alonalbert wrote:
OK, so lets ask this a different way:
Given that I only have 30 days and I'm starting and ending in SF, what would a good trip look like and how do I go about planning it?
I've seen a mention of Microsoft S&T, is that the best tool out there?
I just use an old fashioned atlas, look for the green shaded areas and connect them together. Then I use Google Maps to get alternative routes and mileages.
For your trip, I'd suggest SF to Utah/Zion/Bryce/Arches/Canyonlands/Grand Canyon (1 week), through Colorado/Telluride/Ouray/I-70/Rocky Mountain NP and up to the Black Hills/Rushmore (5 days), then west to Yellowstone/Grand Tetons (5 days), west to Oregon via the Columbia River Gorge (2 days), down the OR coast through Oregon with side trips to places like Mt. St. Helens and Crater Lake (1 week), and back to SF (2 days).
You will still be spending a lot of time behind the wheel of a big, ungainly vehicle, but you'll see some of the highlights of the western U.S. You'll find many of the roads between these places aren't quick drives. Heck, even I-70 up Glenwood Canyon has a 50 mph speed limit. The roads in Yellowstone are mostly 35 MPH. Add in photo stops, fuel and bathroom breaks, and the travel time adds up quickly and a month goes by fast. You'll touch on the highlights, so good planning is necessary to maximize your sightseeing.
As I noted earlier, it's important to get your route figured out soon, as you are going to be visiting very popular places where campsite reservations are going quickly,
