We have spent some time talking about the route we intend to take on our journey around the United States, but the only concrete decision we have made is that when we leave Texas we plan to turn right, heading East toward Florida. On our way to Florida we will tour the Southern states and eventually head North and drive up the East coast. I imagine many of our route decisions will be based on weather patterns and the seasons. When your home is mobile there is no reason to suffer through terrible weather when you can just drive somewhere nicer! We plan to keep an open mind and let our route develop as we go. One of the most beautiful things about this type of trip is not having a plan. We will have the freedom to stay somewhere as long as we would like and leave when we are ready. We also aren’t required to follow a direct path. We can backtrack and zigzag, or drive across half the country and back again in a month if we really want to. Brandon actually predicts that I am going to break down somewhere along the way and demand that we make a pit stop back in Texas because I miss our dog and cats. He’s probably right. I love them dearly and will miss them terribly. Luckily, I am going on this journey with an amazing man who says that he is happy to drive me home to see them, not matter where we happen to be. Awwww : )
Although we are keeping our route very flexible, we are trying to get some good ideas about great destinations along the way. We have come up with an initial list of places and things we would like to do, but would love your suggestions!
Please help us add to our list with a suggestion in the comments below.
- New Orleans
- Lake Havasu, Arizona
- Key West
- Washington D.C.
- The Grand Canyon
- Yellow Stone National Park
- Natural Bridges National Park
- Myrtle Beach, North Carolina
- Lake Powell, Utah
- Zion National Park
- The Kentucky Derby! (Yes, I would wear a ridiculous hat.)
- Mammoth Cave
- Quebec, Canada
- Colorado
- Cuba!
- New York City
- Savannah, Georgia
- Harry Potter World!
- Las Vegas
- Maine
- The Bahamas (Yes, we know we can’t drive there.)
- Somewhere cool to take our ASA 104 sailing class
- Victoria, British Columbia
- The San Juan Islands, Washington
- San Francisco
- Burning Man
- The Great Lakes
- Baja, Mexico
- Somewhere with great off-road trails for the Jeep
- Your Suggestion Here!
ALPHA 1 ON THE RUN 
Dear Brandon and Jenny– I didn’t have an email so I’ll put some suggestions here. I summarized it in nine reasons to visit us in Maine:
WHERE AND WHAT: We’re in Naples, an hour from Portland, and one to three hours away from most places to visit in the area. There’s plenty of beds, or you can park AlphaOne in the driveway or out in the field and enjoy the quiet and great views, with water and electric.
Nine. Visiting Mark. If you don’t want to navigate the streets of Boston, we can coordinate with Mark and Shannon and gather up here.
Eight. You can go jeeping . . . there are numerous locations in Maine and New Hampshire that advertise. Just let me know and I’ll google some for you to research further.
Seven. Numerous lakes right nearby, such as Long Lake, Brandy Pond. Or Moosehead Lake, about 3 hours up the road.
Six. It’s on the way to the White Mountains, with Mt. Washington (drive to the top in GUNNER) a few hours away.
Five. Northern Maine, with Moosehead Lake and other sites, is about 3 hours up the road.
Four. You get the rocky Maine coast — some wonderful harbors,hundreds of islands and towns, from York (south), up to Portland and Casco Bay, Harpswell/Orr’s Island, Boothbay, Linekin Bay, Rockland, Penobscot Bay, Frenchman’s Bay at Acadia National Park. Also, Maine Cats is in Bremen.
That’s as far as we’ve explored, but Lubec, on the Canadian border, is the farthest east along the coast, and the first place that the sun hits in the US every morning.
Three. Canada — We’re on the way to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Bay of Fundy as well as Cape Breton. It’s an 8-10 hour drive. Quebec and Montreal are about 5 hours.
Two. WINTER TIME. You can snowmobile, but we have to get the timing right for riding around our place; we get maybe 4-6 weeks during December-March when the trails are usable. Northern Maine is far more consistent, and the upper midwest—Minnesota, Michigan might be better for consistent snow.
And the #1 reason for visiting Maine: We’d love to see you guys, and can show you around.
WHEN. Depending on the season, there’s lots to see and do. After Father’s day, June on through Labor Day, the infamous black flies are gone, and summer can be quite temperate. The coast and the Lake Region, where we live, are full of hikers, boaters, summer vacationers.
Fall is the best, some say, with beautiful colors, cooler days and cool nights, with an occasional need for fires at the campgrounds and fireplaces. The fall colors peak late September or October.
Of course Thanksgiving and Christmas can be magical, as the seasons cool and winter comes on.
Depending on the kind of winter, the snow usually stays for good beginning in December and continuing through February, into March, making for good skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing.
When not to come to Maine — Late March through April, is “mud season” when the ground is thawing and driving off paved roads is difficult and not fun. Shortly thereafter is black fly season, when the woods are thick with biting critters, usually gone by Father’s Day.
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Bob, this is absolutely the best comment we have received to date!And we will absolutely be coming to visit! Thank you so much for all of the wonderful suggestions. I think that it would be fun to come stay on the farm with you and Joyce in Maine. My parents have said such wonderful things and I would love to see it. I also think it would be fun to take Brandon into Boston. He’s never been. Of course we would have to leave the motorhome somewhere else and either drive in or take a train. We could stay with Mark or somewhere nearby. Also, you can email us at Alpha1ontherun@gmail.com.
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Grand Teton National Park…The most spectacular mountains in the lower 48. Plus you get to experience “Big Sky” country.
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love your honeymoon list – just fyi some of the places do have at time slot. the Kentucky Derby is May 6-7 and the tickets are selling out! Burning man is in August. and the best time for Yellow stone is in July/August. I’m so excited for y’all! 🙂
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