Forestboy
LIFE MEMBER
Well its finally over we've covered all 48 lower states of America with Alaska & Hawaiai left to do, both of which
we intend to do but in a small hired RV for Alaska and a short break after to Hawaiai.
We've travelled 55000 miles approx half in the RV and half in the tow car.The whole thing from start to finish has
taken three and half years with 14 months actually spent travelling in America. We never stayed in one place more
than a week and tried to stay off the interstate as much as possible so we could see the real America and meet real
Americans from all walks of life, and we sure did that. We met some really amazing people and were treated with
kindness and genuine friendship everywhere we went and have made friends and acquaintances for life.We met and visited
with the Amish people in up state New York who were really nice to us and amazed Jan with the quilts they make, no sewing
machine like her their's are all done by hand. We went to the Grand Ol Opri, Graceland, Tupelo, Beale St Memphis, The White House, hiking in the mountains & Grand Canyon, white water rafting on the Colorado river got drunk with a bunch of Hells Angels in Tombstone, who turned out to be cops and still e-mail us. The list of things we experienced just goes on and on.
We only felt threatened once and that was in California which was the least friendly place we visited yet also one
of the most stunning it also has some of the most aggresive arrogant drivers I've encountered in my life.
We managed to visit all the major state parks and a lot of lesser known ones as well, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Big Bend,
Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Smokey Mountain, Blue Ridge Mountain, Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonland, Petrified Forest, etc
etc.
We saw an incredible array of wildlife including;
Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Black Bear, Elk, Moose, Pronghorn plus numerous other deer. Wolves, Coyote, Fox,
Otter, Beaver, Armadillo, Porcupine, Racoon, Chipmunk, strange looking Squirrel,Pikas, Big Horn Sheep, Marmot.
Snakes of all sizes from 12 inches to 3 or 4 feet. Birds of all sorts Pelicans (my favourite) Eagle, Buzzard, Vulture
Bluebird, Hummingbird, Woodpecker, Yellow Headed Blackbirds, Owls. Dolphin, Whale, Seal, Mullet, Trout, Bass.
We camped on the beach and in the high mountains at 10000ft we wildcamped and used a variety of sites the quality of which can
vary quite a lot from the ridiculously expensive and well equipped to a trailerpark that looks like a ghetto.We camped on the
Atlantic coast the Pacific coast the Canadian border and the Mexican border the Continental Divide.
We crossed the high plains at a mile high the huge praries in the Dakotas which roll on forever, the Bonneville Salt Flats,
the White Sand Desert, Death Valley, the Hoover Dam, Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls. We visited cities Nashville,
Memphis, New Orleans, Houston, Denver, Washington Dc, LA, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, San Francisco, San Diego, Salt Lake City,
San Antonio, St louis etc etc.
We experienced a range of weather from a months rain in 2 days to freezing temperatures, gale force winds that you could'nt
drive in, sandstorms in Utah, temperatures way above 100 in Texas & Arizona and most of all the night in the bunker hiding
from the Tornado that caught us in "tornado ally" Mississippi.
The lists of sights goes on forever the memories will never fade, the 6000 photos are a permanent reminder of our adventure.
If anyone is considering touring America my advise is do it, but you need plenty of time to take it all in, after 14 months
and 55000 miles we barely scratched the surface. If you think a couple of month trip doing 5000 to 10000 miles will see America
you're wrong that'll be a whistle stop trip taking photos of sign posts as you zoom past. You could take 5 years and still
not see it all.
Travelling in a 55ft outfit (rv & suv) was easy, we only had to unhook the car twice because of mistakes, but it has convinced me
America is the only place for RVs hence selling mine here.Campgrounds are everywhere and easy to get on and find, no need to book
the only time we struggled was 4th July weekend.
Did it cost a fortune?
No
We waited until the exchange rate was in our favour then bought, and haggled as hard as hell and achieved 50% off asking price.
We've done the same when selling, the exchange rate suited us so we sold.
Fuel is cheap we saved a lot by having a smallish SUv that averaged 27 mpg plus kept mileage low on both vehicles so we achieved
great residual value on both when selling.
Food is cheap to buy and we only eat out occasionally. We shopped for flights to get best deals which meant having to change once
each time but worth it for the saving which was always at least 30% to 40% each time over a direct flight.
Now I've got to buy a motorhome for the UK & Europe but it will be a European probably German this time. We are planning
to spend some time in the alps skiing and then through Europe and Scandinavia to the top of Norway hopefully next year.
If anyone is planning a USA trip I have all the contacts you'll ever need just ask.:thumb:
we intend to do but in a small hired RV for Alaska and a short break after to Hawaiai.
We've travelled 55000 miles approx half in the RV and half in the tow car.The whole thing from start to finish has
taken three and half years with 14 months actually spent travelling in America. We never stayed in one place more
than a week and tried to stay off the interstate as much as possible so we could see the real America and meet real
Americans from all walks of life, and we sure did that. We met some really amazing people and were treated with
kindness and genuine friendship everywhere we went and have made friends and acquaintances for life.We met and visited
with the Amish people in up state New York who were really nice to us and amazed Jan with the quilts they make, no sewing
machine like her their's are all done by hand. We went to the Grand Ol Opri, Graceland, Tupelo, Beale St Memphis, The White House, hiking in the mountains & Grand Canyon, white water rafting on the Colorado river got drunk with a bunch of Hells Angels in Tombstone, who turned out to be cops and still e-mail us. The list of things we experienced just goes on and on.
We only felt threatened once and that was in California which was the least friendly place we visited yet also one
of the most stunning it also has some of the most aggresive arrogant drivers I've encountered in my life.
We managed to visit all the major state parks and a lot of lesser known ones as well, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Big Bend,
Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Smokey Mountain, Blue Ridge Mountain, Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonland, Petrified Forest, etc
etc.
We saw an incredible array of wildlife including;
Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Black Bear, Elk, Moose, Pronghorn plus numerous other deer. Wolves, Coyote, Fox,
Otter, Beaver, Armadillo, Porcupine, Racoon, Chipmunk, strange looking Squirrel,Pikas, Big Horn Sheep, Marmot.
Snakes of all sizes from 12 inches to 3 or 4 feet. Birds of all sorts Pelicans (my favourite) Eagle, Buzzard, Vulture
Bluebird, Hummingbird, Woodpecker, Yellow Headed Blackbirds, Owls. Dolphin, Whale, Seal, Mullet, Trout, Bass.
We camped on the beach and in the high mountains at 10000ft we wildcamped and used a variety of sites the quality of which can
vary quite a lot from the ridiculously expensive and well equipped to a trailerpark that looks like a ghetto.We camped on the
Atlantic coast the Pacific coast the Canadian border and the Mexican border the Continental Divide.
We crossed the high plains at a mile high the huge praries in the Dakotas which roll on forever, the Bonneville Salt Flats,
the White Sand Desert, Death Valley, the Hoover Dam, Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls. We visited cities Nashville,
Memphis, New Orleans, Houston, Denver, Washington Dc, LA, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, San Francisco, San Diego, Salt Lake City,
San Antonio, St louis etc etc.
We experienced a range of weather from a months rain in 2 days to freezing temperatures, gale force winds that you could'nt
drive in, sandstorms in Utah, temperatures way above 100 in Texas & Arizona and most of all the night in the bunker hiding
from the Tornado that caught us in "tornado ally" Mississippi.
The lists of sights goes on forever the memories will never fade, the 6000 photos are a permanent reminder of our adventure.
If anyone is considering touring America my advise is do it, but you need plenty of time to take it all in, after 14 months
and 55000 miles we barely scratched the surface. If you think a couple of month trip doing 5000 to 10000 miles will see America
you're wrong that'll be a whistle stop trip taking photos of sign posts as you zoom past. You could take 5 years and still
not see it all.
Travelling in a 55ft outfit (rv & suv) was easy, we only had to unhook the car twice because of mistakes, but it has convinced me
America is the only place for RVs hence selling mine here.Campgrounds are everywhere and easy to get on and find, no need to book
the only time we struggled was 4th July weekend.
Did it cost a fortune?
No
We waited until the exchange rate was in our favour then bought, and haggled as hard as hell and achieved 50% off asking price.
We've done the same when selling, the exchange rate suited us so we sold.
Fuel is cheap we saved a lot by having a smallish SUv that averaged 27 mpg plus kept mileage low on both vehicles so we achieved
great residual value on both when selling.
Food is cheap to buy and we only eat out occasionally. We shopped for flights to get best deals which meant having to change once
each time but worth it for the saving which was always at least 30% to 40% each time over a direct flight.
Now I've got to buy a motorhome for the UK & Europe but it will be a European probably German this time. We are planning
to spend some time in the alps skiing and then through Europe and Scandinavia to the top of Norway hopefully next year.
If anyone is planning a USA trip I have all the contacts you'll ever need just ask.:thumb:
what an amazing adventure you have experience, more than most people would only dream of, we have only owned the motorhome for 8 weeks, im showing my hubby this post and if he does not venture abroad next year, i may have to be your stow away. 
