Need wise counsel on West-East route--2 or 12?

[jrumford]

My brother is driving highway 2 all the way across right now in a motorhome that is about 30 ft long. He was at Pattison State Park yesterday, and has sent some gorgeous envy-worthy photos from parks along the way. He started from Washington, too, but is not going quite as far as you. So far he has not complained about the road.

[mythbuster88]

Our best trip ever was the 2 from tip to tip.

[tjdonahoe]

2 is good…all the way…lots of free over nite parking near city parks

[kmclaren]

Having done Bellingham to the East Coast and back this year I decide what route based on where I want to stop and camp. Not much to see driving through the Midwest. Left BHAM in early May and hit major spring snowstorm in Montana. The biggest problem was icy roads and bridges. At this time of year I think weather will be a key variable in choosing your route.

[kareylou]

Well we are in Eau Claire WI, having opted for 12. We really lucked out with weather—highs in the 70s/80s and lows in the 40s/50s—but had a backup route in case of snow. I had never been in these states at all, and I got a much better feel for the countryside and general vibe of the states than I would have from the interstate. There was a period of about 8 hours where our only entertainment was playing “cow or haystack?” And I won by about 200 points har har. Should have downloaded a book on tape!
Harvest Host was few and far between along the route, but there were plenty of places to boondock. Most all state and county parks were still open but many closing mid-October or Nov 1 so that would be a caution for anyone reading this thread for planning purposes. So gas,lodging, propane, dump stations, all available, just a little more forethought and maybe preventative topping off. We are not comfortable driving more than 230 miles a day and we never had to.

All in all a really nice cross country trek so far. We are in Eau Claire for 3 days to visit son and then continuing on 12. This advice was invaluable and we thank you all! I will update again as we continue eastward on 12.