Hey guys, I've been a lurker around here for a while, but I'm going on a trip soon and figured I could use some advice. I'm a 19-year-old kid from Indiana and I just finished my first year of college double-majoring in philosophy and political science and minoring in psychology. I've been wanting to see the west coast for about two years now, but it's failed the last two years because I wasn't old enough or last year I was busted for possession. Anyway, the plan is to take a camera, food, water, a tent, and a journal out to the west coast and see what happens. I plan on doing quite a bit of soul searching along the way, and also scouting possible locations for where I can move when I finish school or where I can go to graduate school, since I despise the midwest. The idea is to move my way quickly out to the southern part of Yellowstone in Wyoming, then to Oregon, which is the main part of the trip, where I'll see Crater Lake and scout around Eugene, Corvallis, and Portland before I go towards the coast and head south to San Francisco and Big Sur if my funds allow me to do so. Then hopefully come back a different route and see Arches National Park and maybe a bit of the Rockies. I'll be leaving in about two weeks, which leaves me around a month I can live on the road before I have to come back here and get ready for school. I've read a lot about the lifestyle and I'm heavily influenced by Jack Kerouac, so I have at least some of the knowledge, but definitely the idealism. I'm wondering, though, since I won't have the money for hotels, what I can do for showers, where the best places to sleep are (I'll alternate between my tent and my car, but parks seem out of the way to sleep in every night), and what other attractions you'd recommend me looking into along the way. Also, what food should I go after in bulk besides the obvious rice/beans/bread/ramen/PB&J/nuts? I won't be cooking much, but I might do a bit over an open fire. Thanks in advance for any advice.
i'm planning on doing a VERY similar trip next summer, but i'm in idaho, so i'm gonna go down the west coast and then up the east and spend a little bit of time in between. the only advice i could give you is bring a very dry tent, a comfy sleeping bag. and i would think that a campground of america or something comparable would be a good place to shower, or you may find some hospitable people in the area. or couchsurfer.com or a similar website would be a good place to find a shower/couch to sleep on. good luck and pm me or post a story about your trip
