I am 183 days from starting this road trip. I am planning on mostly using social media to keep people up to date, but it has been suggested to me that I go ahead and start a legit website… I am not a technically minded individual, so please excuse the simplicity of the webpage, at least for now.
So, without further ado:
Epic Road Trip 2018 version 1.1
Alright folks, here it is! Here is the itinerary for this epic road trip. At this point I think it is pretty well set in stone. That being said, as of publishing this I have not made reservations yet. this is for many reasons, but the biggest ones is simply that most of these places don’t do reservations this far out. I also am going to reach out and see what kinds of deals I can work out, and honestly I’m hoping to pick up a few co-piolets/camping buddies and I don’t know how many people to make the reservations.
Leaving Bloomington, IN on May 12th possibly with Anna H. as a co pilot.
May 12th – 13th Cahokia Mound Historic Site. Seeing the site and camping at The Red Bluff Campground.
May 13th – 14th Kansas City. Stopping to see Amanda C. and drop Anna H. (or whoever wants a weekend trip out of Bloomington) off at the airport.
May 14th – 18th. Mineral County Colorado. Staying just below 9,000 feet above sea level at my Grandfathers cabin within sight of the head waters of the Rio Grand. Plenty of day trips and evening activities in Creede.
May 18th – 22nd. Fort Collins, CO. Hanging out with Keenan D., Sarah M., and Julia S.
May 22nd – 23rd. Crazy Horse Monument. Staying at the Roubaix Campground.
May 23rd – 24th. Little Big Horn. Staying at the Porcupine Campground.
May 24th. Salt Lake City. Staying with Chuck and Wendy.
May 25th to 27th. Flying to Boston, for Dan R. and Meaghan E. wedding. Staying with Steve R. and Anne M. flying back to Salt lake City to pick up the jeep
May 27th. Salt Lake City. Staying with Chuck and Wendy… I hope 😉
May 28th – June 1st. Yellowstone. Camping at the Canyon Campground.
June 1st – June 5th. Glacier National Park. I can’t make campsite reservations till March 15th.
June 5th – 9th. Seattle WA. Staying with Steve D. and Alana C. Way too many people I plan on seeing/having adventures with here to mention, but a good time shall be had. Also this is resupply stop number 1.
June 9th – 11th. Olympic National Park. Camping at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort campground.
June 11th – 17th. Driving to Anchorage Alaska. Who wants to ride shotgun? Seriously, fly to Seattle, hop in the jeep and lets head north.
June 18th – 19th. Anchorage Alaska… no plan, don’t worry, it’ll be fun.
June 19th – 21st. Drive the jeep onto a ferry and ride down to Vancouver.
June 21st – 26th. Seattle take 2. Steve and Alana, I’ll be requiring your guest room again. This stop is resupply number 2 and also has the padding days incase I get off schedule.
June 26th – 27th. Sweet Home, OR to visit Paul B.
June 27th – 30th. Redwood National Forest. Backcountry permits are only issued in person within 24 hours of your start date.
June 30th – July 5th. San Francisco, CA for sight seeing. Rachel K., can I crash on your couch?
July 5th – 9th. Yosemite National Park. Official plan is to walk into the rangers station and ask for a wilderness permit that’s a 3 day loop. Rachel K., you still interested in this?
July 9th – 10th. San Francisco to drop off Rachel (or whoever else I pick up to do Yosemite with).
July 10th – 13th. Las Angles for a visit/ sight seeing. Amelia V.?
July 13th – 16th. Las Vegas, NV for a visit.
July 16th – 17th. Grand Canyon. Staying at the Mather Campground.
July 17th – 18th. Phoenix AZ. Dzintra M., you complained, so now you have a house guest for a night.
July 18th – 20th. Sierra Vista, AZ to visit Hannah C. and Lawrence E.
July 20th – 23rd. Mesa Verde National Park, Camping at the Morefield Campground.
July 23rd – 24th. Chaco Cultural Site. Staying at their campgrounds.
July 24th. stopping by Taos Puebla on the way to Santa Fe.
July 24th – 26th. Santa Fe, NM. Planning on seeing The Italian Girl in Algiers at the Santa Fe, Opera on the 25th. Not sure where I am staying, but there are several Airbnb’s if none of my friends decide to take me in.
July 26th- 28th. Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Back country camping and trying to squeeze in both the Hall of the White Giant and the Slaughter Canyon Cave tours.
July 28th – 30th. San Antonio Missions Historic site. This is the only stop where a hotel is for sure. TBD on which one.
July 30th – August 3rd. Visiting my Grand father in Gatesville, TX. you guys actually should be excited about the randomness that can and will happen on this stop.
August 3rd – 4th. Dallas to visit with my cousin, Jessica R.
August 4th – 7th. Conway, AR for adventures with Jamie B.
August 7th – 8th. Poverty Point Historical site. Camping at Poverty Point State Park (about 14 miles away).
August 8th – 9th. Tallahassee, FL. Who wants a house guest?
August 9th – 11th. Fort Lauderdale FL to hang out with Cole S. prepare for very cryptic posts that make no sense. it will be fun.
August 11th – 13th. Everglades National Park. Planning on snagging a back country permit upon arrival. Cole S., please acquire a canoe ahead of time.
August 13th – 14th. Return Cole to Fort Lauderdale.
August 14th – 16th. Visit Farrell P. in Matthews, NC.
August 16th – 19th. Smokey Mountain National Park. Back country permits will be acquired online, but are only available 30 days in advance.
August 19th – 21st. Charlottesville, VA. Visiting Monticello and the university of Virginia. Camping at Loft Mountain Campgrounds.
August 21st – 24th. Visiting Fiona M.V. in NJ, and doing a day trip into Philly to see Independence Hall.
August 24th – 27th. NYC. Dena K. and Esther W. can fight over who gets stuck with me, but who ever it is… we are going site seeing. The statue of liberty, Ellis Island, and 9/11 memorials are on the list.
August 27th – 31st. Boston area. Steve R., Dan R., and your wives… this will be my second visit of the summer. however, unlike the first visit, one of you isn’t getting married, so the focus can be on me.
August 31st – September 3rd. Washington D.C. Lillian F., is the offer of your couch still on the table? want to play hooky from work and do touristy things?
September 3rd – 6th. Red River Gorge for some rock climbing. If you need me after dark I will be in the campground behind Miguel’s Pizzeria
September 6th – 8th. Mammoth Cave, staying in their campgrounds.
September 8th, will be my tentative return date to Bloomington, IN. If you wish to find me on this evening I will probably be found at my favorite bar. If said bar offers to comp my drinks on this evening I might even tell you guys where to find me.
As always friends, Please share this. Spread the word, share the adventure with your friends, and if nothing else, feed my ego as I plan, plot, scheme, and come may 12th execute this adventure!
Till next time my friends,
Tyler