Trip planning input / help request

Ranger431 wrote:
Ive been doing a bit more research and planning and have made some adjustments. I don't have the specific overnight campgrounds, but will add them later.

Day 1, leave on Friday after work drive for about 5 hours and stay in MO.

Day 2 Make it to the far side of Nebraska. About 8 hours of driving.

Day 3 - go a little out of the way, but stay at Devils Tower. Ever since seeing Close Encounters as a kid I've wanted to see it.

Day 4 - stay put, see Devils Tower,

Day 5 make it to Colters Bay in the Grand Tetons

Day 5-7 Enjoy the Grand Tetons

Day 8 head to Fishing Bridge / Yellowstone around lunch

Days 9-11 Yellowstone

Day 12 - Head home, make it to mid Nebraska

Day 13 - Almost there,Missouri.

Day 14 - back home.

Was debating whether to skip DT and spend an extra day at GT or Yellowstone, but it just seems too neat not to see it. Maybe even spend the morning of day 4 there and drive to Rushmore for the afternoon since its only 2 hours and I wouldn't be towing.

This should have all "driving days" at 8 hours or less, I think 1 day is between 8&9 hours.

If you leave on that Friday and count that as "Day 1", then you will have 17 days, if you go all the way until Sunday at the end of the two weeks. Not sure if you can, but 14 days will put you coming in a Thursday.

I'm gonna go against the grain here and say go for it. You might wanna slim down some things. But we are in the same boat as you. We have limited time for vacation and want to get a lot in. I would consider this a road trip and not a destination trip. A destination trip to us is to get to where we want to be and stay put. Then leave and go home. We are considering a two week whirlwind road trip as well, from NC. Right now, we are considering the Southwest. Furthest point being the Los Angeles area. We would love to spend a week or so there (California), but that's being unrealistic. Unsure of route there and back. Considered I-10 towards Phoenix. At one point, even had us going from LA to Grand Canyon, Colorado, etc...But it was going to limit the time in Los Angeles, which we may revisit that trip on planning again.

I've also considered heading northwest towards Mt Rushmore and see where we can go that way. Another trip was up towards Michigan, maybe Chicago and some other places. Another idea was Maine, Niagara Falls, etc.. Still looking at it, but it will be leaving in the evening of a Friday and coming back home either the Saturday or Sunday at the end of two weeks. Around 16 days long. I will take that Monday off. My daughter will be on summer break. My wife will be the only one having to work that Monday, more than likely. But she won't be the one driving, so she will be able to rest up. I will take care of things (laundry, etc) that Monday when we get home.

Like I said, this would be a road trip and not a destination trip for us. The only place we would want to spend more than a couple nights would be California, if we go that way, or all the way out there.

But you know how far you are willing to drive at a time. Some don't like to drive 2 hours, never the less 12 hours. I've driven the road between Augusta, Georgia to Southern California 3 times. Each time there were only 2 overnight stops. Little Rock, Arkansas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. I take that back..One of the trips did include a couple nights in Las Vegas. We even drove to the Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest/Painted Desert. Spent enough time (30 minutes - 1 hour) to see the wonders along the way. Decide your trip and plan it. It's your trip and no one else. Do it the way you want to do it.