Although I’ve traveled across the United States camping along the way several times, first as a child with my family and later with my own kids, there are so many places to see that you’ll never stop being amazed at how beautiful and unique our country is. This trip was no different as I planned a dream trip to see several more National Parks on my bucket list. My planning started months ago, not years. Many will have you believe that if you want to set out to see the great parks of the U.S. you must start planning a year in advance. If you are a prolific planner and don’t live by the seat of your pants like me, then go for it. I’ve learned there are so many options of places to stay that you can always find a place near the park. Now if you must stay in the national park, then yes, get in line and wait for the reservations to open up a year in advance. Our biggest challenge was getting driving reservations to get on the parks but if you don’t mind going outside of the busy periods and are flexible, you can still get on the parks.
The entire trip included driving through 16 states in 35 days, logging over 7,000 miles, getting one oil change in Montana, visiting three National Parks and staying at 18 campgrounds, and Harvest Hosts. We also stayed at two hotels near the end of our trip because my husband, Andy, was ready to end his “Trail of Tears” in the Airstream, LJ. I’m joking here as I’m lucky he joined me on the trip because driving long distances and camping isn’t his idea of fun so getting 35 days with him on the road was more than I ever hoped for. I’ve included the full itinerary of campgrounds and Harvest Hosts with links and our full cross country map, scroll to the bottom of this blog.
When we began planning this trip, we wanted to travel on the weekends and then work from a campground during the week so as to not disrupt our work schedules too much. We both own small businesses and it can be tough to get away for long periods of time. We thought of this trip as a once in a lifetime mini-sabbatical, not completely unplugged and not working, but truly away from our normal routines having the opportunity to experience new communities and beauty. I purchased Starlink to keep us connected with work as the WiFi in campgrounds can be spotty. Our Starlink was a blessing as we had no problem working and even streaming movies at night when we retired from our sightseeing. We opted for the roam plan specifically for people who RV so we could pause the service when we’re not camping or on the road. This helps us to avoid the $150 monthly fee.
We tried to avoid big interstates in order to truly see the best of America and opted to take the Great Northern Highway 2 once we were leaving the upper peninsula of Michigan to head towards Glacier National Park. I highly recommend this route as it is quiet and beautiful. We traveled through many small towns and felt like we were off the beaten path. I feel like this is where you really see the beauty of America in those little towns along the way. While in Michigan we stayed in St. Ignace, crossed the mighty Mackinac Bridge and spent a day on Mackinac Island. That was truly a beautiful experience that I hope to try again.
After leaving Michigan, we embarked for Theodore Roosevelt National Park and stayed at two harvest hosts along the way. The National Park was unique and we experienced the beauty of the North Dakota Badlands. We stayed in a remote, little town called Medora, which seems to be there only for the park, although it does have historical references to the cowboy journey in the great history of our country. The town revolves completely around the park with summer help coming from all over the world to work there and are housed in facilities in the town built by the Theodore Roosevelt Foundation. There is also a musical about the life of this beloved President and nature conservationist. The park was amazing and the campground was too. Since we were traveling with our dogs, I always try to find places with dog parks and this one was huge! We enjoyed our time in Medora as we endured the heavy dust but I think it would have been more enjoyable to have only spent two days there rather than five. For families with young children, you’ll love all of the cowboy themed events and establishments.
Next on our trip was Glacier National Park and we stayed in West Glacier, which was the highlight of our trip. We traveled across Montana on Highway 2 and saw the Great Plains, Camp Disappointment, lots of long trains and, eventually, the beautiful mountains that I so desired to see. We stayed at one of the best campgrounds we’ve ever stayed at and it turns out it’s part of a larger group of properties run by Pursuit, the same place we stayed at when we went to Denali National Park. The views were perfect from our site, it was level and the dog park was one of the best we saw. There were walking paths that lead directly from the campground to a small village with restaurants, mini-golf, whitewater rafting, fishing and of course, Glacier National Park. We didn’t have entry reservations to drive on between 6am and 3pm so we opted to get up early and drive on at 5:30 am. I had booked a local kennel to watch our dogs for us so we could spend the day hiking and enjoying the majestic beauty of all that Glacier had to offer. The next day we took a trip to go fly fishing nearby and once again the dogs stayed at Glacier Bark Kennels. It wasn’t the best time of the year for fishing as the water was still high from the melting snow but we did enjoy the float down the river.
After Glacier we headed out towards Yosemite National Park, which was going to be a lot longer trip that we had taken from stop to stop so far. This journey would take four days as our others fell nicely in three day intervals that allowed us to work for four days in between. We drove over the Continental Divide on our way out of Montana, stayed at a winery in Idaho and drove the Loneliest Highway in Nevada. We witnessed the biblical infestation of Mormon Crickets in Elko, Nevada and stayed overnight in the Cold Springs Station before finally arriving in California. The most challenging part of our trip was towing my Airstream over Tioga Pass, which reaches an elevation of over 9,500 feet. Thankfully I was up for the challenge and rather enjoyed the drive. Highway 120 is a great way to see Yosemite National Park but beware that it can be scary if you are frightened of heights. The sheer cliffs that you witness to your left and right are enough to make seasoned travelers carsick but the fact there are no guardrails make you want to cling to your seat. Yosemite was more than I could have ever imagined between the beauty of the mountains and tranquility of the meadows. Living in North Carolina, one isn’t able to stand in a meadow and literally see a mountain breaking through heading straight up. Our mountains are more gradual, yet still beautiful, but Half Dome and El Capitan offer some awe inspiring moments. We camped at the Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes and had dinner each night at this quaint restaurant just 5 miles away. Every night was a different meal and delicious experience with stellar service.
We eventually had to head back to North Carolina and wrap up our trip so we took off the week from working and deadheaded it home. We drove daily like it was our job and I have a new appreciation for truck drivers. We stayed each night in a different state taking the southern route home along some of the historic Route 66 and checking out some of those cool sights along the way in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama. We literally drove by Petrified Forest National Park, Hot Springs National Park and Conagree National Park. We had a hard deadline to get home and couldn’t stop at those to visit. To say this trip was a dream come true is an understatement. I don’t think I stopped smiling each day as we drove through small towns and passed by working farms. Just seeing our country hard at work as long trains and trucks travel carrying all of the Amazon cargo is something everyone should see to value how it all arrives on your doorstep. I’m also thankful for all of those in the hospitality industry all across the U.S. that take care of curious travelers like myself. We truly loved learning about everyplace we stayed and the rich histories of our great country and the heroes who discovered it.
Full Itinerary of Our Stays