Stop Recommendations

markcee · 01-29-2021, 04:30 PM

We have only been RV'ing for a little over a year and (semi) retired to AZ from OH in 2017. We have made two trips back to OH since retiring. Because of part time job obligations, both of these trips where whirlwind affairs where we basically drove 350 miles, set up camp, ate, slept and left. Repeat daily until arriving. Once in OH we would spend 5-6 days visiting with family and then performed the same in reverse to get back to AZ.

The wife is now fully retired and I have a lot of freedom in the part time work I still do so we plan on a slower 4-6 week trip back 'home' this summer.

I know this question is very subjective, but what are some recommendations for must see locations/areas along the route? Places where it's worth your while to spend a day or three.

**chuckster57** · 01-29-2021, 05:17 PM

Must see: on our coast to coast in 2009, the places that really make me want to go back are:

Crazy horse- puts my Rushmore to shame, I’ve been twice. The food was excellent.

Sturgis- we stayed at Spearfish KOA, went to Deadwood, Rushmore and Crazy Horse. We were there for the bike rally, that was a real hoot!!!

Niagra Falls- make sure you ride the maid of the mist boat, and climb the stairs up the side of the falls.

Branson- watched 3 amazing shows.

Douglas Wyoming- home of the Jackalope” old train car museum.

That’s all I can think of at the moment.

**JRTJH** · 01-29-2021, 06:29 PM

From Arizona to Ohio, you've got the entire midwest to explore. Everything from Craters of the Moon, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain NP, Denver, the world's biggest buffalo, the cold war Minuteman Missile sites in the Badlands, heck, even the "world's biggest ball of yarn", not to mention "MILES AND MILES of nothing but cornfields"....

What interests you? what do you want to see or experience? What do you really, REALLY not care about ???? Tailoring a trip through the midwest can take 6 months, 6 weeks, 6 days, depending on what interests you and how deeply you want to explore those things.

I'd suggest taking one route headed east and a completely different route headed back west....

Give us some ideas about your interests or curiosities and I'm sure lots of suggestions will be recommended.

linux3 · 01-29-2021, 08:12 PM

Walt Disney Hometown Museum
Marceline, Missouri

Downtown Marceline is the model for "Downtown Disney" at the theme parks.

dutchmensport · 01-30-2021, 06:48 AM

The best places to visit are usually not posted in the top 10 places to visit in America list. The best places to visit are the little out of the way country towns, villages, and communities. The little mom & pop restaurants, the Amish communities, Mennonite communities, German Baptist (Dunkards) communities, even places like "Spiritualists Camps", (If you are bold enough --- nudist camps), and look up "Weird America" and you'll get a boat load of really different and unusual tourist attractions that are not listed in the travel brochures.

The sky is the limit. Railroad museums, baseball museums, Civil war museums, Presidential museums, Amusement Parks, Theme Parks..... Dolly World??? ... Cowin State Park in Ohio???? State Parks, National Forests, Core of Engineer parks, and thousands of private campgrounds across America that provide unique experiences that is more than enough to keep one busy and occupied, entertained and educated.

Rather than driving the Interstate, follow the secondary roads that follow the interstates. You'll pass through quaint little towns and villages, antique malls, yard sales, street fairs, auction houses, lumber mills, RV dealerships, RV manufacturers, Oh my, the sky is the limit. Just get off the Interstater, park it for a couple days and explore the area. Local culture, local people, local stories, rich culture, heritage, and experiences are beyond priceless.

Oh, it's nice to go look at a gigantic hole in the ground from the top of a rim for 1 minute, long enough to grab a snap shot photo and then drive to the next spot for 1 minute, grab a snap shot and move on.

It another to go into a local mom & pop restaurant, ask the waitress about the town you are in, and you may discover that Bonnie and Clyde robbed the back across the street, John Dillinger shot 3 police officers in the very restaurant you are eating in, Elvis Pressley sang in a church there once. Then go visit that church and talk to the people there. What you walk away with is a much richer experience and appreciation than just taking a 60 second snap shot of a gigantic hole in the ground.

That's my suggestion. Get of the interstate and stop at the first town you come to.

Talking about "Weird America" In the Indiana series, "Weird Indiana" This is one that is listed in the book. I never thought of this as being in such a book because this has been around for a long-long time. It's only about 10 miles from where I live. Who would have thought.

Also, I live about 15 miles from Mounds State Park in Indiana. Who would have thought that Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana would make the "hit list" for "Weird Indiana." Look it up.

Lots and lots of beautiful America to see if you take the time to see the clover leaves underneath all the weeds.

hornet28 · 01-30-2021, 12:16 PM

"Lots and lots of beautiful America to see if you take the time to see the clover leaves underneath all the weeds."

A great statement very true

notanlines · 01-30-2021, 01:44 PM

Mark, I only see one drawback in your plan so far. You have allowed 4 to six weeks for the trip thinking this is a big plus. Let's split the difference and go with 35 days. Your travel time is going to take 14 of those days, leaving 21 days to do what you actually like to do. If you take side roads, back roads, secondary roads, call them what you like, you will not be making 300 miles per day. Very much closer to 200 miles per day. I'm not trying to be a downer on your plans, just a realist. I would love to have you tell us that you've extended the time to nine weeks and then we can get serious about what to see.
On edit: I noticed the "Once in OH we would spend 5-6 days visiting with family"
and failed to remove that from the equation. Maybe it's time for the Ohio family to visit Arizona....or don't they have the same feelings of obligation?

**JRTJH** · 01-30-2021, 04:18 PM

Only 9 weeks ?????

Heck, that wouldn't make it through Utah, and then there's Colorado, Kansas, Iowa , Missouri and Indiana "headed east" and depending on a "northern or southern route back toward home" You're talking just as many states and just as many interesting things to see/do.....

If you're traveling, then 6 or 8 or 9 weeks is great. It's time to stop a day or two, then move on and stop somewhere else for another day or two... But what about when you "just want to take a day and read newspapers and do the laundry? or what about the town, where, on your departure day, you learn about the festival that weekend and you just can't miss that.....

So, if you're wanting to "experience the travel" not just "see a few sights along the way", and if you're retired and can take the time to really take it all in, you might find that even 9 weeks is "rushing the trip".....

We go to Michigan's UP every summer, have been for I suppose, 40 years, and every summer we find more stuff that we missed and more sights that we want to add to the next trip....

Granted, there are some places where 10 minutes is all it takes to be "positively ready to leave" and there's other places 10 days is barely enough time to get your bearings....

LHaven · 01-30-2021, 07:40 PM

I keep a list of "roadside attractions" in my mapping program that I've gleaned from Trailer Life reviews and like sources, and I found of some interest. The ones I have marked that approximate that route are:

RV Museum, Amarillo TX
Big Brutus, west Mineral KS
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, Lampe MO
John Glenn Astronomy Park, Logan OH

I don't have many on that route, because that's an area of the country that I don't often ride.

markcee · 01-31-2021, 05:41 AM

A lot of great suggestions, thanks all!

I'll add that as far as trip duration goes - we plan on making this trek yearly, so mainly looking for a ideas to stockpile and put on my list. Figuring we could explore some new areas each time around....even if for a couple of days.

The wife is lobbying for me to leave the part time job behind as well, so who knows, maybe by next season I will be setting aside 12 weeks or so!

Thanks again, and keep those suggestions coming....we don't really have any one passion as far as things to see/do. We are pretty open to anything interesting.

You may also like: