Help with route for 1st long trip

[revrick3]

We are planning our retirement trips plural to start around April 2018. I have broken up the US into 5 trips for us to take of between 3 to 5 months each. The first one will be from SC to the Great Lakes area then back south to home. About a 3 month trip planned.It is a lot of work planning the trip and I don't want to reinvent the wheel. Are there some good books to give suggestions of places to visit, routes, campsites exc. Forum is great to use. We love nature and history. We love the outdoors, water, lakes, rivers ect. But want to see some of historical places in our country. Traveled quite a lot in past years but now ready to really explore our wonderful country. Any advice will make my life easier as I put together our first leg. The second trip will be east cost to Maine then back. Want to see North East in the fall.

[BFlinn181]

I used to use books, but find the internet and Google a much better and cheaper resource. Planning is as much fun (almost) as the trip itself. Use Google directions to sketch out a route. Then search in towns and regions along the way of that route to identify things of interest. Using your browser's bookmark function you can make 'folders' of things to explore. Using state-wide tourist sites, you might find places to detour off the original route you don't want to miss.

Anticipation isn't just a song, it's part of the fun of planning!

[nothermark]

A couple of thoughts.

April is too early to be in the Great Lakes. The general thought is the tourist business starts cranking into gear as school ends in June. The biting fly season backs off around the 4th of July weekend. You will see some things earlier and it may be prettier but colder and a lot emptier. It somewhat depends on what you want to do but be aware of that.

If you are taking a laptop on the road you can save web sites to the local computer. Put each page in it's own folder or it will get mixed up. It's not always perfect so check what you save by opening it from your stored location when off line. The advantage is that if you are somewhere without internet and need some information you have it if you saved it.