Retired Teachers' Here as well. Here's a couple old posts, maybe something will help in your plans:
Wyoming Area Black Hills Area Not sure you plan on taking in the Tetons or not. We stayed at Colter Bay Campground, the one without hook-ups in mid-June 2010, it was a nice place for such a large campground and close to showers. Our daughter & her hubby needed them, not having showers in their A-Liner. I have heard good things about Gros Ventre Campground...get more animals walking by or close by, etc. Nice views.
If there again, I believe I'd try Gros Ventre.
The Colter Bay Visitor Center and Indian ArtsMuseum by the Colter Bay Campground is really a neat one.
On our 2nd trip to Yellowstone, we went up to Mt. Rushmore & Black Hills, then went to Yellowstone via Cody, WY. Stopped by Devil's Tower & detoured up to see the Little Big Horn Battlefield on the way to Cody.
Devil's Tower But entering Yellowstone from the North Entrance might work as well using I-90 to Livingston, MT. Then to South to Gardner & the Entry Gate on up to Mammoth. We enter that route in 2009. Not as much climbing as via Cody.
If your Route takes you near Raton Area of New Mexico. Between Clayton & Raton is the Capulin Volcano Nat'l Mon't.
A Neat Place. ------
But no CampingNear Clayton,
Clayton Lake State Park. Never been to it, however.
Sugarite Canyon State Park by Raton is a neat area.
Google Maps Routes one to Lubbock/Amarillo to Dumas to Lamar, CO (US 287 N) to Sterling (on some other #ed routes) & up to Sidney, NB. US 385 N to Hot Springs, SD & to Custer. A friend often uses parts of this route to get to Rapid City (not liking Interstates).
We've never been to Hot Spring (might be neat to do a soak there).
Plunge ------
Attractions Hot Springs AreaLikewise,
Wind Cave Area might be neat to see.
Chadron State Park in Nebraska might workout to be a good OverNight Stop.
On could also do a detour of US 385 to see
Chimney Rock, also in Nebraska.
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site could be a detour off US 287 in Colorado.
However, IMHO, One might want to go to Yellowstone/Tetons first, then if time allows head over to the Black Hills.
On Google Maps Routes, one could either go to Lubbock/Amarillo to Dumas to Lamar, CO (US 287 N), then on to East of Denver using US 287 N & other routes to I-25 N to Cheyenne.
Or at Lubbock, take US 70/84 to Clovis, then a few NM Hwys N to US 56/412 W to I-25 N (at Springer, NM). I-25 N to Cheyenne.
Ute Lake State Park might make a good OverNight Stop on this later route.
From Dumas, One could use US 87 to cut up to Raton & I-25. Might be better road than some of the backcountry NM Routes.
If you do make it to Cody, try to see the Buffalo Bill Historical Center with Five Museums Under One Roof.
http://www.bbhc.org/These 4 were really great:
Buffalo Bill Museum
Whitney Gallery of Western Art
Plains Indian Museum
Cody Firearms Museum
The Cody Chamber of Commerce has a nice Visitor Center (full of information) & with a really nice art gallery.
http://codychamber.org/visitorcenter.html
