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2025 Road Trip Plans

Started by JayhawkCO, October 08, 2024, 12:55:02 PM

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vdeane

Quote from: Rothman on December 17, 2024, 05:42:26 PMIf I list my plans here, it'll jinx them.
Same.  I've taken to being very cagey around revealing my plans for non-roadmeet, non-family trips because every time I have, it's collapsed.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.


JayhawkCO

Quote from: vdeane on December 17, 2024, 08:09:34 PM
Quote from: Rothman on December 17, 2024, 05:42:26 PMIf I list my plans here, it'll jinx them.
Same.  I've taken to being very cagey around revealing my plans for non-roadmeet, non-family trips because every time I have, it's collapsed.

I look at it as manifesting, although my trip to Mozambique I had planned apparently set off the civil unrest.

Hunty2022

Quote from: vdeane on December 17, 2024, 08:09:34 PM
Quote from: Rothman on December 17, 2024, 05:42:26 PMIf I list my plans here, it'll jinx them.
every time I have, it's collapsed.

Same here. I've had the same trips fall through numerous times and just decided to cancel them all.

That's one big reason I haven't been anywhere since October, and have only been on 1 to-trip a month from June to October this year.
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Hunty2022

So I have a New Year's day-trip truly planned to Gettysburg, PA and back via Hagerstown, MD to break my drought.

Also I'm sticking to my personal belief that the travel-related stuff on January 1 is a "preview" of how the rest of the year will play out. 2023 started with a road trip, that became my biggest travel year ever. 2024 started with a short mini-trip after a road trip was cancelled, that is looking like a short travel year with many cancellations. If I start 2025 in Pennsylvania then maybe I'll have lots of out-of-state trips next year.
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D-Dey65

I mentioned this in the 2024 Road Trips thread;
Quote from: D-Dey65 on July 24, 2024, 10:48:28 AMI've got another Florida day trip plan, and it will involve Florida's Turnpike. One reason is that I want to increase the number of Wikimedia Commons images for the Canoe Creek Service Plaza:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Canoe_Creek_Service_Plaza
Not to mention start new Wikimedia Commons galleries for the remaining service plazas along the turnpike.

And if I get the chance, I'll do the remaining I-95 rest area images on the way back up. The only problem is, I don't know if I'm going to do it this year, or I'll have to save it for 2025.

But it looks like I'm going to have to save this for sometime in 2025, along with a few others going north.


jlam

I have a Pacific Coast Highway trip planned this coming spring, immediately after graduation. I will fly in to SNA, take the highway up the California coast, hopefully clinching CA 1. I'll see if I can find some cheap camping spots along the route, or just sleep in the car. Not dealing with coastal California hotels. Once CA 1 ends in Leggett, I'll take US 101 north, staying in Portland for a day or two. From there, I'll either fly from PDX directly to ANC drive up to SEA and fly in. This will be my first time in Alaska. I'll spend about five days in the state, visiting some national parks, before flying back to DEN.

This is a step down from what I had originally planned, which basically elimitanted the flight part of the trip. I would've driven down to Los Angeles, went north all the way to Anchorage, and driven back. That would've taken significantly longer though. I couldn't get that much time off, so the quicker version it is.

I previously had another trip planned, tripping to southern Georgia, but the people I would've met there are coming here, or rather Wyoming. I'll go up there some time this summer.

My other out-of-state trip for this year is dependent on whether Colorado State qualifies for a bowl game. That will be near the end of the year.

NWI_Irish96

Road trip to Atlanta next weekend.

GO IRISH!
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Hunty2022

The Gettysburg-Hagerstown trip has unsurprisingly been delayed, but hopefully I'll do it on Tuesday. However, there is a slight chance I drop it back to the early spring just to see the area when it's green and I can spend more time at the stops as there's the later sunsets. (I like to race the sun)
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pderocco

Quote from: jlam on January 11, 2025, 02:21:52 AMI have a Pacific Coast Highway trip planned this coming spring, immediately after graduation. I will fly in to SNA, take the highway up the California coast, hopefully clinching CA 1. I'll see if I can find some cheap camping spots along the route, or just sleep in the car. Not dealing with coastal California hotels. Once CA 1 ends in Leggett, I'll take US 101 north, staying in Portland for a day or two. From there, I'll either fly from PDX directly to ANC drive up to SEA and fly in. This will be my first time in Alaska. I'll spend about five days in the state, visiting some national parks, before flying back to DEN.

This is a step down from what I had originally planned, which basically elimitanted the flight part of the trip. I would've driven down to Los Angeles, went north all the way to Anchorage, and driven back. That would've taken significantly longer though. I couldn't get that much time off, so the quicker version it is.

I previously had another trip planned, tripping to southern Georgia, but the people I would've met there are coming here, or rather Wyoming. I'll go up there some time this summer.

My other out-of-state trip for this year is dependent on whether Colorado State qualifies for a bowl game. That will be near the end of the year.
This looks like a wonderful trip. One bit of information: CA-1 is only called PCH up to the Santa Barbara area, then becomes the Cabrillo Highway up to the Golden Gate, then the Shorline Highway to Leggett. Also, the Cabrillo highway has been closed in a couple of places for quite a while, so I hope they manage to finish up their work before your trip.

I've never been up to Alaska, but I think you're probably right to fly up there. I've looked at the trip through BC and YT on Google Earth and Street View, and it looks like is has many longueurs.

Quillz

Quote from: jlam on January 11, 2025, 02:21:52 AMI have a Pacific Coast Highway trip planned this coming spring, immediately after graduation. I will fly in to SNA, take the highway up the California coast, hopefully clinching CA 1. I'll see if I can find some cheap camping spots along the route, or just sleep in the car. Not dealing with coastal California hotels. Once CA 1 ends in Leggett, I'll take US 101 north, staying in Portland for a day or two. From there, I'll either fly from PDX directly to ANC drive up to SEA and fly in. This will be my first time in Alaska. I'll spend about five days in the state, visiting some national parks, before flying back to DEN.

This is a step down from what I had originally planned, which basically elimitanted the flight part of the trip. I would've driven down to Los Angeles, went north all the way to Anchorage, and driven back. That would've taken significantly longer though. I couldn't get that much time off, so the quicker version it is.

I previously had another trip planned, tripping to southern Georgia, but the people I would've met there are coming here, or rather Wyoming. I'll go up there some time this summer.

My other out-of-state trip for this year is dependent on whether Colorado State qualifies for a bowl game. That will be near the end of the year.
Just know that outside of Denali, the national parks in Alaska  are completely  undeveloped. You should have a plan about where you're going and what you're  doing. Because most parks don't even have trails. 

oscar

Quote from: Quillz on January 12, 2025, 07:09:07 PMJust know that outside of Denali, the national parks in Alaska  are completely undeveloped. You should have a plan about where you're going and what you're doing. Because most parks don't even have trails.

Kenai Fjords (near Seward) has trails, and also can be seen from tour boats. Wrangell-St. Elias is decently developed in the Kennicott area, though the access highway is mostly unpaved and not rental-car friendly. Glacier Bay in SE Alaska has tour boats.

The bigger problem is jlam wants to spend only about five days in Alaska. The state is so huge that it's hard to get anywhere in so little time. Just Denali and Kenai Fjords would be pushing it. Maybe sub in Glacier Bay, flying back home via Juneau with a side trip to Gustavus where the tour boats are.
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jlam

Quote from: oscar on January 12, 2025, 10:20:45 PM
Quote from: Quillz on January 12, 2025, 07:09:07 PMJust know that outside of Denali, the national parks in Alaska  are completely undeveloped. You should have a plan about where you're going and what you're doing. Because most parks don't even have trails.

Kenai Fjords (near Seward) has trails, and also can be seen from tour boats. Wrangell-St. Elias is decently developed in the Kennicott area, though the access highway is mostly unpaved and not rental-car friendly. Glacier Bay in SE Alaska has tour boats.

The bigger problem is jlam wants to spend only about five days in Alaska. The state is so huge that it's hard to get anywhere in so little time. Just Denali and Kenai Fjords would be pushing it. Maybe sub in Glacier Bay, flying back home via Juneau with a side trip to Gustavus where the tour boats are.

I get a bit more time on this trip after another plan cancelled since posting. Here's my planned itinerary as of this evening:

I will leave Flag Day, taking two days to drive down to Dana Point (taking my car so that I don't have to pay for a rental). I'll then have eight days to get up to Portland, not Seattle, to catch a flight to Anchorage. Should have plenty of time. Much of the route up the Pacific is still up in the air, since CA 1 probably won't entirely be open by then. I'll leave my car with friends in Portland before flying to Anchorage on the 24th.

I booked an AirBnB in Anchorage, where I will be staying for six days, not five as previously planned. I'll probably spend the first full day exploring Anchorage, winding down from the trip. On the 26th, I'll drive up to Denali (or McKinley, as it may be called by then), spending a day at the park. Alaska will get a lot of daylight at that time, so I'll have plenty of time to get back. Might want to find a place with blackout curtains. Not sure what I'll do on the 27th, but it'll probably be another Anchorage day, maybe checking out some whales. On the 28th, I'll drive down to Seward, spending a night there before getting on a boat and exploring Kenai Fjords. I'll fly back to Portland on the 30th.

From Portland, I'll pick my car up and drive back home along Interstates 84 and 80. I don't have anything planned yet for those few days. Overall, I would've spent a bit less than three weeks on the road/air/water. This would be my second-longest vacation ever, behind my month-long trip east back in 2020.

Do you think I would have time to do all that stuff in Alaska?

oscar

#37
^ Kenai Fjords NP has a visitor center in the Exit Glacier area, in the only road-accessible part of the park. I suggest you review the park website, to make sure you allot enough time in the Seward area to hike whatever trails in the Exit Glacier area you want to do.

There is other stuff between Denali and Seward you might want to check out on your trip, such as viewing the tidal bores of Turnagain Arm and/or a side trip to Whittier. But I suggest deferring that for your next trip to Alaska. What you have on your list already seems manageable.
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Quillz

For Alaska, I'd just spend your days in one area. A week in Anchorage, a week in Fairbanks, etc. It's too hard to do too much all at once. During the winter, I like Fairbanks because I can see the nothern lights, and there are some places in the area you can go hiking. During the summer, Anchorage is nice because you've got access to places like Far North Bicentennial Park, and the Chugach Mountains.

For driving, the Glenn Highway is nice. I do long driving trips between Anchorage and Valdez (both summer and winter), and the part where Mt. Drum comes into view near Glennallen is beautiful. Then on the way to Valdez, you can stop at the Worthington Glacier (summer only) and then down into the town itself, which has a few trails in the area.

Back in the late 90s, I visited Juneau and the other islands via cruise ship. In 2018, I visited the North Slope (Barrow, specifically, with a brief stop at Prudhoe Bay). So I'd pick an area of the state to focus on, and make separate vacations for other areas.

kurumi

Later in the year, 3 national parks (White Sands, Guadalupe, Carlsbad); Las Cruces NM, El Paso, Carlsbad NM. US 54, 62, 285 will be new sign photo pickups (with various state routes). Wondering what else might be of roadgeek interest in that area.
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Quillz

So at the end of January I will be visiting the redwoods again. Pretty standard trip for me, but I love that area during the winter, usually get some rain. This time I'm going to get to Arcata in a single day, the drive is about 11 hours. Will be doing a rather standard route for me: 5 to 580 to 101. I usually take 1 as much as possible, but will be avoiding it entirely this time in the interest of getting there in one day.

Coming back, I'm thinking of taking 36 to 5. I've never been on 36 west of 5 before and want to see how it compares to 299. Assuming it's open, it often closes during the winter.

I was planning to stay in Crescent City, but I'll be there for a week and it doesn't seem like a good place to spend a whole week. It's more a waypoint kind of location. Doesn't have a lot of sit-down restaurants, things like that. Arcata to the south just has a lot more going on, and I have always liked the marsh which doubles as a bird sanctuary.

vdeane

I was hoping to use this long weekend to go to Watertown and re-clinch NY 12E, but all the snow is causing problems.  Today there's lake effect across the Tug Hill, so I couldn't do the trip today.  Tomorrow, there will be a major storm going up the coast to hit Albany, so I can't do the trip then.  And Monday, there will be another lake effect event starting in the Tug Hill; it looks like the serious snow will begin in the evening, but if it starts early, it could be a problem.

I'm thinking of getting a hotel around Utica so that I can do the trip tomorrow and come back to Albany after the storm passes, but the storm is expected to clip Utica.  It's not currently forecast to be a problem, there, but if the storm tracks any further west (and it's tracked further west every time the forecast gets updated), it could be.  So, should I book a hotel, and hope the storm doesn't go further west?  Or should I do the trip on Monday, and hope the lake effect holds off until evening?  This is REALLY stressing me out, so any advice anyone can give in the next few hours before I have to make a decision is appreciated.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Rothman

Quote from: vdeane on January 18, 2025, 02:07:27 PMI was hoping to use this long weekend to go to Watertown and re-clinch NY 12E, but all the snow is causing problems.  Today there's lake effect across the Tug Hill, so I couldn't do the trip today.  Tomorrow, there will be a major storm going up the coast to hit Albany, so I can't do the trip then.  And Monday, there will be another lake effect event starting in the Tug Hill; it looks like the serious snow will begin in the evening, but if it starts early, it could be a problem.

I'm thinking of getting a hotel around Utica so that I can do the trip tomorrow and come back to Albany after the storm passes, but the storm is expected to clip Utica.  It's not currently forecast to be a problem, there, but if the storm tracks any further west (and it's tracked further west every time the forecast gets updated), it could be.  So, should I book a hotel, and hope the storm doesn't go further west?  Or should I do the trip on Monday, and hope the lake effect holds off until evening?  This is REALLY stressing me out, so any advice anyone can give in the next few hours before I have to make a decision is appreciated.

Heh.  We've got a couch! :D

The weather just sounds terrible all around.  It was supposed to just rain today and we got snow until the afternoon.  Sorry to say it, but I wouldn't trust the weather forecasts as is and, although my car's got good tires on it, it's the other dope on the road you have to worry about.  So, if you trust yourself driving in iffy weather, go for it.  Otherwise, stay home?
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Thing 342

Started the year with the return leg of my trip to Key West via Columbia, Atlanta and Orlando.

Have a trip to Oahu in April and a family reunion in western NC in June. Otherwise, not much additional major travel planned for this year. I think there's space later in the year for perhaps another trip out west, we'll see.

D-Dey65

Quote from: jlam on January 11, 2025, 02:21:52 AMI have a Pacific Coast Highway trip planned this coming spring, immediately after graduation. I will fly in to SNA, take the highway up the California coast, hopefully clinching CA 1. I'll see if I can find some cheap camping spots along the route, or just sleep in the car. Not dealing with coastal California hotels. Once CA 1 ends in Leggett, I'll take US 101 north, staying in Portland for a day or two.
Are you sure you're still going to be able to do that? I imagine after all the wildfires, the Pacific Coast Highway will be closed due to the threat of mudslides.


pderocco

Quote from: D-Dey65 on January 23, 2025, 07:39:14 PM
Quote from: jlam on January 11, 2025, 02:21:52 AMI have a Pacific Coast Highway trip planned this coming spring, immediately after graduation. I will fly in to SNA, take the highway up the California coast, hopefully clinching CA 1. I'll see if I can find some cheap camping spots along the route, or just sleep in the car. Not dealing with coastal California hotels. Once CA 1 ends in Leggett, I'll take US 101 north, staying in Portland for a day or two.
Are you sure you're still going to be able to do that? I imagine after all the wildfires, the Pacific Coast Highway will be closed due to the threat of mudslides.
I think the only place along CA-1 that would be threatened is around the Palisades fire, and by then they'll have the road open because so many people depend on it (including construction vehicles).

I think it's more likely that the Cabrillo Highway through the Lucia area may still be closed.

7/8

So far, the one trip I've planned is skiing in Banff/Lake Louise, AB the first week of March (my first time skiing there). I'll be getting a new airport pairing (YKF-YYC) and some new mileage on TCH 1, so not much in terms of "travel stats", but skiing out west should be fun unless we have bad luck with weather.

Not sure where else I'll go this year. Last year was a quiet travel year since I purchased my first house, but I hope to go on at least one other trip this year. Unfortunately, I don't plan on visiting the US anytime soon based on recent news, but there's lots of other places to explore. This year could be a good opportunity to try out my flight benefits courtesy of my brother (an Air Canada pilot), either standby if I'm with him, or 25% ticket discount.

D-Dey65

Well, I'm going to try for my South Florida Turnpike Rest Area crusade, either late in February, or early in March. This will also include a return trip on I-95 for the southern rest areas there.

Hopefully, some of my other trips will include Brevard County, St. Augustine, the Big Bend, and another Folkston, Georgia excursion. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get the chance to return to the New York Tri-State area.


JayhawkCO

This weekend is going to be my first road trip of the year (as mentioned in the OP).

My wife and I are flying into Sacramento and spending the night at a hotel there. In the morning, we're going to drive up to the Medford area, staying in Jacksonville, and visiting wineries in the Rogue Valley -- source of some of my favorite domestic wines. We're also going to visit the Redwoods and a bit of the northern California/southern Oregon coast. Then we're driving up to Portland on Sunday to fly back home. From a clinching perspective, assuming things go to plan, I'll clinch at a minimum:

6 Counties in California
7 Counties in Oregon
I-5 from Sacramento all the way up to Canada, leaving only the portion from Oceanside to Sacramento to finish it off
I-105
All Oregon interstates
US199
The Oregon/California border which is one of the ones I'm missing
2 New counties "in which I've spent the night" - Yolo, CA and Jackson, OR

JayhawkCO

Quote from: JayhawkCO on February 10, 2025, 05:57:40 PMThis weekend is going to be my first road trip of the year (as mentioned in the OP).

My wife and I are flying into Sacramento and spending the night at a hotel there. In the morning, we're going to drive up to the Medford area, staying in Jacksonville, and visiting wineries in the Rogue Valley -- source of some of my favorite domestic wines. We're also going to visit the Redwoods and a bit of the northern California/southern Oregon coast. Then we're driving up to Portland on Sunday to fly back home. From a clinching perspective, assuming things go to plan, I'll clinch at a minimum:

6 Counties in California
7 Counties in Oregon
I-5 from Sacramento all the way up to Canada, leaving only the portion from Oceanside to Sacramento to finish it off
I-105
All Oregon interstates
US199
The Oregon/California border which is one of the ones I'm missing
2 New counties "in which I've spent the night" - Yolo, CA and Jackson, OR

And of course, the weather gods have decided to fight me on this. I-5 north of Red Bluff has chain restrictions and I can't find a single rental car company at SMF that has an AWD/4WD car with snow rated tires. And I'd still have to buy chains (and return them). So, I switched my flight to Portland for both directions. Maybe I'll see if the wife will let us drive a different way than normal so I'm not just doing I-5 in both directions.



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