Overseas Visitors Touring Usa/canada 2012, Any advice welcome Options

[movannernz]

Hi everyone, enjoying reading all the posts re. caravan parks. We have just booked a Roadbear C19 to tour for 64 days, picking up and dropping off RV in Vegas. Dates travelling 4th May to the 7th July '12. Plan to do Western US and some of Western Canada. Are we able to buy a Passport America pass, if yes, should we buy it from the first campsite we use? I have downloaded the PA brochure in PDF form. We are a bit concerned about having to prebook places as we like to tour and not be committed to booking ahead for sites. Is this going to be a concern? We do try to avoid busy places as much as possible as we like the peace and quiet of the countryside. Any itinerary ideas would be good and perhaps National parks that are stunning but less visited.
Also looking forward to meeting all you RVers!
Look forward to some help.

[Kirk]

Let me add a few suggestions to the route already in the mix. First, you can get a lot of information about the National Parks and National Monuments by plugging them into the internet or from the NPS website. Even if you can't get a campsite inside of the major parks, all of them have numerous commercial RV parks near them so that should not be a major problem. You don't say just what sort of things interest you, but most of the itinerary suggested is pretty much what I might do, but I would add Antelope Is. State Park just to the north of Salt Lake City.

After you leave Glacier NP, you may want to travel west to see Mt. Rainier Natl. Park. From there you should go south and see Mount St. Helens NP, the big volcano that blew up about 30 years ago. Once you leave there you should go over along the Oregon Coast and follow that south, visiting a few Oregon Lighthouses as this is some of the most spectacular coast in the world. It would then be a fairly short run down to Redwood Natl. Park.

Leaving the redwoods you should probably plan to make a quick stop to see San Fransisco if the city is of any interest and then make a trip to see Yosemite Natl. Park. Between this and your return to Vegas would make it handy to make a stop at Joshua Tree Natl. Park.

With what amounts to two months to travel in, you will have a very full itinerary. The trip which I have just outlined will require the driving of more than 4,000 miles or 6575 kilometers. If you are to cover all or most of the suggested itineraries then you will have a very long days or very short stops. To see the Grand Canyon requires several days. The same is true for Yellowstone and at least two for Glacier. You may need to plan this to have somewhat fewer places to visit and less time driving, or you can make some long driving days between stops.

Traveling with the RV you can expect to average around 50 mph or 80 kph. that means that you will have about 13 days of just driving, if you travel for 6 hours each travel day.

You can do this but you need to realize just how much travel we are suggesting.

[movannernz]

Let me add a few suggestions to the route already in the mix. First, you can get a lot of information about the National Parks and National Monuments by plugging them into the internet or from the NPS website. Even if you can't get a campsite inside of the major parks, all of them have numerous commercial RV parks near them so that should not be a major problem. You don't say just what sort of things interest you, but most of the itinerary suggested is pretty much what I might do, but I would add Antelope Is. State Park just to the north of Salt Lake City.

After you leave Glacier NP, you may want to travel west to see Mt. Rainier Natl. Park. From there you should go south and see Mount St. Helens NP, the big volcano that blew up about 30 years ago. Once you leave there you should go over along the Oregon Coast and follow that south, visiting a few Oregon Lighthouses as this is some of the most spectacular coast in the world. It would then be a fairly short run down to Redwood Natl. Park.

Leaving the redwoods you should probably plan to make a quick stop to see San Fransisco if the city is of any interest and then make a trip to see Yosemite Natl. Park. Between this and your return to Vegas would make it handy to make a stop at Joshua Tree Natl. Park.

With what amounts to two months to travel in, you will have a very full itinerary. The trip which I have just outlined will require the driving of more than 4,000 miles or 6575 kilometers. If you are to cover all or most of the suggested itineraries then you will have a very long days or very short stops. To see the Grand Canyon requires several days. The same is true for Yellowstone and at least two for Glacier. You may need to plan this to have somewhat fewer places to visit and less time driving, or you can make some long driving days between stops.

Traveling with the RV you can expect to average around 50 mph or 80 kph. that means that you will have about 13 days of just driving, if you travel for 6 hours each travel day.

You can do this but you need to realize just how much travel we are suggesting.

Thanks Kirk, we have a lot to think about before we leave, we are not interested in cities, like the quiet life, enjoy walking but nothing too strenous, fishing, viewing wildlife, flora and fauna, photography and meeting folk along the way. Do not want to be racing from A to B, so will have to pick some parks and miss out others. We appreciate we will not be able to see everything along the way. At home here we freedom camp most of the time ( boondocking in your country, I think) so do not have an endless supply of money for the trip so will be doing some sort of a budget. It will also depend on the exchange rates too. Have pre paid for 6000 miles so it sounds like we have allowed ourselves enough mileage. Must now go and see if we can catch another chinook salmon! Thanks again for your comments/suggestions.