I posted last month asking for ideas about the Pacific Northwest, but now we're leaning toward Yellowstone & Glacier instead. I've got 2 routes in mind, and would like some feedback...Either way we would head up I-15 form Sourthern California, hitting Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and then Glacier. From there, I'm having trouble deciding which way to come home - heading west and coming home on the coastal route, or heading east, and hitting Mt. Rushmore and parts of Colorado.Either route requires a lot of driving in only 4 weeks, so I'm not sure what we want to do at this point.East out of Glacier: Google MapsWest out of Glacier: Google Maps

Here's the question I asked last time, which provides some overview of who we are and what we like...----------------------------------------------------------------------Each year we hit the road (me, the wife, and kids who will be 4 & 7 this summer) for about a month. We have a 38' DP and a Jeep Wrangler toad. We love hiking, biking, Jeeping, and seeing the sights.This was our 2011 Trip through Utah, Colorado, & Arizona.This was our 2012 Trip through Colorado.Prior to that we've done several trips through California, inlcuding Yosemite, Shasta, Eureka, the Redwoods, Mendocino, the Bay area, Half Moon Bay, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, etc..., but I didn't create trip reports for those.

Glacier to Black Hills is a lot of open country, easy driving (except maybe for wind), but not a lot to do or see. Similarly Black Hills to Denver. As the Black Hills themselves - if you come from Chicago they are the first mountains. Coming from the west, you've seen higher ones. If you head west, consider taking US2 and WA20. I90 through Idaho passes through an historic mining district, with towns like Wallace (until the 1990s the freeway passed through main street). The Washington part of I90 is not scenic until you cross the Columbia.If you take WA20 across, consider taking it all the way to Port Townsend (includes a ferry ride), and pick up US101 there - unless you want to see Seattle itself.And further south you have decide whether you want freeway and Portland, or more coast. You could take 101 all the way.Unless you want to see San Francisco, consider taking CA20 from US101 to I5.There's another option - south through Idaho (US93 or US95), west across Oregon (US20/26), and then sample the Oregon Cascades (anything between US97 and I5).

I have a bias for CO and we are planning another trip to there is summer for the 10+th time BUT you've been to CO twice already so why a third time? I know that does not add up, but we've been to the NW 7+ times and will go back in a couple years and I assume you have not. I think the "Bad Lands" are well named and twice was enough for me as we are NOT desert people.SO, my answer is "GO West young man, GO West". Assuming a future trip to just OR & WA I would suggest going south from Glacier through the mountains of ID and then west through the middle of OR to the coast as posted in the last of the post above.On that future trip I would go north from Seattle to Anacortes, WA and take the toad on the ferry to Victoria, CA and stay in a motel for a night or two.

You are the only one who can answer the question of how much is too much. We have made both versions of your trip outline or variations several times. For us, Yellowstone is one week, Glacier is five days and that is not counting travel time to and return. I would concentrate on YS and Glacier and the routes there and return.We prefer heading up through Bishop and then up to Jerome, Id via US 6 & 93. Then through Craters of the Moon and then US 20 to West Yellowstone. Just don't like driving on I15. We stay at West Yellowstone now..used to stay at Madison campground when younger. I would not try to do the Black Hills, Sheridan, Buffalo on the same trip if you only have 4 weeks. If you really want to include that, I would skip Glacier and head from YS out through Cody to Buffalo, Wy. and then to the Black Hills. Custer State Park is one of the great state parks in the country.

Thanks for the input. I've spent some time reading your suggestions, looking them up on the map, etc..., and I was going to take your advice and "Go West". :DBut then the DW made an executive decision - she wants to head further East and go see Mt. Rushmore since she hasn't been there before. Hard to argue with that...So I'm in the process of reorganizing my trip plan to better allocate my driving days in between regions. I'll post an update after I've made some progress. But maybe something like this:Still need to work on it, but it's a start. In the meantime - can anyone suggest other points of interest in Wyoming along this general route? Or any other side trips worth making?For example, I'd like to break up the drive from Glacier NP to Mt. Rushmore, but I'm not sure what there is in between. Likewise with the drive from Mt. Rushmore to Ouray, CO. On the map I added a stop in Green River, WY, near Flaming Gorge Nat Rec Area, but that's just another random idea I threw at the wall. I'm open to any / all ideas. Thanks!

Summer 2013 Trip Ideas Tetons, Yellowstone & Glacier

MPond
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
For anyone who is interested, I've started a new thread for the trip report: http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27461949.cfm

After delaying this report for nearly 6 months, I stayed up half the night getting it done!
Hank85713
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
we did your proposed route except in reverse a few years back. We went from colo springs to the north stayed at the KOA in Casper then went over to thermopolis wyo (if you like hot springs) then went to the north again to custer NM/battlefield. Over to yellowstone from the north and down to jackson where we day tripped to the Tetons and the national elk refuge. Great tourist info center in jackson. from there we went south over into Idaho. We plan to return to the hot springs just west of the state line. the route south took us to SLC and then down to bryce and zion. we then went to GC and then home. Have never been to glacier that is on the to do list. When we went to rushmore we found little to keep ya there unless you want to be tourist and go to the tourist traps like walls drug or over to sturgis and the environs. Lots of pronghorn to see as you go to the SW.

There is supposed to be a good park for theodore roosevelt in the dakotas not far from rushmore not sure, might be a place of interest.
MPond
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
Spokane is done too...

http://www.christineboyce.com/Roadtrip2013/Spokane.asp
MPond
Explorer
Jan 12, 2014
Well, I made some progress on the 2013 Trip Report, but just haven't had time to finish it... Work has been tough for the last few months.

But if you click here, you can check out Grand Tetons, Yellowstone & Glacier N.P.'s: http://christineboyce.com/roadtrip2013/

One of these days I'll find time to finish the rest.
MPond
Explorer
Aug 22, 2013
Busskipper wrote:
Matt,

Checking in on you -- we just finished our two weeks with the Family at the beach and I usually am going through your photos of a "Great Power Trip" while with the grand kids.

Just checking in to see if we might get a preview of what went on.

Hope everything worked out, can't wait to see your trip report.

BOL,

Hi Bill! :B

We're back from our trip and everything went great, but I'm a little behind on the photos. I've got about half of the trip done, still working on the rest. I'll definitely post them up here as soon as I can, but work is really busy so it's going to be a little while.

I'll probably start a new thread for the trip report, but will post a link in this thread as well.

As a side-note: we finally found our threshold for too many miles in too few days. The first half of the trip was amazing, but the latter weeks were a little rushed. But we learned a lot and will apply it to next summer's trip plan.
Busskipper
Explorer
Aug 22, 2013
MPond wrote:
Our trip is less than 2 weeks away. We're getting pretty excited!

As of now, this is our planned route:

http://goo.gl/maps/ylPwM

Matt,

Checking in on you -- we just finished our two weeks with the Family at the beach and I usually am going through your photos of a "Great Power Trip" while with the grand kids.

Just checking in to see if we might get a preview of what went on.

Hope everything worked out, can't wait to see your trip report.

BOL,
MPond
Explorer
Jun 29, 2013
Our trip is less than 2 weeks away. We're getting pretty excited!

As of now, this is our planned route:

http://goo.gl/maps/ylPwM
MPond
Explorer
Apr 09, 2013
paulj wrote:
I've done both in a car. That is I drove Beartooth from Montana, and then turned south on Chief Joseph toward Cody. They are comparable. If anything the curves on Beartooth might be wider. The zigzag drop down the Montana side is spectacular, but not difficult (assuming you known how to control your downhill speed).

The current thread, Route to Yellowstone, has a link to a good description of all the routes to Yellowstone.

Thanks - I hadn't seen that thread (not sure how I missed it).

I'm thinking of adding a stop in Red Lodge on the way out of Yellowstone, before heading North-West to Glacier. That way we could see the Beartooth Highway without having to backtrack back to West Yellowstone.

What do you guys think?
paulj
Explorer II
Apr 09, 2013
I've done both in a car. That is I drove Beartooth from Montana, and then turned south on Chief Joseph toward Cody. They are comparable. If anything the curves on Beartooth might be wider. The zigzag drop down the Montana side is spectacular, but not difficult (assuming you known how to control your downhill speed).

THe current thread, Route to Yellowstone, has a link to a good description of all the routes to Yellowstone.
MPond
Explorer
Apr 09, 2013
Ok, another trip planning question: Can I take the DP & toad out the NW entrance of Yellowstone, and over the Beartooth Highway?

Before you answer - consider that we were not at all bothered by the US 550 from Ouray to Silverton to Durango (going either direction). I'm hoping to hear from someone who's done both and can tell me how they compare to each other.

Edit: I wonder if it should start a new thread for this question... :)

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