June - July Buffalo to Denver

[downstate]

Hello!

We are excited to take our first long trip in the Airstream from Buffalo to Denver. Traveling with 3 kids and 2 dogs and parents in another trailer. The plan is to break the trip up into 200-250 mile segments. Buffalo - Cleveland - Cincinnati - Louisville - St. Louis - Kansas City - ? - Spend a week in Denver and take a similar route home with a stop in Knoxville and maybe Charlotte. Prefer to stay at Campgrounds, but open to all options.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Steve

[DaveP]

Well, nobody stays in Denver. How about going up to Estes Park (Rocky Mountain NP)? Estes Park Campground at Mary's Lake is a good spot for taking kids. Close to the entrance of RMNP, pool, fishing lake, playground, etc.

[PKI]

Suggest - Jackson Center and a tour ..... Just North of Kansas City is the Wallace Missouri State Park (just E of I35/69) ..... Look at HW 36 - nice alt to Interstate ...... look at Hannibal - maybe the Mark Twain Cave and Campground ..... if you have a quilter in the family, look at Hamilton Missouri ( Missouri Star) ...... a stop in Abilene KS is worth your time (Eisenhower Museum, Seelye Mansion, Russell Stover Chocolates, and chicken dinner at the Brookville Hotel) - several RV parks to consider ..... Flying Saucer RV Park in Denver - never stayed there, but how could anyone not have that name on their short list (actually we would rather stay in Estes or Colorado Springs, but it's not our trip). Stay away from St Louis (the arch is kind of cool). Increase your daily distance and rest a day now and then. Travel 9-1 lunch an hour and back at it 2-6 when you quit for a nice night off the highway and away from railroad tracks. That should get you more like 400 a day. Enjoy the adventure.

Hope you have lots of smile as you make the miles. Pat

[Muriel 1]

Downstate

Sounds like a great trip.
I do my Rockie mountain adventure at that time of year.
Plan on it being smoking HOT in Kansas and Missouri in July.
Make plans for a stay over,at camp with a plug,or generator to run your AC.
Rest areas or truck stops with fantastic fans will not cut it.
I moved my adventure to 3rd week of May for that reason.
Lyons Co - city rv park is great.
Estes Park- Manor RV Park is great.
- Stanley Hotel spirit tour
- 29 mile down the mountain bike ride from the top of Rocky mountain national park is way too much fun. New venture cycling(they supply everything).

I love that trip.

Tom

[Piggy Bank]

We live in Kansas City, so have some info on climate and routes.

Understand that you will be in the humidity-filled Ozark geological region across the entire state of MO and into Eastern KS. Once you approach a N/S line that runs west of about Manhattan KS you will be into the Tall Grass Prairie region, and the humidity will be much less. It will still be HOT. Can be 95 degrees every day. But in MO it will be that hot AND be humid.

So traveling you will be in shorts/sandals. You will not be able to leave a pet in a vehicle if you go eat or shop. You will want electric at night to run the AC so you will be able to sleep.

If Columbia MO is a good stopping point, look at Cottonwood Falls RV park. Very nice and good location convenient to the highway.

If you like state parks, MO has electric but most don't have water at each campsite. Weston Bend or Lewis and Clark are in the general KC region. Reservations needed. Make on MoStateParks.com https://mostateparks.com/campgrounds...end-state-park

There are some Corps of Engineer parks also not far off your route. These will have water at each campsite. We like Melvern-The Outlet. Reservations needed. Make on Recreation.gov

There is a nice KOA in Limon CO if you are ready for an overnight stop there. Usually we can sleep with windows open by the time we hit CO, but it will still be 85 during the day. It just gets cooler at night in the Desert climate.

When in the Denver metro, for the love of all that is logical, take the tollway around. They mail you a bill. Denver traffic is terrible, and you will need/appreciate all the help you can get.

If you do want to stay in Denver, look at Chatfield State Park. Reservations needed. If you want to go into the mountains, then you may already have trouble getting reservations unless you are OK to get campsites without electric. Recreation.gov for areas around Frisco/Brekenridge/Dillon Lake.

[centennialman]

If you are coming our way (Denver) book your reservations right now. This part of the country books up very fast.
Golden Gate park just west of Denver is a nice place.
Chief Hosa campground just west of Denver as well.
Estes Park is a short 1 1/2 to 2 hours northwest of here and books up fast but is a great family location.

[downstate]

Thank you all for the feedback. I'll be in Denver for work, my family is going to traveling around a bit while I'm there. Going to look into reservations now, appreciate the heads up.

and thank you Piggy Bank for the advice on the humidity. I've been to the Ozarks in July/ August, it is no joke!

[mayco]

We camp in the Denver area a couple times a year. Check out Cherry Creek state park or Chatwick state park. Both are super handy to Denver metro. Cherry Creek is actually "in town". Make your reservations now.

Also, if you want a better view while driving west take US36 across MO, KS, CO to Denver. Great road in excellent condition and you get to see a much prettier view than I70. US36 takes you right into Denv. Before the interstate system it was known as the fastest way between Indianapolis and Denver. We travel about the same mileage per day as you're planning and have some favorite spots along the way. If you want some info on campgrounds along that route give me a shout...PM