Road trip planning NJ-South Bend IN

[Burd]

You may want to check out Shrine of the little flower on Woodward.

[Too Many Projects]

Carry a canister of gas with 2.5 minimum, 5 better, but takes more space and a larger fire hazard if rear ended.
Plan your camping sites well ahead and make reservations. Most camp grounds fill up quickly with little to no room for transient stopovers... been there, but we have a small trailer, so make due with other places to park.

[LetsFNgo]

Burd- Thanks, I’ll look that up.

Too Many Projects- I was planning to either bring a 5 gallon VP jug, or buy a smaller 3 gallon jug which should fit better in the car. I’m probably also going to buy a small aluminum harbor freight jack and try to fit all of the spare parts, fuel, and tools in the trunk. That way in the car I can keep my clothes, tent, and sleeping bag.
I’m not really sure what to do about campgrounds. I was planning to just do like a lot a bikers and set up the tent wherever I can on the side of the road that evening.

[Too Many Projects]

A tent on the side of the road sounds dangerous. Better to sleep in the back seat at a truck stop or shopping mall lot. I slept in the back seat of my Highlander one night on the way down here to Naples a week ago at a truck stop. Handy for morning restroom, coffee and food too...

[LetsFNgo]

I should specify, I’m basically planning to use national and state parks to primitive camp. Looking up the PA and Ohio state parks they list campsites that can be used for this type of camping.

In PA the Buchanan State Forest has the Lincoln Highway cutting right through the middle of it. And is around 275 miles away. I think it’s a good goal for the first night. But there’s another state park closer if I don’t make it that far.

I’m just starting to look at state forests in Ohio to figure out if any are near the Lincoln Highway.

[dykstra]

It’s like you are doing your own Two Lane Blacktop!

[Burd]

I also do my cars and coffee in June. A nice AMX comes, yours would fit rite in

[LetsFNgo]

After more research and talking to some guys, I think I’m going to scrap the Lincoln Highway idea. I’d like to do the whole thing one day, but for this trip I really want to focus on scenery and try to avoid major cities.

To do that I think I’m going to follow Rt6, or the Grand Army of the Republic Highway as it’s named, across PA, Ohio, and into Indiana where I can hook up with the Lincoln and take it north to South Bend.

Route 6 through PA seems to go through a lot more state/national parks where I can camp. And doesn’t go through any of the major cities like the Lincoln Highway was originally built to do.

I’ve been working on my list of spares and stuff to bring even though it’s months away and the car is still laid up waiting for a couple grand in new parts. But there’s a chance I may start pulling the car apart in the next week or 2.