Where are you going in 2026?

[Warren Mary Ellen]

On my trips to Yellowstone and Grand Teton I always bring enough clothes to only need to do laundry once. I like doing laundry at Colter Bay. But I actually prefer driving to Signal Mountain for their showers. They are much bigger than Colter Bay and are completely private with a lockable door. I highly recommend them.

I was only at Capital Reef once and that was just to drive there for a day. Fruita looked like a nice campground but it's pretty hard to book from what I understand.

You couldn’t book ahead at Fruita when we went there. My crazy story from that trip was one morning an elderly woman came out of her tent about 8:00 am or so wearing nothing but a negligee. When she went in the bathbathouse, the whole campground was giggling & shaking our heads.

At Bridge Bay, we got to watch the campsite across the road have a fight over a pistol. They were doing Fireball Shots. Two of them were trying to get the revolver away from the third person. No idea if it was loaded, luckily it didn’t fire if it was. I snuck over to the campground host and called for a Ranger.

 

[JohnC]

You couldn’t book ahead at Fruita when we went there. My crazy story from that trip was one morning an elderly woman came out of her tent about 8:00 am or so wearing nothing but a negligee. When she went in the bathbathouse, the whole campground was giggling & shaking our heads.

At Bridge Bay, we got to watch the campsite across the road have a fight over a pistol. They were doing Fireball Shots. Two of them were trying to get the revolver away from the third person. No idea if it was loaded, luckily it didn’t fire if it was. I snuck over to the campground host and called for a Ranger.

I was at Capital Reef in the fall and I just remember they had something going on where you could pick your own apples from trees near the campground if I remember right. They even supplied poles for reaching and snagging the apples. Wish I could remember the story behind that.

Here's a random photo from that trip.

 

[Warren Mary Ellen]

I was at Capital Reef in the fall and I just remember they had something going on where you could pick your own apples from trees near the campground if I remember right. They even supplied poles for reaching and snagging the apples. Wish I could remember the story behind that.

Here's a random photo from that trip.

Apricots were ripe when we there.

Our campsite backed up to the apple orchard. It was June and the deer would be in there in the morning.

 

[dirty6]

John, your images are terrific.

 

[JohnC]

John, your images are terrific.

Thank you! I try. ;-)

 

[JohnC]

I wish I could say something exciting! I'd LIKE to go back to the Badlands and see the progress on Crazy Horse - I hear it is significant. Of course, a stop at the KOA on the foot of Devils Tower this time. Last time we had a class A and it wasn't economical to make that trip. I love my teardrop!

I anticipate a trip to Texas - Thats more work than vacation though, and a trip to the gulf coast probably about the time kids go back to school.

Hey Sweeney, I just realized something. On my trip home from picking up my 560 I spent a day visiting the Badlands which was really nice. I'd like to go back again. I also took a photo of Crazy Horse from the fire lookout in Custer State Park. That's another place I spent a day and really enjoyed it.

Crazy Horse was a looooong way from where I shot this......

Here's a couple from the Badlands...

 

[gregangsten]

We are planning a long trip in the summer from home in L.A. north through Yellowstone then Glacier then Banff etc., working west to Vancouver, then down the coast back to L.A. I reserved some sites around the National Parks but the rest is pretty open ended.

BTW, I liked the way Canada works their reservation system for popular areas like Banff, Lake Louise and such where there is competition for spots in the summer. They had a day last week where at 8 AM they release the sites for reservations throughout the summer. But instead of it being hopeless to get in, as it is for Yosemite, they open up a queue a half hour earlier. Then at the opening they randomly assign places in line to everyone who queued up during that half hour, irrespective of the time they called or signed up. My number was something like 69,560 and the page said "your wait time is likely over one hour." I figured I had no chance but left the page open and had breakfast. When I came back in 45 minutes there was the reservation page open for me and I got a spot at Lake Louise for the days I wanted.

 

[gregangsten]

This morning I booked the Lower Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley for the last week of April.

Good for you! That is the best time to be there, before schools get out and the crowd becomes crazy yet the weather is usually perfect and the waterfalls are bursting.

 

[TheSongDogHouse]

Hey Sweeney, I just realized something. On my trip home from picking up my 560 I spent a day visiting the Badlands which was really nice. I'd like to go back again. I also took a photo of Crazy Horse from the fire lookout in Custer State Park. That's another place I spent a day and really enjoyed it.

Crazy Horse was a looooong way from where I shot this......

Here's a couple from the Badlands...

There is an interesting park and nice campground not far from there:

Wind Cave National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Wind Cave National Park protects two very different worlds - one deep within the earth, the other a sunlit world of many resources. Bison, elk, and other wildlife roam the rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides of one of America's oldest national parks. Below the remnant island of...

www.nps.gov

 

[JohnC]

Good for you! That is the best time to be there, before schools get out and the crowd becomes crazy yet the weather is usually perfect and the waterfalls are bursting.

Just an FYI, I've booked Yosemite Valley campgrounds for the spring for the last 10 years in row. It's true, Yosemite is not an easy place to book but it's doable if you're willing to put time into the effort. Don't expect to log in that morning for the first time. There are some tips and tricks but you also have to be very comfortable with the online system and how it works. You also need to not be too picky about your exact site and you need to do a lot of research ahead of time regarding the campground(s) you may want to book.

OTOH, I can't believe how easy it is to book Grand Teton and Yellowstone if you book early. At least if going in spring or fall.

 

[JohnC]

There is an interesting park and nice campground not far from there:

Wind Cave National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Wind Cave National Park protects two very different worlds - one deep within the earth, the other a sunlit world of many resources. Bison, elk, and other wildlife roam the rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides of one of America's oldest national parks. Below the remnant island of...

www.nps.gov

Yeah. I actually spent 5 nites in a KOA in Rapid City. I had to wing it coming home since I couldn't know ahead of time exactly when I would get the trailer and when I would be where. As it turned out that was a serendipitous choice. Staying in one place and driving a hub and spoke route each day was far better than moving the trailer daily from park to park. I spent a day in Custer State park, a day at Mt Rushmore, two trips to the Badlands, and one day I rested and went to Walmart in town to buy a coffee maker. Didn't have time to see anything else but did look into Wind Cave.

 

[Jenn]

I've been thinking about this. Thank you for the nudge. Now I'm realllly going to be thinking about it.
Early May I'm going into California via I80...visit family and then noodle north to WA. There is a road that goes up eastern CA, I think it's 385?. I've never been up that road to get north but need to look up and see what camping opportunities are.
Once I get to my camp on whidbey island I tend to not leave. There is so much to do there that mostly involves sitting around watching the animals and birds and trees and oceans that I never want to leave. There are 3 state parks to roam around, beaches to walk, ferries to ride that I dont roam farther than that.
I was thinking about getting over to the Olympic peninsula in September or October.

California, (Sacto) is my home state. We camped in the redwoods and along the coast and at Lake Tahoe. Beautiful areas! My destination in May is Auburn, which is right off I80 and I'm coming from Wisconsin so 80 is the best route to get there. The drive up I5 is familiar and easy but I've never been up 395. From the map it.looks like back tracking. Its kind of a just get to the intersection and make a decision kind of thing. To many moving parts right now.
Thanks! I love your photos.

 

[dirty6]

To the original question - we are looking at a couple week’s worth of trip this summer but are kind of stalled on what to do and where to go. I think we will try to start at Oshkosh camping during the airshow … then north to the UP or north and west to northern MN? I would like to cross the border from MN into ND even if its only for an order of french fries; ND is the only state that isn’t colored in on my map.

 

[Carl U]

And that’s about as Far as you can Go !!!!

Sorry couldn’t help myself…. Fargo ND



We are planning a middle TN waterfalls trip for a week

 

[TheSongDogHouse]

To the original question - we are looking at a couple week’s worth of trip this summer but are kind of stalled on what to do and where to go. I think we will try to start at Oshkosh camping during the airshow … then north to the UP or north and west to northern MN? I would like to cross the border from MN into ND even if its only for an order of french fries; ND is the only state that isn’t colored in on my map.

Always meant to canoe the Boundary Waters. Some good guide outfits up there make it easy. Catch and eat some walleye or buy it frozen and some local harvested wild rice.

Boundary Waters Guide Service | Guided BWCA Trips | Ely, MN

Fully outfitted and guided Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) & Quetico canoe trips in Ely, Minnesota with knowledgeable, fun canoe guides.

elyoutfittingcompany.com

From there go west to the Geo Center of NA,
Get the decal for the CI bragging rights...

Home | Rugby Chamber of Commerce

The Rugby Chamber of Commerce, Inc. dba/Greater Rugby Area Chamber of Commerce, is organized for the purpose of advancing the economic, industrial, agricultural, professional, cultural, social and civic welfare

rugbynorthdakota.com

Or go to "Far North of Normal" And camp on the river

Campground | Fargo Parks

www.fargoparks.com

Check out the plains history and mock town museums at

HOME | Bonanzaville

www.bonanzaville.org

(There is a campground there but its pretty bland, all dust and asphalt but a cheap date for overnight)

Then see the Viking Ship back across the river on your way back east..

The Hjemkomst

The Hjemkomst

www.hcscconline.org

Here is what Brave's AI says about fries:
Scotty’s Drive-In in Bismarck is frequently cited as a top contender for the best French fries in North Dakota, known for its long-cut, golden, crispy fries with a soft interior. The restaurant offers a variety of loaded options like cheese fries, bacon ranch fries, chili cheese fries, and poutine.

Other notable mentions across the state include:
- Grand Junction – famous for thin, crispy, and we…

Best fries in nd

JL Beers has good burgers too

See If You Agree Who Has The Best French Fries In North Dakota

One Of The Great Debates Out There

965thewalleye.com