Yes it's another Best time to Visit thread. This one is for folks with no time restrictions, like retired folks who have toured or live in the areas. Would like to take a trip from New England to the PNW, spending some time seeing the states west of MI and just south of the Canadian border. I'm thinking roughly 10 weeks next year. I'm thinking I'd go late in the season, attempting to get home mid Oct, which means leaving the beginning of August. Any thoughts on this time frame? Figure for a few stops I'll need reservations, like Glacier.

The spring snow on the mountains is nice.The fall colors and the elk horns is nice.Less people when kids are in school.

Padlin you have targeted the heart of the watermelon. The spring can also be a great time to out there.

A couple factors to think about in your decision on when to visit out here. (1) Spring: Snow at the higher elevations...some Mt. passes are closed until late spring/early summer because of the snow pack (e.g. the N. Cascades Highway (WA-20) here normally does get plowed for opening until about Memorial Day, the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP is even later. Mt. Passes in CO, UT, etc. are at higher elevations than these two.) Snow pack in Washington Cascades is currently at 120% of a normal year. The main highways get plowed, but research campgrounds for snowpack and opening dates. (2) Autumn: Fires. Each year the summer fire season in the mountains out here and in the arid regions in between seem to get worse and last longer. Last September the day before were to leave home to pull our TT to West Glacier, the fire near their exploded and the entire region was evacuated. Needless to say, our plans changed immediately. The huge region between and including the Cascades to the Rockies is prime each year. The Olympic Mts. not so much so.

Agree with above post and more info from Washington State: The spring months through May can be pretty wet. June is cloudy but it doesn't rain as much. After the 4th of July, the weather stays sunny and warm through the end of September. The best pass for the shoulder season is Snoqualmie Pass. You can check pass conditions at http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/

I remember our Alaska trip and we drove thru Montana in late May. Great crisp, cool days, lots of green grass, no crowds. On our return in last August, Montana was great again. Later trips to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, S.Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan were all in the late summer and into October. Great weather and no crowds--school was back in session. So--IMO--we like the fall travel best.

Northern Tier States, Best time for trip | Good Sam Community

Padlin
Explorer
Apr 17, 2018
I do plan on going to Roosevelt NP, going in one direction or the other. Thanks for the tip on the state park, I'll mark it down as a possible. I'd love to stop for fishing, oubt my wife would care for it though.
Nodaker
Explorer
Apr 17, 2018
Lots of wide open spaces across Hwy 2 in ND & MT. Just west of Devils Lake, ND is Graham's Island State Park (off Hwy 2 on a side highway). Beautiful park with one loop with private sheltered sites and another section with large pull-through full hookup sites. Great Walleye fishery and guides are available in the area to help you find a mess of fish if that interests you.

Another option would be to dip down to I94 to the ND Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Padlin
Explorer
Apr 17, 2018
Parrothead Mike wrote:
I've got this urge to take US 2 from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Washington and down the Pacific Coast a ways. I've been coping & pasting RV.net comments for a couple of years. This is a bucket list item that I need to get underway.

My suggestion to you is to start from the Mackinac Bridge in the UP and hop on US 2. I've talked to a person that has done this trip and they suggested that US 2 is a good road and while parts of it are a bit boring there are some excellent stops along the way.

Below is a clicky on this trip.

https://roadtripusa.com/the-great-northern/

Thanks for the link. I had plans to take 2 as much as possible having done VT to Mackinaw in the past, really enjoyed the countryside in CA.
dedmiston
Moderator
Apr 16, 2018
DrewE wrote:
dedmiston wrote:

Does that go through Glacier National Park? That's a tough enough drive in a passenger vehicle. I would definitely detour around the park.

What a great looking route though. I'll have to add this to our bucket list too (minus Glacier NP).

US2 skirts around the southern edge of Glacier. I think technically it does dip into the park, but there's no entrance fee or gate, nor is it a difficult road to travel through that area; it's not at all like Going to the Sun road.

If you're going to drive the length of US2, you really should start from Maine lest you miss the other half of it. (There is a big gap in the middle where it's assumed you would cross Canada on your way from coast to coast.)

Good to know. Thanks!
DrewE
Explorer II
Apr 16, 2018
dedmiston wrote:

Does that go through Glacier National Park? That's a tough enough drive in a passenger vehicle. I would definitely detour around the park.

What a great looking route though. I'll have to add this to our bucket list too (minus Glacier NP).

US2 skirts around the southern edge of Glacier. I think technically it does dip into the park, but there's no entrance fee or gate, nor is it a difficult road to travel through that area; it's not at all like Going to the Sun road.

If you're going to drive the length of US2, you really should start from Maine lest you miss the other half of it. (There is a big gap in the middle where it's assumed you would cross Canada on your way from coast to coast.)
dedmiston
Moderator
Apr 16, 2018
Parrothead Mike wrote:
I've got this urge to take US 2 from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Washington and down the Pacific Coast a ways. I've been coping & pasting RV.net comments for a couple of years. This is a bucket list item that I need to get underway.

My suggestion to you is to start from the Mackinac Bridge in the UP and hop on US 2. I've talked to a person that has done this trip and they suggested that US 2 is a good road and while parts of it are a bit boring there are some excellent stops along the way.

Below is a clicky on this trip.

https://roadtripusa.com/the-great-northern/

Does that go through Glacier National Park? That's a tough enough drive in a passenger vehicle. I would definitely detour around the park.

What a great looking route though. I'll have to add this to our bucket list too (minus Glacier NP).
ppine
Explorer II
Apr 16, 2018
August is the big month in Washington because it has the driest weather. Everything will calm down after Labor Day but not before.

Anyone that thinks Washington is "sunny and warm from the 4th of July through the end of September" has never lived there, especially not in the mountains.
Parrothead_Mike
Explorer
Apr 16, 2018
I've got this urge to take US 2 from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Washington and down the Pacific Coast a ways. I've been coping & pasting RV.net comments for a couple of years. This is a bucket list item that I need to get underway.

My suggestion to you is to start from the Mackinac Bridge in the UP and hop on US 2. I've talked to a person that has done this trip and they suggested that US 2 is a good road and while parts of it are a bit boring there are some excellent stops along the way.

Below is a clicky on this trip.

https://roadtripusa.com/the-great-northern/
Padlin
Explorer
Apr 16, 2018
jplante4 wrote:
We're planning the exact trip for August-Oct this year. The word from a friend that has done this is - don't be in the Rockies after September.

The plan is to leave Aug 1 and make our way to Dayton where I'm crossing the Air Force Museum off the bucket list, then up the UP to Mackinaw and across US 2 to Glacier NP. Current thinking is down I-15 to Idaho Falls to the Craters of the Moon the back up US95 to Couer d'Alene and back on US 2 to Grand Coulee and continue onto the Puget Sound Area.

I haven't planned the trip back yet, but it will be roughly south on I-84 and I-15 to the the Grand Canyon and then east on I-40, maybe north on I-25 to Denver where I can pick up I-70 or one of the US routes east. A stop in Lee's Summit MO to visit the DD and then home for Halloween.

Hadn't thought about heading that far south from WA, another thing to consider.
legsnred
Explorer
Apr 16, 2018
No one has mentioned this but August and Sept are harvest months for some of the best fruit and veggies at roadside stands and farmers markets. Available all over the PNW.