A Lap Around America

Although they already had some 300,000 miles of RVing under their belts, Frank and Durelle Cloutier decided in 2008 to undertake a five month, 11,000 mile “lap around America.” They had a nearly new, forty foot 2007 Allegro Bus built by Tiffin Motorhomes that was itching to stretch its legs. The detailed itinerary they developed listed forty stops ranging in length from overnight to three weeks. The stops were chosen to visit old friends or new vistas. Memorable stops included: the Maine coast, the Great Lakes, the Badlands of South Dakota, Yellowstone National Park, Little Big Horn National Monument, Mount Rushmore, the Devil’s Tower, the Oregon coast, Crater Lake, USAFA, New Orleans, and Branson, Missouri.

Except for one stop in Rapid City for the factory recall replacement of the steering gearbox, the big old diesel motorhome performed flawlessly. The weather for the entire trip was tailored for the photographer. They were accompanied by a very social fellow traveler named Belle, an older golden retriever. The only portion she missed was the touring of Yellowstone with all its wildlife.

This book is not intended to be a template for how to arrange a nationwide touring adventure. Such wanderings must, of necessity, be very flexible to allow for unforeseen events and the occasional, “Can’t we stay another day?” requests. It does contain 180 pictures that ought to inspire one to hit the road and to experience a small taste of this great country of ours.