You have to see Arches National Park. The Oregon Coast is a must. And don’t forget to hit White Sands National Monument.

These were some of the suggestions we got from readers to our last story about our western United States wish list. We can’t wait to follow your tips when we hit the road.

We heard from Judy Hoseid, who offered this succinct highlight reel: Arches; Taos, N.M.; Joshua Tree National Park; Oregon Coast; Page, Ariz. (“stay at Marina, go to Lower Antelope Canyon”); Pikes Peak; Carlsbad Caverns; and White Sands National Monument.

Doris Butler has a fantastic idea: “We are birders so my suggestion for the fall would be to follow the bird migration south.” She suggests heading down the Oregon Coast into California, “or you could stay inland and see completely different species and landscapes.” Among the best birding areas are Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon and the Sacramento Valley, she says.

Ted Shepard particularly likes the National Parks of the West. “My wife Mary and sometime up to six kids have traveled to most of the National Parks in the U.S.,” Ted writes. “Utah was always our favorite.” He also loves the parks and peaks of Colorado and has this suggestion:

“Don’t miss a lightning storm in Monument Valley at night or a sunrise from before daylight on either rim of the Grand Canyon.”

We also heard from Anita Eaton, who said our travels bring up fond memories of traveling with her husband, who passed away in 2006. “We had a wonderful trip down the Baja in a caravan over Christmas and New Year's,” Anita writes. During her Baja adventure, the gas stations ran out of fuel, so “we were ‘stranded’ for two or three days near one of their El Presidente hotels. Talk about peaceful … we were almost disappointed when the Pemex tanker arrived!”

She concludes: “It's the memories that really matter, no matter what the RV!” Well said, Anita.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful ideas.

 

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