Trip east from Oregon

[biker art]

My wife and I are just in the early planing stage of driving my 22 class A to Amish country then to SC. to visit my sister. I don't want to travel the freeways but want to take a more scenic route and away from major cities. Back in the 60s I drove to Chicago then route 66 to LA. I'm thinking I 80 from SLC Utah to Cheyenne then take I 70 to Penn. Is that a recommended route? I want to boondock and avoid expensive campgrounds. This will be my first time going on a long trip in many years and my wife's first. Just want to take it easy and have fun.Any help would be appreciated.

[TampaDave]

Not sure where you're starting from, from Portland to say York it's 42 hours as planned.

You can swing north to Lewiston ID, absolutely gorgeous ride over the pass to Missoula, grand ride through Montana, go past Black Hills. That part is great, and you're still at 42 hours. You pay for it at the end, having to go thru Chicago and Cleveland.

Via SLC, you could peel off 80 at Rock Springs WY, see Flaming Gorge, do 40 thru steamboat, loop north thru Rocky Mountain National park, come out above Denver and make your way back to 80, adds about six hours to see pretty much the most gorgeous country imaginable. Lots of twisties, that run is the bomb on a motorcycle, would require patience and nerve in an RV.

From SLC, you could drop to four corners via Moab, cut off a corner of Colorado and take 550 down to Albuquerque. Views of moab, shiprock mountain and the jemez are beautiful, nice desert ride. From Albuquerque follow 66 through Oklahoma, which I'm sure you remember. Nice tour of the Ozarks. Pick up 70 in St. Louis. Adds six hours. If you don't mind going through Kentucky, 64 is actually a very pretty road for an interstate. Pop's Barbecue outside of Morehead gets my absolute highest recommendation. Adds another hour, not counting a glorious hour of pure bliss at Pop's.

Of the three, I kind of like the Lewiston route the most, granted I've been up and down 550 a million times, and wouldn't be eager to haul my 40 footer through RMNP although your rig is more nimble and you're probably not as much of a wimp as I am

I dunno. It's sooooo easy to take the freeway. Always a flyin J right around the corner to fuel up and crash for the night. Just a long haul through a whole lotta nuthin down 80 once you get past Rock Springs.

[biker art]

Leaving from southern Or. Grants Pass. Probably going to start out on I 140 over Klamath Falls.

[hamm2018]

Originally Posted by biker art

My wife and I are just in the early planing stage of driving my 22 class A to Amish country then to SC. to visit my sister. I don't want to travel the freeways but want to take a more scenic route and away from major cities. Back in the 60s I drove to Chicago then route 66 to LA. I'm thinking I 80 from SLC Utah to Cheyenne then take I 70 to Penn. Is that a recommended route? I want to boondock and avoid expensive campgrounds. This will be my first time going on a long trip in many years and my wife's first. Just want to take it easy and have fun.Any help would be appreciated.

For Amish country, I would recommend you stop in at least 3 different areas to see a variety of different Amish.
Heading east first stop I would go to Shipshewana, Ind. they have an Amish community in that part. Plus while in the area check to take a tour of the builder of your RV or any RV manufacturer, you will learn about how these things are built.
When you get to Ohio there is a couple of Amish communities that are huge. First one is in Morrow County around Chesterville, Waterford area. We used to live there and my wife was a teacher for that school district. We dealt with the Amish for wood, furniture, food we got to really know several of the families when one family lost the grandfather they came to us and told us. We went to his funeral in their home, we had watched his kids, grandkids grow up. The second Amish community in Ohio is in Berlin, Ohio. It is around 60 miles from the first on Rt. 39. It is really huge and it is the largest in the country. When you get to that area drive around in your car and just see the different houses and life styles, levels of Amish.
In Penn. it is around Intercourse, Hershey area. Nice area and very much the same as in Ohio and Indiana. But it is getting smaller since some are leaving for Ohio and other parts of the country
Campgrounds around the areas are:
Shipshewana - Shipshewana South right next to the big flea market. Elkhart County Fairgrounds we have stayed here several times. It has 50 amp/FHU reasonably priced. Drawback here is right next to major east-west RR tracks.
Chesterville - Cardinal Campground in Marengo huge campground they have a trap shooting complex it is so huge the shoots are on ESPN, Wide World of Sports foreign TV come in to televise the events. Also in Mt. Gilead, the county seat, is a new KOA on the old golf course across the road from the state park there. The state park is called Mt. Gilead State Lakes, it is Rt. 95. Nice little park especially since Ohio is starting to upgrade state parks/ campgrounds to 50 amp/FHU.
Berlin area - several campgrounds One is Evergreen one of the few 5 star campgrounds in Ohio, and it is costly. There are several in berlin area and one is in Berlin right across from the high school, it is called Scenic Hills. It is a no thrills campground, no pool. gravel, cheaper.
Penns. area - Several places Hershey Thousand Trails park is there and some Encore parks, one is Camp "M".

Once you get done there head to Gettysburg area and see the battlefield and tour the area. Several other areas around that part you would like to see, Antietam, Md. battlefield, Harper's Ferry area and lots of other Civil War battlefield areas.

Boondocking in Ohio is really hard unless you know some landowners in the area. One suggestion I would make is check into the Thousand Trails Zone Pass. It is around $500 or so for 1 zone at a time. The eastern zone will allow you to use campgrounds in Ind., Ohio, Penns. for the time you are there. It allows you to stay for up to 14 days then you must be out of the system for 7 days. The outlay of cash for those 14 days from your wallet could be $0, if you don't use 50 amp.
I am not a salesman for TT but check into it for the time you are going to be in the area. Could save some dollars for you. PM me for other information,
SORRY for the long post

[biker art]

Originally Posted by hamm2018

For Amish country, I would recommend you stop in at least 3 different areas to see a variety of different Amish.
Heading east first stop I would go to Shipshewana, Ind. they have an Amish community in that part. Plus while in the area check to take a tour of the builder of your RV or any RV manufacturer, you will learn about how these things are built.
When you get to Ohio there is a couple of Amish communities that are huge. First one is in Morrow County around Chesterville, Waterford area. We used to live there and my wife was a teacher for that school district. We dealt with the Amish for wood, furniture, food we got to really know several of the families when one family lost the grandfather they came to us and told us. We went to his funeral in their home, we had watched his kids, grandkids grow up. The second Amish community in Ohio is in Berlin, Ohio. It is around 60 miles from the first on Rt. 39. It is really huge and it is the largest in the country. When you get to that area drive around in your car and just see the different houses and life styles, levels of Amish.
In Penn. it is around Intercourse, Hershey area. Nice area and very much the same as in Ohio and Indiana. But it is getting smaller since some are leaving for Ohio and other parts of the country
Campgrounds around the areas are:
Shipshewana - Shipshewana South right next to the big flea market. Elkhart County Fairgrounds we have stayed here several times. It has 50 amp/FHU reasonably priced. Drawback here is right next to major east-west RR tracks.
Chesterville - Cardinal Campground in Marengo huge campground they have a trap shooting complex it is so huge the shoots are on ESPN, Wide World of Sports foreign TV come in to televise the events. Also in Mt. Gilead, the county seat, is a new KOA on the old golf course across the road from the state park there. The state park is called Mt. Gilead State Lakes, it is Rt. 95. Nice little park especially since Ohio is starting to upgrade state parks/ campgrounds to 50 amp/FHU.
Berlin area - several campgrounds One is Evergreen one of the few 5 star campgrounds in Ohio, and it is costly. There are several in berlin area and one is in Berlin right across from the high school, it is called Scenic Hills. It is a no thrills campground, no pool. gravel, cheaper.
Penns. area - Several places Hershey Thousand Trails park is there and some Encore parks, one is Camp "M".

Once you get done there head to Gettysburg area and see the battlefield and tour the area. Several other areas around that part you would like to see, Antietam, Md. battlefield, Harper's Ferry area and lots of other Civil War battlefield areas.

Boondocking in Ohio is really hard unless you know some landowners in the area. One suggestion I would make is check into the Thousand Trails Zone Pass. It is around $500 or so for 1 zone at a time. The eastern zone will allow you to use campgrounds in Ind., Ohio, Penns. for the time you are there. It allows you to stay for up to 14 days then you must be out of the system for 7 days. The outlay of cash for those 14 days from your wallet could be $0, if you don't use 50 amp.
I am not a salesman for TT but check into it for the time you are going to be in the area. Could save some dollars for you. PM me for other information,
SORRY for the long post

Thank you.Very good information. We have never been in the area and don't know anything about where to go. We're just looking for some nice places to visit and my wife is interested in the Amish. My concern is also places to either boondock or camp for the night on the trip there.Not looking for anything fancy just clean. I have until maybe June before going for about a month of travel there and back to Or. I do have to get back to work.

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by biker art

My wife and I are just in the early planning stage of driving my 22 class A to Amish country then to SC. to visit my sister.

I don't want to travel the freeways but want to take a more scenic route and away from major cities.
...........

I'm thinking I 80 from SLC Utah to Cheyenne then take I 70 to Penn.

RT 40 off I80 to/through Colorado then I-70 to RT 36 to Hannibal - then I-70 into Pennsylvania - South on the Maryland/Delaware eastern shore and south.

Is that a recommended route?

Something like this - MAP - https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=d3d97...=2&form=S00027

I want to boondock and avoid expensive campgrounds.

Try Campendium.com as a source for many FREE and Lower Cost parks, we stayed in a number of Great Parks in small towns this summer - normally $20.00 a night with some hook ups and electric and many Wal*Marts as we made a couple runs out and back to Colorado from Maryland.

This will be my first time going on a long trip in many years and my wife's first.

Be sure to have the RV in good shape - service is not always easy on the drive - tires/pressure - Oil - Transmission fluid and filter fresh - Brakes - Lights - good tool box.

Just want to take it easy and have fun.

That's up to You - go slow this drive could take 1-12 months - there is that much to see and enjoy - I took you to Park City to pick up RT 40 - Vernal and Dino NM - then across the top of Colorado - Steamboat Springs - many State Parks and other options - over Rabbit Ears pass - If you are up for it Grand Lake, and through RMNP on Trail Ridge to Estes Park (This road is closed in the Winter so the Mapping App will not show it ) out of Estes head to Lyons then South on Peak to Peak highway to RT - 6 into Golden - this is one of the most beautiful Drives in the Country - MAP works from Golden on across the US - taking I-70 out of Denver, lot of construction so timing is critical - out I-70 into Kansas - up to RT 35, much like your RT 66 - to Hannibal, MO then bump your way to I-70 across to Lancaster, PA. (Amish) from there south to Christiana then south on the eastern shore of Delaware and Maryland then around DC - lots to see here if wanted - then I-95 to SC.

Map from Estes to I-70 - https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=59233...=2&form=S00027

Any help would be appreciated.

MAP - https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=d3d97...=2&form=S00027

Hope this helps,

[armullis]

Sounds like you might want to look into "Harvest Hosts" if you are looking for cheap places to stay and experience different things.

www.harvesthosts.com