We had our first RV trip last March we're hooked. After a slow start getting used to driving the RV we had a fantastic holiday. I'm planning a trip next May leaving from Denver and heading up through the Rocky Mountain NP, Custer State Park, Bighorn Canyon and Yellowstone. Then south through Utah to Moab, Mesa Verde and Durango before returning to Denver. I'd like to know what Yellowstone will be like in late May. I've heard it can get pretty busy. Should I book a campground in advance or just turn up? Also, we've planned an 18 day vacation and don't mind a couple of days of hard driving. Is it realistic to think we can include Glacier NP in the trip? Thanks in advance.
QUOTE(britboy @ Dec 12 2007, 02:03 PM) [snapback]9440[/snapback] We had our first RV trip last March we're hooked. After a slow start getting used to driving the RV we had a fantastic holiday. I'm planning a trip next May leaving from Denver and heading up through the Rocky Mountain NP, Custer State Park, Bighorn Canyon and Yellowstone. Then south through Utah to Moab, Mesa Verde and Durango before returning to Denver. I'd like to know what Yellowstone will be like in late May. I've heard it can get pretty busy. Should I book a campground in advance or just turn up? Also, we've planned an 18 day vacation and don't mind a couple of days of hard driving. Is it realistic to think we can include Glacier NP in the trip? Thanks in advance. I can't give you specifics on Yellowstone, but I would think, in May, you could "just show up" unless it was near or on Memorial Day weekend. In that case, better have reservations. As for 18 days, well, you appear to have two potential drivers, I only have one (ME!). Just take it easy, go as far as you realistically can. Don't try to "cram it" or you will lose out on the fun of RV'ing. JJ
I don't mean to burst your bubble, but Rocky Mtn., Yellowstone, and especially Glacier National Parks are really iffy in May. For example, Going to-the-Sun Road in Glacier often does not open until June and Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mtn. and parts of the figure 8 road in Yellowstone may still be closed until late May. Please check the websites for all three as to what roads will be open (subject to weather) and what facilities are open in May. Many RV parks around those three NPs are just beginning to open in May. If nothing else, I would reverse the order of your itinerary - Durango and Moab first, then head north, etc. I would not add Glacier to your trip. In addition to the fact that most of the park will not be accessible that early, you are talking about a minimum of 3 days from YNP to GNP and back. That's about 900+ miles and, depending on your route, much of it not Interstate. It is not like crossing the 450 miles of Nebraska on I-80 - you're not not going to do it in 8 hours. Do your research and good luck.
Thanks - Think I'll rebook my flights to arrive after Memorial Day weekend and head south first. I thought Glacier was a 'park too far' but was hoping the two of us would be able to make it. By the time we hit Yellowstone and the Rockies it should be early June. Distances in the US are a little different to those in a country where you can drive from one end to another in twelve hours. Thanks for the advice.
QUOTE(britboy @ Dec 13 2007, 05:49 PM) [snapback]9461[/snapback] Thanks - Think I'll rebook my flights to arrive after Memorial Day weekend and head south first. I thought Glacier was a 'park too far' but was hoping the two of us would be able to make it. By the time we hit Yellowstone and the Rockies it should be early June. Distances in the US are a little different to those in a country where you can drive from one end to another in twelve hours. Thanks for the advice. Hi Britboy, Sorry, I should have have checked the member info at the side of your post to see that you are actually living in the UK. In spite of your moniker, I thought that maybe you were just a Brit transplanted to Denver. Among other things, I'd guess my reference to crossing Nebraska wasn't very helpful. Since most U.S. kids are still in school until at least early June, you should avoid the real crowds by touring the last week of May through mid-June. I am glad that you are reconsidering including Glacier in your plans. Even without Glacier in the mix, most of the areas mentioned in your original post deserve at least 2 days to see just the basics. Then there are the 5-7 days you will spend just driving (through some beautiful scenery) from place to place on your route. I see over 2000 miles going from Denver to Durango, Moab, YNP, Custer, RMNP, and back to Denver. By the way, I have been to most of these places several times over the years and some as recently as last year. Another thing you may or may not realize is that at this time of year you can go from 100F (30+C) during the day someplace like Moab to 35F (2C) at night in Yellowstone. You may want to give other members on this site a little more time to make other suggestions. Again, good luck.
We were in Yellowstone in mid June about 10 years ago (before we started RVing) and it was not very crowded at all. However, I am referring to the roads and attractions. Since we weren't camping I cannot say if the campgrounds were booked or not. The last weekend we were there it began to get a bit more crowded. That same year my in-laws worked there and arrived at the park the first of May. They had to plow snow out of their RV site before they could pull in. We were also in the Rocky Mtns. in another June. We were able to drive the Trail Ridge Road, but it had just opened a few days before. There was still lots of snow that high up. It sounds like you want to pack in as much as you can while you are here. I can understand that if you think you may not get back this way again, but believe me you have quite an ambitious schedule. Like Jerry said do some research and be prepared to make adjustments if needed. You have certainly picked some spectacular areas. You could spend the full 18 days in any ONE of them. Hope you have a good time, and let us know if you need more help.
Britboy, We just spent 4 weeks in some of the same areas you are planning. If you want to sightsee, IMO, you are planning too much. First of all, Yellowstone is huge. We spent 8 days and did a lot of sightseeing and driving. If you are staying at Yellowstone, you will have to go south to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Village. There are 2 or 3 days of things to do there. We went to Glacier and spent a week there, but I will not recommend it if you are planning on doing the Utah and Colorado parks also. Too much driving to get the Glacier. Also, The Going To the Sun Road did not open this year until Mid June I think. Glacier was the most beautiful of the parks and had the least crowds and in my opinion had the most to actively do without driving for a day. As to where to stay in Yellowstone, that will depend on the size of the unit you will be using. If you want to see all the Highlights of Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons, stay in the center of the park around Fishing Bridge and Old Faithful. That way the day trips to see the sights will not be as far. Best of Luck in your planning, but don't plan too much for the days you have, you won't be able to enjoy the parks to the fullest. It will definitely be a vacation of a lifetime, ours was.
Mastercraft, I would agree your criticisms of Britboy's plans if he were living in the eastern U.S. and could reasonably expect to be able to take similar trips out west every year. Like you, I would not undertake his itinerary in 18 days, but I am in a different situation. Let's reverse the situation. If you were going to Europe for for you first and maybe only time, would you rather spend a week in London and a week in Paris or 2 days each in London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Athens, Moscow and Vienna? Economically, you want the most bang for your trans-Atlantic airfare buck and, from an experience standpoint, you want to see as many different things as you can. By touring each of his destination areas for 1-2 days Britboy may see only a few highlights of each but he will see the great variety of natural (mountains, desert, geo-thermal) and historic (ancient native ruins, Mt. Rushmore) sites within 700 miles of Denver. I have spoken to many Europen tourists during my travels out west and most of them travel with what you and I would consider an hectic schedule. Yet they all seem to have enjoyed every place they visited.
Thanks to everyone for the replies, it's given me plenty of food for thought. I've travelled quite a bit over the past decade and keep coming back to the US. It's a fantastic country with such varied landscapes. We've fallen in love with the white sands in the Gulf of Mexico, the Red Rocks of Sedona, Chicago's Architecture and the best steaks money can buy I want to see as much as I possibly can but my salary, vacation allowance and mortgage only allow me so many weeks each year. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew but I have to balance that with the cost of the vacation. I think I need to be slightly less ambitious and spend some 'quality' time in a few parks. I've ordered several guide books, registered with the State Tourism offices and will start more detailed planning early in the new year. I think the easiest thing to do is to head south to Durango & Moab then North to Yellowstone and see how things go. It looks like our two nieces are coming with us so we'll need to do more and drive less.
Jerry S, I was only commenting on the fact he had 18 days and the driving times and distances would take up a lot of his time. We tried to rush our vacation and see too much and we were tired midway through and had to take a break. I have not been to Europe, but my wife was there for 30 plus days. The biggest difference is the proximity of countries and the ability to travel by train which is much quicker that the drives out west. She did 7 or 8 countries, sometimes 2 in 2 days because of the Eurorail. I do see your point, but I didn't want him to wear himself out in the short time he is here. Again, just my opinion. Also, he will get there quicker than we did. It took us a week of travel to get to Montana and back. Britboy, Get the books. We used the frommers to try to plan how long to stay at each park which helped us create our total itenerary. Also, every park I stayed at was recommended by people on this website and all parks were as advertised. Also, are you traveling with Kids? That might make a difference in your itenerary. Again, I hope this helps.
Europe is very small in comparison to the US. I live just south of London and I can be in France in a couple of hours. Which makes it very handy to stock up on beer, wine and cheese. We may be traveling with kids and I'm sure that will require amendments to the itinerary. I opened my mouth this afternoon and suggested my girlfriend invites her nieces. She was on the phone to her sister within seconds. - I think it's a done deal now. This site us so helpful as we used it throughout our last trip. Always finding the parks as described.
Our kids liked bike riding around yellowstone, some of the hikes, but were not interested in all the geothermal aspects. Yellowstone lake, the grand canyon of yellowstone, Firehole Canyon( you can swim there) and looking for wildlife is what my kids enjoyed and they are 8 and 3. We rented a boat for a day at Jackson Lake and had a good time boating and sightseeing. Best of luck to you. If you have the kids with you, PM me and we can go in greater detail about Yellowstone. I don't know that much about Rocky Mountain and we have not camped in MOAB either, but it is one of the places we would like to go. Spend the time planning and calculating the driving times and distances and try not to drive a long way 2 days in a row.
Britboy> 1- You go to France for beer and wine? Shame on you. I would have picked Germany for the beer and Italy for the wine. 2- As for the 18-day trip itinerary, you might be trying to cram 10 pounds into a 5-pound bag. Pounds being weight as opposed to money. 3- There might be a positive in having the kids along. After 18 days in an RV, you will learn if you want to have any of your own. Has anyone made the connection that he is coming to this country to visit some of the great places it has to offer even with all the fabulous things Europe has for tourist? Over the years I’ve traveled to numerous countries and gotten around on varied modes of transportation to include donkeys, camels, mopeds, trains, rickshaw, horses, bicycles, and in taxicabs driven by wild men. But I’ve never thought about using a motor home. What a great idea. What is it like to RV in Europe?
Mastercraft - If the nieces are coming along then I'll be in touch. Any advice would be appreciated. I'm not sure if their schools will let them take a vacation during the school term. I should know more in a couple of weeks. RLM - France is quick and easy and I'm not too fussy about what I buy. Last time is was there I stocked up on New World wines, didn't even look at the local produce I didn't even see any of the country, i was off the train, in the HyperMarket and back on the train again. I can visit Europe at the weekends, most of the major cities can be reached in under 2 hours. There are so many low cost airlines competing with each other that it's possible to fly for next to nothing. As you've probably noticed Europe is expensive and now I'm able to get $2/£1 the US has never been so cheap. I'm also on a secret mission to visit as many states as I can. I've done everything east of the Mississippi, the four corners and Nevada. Now it's time to take in the North West (or is Wyoming part of the Mid West?). I wouldn't even consider driving an RV in the UK or Europe. The roads are too narrow and congested and don't even get me started on gas prices. I'm currently playing around £5/$10 for a gallon. It's highway robbery!!!!!
Hi Britboy, Time for an electric (bev) car? That also would avoid the congestion charges that London and other major cities are putting in place. USA still has lower fuel prices than Canada though admittedly UK prices are through the roof.
QUOTE(britboy @ Dec 17 2007, 08:16 AM) [snapback]9530[/snapback] RLM - As you've probably noticed Europe is expensive and now I'm able to get $2/£1 the US has never been so cheap. I'm also on a secret mission to visit as many states as I can. I've done everything east of the Mississippi, the four corners and Nevada. Now it's time to take in the North West (or is Wyoming part of the Mid West?). I just knew I should have invested in the euro when the change was made several years ago!!!!! Midwest would be Oklahome, Nebraska, Missouri, etc. Upper Midwest would be Minnesota, Wis, Michigan, Ind, etc. I suspect Wyoming considers itself in the NW. Put Texas on the list at some future date. Lots to do and see here, but don't come in July/August unless you enjoy 100+ temps. And it's a TWO day drive in an RV from any side to the other...without stops.
QUOTE(RLM @ Dec 24 2007, 11:28 AM) [snapback]9610[/snapback] QUOTE(britboy @ Dec 17 2007, 08:16 AM) [snapback]9530[/snapback] RLM - As you've probably noticed Europe is expensive and now I'm able to get $2/£1 the US has never been so cheap. I'm also on a secret mission to visit as many states as I can. I've done everything east of the Mississippi, the four corners and Nevada. Now it's time to take in the North West (or is Wyoming part of the Mid West?). I just knew I should have invested in the euro when the change was made several years ago!!!!! Midwest would be Oklahome, Nebraska, Missouri, etc. Upper Midwest would be Minnesota, Wis, Michigan, Ind, etc. I suspect Wyoming considers itself in the NW. Put Texas on the list at some future date. Lots to do and see here, but don't come in July/August unless you enjoy 100+ temps. And it's a TWO day drive in an RV from any side to the other...without stops. One of my favorite confusing topics: geographic names of different areas of the U.S.. There multiple names for some areas and a lot of overlapping. For example, while many consider the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas the western edge of the midwest, they are also called the Plains States. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, etc. are also call the Great Lakes States. Some states include areas in different regions: Utah's northeast is part of the mountain region, but the southern part of the state is part of the Desert Southwest. As to Britboy's original question, Wyoming (along with Colorado, Montana, etc.) is considered one of the Mountain States - thus the name of the time zone. I could go one endlessly, but for your sake, I won't.
Isn't there a section of the country considered the "Rocky Mountain" states (or maybe just the "Mountain" states) which includes Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho? I don't really think of Wyoming as a northwest state, but then I don't live up there so maybe it is. I agree with RLM. Come to Texas. You'll have a great time any season you are here, but if you can come in March or April and see our Bluebonnets, it will be unforgettable.
QUOTE(Texasrvers @ Dec 24 2007, 01:01 PM) [snapback]9614[/snapback] Isn't there a section of the country considered the "Rocky Mountain" states (or maybe just the "Mountain" states) which includes Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho? I don't really think of Wyoming as a northwest state, but then I don't live up there so maybe it is. I agree with RLM. Come to Texas. You'll a great time any season you are here, but if you can some in March or April and see our Bluebonnets, it will be unforgettable. Tex, Sorry! As you can see by our post times, I beat you to the "mountain" designation by a few minutes.
Jerry, Oh gosh, no need to apologize, but this is strange. Your post was not there when I posted mine. I even looked at the thread after I posted, and I could be wrong, but I'd swear your post wasn't there even then. Maybe there is a delay before posts actually appear, but then mine was there. Oh well, none of this makes any difference. We both had the same thoughts at the same time and we both shared them. No harm done.
