Alright – this is it! I’ve been planning for what seems like ages to try and find the “perfect” route around the United States during the fall, while camping in a trailer. Leaving in October certainly limits us from enjoying a lot of the upper United States parks and activities because we don’t want to be in weather that’s below zero. Our pipes would freeze in our trailer and that just wouldn’t be fun. So this is it. Our route for four months from October to January.
I’ve absolutely LOVED planning this trip in Google Maps. It was so easy for me to share the map with my family and friends to ask them what they’re favourite spots were and then add them to the map. It’s also incredibly easy for people to follow along with us and know where we’re going to be!
*UPDATE* The map below is interactive, meaning that it updates on here as I change it in Google maps. We have had to change our plans slightly so that we are leaving two weeks late. Unfortunately, this means missing some of the points of interest we were hoping to see but are also adding new points as we do more research into the locations we plan to visit!
I’m sure you’re already saying, wow they’re missing a lot of locations! But keep in mind we’re only going for four months. It’s going to be really hard to see everything and do everything we want to in that time frame. That being said, we’re definitely still in planning mode and I know we’ve barely touched the surface of each location we’re travelling to, so please do comment below with your favourite attraction, historic spot, restaurant or hotel/campground along our route. We’ve love to make this trip really interactive and get to see some of your favourite places and hear your stories!
Here are some of our “can’t wait for” attractions that are already on our list:
The Mark Twain House & Museum
Florida Caverns State Park
USS Alabama
New Orleans French Quarter
Houmas House Plantation and Gardens
Oak Alley Plantation
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Pikes Peak
Four Corners Monument
Yellowstone National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
San Diego Zoo
Disneyland Park
Pismo Beach
Santa Cruz
The Stanley Hotel
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
The Aiken-Rhett House
Hearst Castle
The Alamo
Old Faithful
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Havasu Falls
Oljato-Monument Valley
Badlands National Park
New York Public Library
Stanford University
Huntington Beach State Park/Atalaya
The Walt Disney Family Museum
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Mall of America
We are doing something really similar. We are heading from Calgary to Florida from Sept – Nov. We will be returning in the Spring and we haven’t determined that route yet. Did you prebook all your camping spots or are you going to allow a bit of “winging it”?
I’m excited to follow your trip too Merry! We are going to “wing it” a lot in the north since it will be fall and very quiet but we have already booked many campsites and hotels including Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Key West, Sebastian State Park and Anastasis State Park in Florida because the state parks book up really quickly. How about you?
Laura this looks amazing! What an incredible experience for you and your family. Not sure if you’re Laura Ingalls/Little House on the Prairie fans at all, but there are tons of spots throughout the country (and I think some along your route) that you could see a homestead from one of the books: http://littlehouseontheprairie.com/historic-locations-and-museum-sites/
I also remember loving going up to the top of Stone Mountain and watching their laser light show at night if you’ll be in Atlanta.
Great tips Heidi!! I am a big Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. I’m named after her!
That’s so cool! I loved every one of her books. I still have the full collection in the hopes my kids will love her too!