Trip Planning: The Perfect Family Trip 2016!

[tragusa3]

Hello to all my friends here that have shared in our first, "The Perfect Family Trip". At the time, we thought that may be a one time shot. We are terribly excited to say that we have had a permanent change in our work that will allow us to have repeat after repeat!

Here's the link to the first trip. Trip Report: The Perfect Family Trip

I remember several commenting that the word "perfect" was inappropriate and not synonymous with road trips. Since our first lived up to the word in every way, keeping it in my thread title seemed fitting.

I look forward to having all your input and help in planning our Summer 2016. Reservations are key to us having a stress free trip, so we need to get an itinerary put together soon!

Here's our initial thoughts: Leave SC around June 7th, 2016 and have 6 weeks with a possible 7th if it is needed.

-Badlands
-Hot Springs
-Wind Cave
-Custer SP
-Mt. Rushmore
-Little Big Horn
-Yellowstone
-Tetons
-Glacier (optional...might be too far out for us?)

Looks like about 4500 miles round trip for us. We did 6,000 last summer and were fine with it.

I haven't researched enough to know how much time at each park yet. I'm thinking that Yellowstone is the cornerstone of the trip and deserves about 10 days. If Glacier works in, I think a large block there too, being that it's so far.

Planning with you guys was so much fun, let's start throwing out ideas, suggestions and comments!

[tragusa3]

Thanks guys. I will make recommended adjustments.

Ecobullet, those "along the route" places are something I need help with. When I planned the four corners trip last year, it seemed easier to stumble into things that break the drive. With this loop, I don't know what's between destinations...if anything.

[EcoBullet]

2gypsies wrote:
I think you could cut down 10 days for Yellowstone since your overall trip covers a lot of territory. 5 or 6 days would be plenty for a first trip. You can always go back.

Also, 8 nights in Glacier is a bit much. You can easily go from side to side so just stay in one place for 5 nights or so.

I was thinking along those lines also. It would free up some time for other neat places on or near the route, like Flathead Lake and the National Bison Range, SW of Kalispell, MT and the Green River Lakes area in the Wind River Range near Pinedale, WY.

[2gypsies1]

I think you could cut down 10 days for Yellowstone since your overall trip covers a lot of territory. 5 or 6 days would be plenty for a first trip. You can always go back.

Also, 8 nights in Glacier is a bit much. You can easily go from side to side so just stay in one place for 5 nights or so.

[EcoBullet]

HTT to be? wrote:
Looks like an awesome trip! No darts, but a few thoughts.
For me, I would tweek a bit, as I am not as fond of the Black Hills area as I am w/ Glacier,Yellowstone and GTNP. So, I would add a few days to GT, and a few days to each side of Glacier. I am with 4runnerguy as far as liking the East side best, but both are wonderful.

I agree. Black Hills are nice, but YS, GT, & Glacier are spectacular! I would also suggest using the Swan River Road (Hwy 83)for either going up or back to Glacier, instead of dead-heading on the east side.

[HTT_to_be_]

Looks like an awesome trip! No darts, but a few thoughts.
For me, I would tweek a bit, as I am not as fond of the Black Hills area as I am w/ Glacier,Yellowstone and GTNP. So, I would add a few days to GT, and a few days to each side of Glacier. I am with 4runnerguy as far as liking the East side best, but both are wonderful.

[tragusa3]

I've been working the map this morning. Seems that I am getting the hang of google maps a little better.

Here's what I have so far:




4,975 miles total

About 1,700 miles to Teton. Of course, that's broken a little. Last year, we did about 1700 miles to the first large attraction. So, similar if not the same...

Leave home June 7th.

1. Drive 1.5 days and visit Lincoln's home (500m)
2. Drive 1.5 days and visit Golden Spike Tower (600m)
3. Drive 2 days with visit Register Cliff Arrive at Tetons(about 600m) ABOUT JUNE 12TH
4. Spend 3 nights at Tetons
5. Drive to Yellowstone (60m) spend 10 nights ABOUT JUNE 15TH-24TH
6. Drive 1.5 days to Glacier (400m) spend 4 nights Glacier East and 4 nights Glacier West ABOUT JUNE 25-JULY3
7. Drive 3 days stop at Little Big Horn (400m) stop at Devil's Tower for 2 nights
8. Drive .5 day to Badlands Area (100m) and spend 8 days at various attractions. ABOUT JULY 8-15TH
9. Drive home (1400m) in 3 days.

Arrive home July 18th.

This is an initial pen to paper itinerary. Looks like I could throw another 5 days in somewhere.

Please throw darts at this with me!

[tragusa3]

4runnerguy, come on...we don't qualify as a very strong moderate hiker? geez. Thanks for your input. Your suggestions will certainly be considered.

Escargot, michigansandzilla, 2gypsies, I like your attitudes! I bet most that don't enjoy camping can't embrace that concept.

Glad you enjoyed it CloudDriver. It's been about 6 months since we've looked at the pictures and videos. Time to do it again! I'm not sure of our route yet. I struggled trying to use Google Maps last year, and seem to be doing so again. It's not as intuitive as you'd think. Your suggestions seem right up our alley. Even reading your brief descriptions of the ruts and register cliff, brings about a sense of adventure, awe and the bravery that was required of these settlers.

I'm going to start putting all of this onto a map and a calendar. I'll post as soon as I get it together.

[CloudDriver]

I just finished reading through your long post form last year's trip (all 22 pages) and really enjoyed it. We have been to many of the places you visited and your pictures brought back fond memories.

You already have great suggestions from others in this thread regarding the destinations you posted, so I won't repeat. I was curious about what route you might take from SC to Yellowstone, so put those points into Streets & Trips. S&T included I80 across Nebraska before heading up to Yellowstone. We have done that several times and have enjoyed short stops at the Oregon Trail sites along I80 and route 26 between Ogalalla and I15 in WY.

For your consideration if you go that way:

Along I80
- Fort Kearney in Kearney NE - Not a lot there
- The Golden Spike Tower overlooking the Bailey Yard of the Union Pacific RR in North Platte. Yard started as part of the original Transcontinental RR and has grown the the largest rail yard in the world. Watch rail cars being "humped" to sort into new trains.

Along route 26
- Windlass Hill in Ash Hollow State Park where wagons were lowered down a steep hill.
- Chimney Rock - nice visitor center there.
- Scotts Bluff - Visitor Center and trail ruts there.
- Fort Laramie - Visitor Center and a number of restored buildings
- At Guernsey WY are the best preserved trail ruts. Some 4 ft deep in a limestone outcrop with marks of wagon wheels still visible.
- About 2 miles away from the ruts is Register Cliff with names of immigrants and others carved into the cliff face.

[2gypsies1]

We even fell through a septic tank with our 40' motorhome but the campsite was absolutely 'perfect'. We were babysitting a 10,000 acre ranch in Oregon! We were asked to park there but didn't know about the septic. . . had to build a road under us to drive out. 🙂

OP: You have another wonderful family trip planned. You'll succeed at this one, too.

[michigansandzil]

Escargot wrote:

I remember several commenting that the word "perfect" was inappropriate and not synonymous with road trips.

"Perfect" is a perfectly acceptable word to use as long as thwarted intentions and unmet expectations are embraced and appreciated as part of the perfection.

Enjoy.

X2!
I've had "perfect" trips with a broken tow vehicle and busted water line in the bunk house. It's all how you look at it!

[Escargot]

I remember several commenting that the word "perfect" was inappropriate and not synonymous with road trips.

"Perfect" is a perfectly acceptable word to use as long as thwarted intentions and unmet expectations are embraced and appreciated as part of the perfection.

Enjoy.

[GBEngineer]

I agree with what some others have said. I liked Glacier the best on your list. I preferred the east side of the park. We took a boat across a lake at the Many Glacier hotel and took a pretty hike from the boat drop off. It was very reasonably priced. Many pretty and interesting hike that are not to strenuous. We did them with our kids (2,6, & 8 at the time) but had to carry the 2 year old in a back pack think most of the time. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

[4runnerguy]

tragusa3 wrote:
I know it is personal taste on how much in each park, but it is helpful to hear opinions. We are hikers, and that can require more time. Actually, let me hear from some true hikers. Based on our last trip, What do we qualify as? Moderate hikers? Heavy hikers? We hiked about 50 miles of trail in 40 days. Longest was 9 miles for "The Narrows" at Zion.

In looking at your trip report from last year, I think we've hiked every trail you did. Based on that, I think I would stick to the easy and moderate trails they have listed on the NPS website, although some of the hikes I'll list below might be on their strenuous list, mostly because of length. There's both distance and elevation gain to consider. Once one starts hiking 12 to 15 miles in a day, that gets to be a pretty good slog.

At Yellowstone, you'll find quite a few other trails besides the ones going into the popular thermal features. Hike down into the canyon to see the falls from below. Hike up Mt. Washburn through great flower patches for a top down look at much of Yellowstone. Hike out to the Lone Star Geyser Basin and if you have a lot of energy, continue another 8.5 miles to Shoshone Geyser Basin (over 20 miles for the whole trip). Both of these are backcountry geyser basins that most park visitors don't go see. For something different, take your swimming suits and hike the Boiling River Trail. It's about a mile round trip, but it's one of the few places in YNP you can swim in one of the warm water springs. But don't miss the popular trails through the Geyser Basins. Stop at the visitors center near Old Faithful and get a list of the estimated eruption times and plan your trip around the geyser basin.

At Grand Teton, take the ferry boat across Jenny Lake and hike up Cascade Creek. If you have the energy, it's a 15 mile round trip to Lake Solitude from the boat dock. For another good hike that gets you up right below the Grand Teton, park at Lupine Meadows trailhead and hike up to Amphitheater Lake. You'll be looking right up at the major peaks of the Tetons. Only 10 miles RT, but a lot of elevation gain.

At Glacier, we really liked the hikes out of Many Glacier. Also, consider hiking the Highline Trail out to/past Granite Park Chalet.

[TenOC]

EcoBullet wrote:
Devil's Tower is pretty close to your route, just west of the Black Hills. Might want to consider it, and while you are out that far, you might as well go for Glacier, only another 370 miles and lots of awesome scenery. Then you might as well catch Theodore Roosevelt NP on a northern route home.

10 days in YS is a long time. You can see the "hot" spots in 2 or 3 days. Or spend a few YEARS to see it all. Glacier YES,



If you have a passport visit the Canada "side" that is Waterton Park. Not worth the expense to get a passport ($100.00 ????) each.
But next year you may want to family trip to Canada and AK and will need it them.


TR yes.

This photo is from the North part of TR.

[littlemo]

This will be an awesome trip! Enjoy!