LAST UPDATED October 18, 2024
Content includes:
- Planned/Possible Travel, into 2025
- Near-Term Plans (Reservations) next ~3-6 months
- Bucket List
- Archive of plans since January 2023
Latest Updates/Near Term Plans Overview
We have camping reservations (mostly) through March 9, 2025 (leaving Lizzy and The Beast in Little Rock, Arkansas, while we spend 7 weeks at home (November 12-January 3) and New Jersey (January 3-14)). Then back to Little Rock to finish visiting all the Arkansas National Parks, drop into Louisiana briefly, and then spend ~6 weeks touring across southern Texas! We’ll visit the Texas State Capitol, 9 new National Parks…AND…revisit Big Bend National Park: 4th Quarter 2024/1st Quarter 2025 Plans.
And what about after that?
Thinking we’ll end March heading to Phoenix, maybe via Flagstaff. In April we’ll head northwest toward home, after the Diamond Backs season opener, taking in a game at every California MLB Stadium. May to late July, we’ll be home for a few weeks, visit New Jersey for a couple, and take a 4-5 week trip to Alaska. Then back on the road to hightail it east via the northern route (I-94/I-90) to Massachusetts for Labor Day weekend, September in New Jersey, and Troy, NY for our 50th RPI Reunion in early October. Then head south again!
Note: We’ve added outlines of potential travel through the end of 2025. Thinking about visiting Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in early 2026…6 National Parks! It’ll take at least through…2027?…to hit the major highlights of all the states, while still having family/home time in the Northeast & Northwest.
Outline of Planned & Possible Travel, by Quarter
Near-Term Plans (more detail and reservations)
4Q 2024 Outline
- September 17-19, October 4-9 Complete
Minneapolis - September 19-October 4 Complete
Whirlwind NE Trip - October 9-29
Great River Road & Route 66 south from Minneapolis - October 9-November 12
Arkansas Part 1 - November 12-January 2
Home in Bellevue!
1Q 2025 Outline
- November 12-January 2
Home in Bellevue! - January 2-13
Visit Grandkids on the Jersey Shore! - January 14-27
Arkansas Part 2 (incl Cane River, LA) - January 28-March 9
Across southern Texas - March 9-29
El Paso to Phoenix (route TBD)
Bucket List Items
Tracked “Biggies”
Other places/trips we’re adding to our list!
- Alaska
- 4-Corners (UT,CO,NM, AZ)
- New Zealand & Australian
- Route 66
- Great River Road
- Trans-Canada Hi-way
- X-Country Train Trip
We’ve also starting compiling a list of all the places we missed, first time through, due to weather or time, which we’d visit on another visit to the area. We’ll link it in here, when it’s a bit more organized.
ARCHIVE – 1Q 2023 to 3Q 2024
1Q 2023
- January 14-31 Complete
Heading South thru Oregon and California - February 1-19 Complete
East across Southern Arizona - February 20-March 31 Complete
New Mexico, especially the “Nuclear Corridor”
Cancelled Guadalupe Mts NP Camping! - April 1 – Trinity Site Open House!!! Complete
2Q 2023
- April 1 – Trinity Site Open House!!! Complete
- April 2-May 7 – Prairie/Midwest Dash Complete
…Hightail it from New Mexico to Pittsburgh, PA via Midwest Capitol Cities Complete - May 8-June 1 – Home in Bellevue Complete
- June 2-19 – Pittsburgh to Jersey Shore Complete
- June 20-29 – Mid Atlantic Loop (by car) Complete
3Q 2023
- June 30- September 5 Complete
Summer Near Family in New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode Island and some touring (details below) - September 6-October 9 Complete
Fall Foliage, etc. through northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont)
Northeast Summer 2023 Details – Fathers Day to Labor Day Complete
We’re DONE our summer of “back-n-forth” between New Jersey and New England.
Color Highlights for stays near: Jersey Shore & Grandkids and New England Family.
When
- June 16-19
- June 20-29
.. - June 30-July 13
- July 14-27
July 21-23 - July 28-August 4
- August 5-9
- August 10-16
- August 17-21
- August 22-30
- August 31-Sept 5
Do What
- Grandkids! Hang out. Complete
- Visit Philadelphia, eastern Maryland & Delaware, Gail’s niece & Mark’s sister Complete
- Visit MA Family & Friends Complete
- Grandkids! Hang out. Complete
Gail 70th Bday Party in EB, MA Complete - Visit NYC, Long Island, Mount Vernon, NY Complete
- Gail Family Reunion, Connecticut Shore Complete
- Explore Boston, Cape Cod Complete
- Explore Rhode Island Shore Complete
- Grandkids! Hang out Complete
- Visit MA Family/Friends, Gail mini HS Reunion Complete
Stay Where
- Jackson, NJ
- Hotels –Lizzy in Shop
– - Sturbridge, MA
- Jackson, NJ
.. - Jersey City, NJ
- Old Lyme, CT
- Sandwich, MA
- Charlestown, RI
- Jackson, NJ
- Sturbridge, MA
4Q 2023
- October 9-23 Complete
Hudson Valley, NY & NJ Family Weekend - October 23- November 10 Complete
South to South Carolina - November 10-December 10 Complete
4 weeks Home in Bellevue - December 10 through New Year Complete
South on coast, Charleston SC to Titusville, Florida,
Holidays with Gail’s Aunt & Cousins in Cocoa, Florida
1Q 2024
- January 2 – February 8 Complete
Around Florida along Gulf Coast to New Orleans - February 9 – March 13 Complete
Confederacy & Civil Rights…Baton Rouge across Mississippi thru Alabama - March 13-April 18 Complete
Southern Appalachians—NE Alabama thru the Smoky Mountains
2Q 2024
- March 13-April 18 Complete
Southern Appalachians—Blue Ridge Parkway to Shenandoah to NJ! - April 18-29 Complete
NJ with Family - April 30-June 12 Complete
Home in Bellevue, LOTS of work! - June 12-27 –> July Complete
NJ with Family…Lake Lashaway with Family
3Q 2024
- June 28 -July 17 Complete
Lake Lashaway & Jersey Shore with Family - July 17-August 17 Complete
Poconos to Niagara, to Michigan Upper Peninsula - August 17-September 17 Complete
Around and ON Lake Superior - September 17-19, October 4-9 Complete
Minneapolis - September 19-October 4 Complete
Whirlwind NE Trip