Since September 2014 we’ve been brainstorming about our expedition.
We work in the service industry in coastal Alabama – with most of our income generated during the late-spring and summer months. With a year to plan & prepare, and one more tourist season to save money, we slated our journey to begin September 2015 (only 4 months away)!!!!
With a September start date we have to hold off until Spring of 2016 to travel the northern states of America. Our preliminary plan is to begin our journey in the southwest, hopefully hitting Colorado before it gets too cold and then easing around the southern pacific coast during the fall and winter months.
Some of the key locations we want to see in the southwest are: Carlsbad Caverns, Great Sand Dunes Colorado, Gunnison National Park, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and many more.
We have the obvious tourist destinations covered, but we would like to pick your brains about rural communities and off-the-path spots you have discovered on your journeys.
If you have any cool ideas please share them in the comment section!
Thanks So Much,
Olivia & Kyle
A few months ago we found a helpful website – https://roadtrippers.com
You are right on the path for Red River, NM in northern New Mexico. If you don’t spend at least one night in this small town, you will have missed out on a piece of heaven.
Kyle and Olivia,
Exciting. I might add that when heading north from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park you might consider going on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains through Mono County. You can go into Yosemite from the eastern side via Tioga Pass. Breathtaking. Mono county is very pretty, especially in the fall. I’ll send you pics of Mono County from time to time.
Bruce Cuddy
White Sands, New Mexico
Definitely don’t miss the caverns. They are stunning! I haven’t been since I was 13 but still dream about them. If you are heading west thru Idaho towards Oregon or Northen California there is a cool spot we happened upon called Twin Falls, ID. It’s not a very large town but sweeping views & it’s famous canyon that Evil Canevil jumped called
snake River Canyon. Other than that, Portland is pretty mild in September and October, usually a really long Indian Summer, no snow just some rain. But if you are coming thru the Colombia Gorge, it could be colder. Let us know when you think you’ll be close and we’d love to see you both! !
What a fun adventure! I have been to Zion and Bryce Canyon and both are spectacular! So thrilled to hear more about yalls trip!
Thanks for the tip! We will have to add it to our route!
I took a month off from the accursed day job 10 years ago to make a similar trip. Well, I flew to SF and travelled around the west for a month. Down PCH to Ojai (where my college BFF lived) then Rte 66 to Vegas, Flagstaff, Roswell, Albuquerque, Taos, Sedona, Tahoe, Napa). You’ll have a blast.
We are thrilled to say goodbye to the daily grind and work solely online. Here’s hoping for good business to fund our travels!