Motorhome for the first time.....

[SewBzzzy]

Greetings from Michigan! After camping for over 35 years.....going from tent, to pop-up, to another pop-up, to used trailer, another used trailer, new trailer....and now our first used Winnebago motorhome, my husband and I are planning a trip a year from this summer out west. We'll be looking for a LOT of advice on what to see, what route to take, etc. Anything you have to offer would be appreciated.
Also, what campgrounds in Michigan are your favorites? In the past, we always preferred the State Parks because they are so lovely....but are becoming difficult to get into on a last minute basis. Thank you.....and we look forward to your advice!!

[SewBzzzy]

Greetings from Michigan! After camping for over 35 years.....going from tent, to pop-up, to another pop-up, to used trailer, another used trailer, new trailer....and now our first used Winnebago motorhome, my husband and I are planning a trip a year from this summer out west. We'll be looking for a LOT of advice on what to see, what route to take, etc. Anything you have to offer would be appreciated.
Also, what campgrounds in Michigan are your favorites? In the past, we always preferred the State Parks because they are so lovely....but are becoming difficult to get into on a last minute basis. Thank you.....and we look forward to your advice!!

[GaryKD]

Welcome to iRV2. Once you get a rough idea of what interests you and the types of things you want to see "out West" post here and we will be glad to share our knowledge with you. Besides your interests, a big factor is when you will be traveling and how much time you have. "Out West" is a very large area. It usually takes me 5 years to get it all done (for me). I'm kind of slow though and when I see an area, I like to really see the area.

I look forward to reading your posts.

[rebelsbeach]

WELCOME to iRV2 and congratulations on the purchase of your "new to you" Sightseer!!

I'll be in Wyoming in June and then to Missouri and have plans to stay out west for a while...

[SewBzzzy]

Thank you for your prompt replies!! We'll need all of your advice I'm sure! My husband and I will only have two to three weeks, so we'll just have to see some of the major interests. I'd like to see the "bad lands" of SD, including the Black Hills....the Grand Canyon, parts of Utah, etc. Should we take a scenic route....route 66???....or interstates? We haven't even BEGUN to do our research yet. It's still in the "dream" phase. We're still "pinching" ourselves.....waiting for the reality of our dream motorhome to set in! Any suggestion of what else we might see? yellowstone?

[GaryKD]

With the time mentioned, stick to the interstates, you need to boogie down the road. When you have all the time you want, Route 66 is a good choice.

With the time of 2-3 weeks, I'd go for quality of visits and see a two or three states per trip. If you have never driven out West before, and maybe are a native Easterner, distances are unbeliveably far between things to see. Some highlights of a trip might be:

1. Mitchell, SD - See the Corn Palace

2. I90, Exit 131 in SD First stop is the Minuteman Missle National Historic Site . Tours of a missle complex are very limitted 2 tours a day and only about 6 or so people per tour. If you think you want to go call 605-433-5552 between 8 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. MT, Monday - Friday immediately and make your reservation. (Heads up Bob.)

3. Exit 131 is also the entrance to the Badlands. There are several CGs within a few miles of this exit.

4. Further West in SD is Mt. Rushmore.

5. Keep heading West on I90 into Wyoming and see Devil's Tower National Monument.

6. Keep heading West on I90 into Montana. See the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument & Reno Benteen Battlefield Memorial.

7. If you think you've driven a lot, now it's time for the big push. Take I90 to I15 to RT 287 to Rt 89. You goal is Glacier National Park. Oh, I forgot to mention for you to pack you hiking boot and cloths. You can buy bear bells at the ranger station. Yes, you will need bear bells to let the bears know you are coming. This is Grizley bear country. There are ranger lead hikes and self guided hikes. Iceberg Lake and Grinnel Glacier are the two I like the best. If your not in shape already, start now. You'll be up pretty high in elevation and searching for air.

For the time you have this does it as a sample of your first trip. One could take several months doing this route cause I passed by a bunch of stuff you have read about or seen on Public Television. But, that is reason enough to plan a return trip. You'll note I did not recommend Yellowstone National Park. With the distance to cover, from Michigan, consider making Yellowstone a focus of another trip. Once you get to Yellowstone there is so much to see, a week is minimum to see the highlights. I've done this a few times so post often and I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself.

[rebelsbeach]

GREAT POST GARY!!

THANK YOU for sharing your experiences with us!

[MonacoMama]

LOL... I was reading Gary's post ...and thought I would be out of breath from RUNNING!!

Actually Gary is right though...many people have no idea just how big the US is- especially out west. SacsTC & I will be driving 9-10 hours this Friday - and we will not even leave the state!

What if you plan a "4 Corners States" trip instead...head down on I-40 to the Grand Canyon and then work your way back through Mt Zion NP and Bryce Canyon...along with others -as time permits (ie. Arches NP ...etc) and do a "geological road trip"
Bryce is one of my favorite places...and I am a "water person"!
Here is a photo taken in the AM -

[RV Wizard]

SewBsssy, welcome to iRV2.com. We are glad to have you join us and we look froward to reading of your adventures and experiences. Congratulations on the new to you motorhome. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as you will this website. Enjou yout trip this summer too. Take care and keep safe.

[paz]

Congrats on your new-to-you motorhome. I hope it brings you many years of enjoyment.

My advice is to not try to do too much since you only have a 2 to 3 week time frame. You don't want to spend all your time behind the wheel. Save some time to experience the beauty of the country. As others have said, the U. S. is bigger than you think and there is so much to do and see. The tendency is to try to see it all in one trip.

We have found Moon Handbooks and Travel Guides to be excellent sources of travel information. The books are available for various cities, specific locations (such as the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone), and for states. Check your local book store or an online source such as amazon.com. They're a little expensive ($12 to $25 each, depending on where you get them and whether they are for a specific location or an entire state), but they provide a lot of good information.

Have fun planning your trip. And more importantly, have fun with your new motorhome.

[Jestme13]

Great post Gary, that should keep them good and busy for 2 or 3 weeks. I would ad to your list a stop at Wall Drug when they are at the bad lands. Pat and I love the place, and it is absolutly the best place to buy Black Hills Gold jewelry. Check out the prices at Wall, then go into the Hills/Rapid city and check it. You will be stopping at Wall on the way home, trust me .

[Kiwi]

Just below Yellowstone is a real gem - The Grand Teton National Park.

There are several campgrounds there run by a National park contractor, full hookups for roughly $50/night.

But if you want to save a few dollars, there are also some campgrounds run by the Park Service that have no hookups. One, at Coulter Bay on Jackson Lake is beautiful --$15.00 per night. You are at around 6000 feet and do not need AC at night. It might get only slightly warm in day, but the humidity is so low in the high desert that you don't feel it (I am speaking of summer - park closed in winter).

Get your rig set up with good batteries. You can run the generator for part of the day. The park is first come first served, but you can almost always get a spot, except holidays (unless you get there early in the week).

Tons of great things to see and do in the area -- Don't miss the Jenny lake boat ride and hike to the falls.

My favorite park ranger (niece) works at the Moose ranger station. She gives great interpertive tours.

Walt

[Lil'Darlin1972]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Greetings from Michigan! After camping for over 35 years.....going from tent, to pop-up, to another pop-up, to used trailer, another used trailer, new trailer....and now our first used Winnebago motorhome, my husband and I are planning a trip a year from this summer out west. We'll be looking for a LOT of advice on what to see, what route to take, etc. Anything you have to offer would be appreciated.

Also, what campgrounds in Michigan are your favorites? In the past, we always preferred the State Parks because they are so lovely....but are becoming difficult to get into on a last minute basis. Thank you.....and we look forward to your advice!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">Hi and welcome from a new Michigan camper !! Some campgrounds here in Michigan that I have stayed at and/or get good reviews are:

-KOA Petoskey (highest rated one in the state)
-Silver Creek Resort in Mears(near Ludington)
-Log Cabin Resort and Campground in Curtis, Mi(U.P) not fancy or really a "resort" but great location for sightseeing in the U.P.
-Poncho's Pond in Ludington

I hope you enjoy your new sightseer...we love ours </span>