot of Napa type winery areas in other areas of the state as well. Lodi, Solvang, and the Cambria/Paso Robles areas are examples and might be a consideration depending on your route home.

You have to make a trip to the coast if you are going to Napa/Sonoma. It's not that far and the view is worth the drive. But the other thought is to consider a run North. The Avenue of the Giants is a narrow drive through spectacular redwood forest. The trip is a day up, a day there, and a day back to the Bay area, but if you have the time it is an experience you will not forget. Best to drop the trailer for the drive through. We stayed at the Redwoods River Resort off 101/the Redwood Highway. It a tad rustic, but not below the line.

And on the front/back end of your trip, if you have not visited Abilene Kansas, you might consider a stop. The Eisenhower Museum is a must see at least once, but the Seelye Mansion is a gem. The home is unique, because it still has the original furnishings. Quite a collection of dishes, linens and history. When you get through with all that, the Brookville Hotel serves a set chicken dinner worthy of the trouble to call for reservations. And just a bit West off I70 is the Russell Stover warehouse store. They have a room of discounted seconds and unsold holiday stock as well as the factory outlet selections.

Good luck with your trip and stay safe. Pat

[mandolindave]

You really can't go wrong in Utah. Go anywhere…Get lost…Play it by ear…Have an adventure…put your watch away…explore…get up in the middle of the night and look at the stars…..get up early for the sunrise…..take a siesta if it's hot.

[BLUEBELL]

Thanks for all the info.

[Len n Jeanne]

Avoiding Moab and environs during Easter weekend is a good idea unless you love crowds. It gets crazy busy with their annual jeep safari.

[Knuff]

Don't go to Bryce NP campground. Kodachrome Basin is 20 miles away along scenic route 12 and much more scenic. Stay there a few nights and you will understand what I mean. Route 12 is highly recommended from Goblin Valley SP through Capitol Reef. Utah State Parks are a treat. If you end up south of San Francisco consider booking Kirk Creek campground about 2h south of Monterey. Unfortunately Napa has a very sad selection of ugly campgrounds. I would stay close to the Pacific.


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[Knuff]

Also, consider route 50 (looniest road in the us) from UT to NorCal. You would then take 80 via Truckee.

Southern routes can go via Mono Lake / Lee Vining and Yosemite. No issue with our 25FB and a diesel SUV, so you should be ok with the truck. From UT this brings you through Rachel NV via the extraterrestrial highway. Make sure to bring a copy of Paul to watch when going there 😉.

Or via Vegas and Mojave. Red Rock Canyon or the Movie Road in Lone Pine are good places (no hookups).

The easiest pull over the Sierras is the Southern route via Mojave-Bakersfield, unless you go really South....

If you look for an alternative to Napa, Sonoma, then consider El Dorado vine country and check out Jackson Rancheria RV park (pre booking is essential).



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[sheriff1]

HW50, the loneliest road in America.


2015 F350 CC 4X4 6.7 Diesel
2010 27FB Silver Cloud "The Silver Spoon"

[Len n Jeanne]

HY 50 is advertised this way, but some of their other routes come a close second unless it's snowbird migration time.

Bleak is beautiful! A good place to enjoy it is at the Great Basin National Park. Apparently it is the least visited of the western national parks. The Lehman Caves there are well worth a tour.

Satellite radio is highly advised for crossing Nevada as there aren't many radio stations outside of the cities.