Bucket List Destinations ?

[Artemus Gordon]

This post is not about getting sympathy friends, it's about getting repreive to get some things on the old bucket list checked off! I was diagnosed with rare autoimmune disorder that's been at the root cause of heath issues last few years. Recently I was sent to Stanford and a diagnosis of advanced Sarcoidosis was made. It's infiltrated my lungs/ heart and caused many other issues. At 57, I figured I had years to do this..and perhaps I do? No cure, but treatment will give me sometime to see a few more RV destinations. We will head out in February and I need some destinations to add to our lists. Places where I can see the sites without walking far or appear handicapped friendly. We have reservations to see Zion and other Utah parks. I also want to go to the fall rally and meet people, if at all possible. I have gotten to know so many here and relyed on the MOC. Our plans to buy another rig are on hold. Our 3750 is like new and will be just fine. So on happy note! Any suggestions to add to my trip. We go to Cape May NJ each year so anywhere in US works if it's accessible. Unique RV Parks etc. Thanks to everyone! Please know my wife and I will fight this as far as it takes, we are fighters and are extremely positive!

[JandC]

Michael, sorry to read about your health issues. I can't really suggest any U.S. places to visit for your bucket list. Some of the most scenic I have ever witnessed was in your own home state. Most of Utah would be great, and then of course about the most breathtaking around is Alaska IMHO, but you would want to fly to see all that up there.

Keep up the fight my friend and keep your friends on the MOC up to date. Best thoughts....

[mjammersc]

First good luck with your treatments and days ahead - I pray may they be many.

I would recommend you put the upper peninsula of Michigan on your list. Areas such as porcupine mountains, pictured rocks, tahquamenon falls, ,,Mackinaw island, copper Barbour, and tons of lighthouses, make this a great option for a few week trip. Add it on before or after the rally next year.

[twindman]

If you haven't been to Yellowstone, do it! A lot of the various view sites are pretty level walkways or you can see some from the car. Also, a lot of animals from the car - Buffalo, bear if lucky, elk everywhere. And of course geysers everywhere.

[DQDick]

Sorry to hear of your diagnosis. Hope their wrong and things improve. If you do get to the fall Rally, best before, but before or after go to the UP of Michigan.

[John Neeley]

Something we found this past summer, even though it is not a RV destination or park, is the Evergreen Aeronautical/Space Museum in McMinnville, OR. Giant parking lot to park your rig and even stay the night if you want. We found it by accident on our way home from the Oregon coast, and it was most enjoyable to visit and see vintage aircraft, including the Spruce Goose and space vehicles.

[JABURKHOLDER]

Not necessarily a scenic stop but a nice diversion would be the GM Cadillac and Corvette assembly plant and the Corvette Museum. Both in Bowling Green KY and a KOA is right down the road.

Niagara falls at night.

A view of Las Vegas at night from the desert with the Luxor light shooting skyward.

Florida's space coast. Also drive on Daytona beach.

[mjammersc]

For another Air & Space option if you like that, go to the Pensacola Naval Air Station and time it for when they Blue Angels are practicing. The practice sessions are free and there is a great museum on base that if free as well. We stayed at Fort Pickens Campground on the barrier island which is a nice and low cost national park. Fort Pickens is an interesting visit as well as it is a large coastal fort that you can tour most of and would be fairly accessible.

If you hit the Corvette museum, check into the accessibility of Mammoth Cave as I believe a couple of the tours are moderately accessible depending on your abilities/limitations. Also look into Cumberland Falls if you are in that area.

[bigskyjimmy]

I have a Auto Immune Disease as well and your Age and that is why I retired Early and Hit the Road Jack! and so far our Favorite places are Southern Utah for sure,The Badlands SD,and We just love the Southern Oregon Coast(which I am sure you have been many times) and SOOOO many places in between and would love to do the New England Area and Florida Etc..,My Favorite saying has always been "get busy Living or get Busy Dying" so hit the Road Jack and get busy Living my man

[padredw]

Michael,

Your plans for the Utah parks are a good example of what seems to work best for me: pick out an area and spend some time really enjoying and getting to know that part of the world. So I will just give some examples of some possibilities like that. Some of them you may have already made, but you can just pass those by.

1. Southwestern Colorado (This could also extend over to Arches if you want to include that here) I’ll start up at Buena Vista in the Arkansas Valley at the foot of the Collegiate Peaks of the Rockies. Rafting on the Arkansas is big time here in the summer. You can drive up to Leadville or even Breckenridge for visits while using BV as a base. This is also the best way to visit Aspen—leave the RV and take the toad over Independence Pass.

You can drive over Cottonwood Pass through the beautiful Taylor River basin over to Crested Butte. Wildflowers are magnificent in the Summer. Or you could move base over to Gunnison—or even Crested Butte. There is a new RV park right at Crested Butte, pretty expensive and NO sewer disposal. You have to leave camp to find a dump, but one of the best views in the country. I hope to go back there again. Gunnison has many choices for RV parks: Tall Texan, KOA, Mesa, etc. You can drive out to Blue Mesa Lake and over to Lake City. You can also drive out to Black Canyon of the Gunnison. There is fishing, river running, and hiking all around Gunnison.

Next stop could be Ouray. Easy drive (no passes) down US 50 to Montrose and on to Ouray on US 550. Ouray is called the “Little Switzerland” of America. Jeep touring is big here. There is a big state park, Ridgeway, with several choices of campgrounds. Beautiful wildflowers up toward Yankee Boy Basin.

You have two good choices from Ouray. Most direct is the “Million Dollar Highway” (US 550 South) which goes over several high passes to Silverton and then on into Durango. We towed our 34’ fifth wheel over that magnificent highway for the first time in September. To change the expression of the fellow who said, “I wouldn’t go over that road again for a million dollars,” I would say instead, “It was worth a million dollars to have such views.” We thoroughly enjoyed the drive. Even my wife who had been apprehensive about doing it for years. (we had driven over it many times in our automobile.) Many choices of campgrounds in Durango and there is a major item for your bucket list if you have not already checked it off: the narrow gauge train ride up to Silverton. Most of us agree that it’s better to take the bus ride back to Durango for variety and to avoid boredom. On our last visit to the area we stayed about 30 miles out at Vallecito Lake at the Blue Spruce RV Campground, which is at the “end of the road” at the trailhead that leads up to the Continental Divide. We hiked those trails in our backpacking days and younger years. Blue Spruce is the kind of place just to enjoy the mountains.

The other choice from Ouray is to drive by Telluride over to Cortez and Mesa Verde. A one or two night stay will allow a visit to Mesa Verde and then you could drive on US 160 east to Durango. The drive is not quite as exciting as the Million Dollar highway but still a great mountain drive. You could visit Telluride or, as I do, pass on by.

To complete a loop, from Durango you could stay on US 160 to Pagosa Springs and over Wolf Creek Pass—one of the major passes of Colorado, but with a very good (and much improved) highway. Pagosa Springs could be worth a visit. Though we have never stayed there on our many trips though. Over Wolf Creek Pass you come to South Fork and from there a highway up to Creede which has one of the outstanding repertoire theaters of the nation. Also some really nice RV parks. You can continue on that same highway over to Lake City. An easy drive except for the road down from Slumgullion Pass into Lake City. I must confess, that is on my next “to do” list. I have driven it many times in a car but have never chosen to tow over it. Park of that was that we always had other good choices of routes, but I still hope to do it before I am 100 years old.

From Lake City you have a direct drive back up to Gunnison, which is a good place for me to end this focus on Southwestern Colorado.

I thought when I began this “note” that I would include: North East Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Florida, each as separate focus areas.

ONE DOWN AND AT LEAST FIVE MORE TO GO!

David (also known as Padredw)

[PackerFan]

So sorry to hear of your diagnoses! You will be in our thoughts and prayers for strength!

Go see Yellowstone National Park, Mesa Verde National Monument in Colorado. We finally made the Fall National MOC Rally this year and it was GREAT! Try to make it there next year!

[stengels]

Sorry to hear of the diagnosis. Prayers your way!! I think that Pensacola Beach is absolutely gorgeous, and I would go to the north shore of Lake Superior. Some nice RV parks between Lutsen and Grand Marias. Superior is incredible!!

[jlb27537]

I had cancer in '07. Not knowing if it was handled, we decided we would do 3 states in '08. Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Our only plan was when we left a area was to "turn left".

The best trip yet and we fulltimed for almost 10 years. This summer something on our bucket list is to visit a town called Two Dot, Montana. A bit of history to the town, thus it's name.

A good trip would be to the Gunnison, Co. area. A loop trip has been described by a earlier poster. We spend time in Gunnison @ Palisades Senior Park. Plan on doing the dirt roads and spend 2-3 months in the area just to start.

Prayers for a great recovery.

Jim

[mlh]

Best wishes half of the cases of Sarcoidosis go away on their own. Hope yours does to. In the east see the Blue Ridge parkway. I think it's the prettiest place in the east. You can take your camper stop when you wont and there is no walking, all looking. There are several CC on the parkway. Campers are welcome.
Lynwood
And if you need to take a break, we have a nice little farm you can kick back on for as long as you wish.

[sambam]

Best wishes for your battle ahead. There has always been an air of positivity (is that a word?) in your posts. I'm sure it will help you as you work through this. I would suggest adding the New England region to your list, if you can get up this way. The Maine coast, with its rocks and lighthouses is something everyone should see. Vermont and New Hampshire, with their mountain regions and fall colors is also a must-see. If history is of interest, you'll find plenty of it in the Northeast, particularly in Boston and the surrounding area and, what the heck, may as well visit Plymouth and Cape Cod while you're here. There is an endless list of destinations in this area that don't take a great deal of time driving in-between. Hope you decide to add New England to your list and if you do, PM me and I can help you with campground info. All the best. You're in our prayers.

[Bigsky3625RE]

Oh so sorry to hear. Prayers for you! Banff has to be on that list. Was on ours and want to go back again.

Stayed at tunnel mountain park. Just be careful as there have been wolves in the campground.

The scenery is incredible.

[Artemus Gordon]

Great ideas from everyone. Thank you all for thoughts and prayers. Someone mentioned Sarcoidosis can go away. Evidently it has many times over the years, but stage 4 puts me with lots of permanent damage. I am in clinical trials and plan to stick around as long as I can! Been offered Heart Lung transplant, but my position is only if it does not take away an opportunity from a younger person with a better long term outcome. Sometimes you got to be realistic and lil pragmatic! The lung damage is what can't be fixed in my case. The ideas for travel are great, the spruce goose is not that far and never thought of it. Thanks everyone and appreciate your thoughts. I plan to hang out here more. RVinghas been best thing we ever done in 37 years of marriage ! Thanks friends!

[Art-n-Marge]

Sorry to hear of your prognosis. All I can add is to add Bryce Canyon to your travels. It is a short trip from Zion and so different it will be worth the stop. As others have mentioned go to Yellowstone. It is worth all the hoopla, and if possible at all, taking a long trip to and through Alaska is quite majestic.

Best of luck to you!

[Artemus Gordon]

quote:Originally posted by mlh

Best wishes half of the cases of Sarcoidosis go away on their own. Hope yours does to. In the east see the Blue Ridge parkway. I think it's the prettiest place in the east. You can take your camper stop when you wont and there is no walking, all looking. There are several CC on the parkway. Campers are welcome.
Lynwood
And if you need to take a break, we have a nice little farm you can kick back on for as long as you wish.

Thank you!!

[CORattler]

quote:Originally posted by padredw

Michael,

Your plans for the Utah parks are a good example of what seems to work best for me: pick out an area and spend some time really enjoying and getting to know that part of the world. So I will just give some examples of some possibilities like that. Some of them you may have already made, but you can just pass those by.

1. Southwestern Colorado (This could also extend over to Arches if you want to include that here) I’ll start up at Buena Vista in the Arkansas Valley at the foot of the Collegiate Peaks of the Rockies. Rafting on the Arkansas is big time here in the summer. You can drive up to Leadville or even Breckenridge for visits while using BV as a base. This is also the best way to visit Aspen—leave the RV and take the toad over Independence Pass.

You can drive over Cottonwood Pass through the beautiful Taylor River basin over to Crested Butte. Wildflowers are magnificent in the Summer. Or you could move base over to Gunnison—or even Crested Butte. There is a new RV park right at Crested Butte, pretty expensive and NO sewer disposal. You have to leave camp to find a dump, but one of the best views in the country. I hope to go back there again. Gunnison has many choices for RV parks: Tall Texan, KOA, Mesa, etc. You can drive out to Blue Mesa Lake and over to Lake City. You can also drive out to Black Canyon of the Gunnison. There is fishing, river running, and hiking all around Gunnison.

Next stop could be Ouray. Easy drive (no passes) down US 50 to Montrose and on to Ouray on US 550. Ouray is called the “Little Switzerland” of America. Jeep touring is big here. There is a big state park, Ridgeway, with several choices of campgrounds. Beautiful wildflowers up toward Yankee Boy Basin.

You have two good choices from Ouray. Most direct is the “Million Dollar Highway” (US 550 South) which goes over several high passes to Silverton and then on into Durango. We towed our 34’ fifth wheel over that magnificent highway for the first time in September. To change the expression of the fellow who said, “I wouldn’t go over that road again for a million dollars,” I would say instead, “It was worth a million dollars to have such views.” We thoroughly enjoyed the drive. Even my wife who had been apprehensive about doing it for years. (we had driven over it many times in our automobile.) Many choices of campgrounds in Durango and there is a major item for your bucket list if you have not already checked it off: the narrow gauge train ride up to Silverton. Most of us agree that it’s better to take the bus ride back to Durango for variety and to avoid boredom. On our last visit to the area we stayed about 30 miles out at Vallecito Lake at the Blue Spruce RV Campground, which is at the “end of the road” at the trailhead that leads up to the Continental Divide. We hiked those trails in our backpacking days and younger years. Blue Spruce is the kind of place just to enjoy the mountains.

The other choice from Ouray is to drive by Telluride over to Cortez and Mesa Verde. A one or two night stay will allow a visit to Mesa Verde and then you could drive on US 160 east to Durango. The drive is not quite as exciting as the Million Dollar highway but still a great mountain drive. You could visit Telluride or, as I do, pass on by.

To complete a loop, from Durango you could stay on US 160 to Pagosa Springs and over Wolf Creek Pass—one of the major passes of Colorado, but with a very good (and much improved) highway. Pagosa Springs could be worth a visit. Though we have never stayed there on our many trips though. Over Wolf Creek Pass you come to South Fork and from there a highway up to Creede which has one of the outstanding repertoire theaters of the nation. Also some really nice RV parks. You can continue on that same highway over to Lake City. An easy drive except for the road down from Slumgullion Pass into Lake City. I must confess, that is on my next “to do” list. I have driven it many times in a car but have never chosen to tow over it. Park of that was that we always had other good choices of routes, but I still hope to do it before I am 100 years old.

From Lake City you have a direct drive back up to Gunnison, which is a good place for me to end this focus on Southwestern Colorado.

I thought when I began this “note” that I would include: North East Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Florida, each as separate focus areas.

ONE DOWN AND AT LEAST FIVE MORE TO GO!

David (also known as Padredw)

I agree with your recommendations regarding SW Colorado EXCEPT for pulling the rig over US 550 South. Maybe you are just braver than I am.
We stay at Blue Spruce near Vallecito every year and it's a great mountain RV park.
Live life large Michael and good fortune and luck to you.