Multi-day go there and come back.

[dreadcptflint]

The no reservation thing can be rough. I however put my family through that type of adventure at least once a year. It is awesome to watch your family members face as everyone discovers America together. This is how I do it.

1. I will pick a area that we want to explore. For example last year was the Oregon Coast.

2. I will then look up the area on http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ and other detailed websites. I will also write local governments for their tourist information.

3. I will have purchased maps and possibly guidebooks for the area. Maps are important as they will provide clues for camping.

4. We take our cellphone and text CHACHA. They are a mobil search engine that can answer questions that you might need on the road.

5. Be flexible. Discoveries will be made both good and bad that will take up extra time. (Last year we didn't make it as far down the Coast as we would have liked do to unforseen limitations in travel.)

6. Don't be afraid to keep the legs small on the trip. I usually shoot for around 200 miles a trek with stops along the way. That means you don't have that rushed feel and are not spending your vacation in a car.

7. I bring my wife in on the planning that way she can get excited about the trip and sites that we can see. You could do something similar with your sons. They might find an antique train station or something like it that gets them excited.

I hope that helps you.

[digimark]

Following up on our trip -- we spent Thursday->Sunday at the Harpers Ferry KOA. It was as nice as Razorback said. We spent the first day in Harpers Ferry and walking around town/across the railroad bridge. Next day rained pretty heavily, so we went bowling. And then Saturday we drove a chunk of the Skyline Drive and visited Luray Caverns. Came back Sunday morning. We've learned a lot about staying together in a small space -- have some modifications to make to the trailer -- more shelves, remodeled sleeping bunks etc. But the trip was a success, we had a great time.

Thank you everyone for the advice.

[devigata]

We've learned a lot about staying together in a small space -- have some modifications to make to the trailer -- more shelves, remodeled sleeping bunks etc. But the trip was a success, we had a great time.

Glad you had a good time.

I'm interested in your mods - please don't forget to post them.

[EffieRover]

I see I'm way late to this thread, but thought I'd throw in $0.02 (adjusted for inflation) for your next trip.

I was 16, which makes my brothers 6 & 4 respectively, when my parents did a cross-country trip with us. We alternated days of driving with camping ... sometimes two days in a row of driving, sometimes 3-4 days of camping. The longest we stayed in one place was in California for about 5 days.

We loved it - all of us. We saw the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Pacific Ocean, San Francisco, Salt Lake flats, Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore. And other places, but those stick in my mind. Days in the car weren't so bad with coloring, games & stuff to do. Plus, we alternated those with a place to visit, even if it was just a campground. Some nights we slept in truck stop lots in the camper.

As I understand it now, the only camping reservation we had was the one in San Bernadino area. Everything else was winging it - stop when the kids are whiny, go when they can handle it. Most of our food came from the nearest grocery store to an interstate exit. AAA helped find other stores and campgrounds along the way. I remember Mom cooking and us eating at many parks (the kind in the middle of town with a playground and picnic area, not the camping kind).

The whole trip took 5 weeks and was something I wouldn't trade for the world. If that's what you want to do, then go for it! The culture shock alone is worth the drive.

[Mightydog]

Okay, this picture got the biggest Awwwwwwwwwwww from the art department who were looking over my shoulder.