I'm planning on taking a long solo road trip next week. I've got two trips in mind and I'm not sure which one I should take.
My main goals:
- Go places I've never been
- See beautiful things
- Do a little camping inside my SUV
- Have an adventure or two
Trip 1: Utah to South Carolina Coast and drive back through the Smoky Mountains
Pros
- I get to stay in the greatest country God ever created
- I'll get to visit 7 states I've never been to
- Will be able to use a bunch of Marriott and Hilton points I have to stay in hotels when not camping
- I have no idea what the South Carolina coast is like, but I'm hoping I can find a place to camp near a beach
- Despite being in new places, I'll be near the familiar and should be able to easily avoid ever being far from help should I need it
Cons
- Will be hot
- No cool wildlife
Trip 2: Utah to Hyder, Alaska (through Banff)
Pros
- Should be breathtakingly beautiful
- Will get to see bears
- Shouldn't be hard to find great places to camp
- Won't be hot
- Will get to visit 1 state I've never been to, plus Canada
Cons
- Not many Hiltons or Marriotts on the way to or from Hyder, so not sure where I'll stay if not camping
- Completely unfamiliar with the area, and have worries about what I'll do if I need help
- Unsure of how AAA and auto insurance work in Canada (or if I can even take the rental car into Canada)
- Do I need to worry about bears eating me?
- No beach
What do you guys think? Which trip should I do?