(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best altases & maps

Fantastic question u/ardnassac115, and I'm glad you asked it. For some background on me, I'm 25 and used to work full-time in a pretty serious career before deciding to return to graduate school full-time. This lined up for me, and is probably one of the few times in my life I'll be able to do something this long and live-changing. When in my life will I have the holy trinity of time, energy, and money again? I had budgeted through grad school to 1.) make sure I could go through grad school without working, and 2.) make sure I had enough leftover to do something like this before returning to work. I still live at home and my major monthly expenses are student loans, car payment/insurance, and a cell phone bill. I budgeted to make sure the cost of this trip, in addition to those expenses, could be covered while I was gone before returning to work. I hope that answers your question regarding saving up.

Planning the trip was difficult at first, but became easier over time. I've never done anything like this in my life and I had no idea what I was doing. The most important thing is to first decide how long you want the trip to be. Everything else comes afterwards. I decided 6 weeks because it'd be enough to see a lot while not killing me financially. Next, I knew I wanted to see national parks, but had no idea how. This helped me immensely. It's an "optimal route" to see all the national parks in the lower 48 states (note there have been two new NP additions since: Gateway Arch NP and Indiana Dunes NP). In what I'm sure is a cardinal sin of this sub, I took the fastest, most direct routes in the interest of time rather than looking for scenic routes most of the time. I cared more about time in the parks than pretty views from my car (although there were many). If you look at the order of my route and the route through that link, you'll notice it's very similar. After, I just started researching parks and seeing which ones I want to see the most, and which ones I could skip for now or save for the future. Once I had that down, I opened up an excel sheet and google maps and started actually mapping each day, how long the drives would be between destinations, what I wanted to do, where I'd sleep each night, and how long I'd spend at each destination. How long was decided during the research part on the parks I decided to see on this trip. For example, parks like Rocky Mountan, Zion, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon all got 2 essentially full days because they were so big that I didn't think I could do all the things I wanted to do in a single day. Parks like Badlands, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Carlsbad Caverns, Gateway Arch, and Cuyahoga Valley I knew could be done in a single, very packed day. To preface that, I'm in shape and did a lot of hiking at a pretty unhealthy (read: fast) pace, allowing me to do a multitude of trails each day to get everything. I'm not going to lie, it took me a ton of effort to route my trip and make sure it was within the time frame. I essentially made an itinerary for myself. It's not as rigid as I'm making it sound, as the only thing really holding me to schedule was reserving campsites or AirBnBs. Otherwise I'd be able to do that research a few nights prior and alter as I needed. On the flip side, when it's 7PM and you don't know where you're sleeping that night, that can be a scary thing if you're not used to it.

I want to emphasize my planning of each day at parks too. I touched on that above, but this blog, where the authors spent 52 weeks doing all 59 (at the time) national parks for the centennial in 2016, was extremely helpful. The pictures, descriptions, and other info were so valuable. My friend's dad caught wind I was doing this trip and lent me three national park guides: Fodors, National Geographic, and Lonely Planet. These were the most important for actually planning my days in parks, with Fodors being by far the most useful, National Geographic also being good, and honestly not much help from Lonely Planet. Just an FYI, the links are for the exact copies I used, but there are newer versions available that you should get if you look into it. A note on this - it saved me a tremendous amount of valuable time when I got to parks to already know exactly what I wanted to do. If I had extra time and could do stuff I didn't know about, that was great! But on packed days it helps to know where things are in each park and how reasonable your "want to do" adventures are for the time frame.

For road trip prep I had to buy or borrow some things I didn't have and got the rest from my house: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, bed comforter, tarp, tent, knife, bear spray, pepper spray, a road atlas, a lantern, an abundance of snacks (clif bars, larabars, peanut butter crackers, etc), national park passport, a good cooler for water/food, camp stove and bowls, matches, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and some other things that I'm surely not remembering. A good, solid backpack and some good water bottles are necessary. Multi-tools are useful. Don't forget some engine coolant and wiper fluid just in case. Don't forget to stop for an oil change if your trip is long enough. For clothing I put a suitcase in the back seat of my car and lived out of that between laundry. Also had a box with some of the above items in it along with toiletries and other essentials like baby wipes, phone charger, electric razor and charger, nail clippers, sandwich baggies, and a few other things.

Woooo, that was a long winded post! There is so much to think about and plan when doing something like this, and I'd be lying if I said a great deal of work didn't go into my plan. If this trip had been shorter, a lot of this wouldn't be necessary. Six weeks though, that's a long time away from home, completely on my own. Having never done something even close to this, I felt I needed to do a lot of this prep work to make sure this went as smoothly as possible. It did go very smoothly too, but I attribute a lot of that to planning. I hope that this essay response helps you understand the pre-trip process I went through a bit better. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have!

Moving there in January will be interesting. Winter in Paris is grey. And rainy. Mostly grey. Super grey. It was really hard for me because I was from the countryside of Ohio, and not accustomed to living in a city where each street was bordered by two grey 6-story buildings and a grey sky. I felt claustrophobic sometimes, and the lack of sunshine got to me. And it gets to everyone else, and you can feel everyone around you become sluggish and brooding in the winter. You're just surrounded by grey people dressed in black, it's... depressing. But when the weather springs back, the whole city gets a breath of fresh air.

You need to figure out where you want to live, and preferably it's close to your place of employment, although that may not be best, depending. For instance, if you're working in the 6th or 7th arrondissements, you will have one hell of a time finding affordable housing. If you're working in la Défense, you don't want to live way out there. But the métro system is great, and you don't necessarily have to live down the street from your work place, but you don't want to have to switch lines 3 times just to get there.

I personally recommend the 10th, 11th, 19th, and 20th arrondissements. That is simply my favorite part of Paris, it is cheaper (but all of Paris is expensive), there are less tourists (except at Cimètière Père Lachaise maybe), tons of great cafés and bars, restaurants, and it has a lot of character. You're close to things like Parc des Buttes Chaumont, métro hub République, the bar strip of rue Saint-Maur, Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord, super delicious and cheap Asian restaurants and shops in Belleville, Canal Saint Martin, and more. I lived in the 10th and 11th arrondissements at métro Chateau d'Eau and métro Goncourt. I am a petite woman and I walked home from bars at all hours of the night or morning on quite a few occasions, but I never ran into any trouble. That doesn't mean it's a harassment-free neighborhood, Paris is a big city and anything can happen, it's important to be careful. I wouldn't whip out my iPhone while walking late at night, for instance. Instead, I always carried around my favorite little map book. Granted, if I got lost and had to use a map, I looked like a freaking tourist, but it's better than using an eye-catching, glowing money machine.

Oh, speaking of getting lost, you're gonna get lost. This is the greatest mapguide ever made. I have never, ever seen a better mapguide. I bought one the first time I visited Paris, and it was so freaking awesomely wonderful that I bought another one before I moved there. It's small, super thin, much more inconspicuous than a big, cumbersome fold-able paper map, doesn't fall apart with time, and is super easy to read and navigate. It has every site of importance in it. I can't even count how many awesome little gems I discovered just by looking at this map book. Sometimes when I was bored, I would take a FriXion erasable pen, draw out a zig-zag path to walk through the streets of a random neighborhood, and that would be my day. I would send you mine, but it has a ton of notes and stuff in it, and it's very special to me. It is sort of like my journal of experiences and favorite places in Paris. After some time, you won't need it on a daily basis, and you'll find yourself traversing familiar streets without hesitation, but it's super handy and I used it til I moved away, albeit sparingly.

The whole shopping experience is totally different. There is no big department store that has absolutely everything like Walmart or Target in America. Except BHV, I guess. But BHV is expensive and you can find anything you need for a cheaper price in other shops, and BHV is on rue de Rivoli, so going there can be utterly frustrating depending on tourist season.

If you have difficulty making friends because of your poor French skills, SEEK OUT social groups that speak English. Book clubs, theatre classes, cooking classes, go to polyglots, couchsurfing meetups, Reddit meetups, go to events at Shakespeare & Co. or Abbey Bookshop, whatever. Just make friends and have a support system, because culture shock can be hard. It is not necessarily recommended to make English-speaking friends because it can hinder your ability to learn French, but you need friends, and if you don't speak French, then you can't connect with people who don't speak English, and having friends, going out, that's going to make your life 100% better and it will really ease the transition. I did not have friends for a long time, and I was really depressed. Making muffins and having a spur-of-the-moment Reddit meet-up was the best thing I ever did in Paris, and I wish I'd done it sooner.

That's all I've got for now. Enjoy that wall of text.

TL;DR: Paris.

Edit: I only mispelled "métro" like, 5 times. Tricky accents.

First I would recommend getting this map. It's laminated and not too large, but on the back it actually lists every single street which makes it absolutely impossible to get lost. Rome is extremely walkable - can I ask what area you are staying in? The metro is convenient for getting to some areas and same with the buses, especially after a long day of walking, but I'd recommend getting to an area and then traveling by foot all day.

So I am sure you know the usual. The Vatican museum is extremely large and you could spend all day in there if you wanted to, but since you are not a huge museum person you can skip it or do it in one day with St. Peter's. St. Peter's Basilica - definitely spend some time wandering around here as well. It's intimidating in size yet has a cozy feeling to it. Down the street is Castel Sant'Angelo which is where the Popes would go if the Vatican was threatened. Up top are some great views of St. Peter's and of all of Rome - look for the wall connecting to the Vatican, that is where the hallway is that still connects the two.

Piazza Navona should be seen during the day, but I also recommend coming early morning so you can own the square. If you like wine, there's a restaurant near by, Cul De Sac, that had the most options in Rome last time I was there. Across the street is Campo de Fiori which is a flower/fruit market/tourist trap that is fun to wander around irregardless. You can get to the Jewish Ghetto easily from here, but I'll bump back to that later. The Pantheon is an incredibly easy walk from Piazza Navona and two of my favorite churches are right here. The first is Santa Maria Sopra Minerva which is behind the Pantheon to the left (there's a statue of Jesus by Michelangelo by the front alter) and Gesu which is out on the main street. While you are there, go scope out Torre Argentina which are ruins below street level - it is believed that this is where Caesar was killed. In the Jewish Ghetto I recommend starting at the Portico of Octavia - there are ruins here but also some harsh history of what happened to the Roman Jews during WWII. Do you like desert? There's is a bakery nearby that has no name that makes pizza ebraica (Jewish pizza) that is so delicious. It's cash only and is the corner door where via del portico d'ottavia and piazza costaguti intersect.

Do the Trevi Fountain in the morning to get to actually see it but head back at night to watch the bustle around it - don't accept anyone's offer to take your picture for you, but have fun watching other tourists get scammed. Climb the Spanish Steps but head left at the top for a nice walk with a view out over the city - you can head down into Piazza del Popolo and walk down Via del Corso which is one of the main streets in the city with a ton of shopping on it. You can rent bikes at Borghese park (to your back before you take the steps down into Popolo) and ride around - the lake is small but beautiful and there are some fun things to discover. I know you do not like museums, but consider the Borghese Gallery. It requires a reservation and is very small, but contains two statues by Bernini that will amaze you that someone can do that with marble.

The ticket for the Colosseum is a group one that also includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (which are connected but each have their own entrance). I recommend starting at Circo Massimo for a view of the Palatine Hill, buying the ticket at the Palatine Hill entrance (weave up to your left) and exploring that before heading down into the Roman Forum (plus you will get some great views up top of both the Roman Forum and Colosseum). Head to the left to pass the line at the Colosseum entrance. The Altar of the Fatherland (giant white obnoxious thing with the winged chariots up top) offers another great view and has the tomb of the unknown soldier housed there. Capitoline Hill has a great museum and stairs designed by Michelangelo (who knew he was a stair designer as well?) - the museum has views of the Roman Forum that are great.

Otherwise, there are four Papal Basilicas (three others than St. Peter's) if you are interested. My favorite restaurant is off of the Piramide metro stop and is just a three minute walk down the street to La Valle del Sacco (I lived near here though, so I am biased). Check out the Protestant Cemetery by the pyramid (by the way, there's a decent sized pyramid here) to see Keats grave, if you are interested (very melodramatic after a rain). The Trajan Forum is a fun ruin location that is not crowded with tourists and has some great history. You can see the Baths of Carcalla (near the Colosseum), San Pietro in Vincoli (church that has the chains that held St. Peter and contains parts of an unfinished tomb by Michelangelo).

You can take a day trip by bus to Tivoli to see Villa d'Este with a gorgeous house and gardens and a crap ton of fountains - the town itself is also fun to wander around. I know you have Orvieto on there as a place you are spending the night, but you could also easily do it as a day trip from Rome - it's an hour by train and something like just 14 euros round trip. It's a very small town. Gorgeous, but extremely small. You could spend a full day there if you meander slowly and stop for a nice long dinner. The sunset is spectacular there though because it turns the stone into an almost clay red. I'd recommend staying in Siena for the day trips you mentioned - it's a bigger city and has more to do and just do a day trip from Rome to Orvieto.

I think you're over thinking it. What works for me is to have a plan going in, but if you see something cool, stop and see it while you're there. In other words, have a plan, but you don't have to stick to it.

You got a lot of good places listed. I'd add Hayden Valley to it. You'll most likely drive through it heading to different locations anyway. Just be aware that it's a parking lot in the evening. Very slow moving to get anywhere do to all the cars and buffalo on the road.

You're camera should be great. You're not going to get a good shot of a wolf or coyote unless you have a major telephoto lens. You could get lucky and see a bear close to the road...

Some hikes I'd recommend are: My Washburn (take the Dunraven pass trail, not the North trail). Avalanche Peak, Mystic Falls, and Fairy Falls are some good ones.

If you're going to do some backpacking get a topo map. I'd 2nd Heart Lake. They have an online reservation system that you could try and use. Or if you're flexible, you could just go into one of the backcountry offices (there are many) and ask the ranger whats available and what they would recommend. Most are very helpful.

As for your pass being good for 7 days, this is true. I don't think I would worry about buying another as the only time they check it is when you enter the park. There is a combo pass that will get you into YNP and GTNP, but in your case it will probably be better to buy them separate as your pass will be expired if/when you go to GTNP. It'll cost you a little more than buying the combo. Actually, if you go to GTNP from the north (which will be the best way), I don't think there's a entrance station so you could get away with not buying one, but if you go past any entrance gates you'll have to buy one to get back in (if you pass is expired). Keep in mind that the hwy through GTNP is outside of the permit area.

FYI - make sure you pack bear spray anytime your on a trail and have it ready (not in your pack). You'll want sunscreen and a hat (you burn easier at high altitudes, the avg. elevation is 8,000'). Bring bug spray. There will be bugs, but they don't get really bad until around the 3rd week of July. Always pack your rain jacket on any hike longer than a mile. I thin fleece is a good idea too. It can rain/hail/snow anytime of the year. Drink lots of water, it will help with the altitude adjustment.

There's a good swimming hole near Mammoth. It's very popular though and can get quite busy in the evenings. Head north out of Mammoth on the road to Gardiner MT. A mile or two out of town you'll come to a pullout right before a river crossing. Park here. There's an outhouse you can change in, but you'll probably have a line so it's best to have your swimsuit on already. Take the river trail back to the south following the river for less than a mile. You can't miss it.

There's another swimming hole along the firehole river drive (one way road). It's much cooler/almost cold though.

Oh come on, you can't make blanket statements like that. Everyone is going to have their own biases and preferences, but not everyone who enjoys Japan are weebs or young people. One of my friends recently took a trip to Taiwan and Japan (his first trip to Asia) and enjoyed Taiwan but absolutely loved Japan. Personally, I've been to a few Asian countries and Japan is easily my favorite.

Japan isn't that expensive. My last trip to Japan ended up being cheaper per day than going to Greece. The hotels are priced about the same as America, but good food can be had for very affordable prices. Are other asian countries cheaper? Yes, almost all of them, but it doesn't make Japan expensive (unless you're the type who wants to eat at a Michelin starred sushi restaurant everyday). Besides, it's an apples to orange comparison. In terms of quality of life, Japan is consistently ranked in the top within Asia. Cheap isn't the only thing people look for.

Also, there are plenty of things outside of anime, movies and video games of why people might enjoy Japan. For one the cuisine is phenomenal. Even Gordon Ramsey said if he had to pick one place for the rest of his life to eat, he chose Tokyo. Tokyo and Kyoto are the top two most Michelin starred cities in the world respectively. Osaka comes in fourth place. Second, it's cleaner than most other asian countries. For example, the top two cleanest airports in the world are in Japan. Third, the people are insanely polite and friendly. Fourth, the train system there is legendary. There's no train system in the world that is more punctual. If a train is running late, commuters are issued notes because otherwise their boss won't believe them. It's the equivalent of showing up to class and saying your dog ate your homework. Train delays are measured in seconds. Fifth, the sites are beautiful. Many of them are in Lonely Planet's List of the 500 Best Places to See. Not that the book is the authoritative say on that matter, but it does give at least some credibility that 14 sites are in Japan. It has everything from rustic mountain hot springs and traditional inns, to scenic temples, shrines, and geishas, to a super futuristic city.

I lived in Japan and saw firsthand the things that make it beautiful and the things that are straight up ugly. But every country has it's strengths and weaknesses. That's the beauty of traveling, it opens your eyes to new things but also lets you see your own country in a new light also.

edit: I realized I answered questions you didn't ask. These are things I wish I had known when I started riding.

Other people have answered your gear/bike questions well enough that I won't get into it. I can help with resources for finding places to ride. During the winter I like to do research for the rest of the year so I don't waste time in good weather. Having DS friends is extremely important as well. You really don't want to break yourself or your bike while you're all alone and possibly hundreds of miles from home. Cell phones tend not to work in the best riding areas.

I'm originally from Iowa where finding interesting scenery and roads is difficult so I honed my research skills in the right area. When I moved to Oregon the first thing I did was go to the office for the Forestry Service of my county and asked questions. I was given dozens of free maps and brochures for various parks in the area. There was a very large map with color coded sections that indicated public areas and detailed legal usage of the land. They also have detailed topos of smaller sections of land that show some really cool features. They charge a small fee for printing though. It gave me loads of ideas of where to go. Information on a lot of the government websites are not up to date so it's probably the best to go in or call. For example, the Patterson Mountain ATV Trail System is now closed.

A map (pdf) of a park somewheres in Virginia that might be worth checking out if it's close to where you live.

Watch out for all the regulations. It's ridiculous.
>In any forest, no games or athletic contests shall be allowed except in such places as may be designated thereof.

That's a state forest regulation in Virginia.

I'm curious about places to ride in Virginia because I used to live there so I've done some research for you.

A nice [table of parks in Virginia](http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stforest/recreation.htm
). Includes number of miles of various trails and roads. Two of the parks have links to trail maps. ALWAYS look for roads that are black/white dashes on a map. These are usually good roads to ride. You know they're public and they probably are in horrible condition.

In Iowa I found this map book that's designed for hunters so they can find out about all the lesser known parks, get contact information and see what amenities are available. It is the best map book I have ever owned, lost twice and repurchased once. It is now worth a lot of money. :( Each page contained one county. I highlighted all the black/white lines within 100 miles of my home. These books are highly rated by rider as well but I really preffered the black and white, spiral-bound, Sportsmans Atlas. Link goes to the Virginia version. Wait a minute I take it back. The DeLorme maps are the friggin' excellent and I regret losing the Oregon one my friend gave me.

Register on advrider.com and visit the South East regional forum. Look for topics that are relevant to your area and find meetups, rallies and parties located within distance. This will be the best way to get the secrets for your area. I went to my first ADVrider meetup two weeks ago and had a friggin' blast.. actually I have a video of it on youtube if you're interested. A lot of those guys won't post the information about where they love to ride but if you talk to them in person and you're not going to go out and ruin their favorite places they'll probably share some really good info with you. You can start by going to this party and listening and talking to every one. Keep an open mind because people from the internet can be weird :)

Good luck! I hope this information helps you get started.

There's no trail shelter at Deep Gap. There used to be one but it was removed decades ago- so you may be using an old map or basing your itinerary off outdated information. Alternatively, you may be confusing Deep Gap in the Black Mountains with a Deep Gap on the AT, which does currently have a shelter. Assuming that you haven't already done so- my first recommendation is that you invest in a new map ASAP. The National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map that covers both Linville Gorge and the Black Mountains (including Mt. Mitchell) is a good one.

There is room for tenting in the Deep Gap on the Black Mountain Crest Trail; it's been a few years since I was there but I recall there being a decent tenting area. There is a seasonal spring located maybe 100-200 feet down the Colbert Ridge Trail, but I don't know how reliable this is year-round- I probably would not expect to rely on it outside of Spring.

You mention starting at Shuford Creek- I haven't hiked north of Deep Gap but I've heard stories/read trip reports that indicate that the trails to the north are pretty overgrown and poorly maintained. For what it's worth, I found the Colbert Ridge trail to be well maintained and easy to follow when I hiked it in 2014, so you might consider starting at the Carolina Hemlocks campground instead.

Another advantage to starting at Carolina Hemlocks is that you can make a loop out of it. Climb to Deep Gap for night #1, continue south over Mt. Mitchell and camp at the Commissarry Ridge backcountry tenting area on night #2. On day #3, take the Buncombe Horse Trail back to the trailhead near Carolina Hemlocks. Alternatively, if you make good time on day #2 and want to continue further before camping, there is a nice (but exposed) campsite on Maple Camp Bald, and another campsite located further down on Maple Camp Ridge (although this second site may be hard to find in the dark if you don't get there until late). If you make really good time, there is a nice campsite where the Buncombe Horse Trail crosses Middle Creek, located a 100 feet or so upstream of the crossing (this site has the advantage of having the creek immediately adjacent as a water source). The Buncombe Horse Trail did get a bit brushy between Maple Camp Ridge and Middle Creek in 2014 when I hiked it, but I did not find it to be a significant navigational challenge. There is 1 or 2 unmarked junctions to be aware of where the old logging road that the trail follows splits without signage indicating the correct path. I just picked what appeared to be the most well-traveled path at each junction and had no issues with losing the trail.

Overall, the climb up to the ridge via any trail is long and sustained but if you're in decent shape and have backpacking experience it's not a major challenge- just budget the time for it and keep up a slow but steady pace. Once you hit the ridge it turns into a fairly pleasant walk. There's some moderate ups and downs as you pass from peak to peak, but in comparison to the long climb from the base of the range these feel hardly perceptible.

Another thing I will add is that if you plan to camp at elevation, be prepared for cold nighttime temperatures.

I hope this is helpful. Good luck, and have fun! :-)

Definitely recommend picking up a book - Turn Left at Orion is excellent, but I also really like David Chandler's Sky Atlas for Small Telescopes and Binoculars since its pretty newbie friendly and light enough that you can take it out in the field with you. Since you're starting off, you'll want to look at the bright stuff anyways.

Another handy field guide is the Sky & Telescope Pocket Field Atlas, which is helpful for even seasoned observers.

Finally, there are two helpful (and free) resources you can use:

1. Skymaps- they publish maps every month for observers you can download via PDF.
   
   
2. Stellarium a free planetarium program from your computer - put in your location, and start exploring the night skies.
   
   
3. Cartes Du Ciel if you want to generate your own star charts. Not as pretty or as user friendly as Stellarium, but helpful for generating custom charts to hunt down objects you're looking for.
   
   Edit: Oh and one more thing, pick up a moon map. Lots of people look at the moon, few people study it - knowing your way around there makes it so much more interesting. Stuff like finding the Apollo landings can give you a sense of connection that a far off galaxy can't.

State Park bookings are probably all gone in that time frame, or you'll end up in an awkward spot. Fear not, more car camping in cool spots to be had. First, get a good map - I recommend the Benchmark Atlas.

To make a nice loop trip, I'd head down from the border on I-5 until you reach route 20. Head east. Most of the sites leading up to Diablo Lake have some degree of first-come-first-served car camping, and there are a smattering of forest roads that have some established car camping. If you are feeling adventurous, take the Cascade River road out of Marblemount - a long one-way road into the true heart of the N Cascade wilderness with tons of 'established' car camping along the river valley. The entire drive along 20 is amazing, you crane your neck up at every turn trying to take it all in - truly beautiful drive.

Once you get to the Methow valley, maybe rent a cabin/house for a couple days before heading south (finding a place that will only do one night will be hard here). I don't know the area around there to speak to the car camping opportunities. It likely will be very hot.

If you continue south, there is some good first-come-first-served car camping in the Yakima river canyon just south of Ellensburg that offers quite a beautiful change from the greengreengreen of the west side of the cascades. Camp and hike at Umtanum Creek Recreation Area. Also, couple vineyards in the area, and probably a brewery or two in either Ellensburg or Yakima.

If you drive south from there, you can hook up with SR 410 and head west towards Rainier. There is first-come-first-served car stuff along the way, and also some forest service roads where you can find some good spots. Good views and good hiking.

Drive around Rainier and then choose - down to the Columbia by St Helens or Adams? Around the Olympic Peninsula, taking the Port Angeles/Whidbey ferry home? A night or two in Seattle?

I did the Camino from St. John Pied de Port (France) to Santiago de Compostella once about 7 years ago and then a year or 2 after I tried it again but only got to do about 200 or so km's (did the first 100 or so then hurt my knee, took a couple of days off and then took a train to the end and did the last 100 km's).

Other peoples input on the money is right, 10,000 would be way too much for the trail. I wouldnt take that much with you on the hike (it could get stolen, it happens but I never really heard of it on my hikes). I had about 1,000 euros at one point and one of the women running a hostel told me it wasnt a good idea to have that much on me.

If you start in St. John they will give you 2 maps, one for the first day through the Pyernnes and one that covers the rest of the hike with elevations and distances.

This is the map book I took, I thought it was great. Its small and it had almost all the info I needed and was extremely helpful.

http://www.amazon.ca/Camino-Santiago-Map-Ben-Cole/dp/0973169850/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0KQPCC6CXRAQTG1QVDJA

I did the extension to Finisterre and I would highly recommend it if you have the time. It takes about 2 or so extra days and it was great. Not nearly as many people do it and ends right at the ocean.

Some days you will likely end up sleeping on the floor (if hostels are all full). I would recommend bringing some sort of sleeping pad in addition to your sleeping bag so you are more comfortable. I didnt have a sleeping pad and sure wish I had brought one at some points!

Read up on how to treat a blister - you poke a hole in it using a needle and then working from one side towards the hole you squeeze out the blister. You dont just peel off the skin.

Bring some portable hand sanatizer to treat blisters/cuts and for general hygeine.

Went for the first time last Aug 2017 and had a blast. The weather was rain/cloudy though so my experience may be unique in that it wasn't too crowded (forecasts of thunder for the weekend). The difference being that I understand it can be a madhouse in the summer months with good forecasts. I also had all the equipment and truck for transport. No rentals or help from local stores.

http://www.sacobound.com/images/maps/SacoMap.pdf (I refer to #s on this map).

We put in at Saco Bound 2nd site (saco bound landing) cause I couldn't find a free site to park up river. The Saco bound landing parking was like $20 for the weekend. You buy it at their main building. We got off at the Hiram spot (bottom right of the map) which is free parking. This route allows you maximum time on the river while not encountering any portages if your glamping like I do and don't want to carry a ton past the swan falls dam.

The Sand Bar stories are true with a ton of them along the Saco banks - moreso in drier weather. Our wet weather reduced a few. If its super wet out with a lot of preceding rain I would check with the local rental places. It could surge enough to cover all the bars. In the beginning and end there are plenty of sand bars. Near 15 on the map they start disappearing and only appearing again towards the end when it starts getting curvy again. I would camp before 15 your first night - probably a little before. Don't want near 15 to be your last resort just in case its full. Again our weekend had bad weather so there were plenty to go around. If you go on a beautiful weekend i would get an EARLY start to claim a plot before others fill in. Can't guarantee you will get a bar to yourself, but people are generally friendly if not a tad roudy. Aim for a small bar if you want isolation.

Putting in where I did and getting out at Hiram was a solid 3 day trip, starting a late morning Friday and finishing up Sunday afternoon.

If you camp near one of the connecting lake/ponds/swamps MOSQUITOES are everywhere. ENEMY NUMBER ONE. Eaten alive our first night when parked near 15 on the map. Next time I am glamping with a mosquito gazebo so we can get some peace. Second night down the river was much more sane. I also recommend one of these for #2 trips in the woods for mosquito defense:
https://www.amazon.com/WolfWise-Portable-Changing-Dressing-Backpack/dp/B071RHQP6V/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1520992497&sr=8-7&keywords=pop+up+changing+tent

Bring a lot of firewood - has to be Maine sourced. I would see if you can buy some a little further away from the Saco to reduce tourist traps $$$. We were lucky due to the weather that we were able to find some driftwood to add to ours. However, if its a row of popular weekends I expect the river will be picked bone-dry for driftwood and you can't cut fresh wood.

I didn't fish, so can't really help you there. I didn't see too many fish in the water while travelling through, but I don't know if that is an accurate measurement.

Also, I got this after the fact but know it will be useful next time:
https://www.amazon.com/Saco-River-Map-Guide-Amc/dp/1929173199

Let me know if you have any other questions - I found information so sparse when researching it myself that its a joy to be able to share.

Never been, always wanted too. I seen this map at REI but didn't look inside, but I'm sure it has trails on it. I have their Desolation Wilderness map and its amazing. Waterproof and tearproof, easy to read and just great topo. I'm sure the Mono Lakes one would be the same. Even if there isn't much trails, you can find your way around easy! Good luck! http://www.amazon.com/Mono-Lake-Lee-Tom-Harrison/dp/1877689785

A whole new area, seems like a good time to try new things. I understand the comfort zone stuff, though.

Ok, Silverwood theme park outside of Coeur d'Alene. Small, but quite worthy. Keep in mind, the panhandle is 21,000 sq miles. It's quite a few hours from one end to the other, so it really depends on where exactly you'll be at and how mobile. Also, Cd'A has some nice spas and a beautiful lake.

Drive. Absolutely fantastic drives. Grab an Idaho Atlas and Gazetteer and do some exploring. Find nature that would make John Denver's corpse regrow its androgynous hair. Check out the drives, in and around the Palouse Divide toward Clarkia. Also, fossils.

If you don't know what huckleberries are, then your life is incomplete. Go to Elk River and visit Huckleberry Heaven. Fresh made huckleberry treats like you wouldn't believe, and the huckleberry soft-serve is incredible. This berry should have been described on the Voyager plate.

If you're down toward Lewiston/Moscow, I highly recommend a jet boat tour.

There's more, but it's bedtime for me. I'll see if I have the wherewithal to revisit this in the morning.

Monadnock isn't in the White Mountains (it's about 2 hours to the south) but it's definitely a great hike. It's not really a place for an overnight though.

A nice place in the White Mountains for a first overnight is Hermit Lake Shelters. It is in Tuckerman Ravine which is a gorgeous spot. You could hike in on day one, drop your stuff at the shelter and do a quick out and back into the base of the ravine if you feel up for it. Then day two you could hike up to Lion's Head before coming back down, grabbing your stuff and heading back to the car in Pinkham Notch.

Or you could stay at Nauman tentsite next to Mizpah Hut (one of the $100 a night huts in the Whites, but the tentsite is only $8 I believe). Day one go up to Nauman from the Highland Center, maybe including an out and back up Pierce once you drop your stuff at Nauman depending on how you're feeling/time. Day two head south to Jackson and then down to your car from there.

If you are just doing a day hike, Jackson/Webster or Jackson/Pierce make good loops. Or if you want something smaller, you could do Welch/Dickey, Willard or Crawford.

Definitely pick up a trail map of the White Mountains, especially if you are going to be doing more hiking there in the future. The Appalachian Mountain Club makes great ones, like this one.

Last summer I drove around every state west of the plains. Camping spots are so easy to find that the only spots I had to pay for were at Mt Rainier and the Grand Canyon. Finding free camping is very easy, especially if you have the right map. What makes life easier is a good atlas. While an atlas may seem a bit much for some people, it shows every road/trail in all BLM and forest service land. it makes it very easy to find a spot.

I would use Freecampsites and campscout as good tools to find free or cheap spots. when I got to a small town I would go park in front of their library and use the wifi to go on these sites as well as check the weather.

Some of the best sites I have stayed at were free or around $5. The only time I would recommend reserving a spot is in National Parks or popular ones when it is the weekend.

Do not stay in RV parks. I cannot speak for the eastern half of the country, but in the west you can find a good spot without having to stay at a noisy RV park. RV parks will also charge you a premium even if you are not using power hookups.

Here are some of my favorite spots that I found that were not only free, but had no one around. they range from the back country of the grand canyon to an outdoor shooting range next to a cornfield in Iowa

We took long drives growing up too. Half of my dad's family lives in southern California and Arizona. Whenever we visited, we would pull an all night drive down from southern Oregon. There's something magical about waking up in Laughlin, NV at 8am to your dad blasting "Welcome to the Jungle" to wake everyone up and then asking which casino we should stop at to hit the buffet and blackjack tables. (Plenty of other great trips and stories all over the West too. But that one captures the unplanned, unconventional nature with which we travel pretty well.)

Is the book you received like this? I love those things. I found it really useful to have on when I lived on the east coast. Because there is so little public land compared to here, it was hard for me to find good places to explore without those maps. (And out here, I need them so I don't go and get us lost and killed up in the mountains on BLM roads).

LUCKY 13

This:http://www.amazon.com/The-Universe-Wall-tubed-Reference/dp/079228092X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=29EV0QB26LQYK&coliid=IW3H4YECJ2NTH

And it's on my wishlist!
It will help me out when I take astrophysics in the fall!

Yup. It's overwhelming. Let me know if you want tips, but I'd really need to know:

How long you'll be there
What context (people, occasion) you're there in
What interests you

And buy one of these http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412357947&sr=8-1&keywords=tokyo+atlas if you don't want to be crazy lost all the time.

And, if you're so inclined, think about learning the japanese alphabets—being able to read is huge bc so many words are english loanwords, you'll be like hey, I know that word! If you have time to learn one of the three writing systems (two of which are alphabets and relatively easy to learn), learn katakana: http://www.realkana.com

I took a class in undergrad about languages of the world. One of the textbooks we used was The Atlas of Languages. It had a lot of helpful overview information and the class was open to non-majors so the book was pretty easy to understand.
I couldn't find the newer version (it was updated in 2008), but amazon has an older edition for less than $15:
Here!

I realize this isn't the book you're looking for, but you might find the Atlas of Languages interesting as well.

There's a 1997 version on Amazon, but just searching around makes me think that this is a better choice as far as time lines go.

I used to use the Tokyo City Atlas in the dark days before smart phones, and it worked quite well for me.

• What exactly is a JR Pass used for? Is it for any train/bus in Japan (except for 2 lines)? Would it be worth it if I'm only going to be in Tokyo for 4 days?
  
  The JR Pass is a 7 day or more pass that gives you access to most JR trains (JR is a train company in Japan). JR is the main company, but note that JR is not the only company, and the JR pass does not cover any other company's fares. Off the top of my head there's 7 or 8 train companies or public authorities aside from JR in the Tokyo area, although the vast majority of these are commuter lines -- 'spokes' out from central Tokyo. It's important to note that JR doesn't service most of central Tokyo (inside the JR Yamanote line) -- that's done by 2 subway operators.
  
  The other important note is that if you are coming to Japan on any real visa status (ie, not on a tourist visa or visa exception) you CANNOT use a JR Pass. They will let you buy it, but when you go to register it after landing in Japan, you'll be SOL.
  
  
• If so, would I hypothetically be able to use the JR Pass for just moving around Tokyo on the local trains for a few days or would that involve buying some other type of fare (same question for Fukuoka travel)?
  
  Only to a small extent, unless you wanted to stick to Yamanote and Chuo/Sobu line stops and walk/take a taxi the rest of the way. See above.
  
  
  
• If I only need a round-trip ride to Tokyo and back, would the 7 day JR Pass still be worth it for just getting to and from Tokyo for a few days?
  
  Probably not. You would practically committing a crime against tourism if you are going from Fukuoka to Tokyo and you don't stop in Kyoto and Nara, etc, however. There's timetables and prices out there- I don't have the URL handy at the moment.
  
  
• If not, what would I be better off doing? Buying tickets for the ride on my own or maybe just take a domestic flight?
  
  Domestic flights between Fukuoka and Tokyo are somewhat cheaper than the Shinkansen, and faster. If you only want to go to Tokyo that might be the way to go.
  
  
• Does anybody have any advice on the youth hostels in Tokyo or just general cheap accommodation advice (capsule hotel)?
  
  There's plenty of travel advice here, in /r/tokyo, and in /r/japantravel that covers this. Capsule hotels are a pain in the ass if you have luggage.
  
  
• If for some reason I don't have access to the internet on my phone, how do I avoid getting lost in Tokyo? Some of the maps I've seen are terrifyingly busy and confusing.
  
  There's some train/metro maps that are offline. Tokyo is a huge place, and their addressing system is totally different than the Western world. However, if you plan ahead, it's fairly easy to find what you want. There's area maps everywhere. You might want to consider learning some basic Japanese before you go.
  
  
• Should I buy a map or guidebook before coming so I can avoid getting lost?
  
  Sure. There's a great bilingual book of Tokyo maps. It's probably overkill for coming here for a week or so, but if you don't have a smartphone and are afraid of getting lost, it might be worth it.

Better crack out your checkbook. If you can find one, it doesn't look cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/Rand-McNally-Histomap-World-History/dp/052884363X/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_title_0

This diagram is better, and by NatGeo. I have it hanging on my office wall:

http://www.amazon.com/Universe-Tubed-National-Geographic-Reference/dp/079228092X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421380141&sr=8-3&keywords=galaxy+map

If you don't have one of these I highly recommend it.

Also If you don't have much luck here, ask around in the LBS's and touring companies in Moab.

This map book of Tokyo was a god send to me even though I had taken one year of Japanese before I spent the summer there. It's bilingual so it'll help with trains and such for kanji you don't recognize.

http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370577812&sr=8-2&keywords=Tokyo+map

What state are you in? Look on amazon for "atlas and gazetteer <your state>"

https://www.amazon.com/Virginia-Atlas-Gazetteer-Delorme/dp/0899333265

Pick up the AMC's white mountain national forest map. Lots of options within 2-3hours.

http://www.amazon.com/White-Mountain-National-Forest-Guide/dp/1934028487/ref=pd_sim_b_3

I buy the National Geographic maps. I carry that, and an atlas whenever I go out. I don't have a GPS yet, and even if I did, I still would have these.

Addresses: For an example of what the other poster wrote, I'll give a specific example. I used to live in Ninomiya 3-5-1. Meaning, I live in a neighborhood called Ninomiya, which itself is divided into several sections, and I live in the 3rd section of Ninomiya. My block is #5, and my building is #1 on the block. A lot of the numbering of blocks and buildings is based on when they were built up.


Directions: The modern version of turning left at the Johnson farm. "Take the expressway and then the exit for Mitsukaido. At the end of the ramp, take a left at the stoplight, then a right at the second 7-11. We live in the 3rd apartment building on the right, next to the ramen shop. At the E entrance, find our name on the list to ring and be let in."

Arrrgh: For those who want a more Western looking map, I recommend books like this one for Tokyo.

It depends on how much detail you need. I found the Tokyo City Atlas published by Kodansha essential when I lived there. It was the only way I found to make sense of the fact that there are no street names - just building, block and district (chome) numbers.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458

If you're visiting well known tourist spots its probably overkill though.