Posts by Lapinous

Then it's one of the most beautiful slot canyons in the West (much better than the ones mentioned above) and most tourists only go once...

Well, to each their own...

For Antelope Canyon, a few years ago a great tip was to go up its mouth from Lake Powell by renting a canoe at the marina, then continue on foot to the privatized part of Lower Canyon—without entering, of course—but still getting a nice view. With the lake level fluctuations lately, I’m not sure if that’s still doable?

We stayed with them in July 2024—their house is amazing. For a future trip to Colorado, I’ve got some other *great* spots, like Crested Butte, Pagosa Springs, or Estes Park near Rocky Mountain National Park. You could return to this state ten times and still discover new places every time. And if you add the plateaus of neighboring Utah, a lifetime wouldn’t be enough.

A minivan won’t let you venture onto some of the trails around Moab. I’d recommend checking out the Needles district in Canyonlands National Park—it’s a bit of a drive, but the landscapes are fantastic and way less crowded than Arches or Island in the Sky. If you head out at dawn to beat the heat, the Chesler Park hike is especially beautiful.

You can also head up into the La Sal Mountains above Moab (or Bear Ears further south) to escape the heat, but you’ll end up in pine forests, which isn’t really the red-rock vibe you’re after in Utah.

A few other random thoughts: - As a free alternative to Alltrails (mentioned earlier) for offline maps, there’s the excellent app Maps.me - We tried Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the summer without reservations, relying on first-come, first-served camping—we wouldn’t do it again. You’ll usually snag a spot each day, but you’ll waste 2–3 hours every morning lining up by 6 a.m. at the campground entrance waiting for departures. After a few days, we preferred camping outside the park in bivouac mode, in the surrounding forests

Durango is a real city... so it’ll have the perks too, like a lively downtown, shops, etc.

Ridgway is a tiny village, and it reminds me of a great exchange we had there (Kyle & Nicole) when we occasionally used the HE network. It’s true that minimum stays are sometimes mentioned, but in the U.S., that’s often due to cleaning company constraints. If you talk to the hosts and offer to handle the cleaning yourselves, you can usually work something out for shorter stays.

Silverton is a bit bigger than Ridgway, and Ouray is even larger and more touristy, especially with the big hot springs in town. If you’re choosing between the three for that Wild West vibe: Silverton—unless you’re hiking to Island Lake for the day, which would let you stop by. Just take summer thunderstorms in the San Juans *very* seriously. Always check the weather and start your hikes as early as possible. From that perspective, a visit to Mesa Verde is definitely less risky.

Northern California is truly extraordinary—endless pine forests (Plumas, Shasta, Modoc...) and very, very sparsely populated. Unfortunately, it’s been burning everywhere the past few summers. If you’re not heading all the way to the redwoods on the coast, I imagine you’ve already been there—it’s also pretty magical.

We didn’t *love* Lassen NP, so I’m not the best person to ask. We were pretty disappointed by the geothermal features. In the end, we preferred the surrounding areas: Lake Almanor, Quincy, and the Plumas National Forest. Oh, and if you’re into that sort of thing, there’s a little gem—a brewery right in the middle of the forest in Blairsden: The Brewing Lair.

Lake Tahoe... yeah, it’s super touristy, but the coves are beautiful. On the way south, there are Grover Hot Springs if you want a possible stop.

There are quite a few points of interest east of Yosemite NP—Bodie, Lundy Canyon, Mono Lake... and if you push a little further toward the Nevada border, there’s another almost ghost town: Benton Hot Springs. It even has some pretty unique hot springs at the campground, with each site having its own private pool.

Dang, it took us four one-month trips to do this same route, but I get the constraints! First thoughts off the top of my head: - If you don’t have a campsite at Bryce Canyon, there are awesome spots for wild camping (totally legal and in amazing settings) nearby—either west toward Losee Canyon (where there are some great short hikes like Arches Trail) or east at the start of Cottonwood Canyon Road. There’s also Kodachrome Basin State Park as an option; the camping is great (from what I remember, half reservable, half first-come, first-served). - Going from Durango to Glenwood Springs in one day is such a shame—this stretch is a trip in itself with the San Juans, Gunnison, and the Colorado mountains. Plus, Glenwood Springs is kinda ugly with the highway right through the middle. Silverton, Ouray, and Ridgway are these super charming little towns with a great Wild West vibe—perfect for staying a few days. But if you just need a road-trip break, I’d suggest a detour to Black Canyon of the Gunnison instead. - Durango has a lot going on around it, but everything’s about an hour’s drive away: Island Lake (the flagship hike of the San Juans, but you’ll need to head up to Silverton), Mesa Verde (more for the archaeological sites than the scenery, and you’ll need to book the main NP tours in advance), Pagosa Springs for floating down the San Juan River or checking out the hot springs all over the place. - Moab’s a whole other story—so much to do, and it really depends on your vehicle. Just know it’s gonna be scorching, and this might be the spot to think about rafting (the Colorado River’s pretty tame around here) to cool off a bit.

Generally speaking, the Yukon and Alaska remain a fabulous memory. You probably need a certain affinity for wide-open spaces and isolation, but for us, it had been magical—especially since the end of summer 2019 had enjoyed exceptional weather...

If I had to pick just a few spots:

Tombstone Park in the Yukon, which flirts with the Arctic tundra Denali Park for the wildlife and landscapes, but beware—it’s overcrowded in the middle of summer. Also, due to a landslide, there’s ongoing work on the road that goes deep into the valley. I’m not sure what the current status is or what remains accessible The Kenai Fjords by boat, where you can spot whales, orcas, otters... in a majestic setting Valdez during the coho salmon run (late August to early September), with bears, eagles, and sea lions everywhere... and it also coincides with the start of fall colors. I’d add a small caveat for other times of the year—it’s still an industrial port with the pretty ugly oil terminal Kluane in the Yukon—I think it could be a fantastic playground for hiking with a tent. Otherwise, it’s hard to access anything beyond the park’s periphery, but we loved the wild feel and the high mountains, a bit like Wrangell Park in Alaska, where it’s also tough to venture deep Haines in the Alaska Panhandle was a huge highlight—the village nestled among fjords, mountain hikes, and grizzlies in large numbers along the Chilkoot River Further south, as we descended through British Columbia via the Cassiar, reaching Salmon Glacier in an RV was an adventure, but it remains one of our most extraordinary campsites to this day

As for cities, we really liked Whitehorse in the Yukon. Fairbanks and Anchorage, not so much—whether for the setting, the vibe, or the tranquility

Hello, We left Montreal in our RV in the summer of 2019, crossed Canada in a few weeks, and arrived in the Yukon around mid-August. We stayed there and in Alaska for about a month (before gradually heading south through British Columbia and then the western United States).

For anyone who loves wide-open spaces and wildlife, Alaska is an incredible destination. The Yukon, which is less traveled, makes the feeling of isolation even stronger.

In an RV, van, or converted 4x4, it’s paradise—the possibilities for wild camping are endless, and the scenery is extraordinary. By late summer, we didn’t have any issues with mosquitoes, but they can be a problem earlier in the season.

Our travel journals:

From Montreal to the Northern Rockies

Yukon & Alaska

From British Columbia to Oregon

there are bus lines that work very well too.

I think he’d want to take his vehicle... but the playground will be limited to Costa Rica and Panama, not sure the idea is cost-effective.

No ferry or Ro-Ro service, but in practice you can ship a vehicle in a container or on an open flatbed between pretty much any ports—it’s just a matter of money and time. We did it between Puerto Limón in Costa Rica and Tampa, Florida, but it should be possible between Veracruz in Mexico and Puerto Limón too.

That said, the administrative steps for such transport are even worse than the customs procedures you’d face driving from Mexico to Costa Rica (nothing truly complicated each time if you’ve researched the steps beforehand, but invariably long and draining). We traveled Mexico > Belize > Guatemala > Honduras > Nicaragua > Costa Rica, and the only security-related issues we had were in Mexico. I won’t downplay it, though—a bit of common sense is key, and we had a child with us. On a few occasions, that actually helped us avoid trouble, especially with the not-so-honest police in those countries...

I just discovered this wonderful travel journal—I love it even more because we took a very similar route just a few months ago, and I’m recognizing so many spots, though not at all with the same colors! Take Kebler Pass, for example:



We’re also regulars on U.S. road trips, big into nature and hiking, but strangely, we’d never set foot in Colorado before.

Combined with about ten days in a kitted-out Jeep to get lost in the plateaus along the river in neighboring Utah—an area we’d already explored quite a bit (in 2019, actually!) but this time we took it even further—it made for a pretty awesome trip for us too, from late June to late July last summer. No fall colors, but with wildflower fields in the Colorado mountains, snow on the peaks (and scorching heat in Utah)...



I can add quite a bit about Crested Butte, where we spent a week tackling some serious hikes, as well as the San Juan Mountains. I could also go into more detail about Canyonlands and the White Rim adventure, even though I think there are already some great tips about that trail on the forum. Plus, I could share some insights on the lesser-known Bear Ears area near the Needles. But I’m not sure how to go about it—should I start a new journal or add to yours?

Before we owned our own vehicle, we rented twice in Seattle:

- At Apollo, the RV was new and well-equipped, but the agency financially ruined us upon return over a scratch—clearly exaggerated charges.

- At Cruise America, the models are indeed a bit older (but never more than 3-4 years), minimal in terms of equipment but fully functional and... cheaper. It’s more of a factory setup, so briefings are rushed—sometimes just a video—which can be confusing if it’s your first time driving such a vehicle.

Make sure to check the location of the depots, as they’re often on the outskirts. In Seattle’s case, Apollo is in Tacoma, close to the airport, while Cruise America is in Everett—basically on the opposite side of Seattle, over an hour’s drive away, and a solid $150 taxi ride from the airport...

Both times, we went through a French broker, Camping-Car Online, which simplifies communication and isn’t more expensive than booking directly with the rental company since they have wholesale rates. Another potential perk is paying in euros to avoid bank fees on dollar transactions.

For July-August, book *way* in advance. The same goes for campings in national parks.

Indeed, Jasper National Park and the town of Jasper were devastated last July. This will likely concentrate even more visitors in Banff National Park, which was already overcrowded in the summer, and Yoho, which is very small. Unfortunately, I’d advise against this part of the Canadian Rockies for the next few summers... There are alternative parks in the region like Mount Robson, Wells Gray, and Kootenays, but they’re not quite at the same level. Further north, the Northern Rockies are extraordinary—already the beginnings of the Far North—but it’ll be too far from Seattle. The Okanagan lakes are pretty, but far from deserted, especially in July-August. It’s actually super touristy... and scorching hot in the summer.

Vancouver Island is worth spending time on, without a minute-by-minute schedule to stay flexible due to unpredictable weather (same goes for Olympic). The landscapes are varied, from the mountainous interior to hikes near Port Alberni, the wild West Coast facing the Pacific, the gentler East Coast, Victoria which is pretty nice, the surfer vibe in Tofino, Pacific Rim and its rainforests (though this might overlap with Olympic, where they’re a bit more spectacular in my opinion), and the more isolated north of the island (which we don’t know well).

We’ve explored the area quite a bit (at least three trips of several weeks each in the NW USA and British Columbia) and I’m not sure what to recommend—we’re kind of addicted to Oregon in this region. With doubts about the Canadian Rockies, I’d do a sort of figure-8 around Seattle: a first loop north to Olympic - Vancouver Island - Vancouver, and a second loop south along the Oregon coast and into the Cascades (Mount Rainier, St. Helens, Hood... maybe even as far as Smith Rock and the high desert for a completely different vibe—Bend is a really cool city in the summer). For the record, the North Cascades aren’t the most mind-blowing part of the range...

Just a heads-up—Hurricanes Helene and Milton in late September and early October really messed up the Florida Gulf Coast... It’ll be worth checking on repairs by next spring, but two months later, most of the beachside state parks are still closed: Caladesi Island, Honeymoon Island... plus beach access points (like Fort Island in Crystal River). Treasure Island also took a lot of damage.

Le choix du véhicule dépend de trop de paramètres propres à chaque famille pour qu'il y ait effectivement une solution universelle. Ce ne sera de toutes façons qu'une addition de compromis suivant l'importance que chacun peut donner à tel ou tel critère.

D'un point de vue compatibilité du véhicule avec l'état général des routes, il faudrait presque avoir un CC nord-américain au Canada et aux Etats-Unis, un CC européen au Mexique, et un 4x4 aménagé en Amérique Centrale.

Mais je retiens un point de notre propre voyage, c'est le nombre de familles croisées avec des camping-cars européens en grosse galère pour un problème mécanique généralement assez bénin, pompe à essence défaillante, jante brisée, pare-brise fissuré... des pépins qui se règlent dans la journée en Europe mais se transforment en immobilisation de plusieurs semaines sur le continent nord-américain, faute de pièces connues, de l'obligation de commander à distance avec un dédouanement souvent interminable, et de la difficulté de trouver un garagiste acceptant de bosser sur un véhicule qu'il ne maîtrise absolument pas. Résultat : souvent beaucoup de temps perdu dans des coins où il aurait peut-être été davantage mis à profit ailleurs...

C'est un peu moins vrai au Mexique et surtout en Amérique Centrale ou le système D est la norme, et où n'importe quel bricoleur débrouillard "fera quelque chose avec les moyens du bord", qui tiendra provisoirement... ou très provisoirement !