In less than a month this internship will be over, and I will be heading back to good old Virginia. Becca will be joining me for at least a portion of the trip. We were thinking it would be fun to travel via a more southern route this time around. I would like to see California. If we travel south through California, we could see the Redwoods, Yosemite, and The Grand Canyon, all of which are on my list. On the other hand, if we were to travel north, we could see Yellowstone, Glacier, and The Badlands; these are also on my list.The southern route would be a lot hotter, but might be more exciting. I haven't spent much time in the southwest, and I would love to see The Grand Canyon. But I would also love to see Yellowstone when it is not covered in snow.
Anyways, I created this post to see if any of my readers had any input. Would we be miserable if we tried to camp in the Southwest in August? Is there anything that I should definitely try to see on the way back? If you have any suggestions for cool places to visit, I would love to hear them.
I look forward to your input.
The southwestern route will be scorching at times, but keep in mind ELEVATION. For instance, in any of King's Canyon, Yosemite or Sequoia Parks, you are at anywhere from 7500-8500 feet, meaning cool starry evenings with great day trips into canyons. Mark Twain said, "The coldest winter I ever experienced was summer in San Francisco." Coastal currents keep the extreme coast cool. Also, just outside Tucson, AZ, there is a national forest at Mt. Lemon. It is desert at the bottom, beautiful switchbacks as you drive to altitude, and lovely city views from the campsite over the Tuscon Valley at night. I think it's only about 6000 feet, but cool at night. Long story/short: elevation counts. Camping on the desert floor is awful in summer, but the mountains are great.
ReplyDelete1)I love the amount of sass and glee in that photo! 2)I'm so torn over those options. The two top things I want to see are the Badlands and the Grand Canyon, but alas we'll have to pick one...
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough choice. I think I would vote for the Redwoods, Yosemite and King's Canyon, the Sequoia's and the Grand Canyon. The temperatures will be very pleasant in the mountains. Don't forget to plan some fun stops after these places. It's going to be hot in the Southwest and the South, but there may be ways to manage that. Having some fun destinations like Austin, TX or New Orleans or Memphis, TN might make that part of the trip better. How much time does Becca have?
ReplyDeleteI am leaning towards the southern route. We'll have to make sure the campsites are all at an appropriate altitude. Becca has either 10 or 15 days, depending on Job Fair things, so she might have to fly back early. I think I am going to try to stop in Denver and Findlay again on the way back, and maybe travel a more southern route. I would like to check some different states off my list on the way back.
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