I traveled via Arizona, Utah and New Mexico in an RV for 23 days with my household. Begin your journey vicariously by studying this presentation earlier than shifting on to the main points of the times.
I didn’t discuss it on the Fb web page or the weblog in order to not tempt potential thieves, however I left at the start of September for america to comprehend certainly one of my desires, to see the American West.
The westerns that I noticed after I was little created a sort of fantasy for me, and the varied magnificent pictures of the area posted on the web helped encourage me.
The group
To make such a journey, you may have the selection between two options:
- Specialised companies, which I like to recommend in case your English abilities are restricted, you don’t know the world nicely, otherwise you need every thing taken care of for you (http://www.usa-en-liberte.com/ has for instance a really engaging listing of locations within the USA, together with the route of this journey)
- Assemble it your self like a grown-up
So realizing that I communicate English nicely, that I’m used to touring to the US and that I do know the world, we selected to do it ourselves, to have complete and absolute freedom, and do every thing à la carte. However take into account that you can too undergo companies who will advise you, if that reassures you.
There have been 4 of us, with two youngsters aged 2 1/2 and 6 months.
The route
Initially, I deliberate to go to 4 states (so as):
– Arizona
– New Mexico
– Colorado
– Utah
My spouse, being a really clever particular person, requested me after my clarification of the general journey the place an important issues had been. So I confirmed him the nationwide parks in Utah, and I advised him that might absolutely be the spotlight of the journey. So she identified to me that we’d higher go the opposite manner, as a result of if what we completely must see is on the finish of the journey, then we’ll both be too exhausted, or we received’t be capable of do it. do if the youngsters are sick/or
So we reversed the order of the states after speaking about it, and we additionally took out Colorado, as a result of it was too many miles, and we couldn’t have executed it. Right here is the route (roughly) corrected on Google maps:
In complete, we could have lined 3200 miles, or 5149 kilometers in 21 days, which isn’t unhealthy, since that represents 245 kilometers per day, realizing that now we have days the place now we have pushed 40 kilometers and others 400.
The technique of transport
for those who learn the title appropriately, we selected to do that street journey in a camper van. For what ? For a number of causes that might additionally apply to you:
- It’s way more sensible with youngsters, particularly younger ones.
- This implies you don’t must arrange/take down a tent each night.
- It provides a sure consolation
- It permits you to sleep in nationwide park campsites
I’ll element these factors for you in a information that I’ll quickly produce about motorhomes.
We booked with https://www.cruiseamerica.com, a rental firm with which we had already used 2 years in the past after we visited the Canadian Rockies (on the time with just one youngster). There are others, however I’m very proud of their total service, and their costs are aggressive.
We once more took a 25-footer (7.62 meters lengthy), which is large enough for a household of 4, however not too large both as a result of in any other case you’ll be able to’t go in all places and particularly park in all places.
The spirit of the keep
You’ll be able to think about that with 2 youngsters, we haven’t deliberate something extraordinarily arduous on a bodily degree, as a result of it’s important to keep in mind that you carry them in a backpack or in your abdomen (so concretely for me that meant about 20 kilos of weight).
We due to this fact selected easy to reasonable hikes, making an attempt to remain beneath 4 kilometers spherical journey.
So don’t ask me the most effective hikes for wild tenting in nationwide parks, I received’t be capable of reply you…
The selection of the interval
We intentionally selected September to depart as a result of a number of standards got here into play for us.
The temperature
Firstly, it couldn’t be too scorching with our kids. And after we see the temperatures displayed in sure locations in July and August, it’s scary! On web page, we discuss for instance of 35 levels on common within the month of July, realizing that it’s in a desert and due to this fact that the temperature felt is much away from it. We’re additionally extraordinarily scorching there, and we sincerely marvel how we may have survived the warmth peak.
The campervan is supplied with a reasonably respectable air conditioner, however not all campsites supply electrical energy, and we even slept in parking tons. Which implies that a 6 month previous child ought to be capable of stand up to the temperature with none technique of cooling.
When you go in winter you’ll have different issues because it may freeze at night time, which requires extra planning with a campervan.
The monsoon
The American West is delicate to a monsoon phenomenon known as “flash floods”. Mainly, in about ten minutes, downpours of water fall and carry away every thing of their path, as a result of the bottom is just too dry to soak up the water.
It is best to know that flash floods kill extra individuals (150 on common) every year in america than some other climatic occasion, even tornadoes and hurricanes.
The concept behind that is to keep away from ending up with the children within the again having to hurry out of a canyon as a result of all of the water is pouring in. This can be a actual threat, and within the locations involved the guides will clarify the procedures to comply with in case it occurs.
Here’s a video you probably have hassle imagining the issue (and word the rising water because it occurs)
Attendance
And sure, you’ll be able to think about that the months of July and August additionally characterize peak attendance.
As somebody who hates vacationers and ready, I’ve already present in some locations that it is rather full, I can not advocate going there exterior of faculty durations if you’re like me.
September has the benefit of being a floating interval, which implies that most sights/vacationer locations/campsites are nonetheless open and may accommodate you, typically at decrease costs.
Right here is the listing of all of the articles from this street journey: