How We Went from Colorado to NY (and Back) in a Pop-Up Truck Camper!
Join the Camillacis on their RV adventure from Colorado to NY and back, experiencing America's beauty through seasonal changes and embracing both the journey and the destination.
Join us, the Camillacis, a small, tight-knit unit comprising my wife Charlotte, and myself, Dominic. Our unit on wheels mirrors our compact family—just enough space for us to work….but primarily designed for play as we traverse the country, pausing at various stops along the way! Our mode of travel? A 2011 Toyota Tundra hauling a Hallmark pop-up truck camper. Our expedition embarks from our home in Colorado Springs, the starting point for our journey. An opportunity presents itself for an extended stay at my family home in Rochester, NY, where I spent my formative years. With Rochester serving as our destination, we seize the chance to explore the East Coast and reconnect with family during the Thanksgiving holiday before our journey back to Colorado.
As the dog days of summer yield to autumn and early winter, Mother Nature guides our approach to optimizing RV travel through varying seasons. While many opt for the southbound escape to warmer climates like Arizona or Florida, our journey from Colorado to New York charts a course through the northern states.
Continue on to discover our pivotal stops, our experiences in each locale, and seasonal tips that shaped our adventure!
Planning:
Preparation is vital, enabling us to maximize enjoyment and make wise, safe choices throughout our journey. We count ourselves fortunate for the various route options available to us along multiple major interstates. Just a few hundred miles to the north or south can significantly alter both the weather and the regional landscape, encompassing mountains, lakes, deserts, plains, and oceans. Opting for the northern route along the Great Lakes for our Summer journey was deliberate. This choice granted us access to pristine beaches and an array of recreational opportunities to relish while the weather remained favorable. Additionally, considering our rig's lack of AC, moderate temperatures prove especially pleasant for a restful night's sleep.
Departure: Colorado to New York. 8/31.
Upon completing our preparations for the next few months, we set our sights on an Eastern route. Typically, we avoid driving for more than 10 to 11 hours in a single day. Covering a 10-hour stretch from Colorado Springs, our journey led us to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where we spent the night at the delightful Harvest Host destination, "Living History Farms." Its convenient location just off I-70 makes it an ideal spot for a brief stopover. Following a swift 6-hour drive from Cedar Rapids, we found ourselves in St. Joseph, Michigan.