Long voyage advice?

[Riverpark Eric]

We're heading out next week for our longest trip yet, and I'm soliciting all the help I can get.

We're in our mid 30s, my wife is 5 mo pregnant, and we've got a 2yo girl. We're heading out in our 22' Odyssey from Sacramento, up the Oregon coast, Seattle maybe, Coeur D'Elene, Glacier NP, Y'Stone, Boulder, Zion/Bryce, Vegas, Los Angeles, and back home to northern CA. She's got a sabbattical, so we've got up to 6 weeks, but we'd like to keep it to one month.

Our longest voyage so far has been one week, and that went fine. We've only had the rig for about 6 months, I'm an "experienced newbie."

Questions:

1. Any tips or advice on being gone this long?
2. Anything or anyplace I simply CAN NOT miss on our expected route?
3. Packing tips?
4. Food advice?

We've been anticipating this trip for a looooong time and I'm so damn excited, I can barely sit still.

Thanks everyone,

Eric in Sacramento

[WME]

On our trip we did Wal Mart for 2 nights and then a campground for one night. Dump tanks, refill water, take a Long shower, wash cloths, etc.

As for places its going to be for you and your wife, your 2 year old isn't going to get much out of it. Tillamook OR. Plane museum and Cheese factory, Pikes Market Seattle (pure tourist but) Flathead Lake ID, Going to the Sun Hwy GNP, Allow 4 days for Yellowstone/Jackson, Your going to be 1 day from Mt. Rushmore maybe add it, Rocky Mtn National Park CO. too. Didn't see the Grand Canyon on your list.

Pack less than you think you need, you will be "collecting stuff" on the way.

Only buy 3 days worth of food, that's what food stores are for.

[waiter]

Everything WME said;

Thats why God gave us Walmart, To camp at, and also to pick up supplies as we need them.

On out Alaska trip, we would dry camp at Walmart, Rest stops, BLM, State campgrounds, etc. Then about every four days, spent the night at an RV park with electric, showers, dump, and refill fresh tank.

Limit to four or five days worth of cloths and groceries,

Take the usual mechanical spares, belts, hoses, etc.

Spare can of gas (2 gallon) AND a funnel - (The new EPA cans SUCK and you can't get gas out of them)

JOhn Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

[Eve "n" Stephen]

California State Park campgrounds are very expensive! Oregon and Washington are much more reasonable. We are on the Southern Oregon coast and would recommend Cape Blanco or 2nd choice Humbug Mountain in the Port Orford area if you want state parks and on the beach. Sixes River, a few miles north of Port Orford, has a small cg about 7 miles off of 101, Edson that is inexpensive and not bad. Our favorites in this area are up the Elk River, just a mile or so out of PO, about 15-20 miles off 101. This is one of the most gorgeous river canyons I've seen, emerald green water and awesome rock formations, great swimming and snorkling too. It is a paved but narrow and winding road after the fish hatchery, but this is where it starts being really great. There are 2 cg's up there, both are around $7 a night, small, with pit toilets. Sunshine Bar and Butler bar. We've had our 18 foot Sunrader up there several times. On the far side of the river is wilderness area.

This is an extremely scenic area, do watch out for poison oak in the redwoods and along the southern oregon coast, coast range and inland valleys though!

Steve

[Riverpark Eric]

Steve, John, WME, thanks for the advice.

We were planning on staying in a hotel once a week to get a real bed, shower, laundry, etc., but if we find the right CG, we'll do that, too. We've boondocked quite a bit, so that's the plan for the other nights, including plenty of stays at WalMart.

Food-wise, our plan is to go light and eat our way around the areas. Clothes-wise, just enough to get by.

I'm a runner, so I'll be looking for trails to traverse. If anyone has any advice for trails from 5-50 miles, please drop me a line!

And yeah, we have not real route or reservations anywhere, just a general idea of where we're going and we'll leave it to Odie to get us there when he wants.

Eric in Sac

[Vanman]

Not on the coast, but we really enjoyed Crater Lake and Lava Beds Park, close to each other in southern Ore.

[84TOYRV]

Don't miss Crater Lake. It is among the most awesome sites on my west coast meanderings. Worth going out of your way.

[WME]

Go to Wal Mart before you leave and check out the clear smaller/medium storage boxes. Group like stuff in each box and then place in the cabinets. Makes mornings much easier if breakfast goodies are in one box, so you don't have to dig through the cabinets. Also if you, your wife and baby each have your own box it makes things easier too.

[Riverpark Eric]

Go to Wal Mart before you leave and check out the clear smaller/medium storage boxes. Group like stuff in each box and then place in the cabinets. Makes mornings much easier if breakfast goodies are in one box, so you don't have to dig through the cabinets. Also if you, your wife and baby each have your own box it makes things easier too.

Ha! Guess where we were one hour ago buying those very things! Blue box for me, pink for her, gray for baby. We found boxes that fit perfectly, now it's like we have our own lockers. Now I just need to figure out where to store my dirty running clothes. Tie 'em to the ladder, probably!