1st Cross Country Trip..thoughts?

[mcguirehg]

I'm still working on our agenda for our 1st cross country trip. I really narrowed down the trip a bit so we aren't rushing around too much. We are driving from NY with the hope to get out west in a few days and enjoy the west as much as possible. Any thoughts or needed adjustments at each park, shorter longer stays? From Tenton to Moab we filled in the Salt Lake area.....any thoughts if this is a worthwhile stop with kids? Dan





1. Travel to about Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, IN ,14 hours, 756 miles
2. Blackhills & Bandlands, South Dakota, 14 hours, 895 miles, electric hookups (5 nights-reservation required) – Custer State Park
http://gfp.sd.gov/state-

3. Yellowstone National Park, 10.5 hours, 620 miles (9 nights, reservation required)


4. Grand Teton National Park (3 nights)


5. Park City/Salt Lake area

6. Moab Utah (dead horse requires reservations,5 nights)
http://www.utah.com/stateparks/dead_horse.htm

7. Pikes Peak
http://www.pikes-peak.com/
Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Olympic Training Center, Cheyenne Canyon, Manitou Springs, Pikes Peak, Cog Railway, Cave of the Winds, Broadmoor, Seven Falls, Old Colorado City, Santa's Workshop, Historic Cripple Creek


8. Rocky Mountain National Park (6 nights)
•

[jdamon71]

Well from experience (last year Colorado to Maine) I would do the loop and include I80 and I70 as suggested. Also kind of a great place to break up the New York to Indiana section is in Ohio. Here is the link to an outstanding Good Sams Campground (more like a resort) with plenty to do for the kids to unwind (and very reasonable as well).

http://www.goodsamcamping.com/travel/campgroundsandrvparks/generalinfo.aspx?cgid=990000275

Its pretty close to the Columbus Zoo and for my two little Jack Hanna fans was a must (if you go, they honor out of state zoo memberships at a 50% discount).

I too would recommend the "high mountain areas" of Colorado over the Springs area (being a resident of Edwards for 6 years) and would even recommend the drive over Hwy 24 (out of Eagle) than that of Hwy 91 (out of Copper). Vail and Beaver Creek Ski Areas run summer time gondolas to the top where there is lots to do. If you go to the Buena Vista/Salida area you need to soak in the Cottonwood Hot Springs.... Which I recommend. Another of our favorite areas if you are headed up the Steamboat way is Stage Coach State Park.... It is very kid friendly with great facilities and lots to do (but reserve early!)If you are looking to explore a little Ancient History then I recommend Mesa Verde (down in the southwest of Co) it is in the NPS and a great place to visit. In the Black Hills after I drug my kids through the Monument (which is breath taking) I found that there are some other more kid type activities. I would recommend the Wind Caves (next to Custer), the Mammoth Dig, The AAA Gold Mine and the Reptile Farm (both in Rapid City). Hope this helps....

[gswcgi]

Although we live in the west and have been RVing 54 years (yes I had one of the first pick up slide ins ever made) we never drive more than 300 miles a day, usually less, never drive at night and never in the rain...always stop no later than 3:00pm. In my opinion you are trying to cover too much territory in a day. I have RV'd in all 48 states & Alaska & Canada & Mexico with kids and they all lose their "sitability" factor after about 200 miles on most roads. Stretch it out if you can and it will be a more enjoyable experience!

[GGeorge]

OK, here are my thoughts, I will not bring up the travel distances you have chosen because everyone else has warned you about your milesage and estimated hours of driving. So..........

I would allow more days at Blackhills/Badlands areas, there is a lot to see and do.

I would allow more time at Moab, there are several National Parks in the area with great recreation opportunities.

I would allow more time in Salt Lake, again, a lot to do.

I would invest in the book "Guide to Free Campgrounds" from the rvbookstore.com for your stopovers. Lowes and Walmarts are nice and cheap for passing thru the area, however traveling with kids will require an extremely cheap campground to explore or burn off energy before tomorrows trip. They will enjoy the stops better than Walmart or Lowes.

Goiod luck!

[Thom02099]

kknowlton wrote:
My message got long and was getting slow to work with, so I'll continue. You didn't address - or I missed - your plans for returning home to NY. From RMNP, depending on the time you have left, you might consider crossing Nebraska - you can take I-70 to I-76, which will connect back to I-80 near Ogallala. There are several interesting pioneer-related sites along I-80, near Kearney and also near Grand Island, including some living-history museums. One thing the kids may love (and you too) is the museum that is built in a "bridge" that spans I-80 near Kearney.
Lots of very effective dioramas and displays that bring the trek west to life (so to speak). If you tire of private CGs but still would like at least electric hookups, Nebraska has several state parks/recreation areas/"waysides" with decent CGs between Ogallala and Grand Island too. You may be able to find a site there for a night or two. Be aware they charge a park entry fee in addition to the camping fee.

http://archway.org/
Great Platte River Road Archway....an impressive sight driving across the Nebraska plains!

Yup, there are some good state parks in Nebraska along I-80. When you get into Iowa, there's also a very nice KOA outside Des Moines, in Adel IA, IIRC. Stayed there a couple seasons ago, very nice for a stop over location.

[kknowlton]

My message got long and was getting slow to work with, so I'll continue. You didn't address - or I missed - your plans for returning home to NY. From RMNP, depending on the time you have left, you might consider crossing Nebraska - you can take I-70 to I-76, which will connect back to I-80 near Ogallala. There are several interesting pioneer-related sites along I-80, near Kearney and also near Grand Island, including some living-history museums. One thing the kids may love (and you too) is the museum that is built in a "bridge" that spans I-80 near Kearney. Lots of very effective dioramas and displays that bring the trek west to life (so to speak). If you tire of private CGs but still would like at least electric hookups, Nebraska has several state parks/recreation areas/"waysides" with decent CGs between Ogallala and Grand Island too. You may be able to find a site there for a night or two. Be aware they charge a park entry fee in addition to the camping fee.

[kknowlton]

I agree with the others who cautioned against long hours of driving, unless you have multiple drivers and very patient grandkids who are willing to sit for long periods of time. I have been planning our camping trips, some of them quite long, for many years now and I still manage to underestimate the time it takes to get from place to place. We have found that we average just under 50 mph on a long day (which to us is anything over 6 hours total). Terrain, leg cramps, 2-lane roads (especially in mountains), headwinds - all of those things can slow you down considerably beyond what you plan. Just my 2 cents.

I built several travel days in so we can be sure to take our time. Our trip has us on the Road on June29 and checking out of RMNP on August 5th.

Leave Sunday, June 29th at night
Drive: 6/30, 7/1, 7/2
7/3 Custer Park

Dive: 7/8, 7/9

Yellowstone National Park: Check in: July 10th

BIG improvement over your original plan. Now for some CG & sightseeing tips, based on our experiences.

First, on the way to the Black Hills, I would definitely recommend a night at the Badlands/White River KOA. We have been there, and it is a welcome bit of shade in very open, mostly treeless country. The Badlands can be hot, even that early in the season. This KOA has plenty of space for kids to wander, and IIRC has a pool they may want to cool off in. Nice place. Before you get there, a suggestion for one night would include the Yogi/Jellystone CG in Sioux Falls, SD. Road noise isn't bad, especially in the upper levels, and I think they have some things for kids to do. Fairly spacious pull-thru sites for a private CG, and some shade as well. From there, it's a fairly easy one-day drive to the Badlands. If you spend 2 nights there, you can spend one day driving the Badlands loop and stop for some short hikes. Be aware that 4th of July will be a busy time in any state park or tourist area, also anything near a large town or city. I would suggest reservations, or at least calling ahead about availability.

I second the recommendation for Devils Tower as well, and the KOA there has a spectacular view. No hookups in the national park CG there and sites are mostly for shorter rigs; if yours is big, you will need to be at the KOA. I'd reserve. One night should be fine, especially traveling there from the Black Hills, as that will be a fairly short drive. From there you can go over the Bighorns and into Cody, as previously suggested, though that drive can be pretty intense - those are REAL mountains! Should you wish to take a different route and stick with I-90, I might suggest a night and 1/2 day visiting Little Bighorn National Battlefield (you know, Custer's last stand) - very interesting tours & ranger talks there, and several decent CGs nearby. (We stayed at the Hardin KOA and enjoyed it. Kids might like the nightly ice cream social.)

[uncle_t]

what baffles me is why any retired person feels it necessary to travel 400-600 miles on any day in their lives. 30% of accidents are attributed to fatigue. what is the big rush?

[dcason]

Happy kids, happy family...run them hard when you stop so they are content to sit. But I am sure you know their tolerance level for how
long they will be content to sit.

Enjoy, you will all have a great time!

[Shepherd]

Are you forgetting Montana,Idaho, Washinton, Oregon,and California?:C

[newk]

mcguirehg wrote:
...
2. Blackhills & Bandlands, South Dakota, 14 hours, 895 miles, electric hookups (5 nights-reservation required) – Custer State Park
http://gfp.sd.gov/state-

3. Yellowstone National Park, 10.5 hours, 620 miles (9 nights, reservation required)


4. Grand Teton National Park (3 nights)...;

Since I live near these, I'll comment on this portion.

The Badlands, Southern Blackhills, Northern Blackhills and Wyoming Blackhills are all good, but they're pretty spread out. You might want to consider spending the first night in the Badlands rather than bypassing them, then driving back there later. It would be quite a drive from Custer SP to the Badlands and back. I've never stayed there, but I've heard the KOA at the east edge of the Badlands is good.

Likewise, you might want to spend your last Blackhills night at Devils Tower, as it's quite a long trip from Custer, and it's probably worth a visit. There's a nice NPS campground (no hookups) inside the Devils Tower Monument grounds, or if you need hookups, there's a decent KOA just outside the park gate.

The Blackhills are GREAT for family vacations! Use Google to get some ideas, but I'd highly recommend Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, Jewel Cave near Custer, and Bear Country and Reptile Gardens in Rapid City. There are dozens of other attractions. Let everyone in the family pick their favorite one or two to have a voice in your plans.

You'll be traveling over (or long trip around) the Bighorn Mountains on your way from the Blackhills to Yellowstone, so you may as well make use of one of the many NFS campgrounds in the Bighorns. This is a very nice mountain range that's often overlooked by tourists simply because they're in a hurry to get from the Blackhills to Yellowstone. It's a shame, because they have a lot to offer. We have friends and family from Oregon who spend a week in the Bighorns nearly every summer. They avoid the crowds of Yellowstone and the Blackhills and just enjoy the mountains -- fishing, hiking, sightseeing and always a big campfire at night for a bbq, burnt marshmallows and memories retold.

Whether you take Hwy 16 (Buffalo to Tensleep) or Hwy 14 (Sheridan/Ranchester to Shell/Greybull), you'll be going past more than a dozen nice, quiet campgrounds. Buffalo also has at least three nice ones right in town.

You might also want to spend a night in Cody before heading into Yellowstone. the Buffalo Bill Museum is one of the best "Old West" museums anywhere in the country. Plan on AT LEAST a half day for it.


Yellowstone and Teton NPs are basically side-by-side, so you'll be driving out of one and into the next. Unless your family is into long hikes on primitive trails, 12 days is quite a long visit for these magnificent parks, especially when you have similar visits planned for Colorado's National Parks.

(And southern Utah is hotter than hell in the summer. That's the SW desert. Daytime temps are HOT!)

[Thom02099]

I agree with 4runnerguy, unless you really have a burning desire to see Colorado Springs, go over to Salida/Buena Vista/Leadville area, and I'd add in Fairplay and the South Park area...drop dead gorgeous scenery, what Colorado is all about. You could also add in the upper part of the San Luis Valley, south of Poncha Springs as well as Monarch Pass. OR...cut back on the C Springs area and combine the two, maybe add a day or 2 here and cut back a day or two in RMNP.

For coming up to RMNP from the Springs, check to see if US36 is open at the time that you will be traveling. Due to our floods in September, it's currently not recommended for RV/Trailer travel, as it's being rebuilt with road closures common. This will, according to CDOT, take years to complete, but they will likely be able to make good headway this year. Just lots of delays taking that route. Preferred/ recommended route is US34 from Loveland to Estes Park, presuming you're planning to stay in Estes. Make reservations early! Parks there fill up quickly.

[4runnerguy]

I don't know the ages of your kids, but in general, I always recommend Salida/Buena Vista/Leadville over Colorado Springs. So much to see and do there without all the traffic (isn't vacation about getting away?). Plus, it's higher up, so cooler in the summer (Colorado native here, we visit that area several times a year and I wouldn't mislead you!)

Speaking of heat, you're going to find the Moab area very hot if you're there in the summer. And there's precious little shade. You'll have to be very careful to keep younger children adequately hydrated. Plus, they may find the rocks too hot to play on during the heat of the afternoon. Moab is one of the most scenic areas in this country, but in the summer, it can be oppressive. You might consider a different place to spend some time instead.

Add one more voice to the chorus of not too many miles in a day. If for no one else's sake but the children. Kid's don't look at scenery, they want to be out in it experiencing it.

[JimFromJersey]

Well,everyone else has the travel time and Kiddie Warnings pretty well covered. Pay heed.. 🙂 Now, for your other questions. Salt Lake City is interesting, but there is not much there for "youngsters" - at least, I didn't see any when we were there in late June 2012. Antelope Island State Park up in the Lake is nice, and would probably have been even more fun had it not been 104' and 40MPH winds when we were there. Not a lot of shade, if you know what I mean. On cooler days, it's a fun place, I'm sure.

We went south from SLC to Moab along I-15 and US 50 from Scipio to Salina (or was it Salina to Scipio?..) I-70 is scenic, but not exciting to a 7-year old. The drive down Spotted Wolf Canyon is a unique event. Canyonlands and DHP are spectacular, hope for good weather. Arches is a full day at least, perhaps two if you get out and hike a bit. Again, in early July 2012 it was 100' there. If you're interested, here's my extremely amateur travelogue of our RV trip.

Antelope Island and the rest of 2012 Vacation

[profdant139]

The other issue is this -- how old are your kids? How well do they tolerate sitting still for long periods of time? You don't want a mutiny. Don't ask me how I know this . . . . .