Road Trip Highway US 20

[Davydd]

When I travel to and from ARV in Cleveland area I usually stop half-way at the Indiana Dunes State Park. They have great facilities and level concrete pads for RVs close to the dunes and shore. You may need reservations between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The Indiana Dunes National Monument campground is nothing to write home about and isn't anywhere near the dunes and shore. That may change eventually now that it has been upgraded to a full national park.

[Van_Dreams]

Originally Posted by Gfichman

Have driven accross Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming. I live in Douglas, Wy (on Highway 20). Anyway, might head up and take the Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone--world class drive, but not for the faint of heart. lots of places to camp (cheap & free in Douglas) along the way.

Why do you say that it is not for the faint of heart?

[rkloud9]

I rode my bicycle across Nebraska on Highway 20 from East to West about 10 years ago in July... it’s a wonderful ride, with lots of interesting small towns, expansive views, and points of interest. It most likely will be killer hot, so be sure your AC is in top order. Since I did not have one, my hours of operation were from sunrise until about 11 am. Most mid sized towns had camping in their parks. Hopefully you have more than a month, as that’s a lot of miles!

[atlebj]

I love the GPS tracks you made Winston! One alternative to this is use Google Maps and enable Timeline and allow Google access always to your GPS coordinates on your smartphone. This enables you to go back in time and it does a great job tracking your routes, as well as logging places you stopped, and if you also use Google Photos on your phone, pictures from each place you took them along the way will show up as well. Basically auto-generates an on-line log book of your travels. Google Photos also will automatically make albums from a trip based on the photos from your phone or GPS-enabled digital camera uploaded to Google Photos.

-- Atle

2016 PW Ascent TS

[Winston]

Originally Posted by Monstermash74

I'm looking at purchasing the Garmin GPS which one do you have?

We do not use any of the units made for automobiles or driving. Instead, we use handheld models made for GeoCaching and hiking. We have several, all old now, but very serviceable for our 'track-recording' and GeoCaching purposes, specifically, the model eTrex H30:



In the car we place this on the dash, connected to our tablet through an ethernet cable that both powers the GPS (avoiding constant battery changes) and, supplies enhanced positional data for programs we run on the tablet (such as the noted arcane DeLorme Topo 10).

PS: If you you want to read all about lat/long N34/W112 go to our two part geocache log (www.geocaching.com) for the "Table Mesa" cache: GC7B posted 4/23/13.

[Winston]

Originally Posted by atlebj

I love the GPS tracks you made Winston! One alternative to this is use Google Maps . . .

Atle,

My wife has Google enabled, but our initial review of her data was disappointing, in part, it seemed to lack detail. As we're interested in reviewing the various ways others are recording and plotting their adventures, we will start a thread to explore this topic more fully.

Winston

[TravelingCOWs]

Several Android apps support tracking and viewing, e. g. Open GPS Tracker and GPX Viewer.

[SteveJ]

Originally Posted by Van_Dreams

Why do you say that it is not for the faint of heart?

I'll chime in. The Montana side has been rebuilt with gentler corners and such. The Wyoming side is quite a primitive road, nothing a class B can't handle.

Lots of grades and, IIRC, the elevation is over 12k feet.

The Beartooth Highway is considered to be among the top ten highways to ride in motorcycle circles. It has a bunch of cornering and truly some awesome scenery. This highway is closed in the winter so do make sure it is open if in the shoulder seasons.

Also when in that neighborhood check out the Chief Joseph Highway, a lot of history so check out the info panels at the numerous pullouts. Also quite scenic, BTW.

BTW, Montana maintains quite a few public fishing access points, some of which allow overnight parking. Some free, others a reasonable fee.

[atlebj]

Originally Posted by Winston

Atle,

My wife has Google enabled, but our initial review of her data was disappointing, in part, it seemed to lack detail. As we're interested in reviewing the various ways others are recording and plotting their adventures, we will start a thread to explore this topic more fully.

Winston

In my experience, it mostly gets it right. You have to use the "snap to highway" and then save to get it to track the road, and sometimes you have to refine the destination at a stop. I think it learns as you go too - and it may be related to the phone

-- Atle

[atlebj]

Originally Posted by Winston

We do not use any of the units made for automobiles or driving. Instead, we use handheld models made for GeoCaching and hiking. We have several, all old now, but very serviceable for our 'track-recording' and GeoCaching purposes, specifically, the model eTrex H30:



In the car we place this on the dash, connected to our tablet through an ethernet cable that both powers the GPS (avoiding constant battery changes) and, supplies enhanced positional data for programs we run on the tablet (such as the noted arcane DeLorme Topo 10).

PS: If you you want to read all about lat/long N34/W112 go to our two part geocache log (www.geocaching.com) for the "Table Mesa" cache: GC7B posted 4/23/13.

That's wonderful Winston, thank you! Geocaching has always sounded like a great way to combine travel with adventure and community!

-- Atle

[Cal 20 Sailor]

Good luck to you! I've been eyeing this route on the map for a couple of years and look forward to hearing anything you might like to report back. BTW, closer to your home, Route 2 from Everett, WA to the Maine-New Brunswick border looks like another interesting trip...

[Monstermash74]

Thanks TravelingCOWS, This type of information is what I was hoping to receive like the other I will print this off so I can look at it when planning our trip. It sound like wonderful places to stop at.

[pasusan]

When in NY - take a side trip to Letchworth State Park. There are 3 beautiful waterfalls and a wonderful trail along the river and falls.



Of course, you'll also be near to Niagara Falls... And Green Lakes State Park is super special - just found it this fall.

Got pics on these places in our Trip Pics https://sites.google.com/view/pasusan-trips

[Monstermash74]

Originally Posted by pasusan

When in NY - take a side trip to Letchworth State Park. There are 3 beautiful waterfalls and a wonderful trail along the river and falls.



Of course, you'll also be near to Niagara Falls... And Green Lakes State Park is super special - just found it this fall.

Got pics on these places in our Trip Pics https://sites.google.com/view/pasusan-trips

Thanks the picture is nice a place that we would love to stop at.

[Davydd]

I will always remember Letchworth State Park for the 58 mile ride in an ambulance to shuffle off to Buffalo.

[dicktill]

Originally Posted by pasusan

When in NY - take a side trip to Letchworth State Park. There are 3 beautiful waterfalls and a wonderful trail along the river and falls.



Of course, you'll also be near to Niagara Falls... And Green Lakes State Park is super special - just found it this fall.

Got pics on these places in our Trip Pics https://sites.google.com/view/pasusan-trips

Good call on Letchworth: it was voted the best state park in the country a few years back! And IIRC, Watkins Glen State Park was voted third (it is at the south end of Seneca Lake, the largest of the Finger Lakes).

We are fortunate to live only 50 miles from Letchworth and 115 miles from Watkins, so see them often.

Davydd: The view from the back of an ambulance is not the best way to see Letchworth! : (

[Davydd]

I saw it. This was my last photo hiking on the rim trail before I had a stroke causing expressive aphasia where I couldn't speak for four days in Buffalo General Hospital. Strange sensation. I knew what I wanted to say but only two words at the most would come out before I went blank. I could stare at computer keyboard and not recognize the letters without great difficulty. For instance this paragraph would take me over an hour to type. I was lucky. No paralysis but it all caused by a bit of dead brain about the size of the free edge of your pinky finger. I think I have lingering effects. I'm never going to be a public speaker again.

Letchworth State Park is dubbed as the Grand Canyon of the East.