Trip Planning Help

[J. Bloos]

Hi everyone. I have been planning a trip for about a year now for when I graduate from college this upcoming spring. I will be taking a gap year to travel, explore what the US has to offer, and eventually settle in Breckenridge, CO to work as a lift operator for a season.
To preface, I am driving a 2013 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport and will be installing a camper shell and doing a sleeping platform/drawer system build in my bed. I will be making this trip alone, but a buddy has discussed possibly flying out west when I get out there to join me for the later part of the journey. I am new to overloading and am getting into this vehicle dependent camping and exploration.

I live in Charlotte, NC and this will be my starting point for my trip. I will be applying for this lift operator position which won't start until roughly October 2020. I plan to be on the road for roughly 8 weeks. Meaning, I will likely hit the road sometime around August.
My current/previous plan was to head south from NC and go through the southern border states, up through California, up to Washington, head east and come down through Colorado to be in Breckenridge in time for my start date for this job.
Lately, I have been considering this route, and am trying to determine if I want/should head south, or start my trip by heading north, reaching the northern states headed to the west coast, down through Cali, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and then over to CO.
My debate and thought process is concerned with weather and best places to see in the US. Being that it will be August/September the southern states will be hot, making camping/sleeping (somewhat) less enjoyable as my camper shell will lack sufficient cooling. Heading north will allow for cooler weather and more comfortable nights in my rig.

Ultimate question(s): I am interested in hearing from those who have traveled similar routes (East to West coast) during late summer months and have insight and suggestions for this trip. Does anyone have experience traveling E to W that has beneficial planning tips, personal mistakes/advice, or any other helpful ideas to help me plan this expedition?

 

[USStrongman]

My advice? Be prepared for more hotel stays and laundromats than you might think, especially if your buddy comes along. Summers in the south can be tough. Hot, humid, tornadoes, hail, wicked thunder storms, bugs galore. I've lived in So Cal, Phoenix, Tucson, DFW, Lubbock and have had to travel for work in New Orleans, Tupelo, Atlanta, Charlotte, OKC, ALBQ, Tucson, Bisbee, both coasts of Florida, etc in the summer. Can it be done? Absolutely, but know that it will be a real challenge, especially 8 weeks worth. The south is awesome to explore in the fall and winter. Less bugs, less storms, people are simply in a better mood and access is easier due to less rain.

If it were me... I'd go north, then west. Maybe up through Western NY towards Toronto. Maybe through the smaller east coast states, then towards Montreal... then head west to the Canadian Rockies, south through Montana, Wyoming, Utah, then Colorado. You could make it longer and head to Grouse Mountain and Whistler in BC, drop into Seattle to see Mt Rainier/Baker/St Helens/Hood, out the eastside of Oregon into Utah to Moab and then into CO. There is an abundance of camping in more than four dozen national parks in the Canadian Rockies/WA/OR/ID/MT/WY/UT/CO. Elevation makes for cooler nights and more predictable storms. Look at the national parks map and see the volume of parks in the Rockies compared to all of Texas - Florida.

As for Canada... it's full of incredible places to see. St Lawrence and Georgian Bay Islands, Thunder Bay, Riding Mountain, Prince Albert, Banff/Lake Louise, Jasper, Grasslands. I've been to all of these. They are less busy than US parks. Park fees are cheaper, the US dollar is trading at $1.32 Canadian so your dollar goes farther. Mosquitoes can be a pain, but they are everywhere except above 6,000-6,500' elevation. I spent some of the best times in my 20's in Canada.

Park Preservation - National Park Trust

Our preservation and conservation projects work to acquire the missing pieces of our national parks.

www.parktrust.org

https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/map-canada-parks/

To do beforehand:

Buy a US National Parks pass online
Buy a Canadian National Parks pass online
Invest in a good GPS system and consider using GAIA to map out where you are going in Canada to save on international mobile data rates
Make sure you have a great understanding of expectations of your buddy when you travel in adverse weather
Dont be in a hurry. This can be a huge life changing experience