Updated Route West. Leaving May 22!

Here’s an updated Part 1 of my cross-country exploration in my Roadtrek Camper Van.  This is a plan, and the only deadline is to meet Catheryn in Denver on June 3. She’ll be doing Part 2 with me, across Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California for the next 12 days (map to come).

I start Tues. May 22 from Davidson, NC.  First night will be spent in a state park outside Nashville.

Next day, drive down the ancient Natchez Trace Parkway for a couple hundred miles, take a slight detour to Mussel Shoals, Alabama, and visit two of the world’s most famous recording studios there.

Spend the night near Clarksdale, MS after touring several famed Delta Blues museums and night spots.

Then meander down Hwy. 61 to camp in park near Natchez.

Friday, I take a short drive to Eunice, LA, checking out Cajun country, going to a famous Cajun music jam and the Rendez-vous des Cajuns live radio show at the Liberty Theater in downtown Eunice.

Next, I drive along the Gulf Coast south of Houston, continuing along the beach into Galveston, taking a ferry or two.

At Surfside Beach, TX, I finally turn North and spend the night in Gonzales, TX about half-way between Houston and San Antonio.

Then northwest to Mexico.  I’ll stop for a night or two at the border towns of Del Rio, TX and Acuna, MEX to have a look at Acuna—my first time in Mexico!

The next day, it’s north through barren deserts to Marfa, TX, a ‘famous’ artist colony/ghost town, about as middle of nowhere as you can get.

After Marfa, I continue north through Roswell and Tucumcari, NM—one of my favorite towns.  From Tucumcari, it’s about 6.5 hours to Denver.  I might stop about half way, if I find something interesting.  Or, I might need to scoot up I-25, because I’m behind schedule.

Most nights will be spent in the camper in national, state, and county parks—cheap.  In a few places there are not-to-be-missed-off-the-beaten track private campgrounds.  I ’m avoiding Interstates wherever possible, once I get to Nashville.  Some of the roads look a bit sketchy… that’s good.

That’s the plan.  Will I stick to it?  That’s debatable.  I have a few non-travel days built in, and generally max driving to just 3-4 hours a day, and that’s good too.