As a road warrior, travel has always been a built-in requirement of my work. I’ve been lucky to couple travel with side trips to see family and friends as well as opportunities to see new places.
I’m sharing many of those wonderful travel experiences here and hope you find some inspiration for your future plans.
Find places you might like to learn more about visiting by state.
I’m also thrilled to share great resources that I use and hope you enjoy too.
Ioverlander, for instance, provides a ton of resources for travelers anywhere in the world, including Wild Camping, that are free to the RV traveler. Find hotels, restaurants, attractions and shopping or gas stations, mechanics and campgrounds. We found a lot of boat ramps that might provide a lovely view.
I’m sharing a list of U.S. museums, broken down by state. I’ll go to museums for art, transportation, science or history anywhere. Docents are some of my favorite people in the world. They are smart and passionate, interesting people.
Traveling by RV is a great way to see the U.S. I’ve done it in a 4×4 pickup with a “slide-in” camper, meaning more off-road driving, while a fifth-wheel affords more comfort.
Often, RV travelers need a place to stay overnight while they are traveling to the next destination. Self-contained rigs may prefer to save camping fees and look for a stop that’s free. Rest areas can be crowded and noisy with truck engines running or bright lights. So it’s nice to know that Cabelas, Camping World, Cracker Barrel and many Walmarts permit overnight stays. It’s important to check in with managers; sometimes they’ll designate a certain part of their lots.
Harvest Hosts provides a list of 2000+ farms, wineries, distilleries and more that allow you to stay overnight for free, asking that you might buy something from their shops. There is an annual fee to join, up to $100. If you are interested, I can get you a 15% discount. I’m a new member and excited to check out some neat places I wouldn’t normally get to see.
- Surprising Death Valley
Visit surprising Death Valley to hike, relax, photograph and see amazing sites, including incredible Western art. - Remembering Sandra Day O’Connor: A Little Trivia
Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Museum holds a surprising, special treasure from the Supreme Court Justice - Gray Whale Attraction in Port Townsend, WA
The skeleton of a gray whale is a new display in the downtown Victorian seaport of Port Townsend, WA. - Exploring Architectural Marvels on a Southwest Road Trip: Henry Trost’s Mission Revival Hotels
Embark on a captivating journey through the American Southwest, unveiling the architectural wonders of Henry Trost’s Mission Revival hotels. Explore the rich history and unique charm of these gems along your road trip adventure. - One of a Kind Car
St. Louis’ National Transportation Museum displays planes, trains, and classic cars, including Bobby Darin’s Dream Car, a one-off diamond-encrusted DiDia. - America’s Love for Cars: Alive in Seattle at LeMay Museums
The LeMay Museums in Seattle house over 3000 classic cars, with the bulk of the collection at The LeMay Collections at Marymount. Visitors can spend hours exploring the displays of cars stored three stories high, and see a 1914 Detroit Electric Princess Coupe designed for women drivers with voluminous skirts and hats. The LeMay Annual Car Show, a free event taking place in August, is a must-attend. - Three Tucson Museums: Air & Space, Mining
Three gems among Tucson museums offer indoor and outdoor exhibits great for families. - Ghost Town, Mine Tour, and Museum
Visit Castle Dome Mine, Museum, and Ghost Town for preserved Old West town and tours - Road Less Traveled: Columbus, New Mexico
Enjoy birding, hiking, biking, dining, and interesting stories from history in US-Mexico border towns in Road Less Traveled: Columbus, New Mexico. - Surprises Abound in What Seems Like a Rural Route 66 Town
Not quite half-way between Los Angeles and Vegas, Barstow, CA, is known for having one of the busiest McDonald’s restaurants in the country. Turns out there are several other great reasons to make Barstow a destination, instead of stop along the way. - Fort Pickens National Seashore Offers a Stunning Getaway
Fort Pickens National Seashore is a terrific getaway to relax, camp, walk, bike, view wildlife and explore marshlands or fort ruins. - Best Beach Walks: Dungeness Spit on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula
Out on the Olympic Peninsula, north of the Olympic National Park, hike to the New Dungeness Lighthouse in the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. It’s an easy 5-mile walk on a sandy beach spit with views of the Olympic Mountains, the San Juan Islands and Canada. - Surprising Yuma, AZ
Surprising Yuma, AZ: If you think, like I did, that Yuma would be pure, dry desert, you’d be wrong. So wrong. - Visiting the Olympic National Park
Planning a trip to the Pacific Northwest? Set aside time to get out to the spectacular Olympic National Park. Out on the Olympic Peninsula, it’s a remote getaway, home to the nation’s only rainforests and snow-capped mountains nearly 8000’ high. - Visit Mission San Miguel Arcangel
Stop at beautiful, historic Mission San Miguel Arcangel north of Paso Robles on your next California road trip. - What the Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum” Missed
A Yuma Prison museum docent wondered why the Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum” production would be interested in featuring a woman prisoner responsible for a single stagecoach robbery. - Why Criminals Should Worry About Climate Change
Realizing the closeness of the lake to Las Vegas, I wonder if Lake Mead is the East River of the west. Perhaps criminals should worry about climate change. - Must-see Courthouse in South Bend, WA
On Highway 101 traveling between beaches in Oregon and Washington towards Olympia, Tacoma or Seattle, you could easily miss this gem, the courthouse in South Bend, WA. Plan a purposeful stop in tow - Candidate for The Loneliest Road in America
Should you find yourself on Highway 9 in New Mexico, perhaps the loneliest of roads less traveled in the U.S., enjoy the serenity. - Planning a Trip to California?
A California coastal road trip should include many of these 31 hiking, beach, wildlife and educational destinations. - Pahrump: Surprising Desert Finds on the Road Less Traveled
Driving between Vegas and Death Valley? Pahrump offers wine & rum tastings, off-road and ghost town adventures, spectacular camping & friendly folk. - RVing? Globetrotting? Glamping?
Great resources for globetrotters travel needs & RVers to camp overnight for free and to discover experiences at special places in the U.S. and Canada, - The Hunting of Yellowstone’s Wolves
“Why Are We Killing (Yellowstone’s) Wolves?” article powerfully describes the crisis for an endangered species. - PNW Victorian Seaport’s Colorful History
Learn stories of a Pacific Northwest shaped by local tribes, smugglers, devastating fires and a waterfront of saloons and brothels with a more gentile uptown with churches and schools.