Corona Cross Country - Bay Area to Maine

This ^^^ with plenty of photos!

 

Back to OP- glad you are making the trip count, the best ones become memories for a lifetime!

 

There is always this option:

$130 Bumper Dumper The Original Hitch Mountable Portable Toilet (Made In USA)

https://www.amazon.com/Bumper-Dumper-Original-Mountable-Portable/dp/B006IVN03O



Combined with this option for privacy:

Portable Pop up Tent Camping Beach Toilet Shower Changing Room Outdoor Bag Green

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Camping-Toilet-Changing-Outdoor/dp/B00AZ0ZO56

 

Dont stay to long in bozeman you may never leave.....

 

I moved from SF to Boston 13 years ago. My wife and 3 month old flew, me and a buddy took 10 days to drive across the country. We didn't have much of a plan, and that was probably the best plan I've ever had. These kind of experiences don't happen often. Take a lot of pictures – even dumb ones like Kansas' billboards touting the "World's Largest Ball of Twine."

Try local food (if you can). Talk to local people (if you can). I came away with a greater appreciation for people different than me. Stay safe. Have fun. Don't forget about 4L.

 

100% stop at mt rushmore. And avoid Nebraska, it's 480 miles wide and not a fucking thing to see.

 

If you have the spare cash I'd recommend these two items for your sleeping comfort.
https://www.softopper.com/accessories-parts/camper-tent

https://www.jpwinc.com/product/super-pad/?v=7516fd43adaa

(there's also less expensive Paco Pads that are almost just as good)

I second checking out Glacier NP if its open. Teton NP, Yellowstone. Also Utah is beautiful, Moab, Canyon Lands, Goblin Valley, Arches NP, Lake Powell. I know some of those may be closed so look into it. Also look into fire bans before having fires while camping. The mountains of Colorado are way cooler than Denver or Boulder.

Although most people you talk to will probably be stoked for your trip, be aware that some people you encounter may get upset with you cause of this whole Covid thing. I've encountered that a bit on my recent travels and I wasn't very far from home.

Besides that I don't have much to add beyond what has already been said. Have fun!

I'm surprised by how many people piss in bottles on here?

 

wall drug......

 

After an insane whirlwind of work and moving belongings into a storage unit the last couple weeks, I'm starting the first leg of my journey tomorrow. I have the Softopper on, and just need to load the truck up and say some goodbyes in the morning and then I'm off. The topper needs a little adjusting but that can be handled later.

Looking to land in Bozeman by Saturday evening, so I'd like to be halfway-ish there from Berkeley to post up tomorrow night. It looks like the area of Wells, NV/NV-231 might be a nice stopping point, but I'm not married to it. Not immediately finding open campgrounds, have never done dispersed camping and the BLM map I found was a head scratcher. I can camp in my tent or in the truck bed. Suggestions welcome from the seasoned vets, which is most everyone relative to me.

 

godspeed

 

Any updates?
Enjoyed reading this whole thread. Looking forward to hearing how everything has been going.
Hopefully a lot of fun and full of adventure with safety sprinkled in
@HarryHaller

 

Yes! Thanks for checking in. I departed mid-afternoon on May 29th, with a stop overnight at the Motel 6 in Winnemucca, NV. Pushed on to Bozeman the next day, which was a beautiful drive, particularly the leg up 93 from Wells to Twin Falls. My plan had been to stay in Bozeman with my buddy for one week, but I find myself still here. Will probably push off in a week or two for Colorado. Here are a few pics of the trip this far.

 

That’s awesome man! I think I remember reading someone’s post before you left saying if you stopped in Bozeman. You might just stay! Lol.
Well good for you and enjoy yourself! Safe travels

 

That’s amazing man! Hope you’re enjoying it!

 

Definitely following this.

You said you're heading to Colorado next?

After Colorado head back up to Wyoming or head for New Mexico. Dont bother heading east. Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma have their moments but it's mostly farm land.

If it were me, I'd head for the Black Hills before I went to Colorado, but to each his own.

 

Thanks for the tips. My rough plan is to spend a little time in Boulder and Denver areas to scope it out as a potential longer term relocation destination (my employer has an office there) and then bounce back up to South Dakota to see Black Hills, Badlands etc. before heading east.

On the other hand, I have an uncle I’d love to visit in Albuquerque, and a property investment opportunity down in Cochise County AZ recently came to my attention, so there are some great reasons for swinging the trip down south instead.

 

I like Albuquerque, Las Vegas NM, and anywhere around White Sands. Roswell is an interesting place for a good laugh. Flagstaff Arizona is beautiful too.

They filmed Dances with Wolves outside Murdo, South Dakota. In the film Kevin Costner requests a transfer to a far away outpost because he wants "to see the frontier before it is gone." It truly is the land time forgot up there, with green rolling prairie and big blue sky.

For a man at a crossroads, it is almost a spiritual experience being there. Much like your life now, it's wide open and the possibilities are endless.

 

When you find the skeleton walking a T-rex along I-90, you'll know you're there...

 

Belatedly updating the thread -

I ended up spending a month in Bozeman. Fell in love with the area's magic - the wide open expanses, the rugged wilderness and wildlife. I'll be thinking about finding some land there. Spent a night 4th of July weekend dispersed camping down in WY's beautiful Bighorn National Forest, along with many others with the same idea. Then continued down to Colorado, where I explored a bit of Denver and Boulder as a potential relocation destination (my company has offices there) once the pandemic blows over, but not sure it's my speed.

Work and family were calling, so I decided to blast straight east from Boulder to Maine over the next few days, saving South Dakota exploration for another time. Enjoying the foliage in central Maine now, doing a life reset from the quiet of home, and getting ready for winter.

Added some more photos of the trip here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/media/albums/california-to-maine-2020.62832/

Thanks again for all the tips and offers to help/host. Grateful for this community!

 

You made it at a good time that's for sure.

Drop into the local thread if you're around a while:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/maine.58297/page-175