Suggestions for a Road Trip?

[zeebad1]

Originally Posted by Ladybugsmom

After visiting Washington (drop me a line, if I have the day off, I'll be happy to show you around!)

We may be taking you up on this offer.

Originally Posted by Iroczlover

if you like classic cars & what have you stop through RENO NV August 6th-12th & Check out the largest classic car show west of the mississippi HOT AUGUST NIGHTS & look for

We are definitely into that kind of thing.........



Maybe we will take this one on the next trip.

Originally Posted by Sir Nuke

you made mention of not missing hwy 101.....turely, don't miss it, K personally drove 101 from Eugene Or. to San Francisco.....it was a total blast.

ALSO, since you are going the northern route towards the west....Mount Rushmore, and right down from it, the Crazy Horse Monument.....you can do both in one day with no problem.

Both of these are on the agenda.

Originally Posted by jmaynard

If you're coming through Dallas you might want to make sure that A/C is working REALLY well. We hit 104 on Saturday and even with the AC running max it was all it could do to exchange the heat. Just saying, Texas in July/August is not the best time to see our state. Expect lots of dust also so bring along your wash products.

Not a problem! It's been over 100 quite a few times over the past month.

Originally Posted by Ladybugsmom

I would suggest going into Western Washington before cutting south. You'll get to see Mount Rainier and Mount St Helens if you do that. The route you have mapped isn't very "scenic" until you get to the Columbia River Gorge. An added bonus if you go to the west side of WA??? We can give you a break from the heat wave the rest of the country has been experiencing! Highs forecasted for this week (and beyond, I'm sure, it hasn't been very summery here) are between 72-80. Sounds refreshing, huh??

Change of plans. I did talk to someone that made this same recommendation. We will be going through Seattle. We will welcome the cooler temps.

Originally Posted by fielderLS3

That looks like an awesome road trip. I've been to most of those places at one time or another over the years. No schedule to keep makes it even better. For a route that big, I say plan closer to 3 weeks than two.

A few suggestions:

Yellowstone: I hope you did at least some planning, because the hotels around there fill up well in advance, even off peak season.

As far as things to do, there are really too many to list. I have spent 3-4 days there every summer for the last 10+ years, and the most recent time just a month ago, I still found a lot of stuff to do that I had never done. In previous years, the traffic can get annoying in Yellowstone, but for some reason, it was really dead there in June. Don't know if that means more people are coming later and it will be worse than normal now, or if it is just a slow overall season.

On your way into Yellowstone, instead of the route you have mapped, I would recommend going up to Billings and catching US212 in Montana. That takes you into the northeast entrance via Bear Tooth Pass.

Also, if you get a good, clear sky day, plan to take a side trip down to Grand Teton Park. Clear days can be hard to come by, but if you get one, Teton is spectacular.

Glacier: Another excellent choice, and truly amazing scenery on relatively clear days. My last few trips there have been thwarted by snow (my vacations are normally in June). That won't be a problem now, though.

Another note, some of the two lane roads leading into glacier from the southeast (sorry, I can't remember the numbers to pick out the specific ones on a map) are some of the best driving roads I've ever been on in all my travels. If you get lucky enough to have clear road in front (no slow moving cars), just getting there is a blast. Just secure everything in the car so nothing shifts around.

Mt. Rainier: This is one of those only if the weather cooperates stops. Rainier is shrouded with cloud most days of the year. If you get lucky and the skies are completely clear (and I mean completely, if there are just scattered puffy clouds in general, Rainier will probably be clouded in), check it out. It's quite a site. It rises high about its surrounding base, and just seems to go up forever. Statistically, this time of year is the most likely time for clear days there.

Sequoia: Someone else already mentioned it. As long as you are so close, it is worth the stop. You couldn't possibly understand how big some of those trees are unless you actually see them yourself.

Zion/Grand Canyon: As long as you are so close, the Grand Canyon should be another stop.

As for Zion and some of the other stuff in southern Utah and northern Arizona, that really depends on your own preferences. The scenery around there can be amazing, but it is a bit of an acquired taste. Some people would drive through and look around and see "nothingness." Others might see a beautiful landscape that you could lose yourself in (in a good way). If you know a bit or have an interest in geology, it can be kinda cool too, as there are a lot of exposed rock outcrops with geologic structures visible, if you know what to look for.

All good info, but we decided to pass on visiting Yellowstone. We talked to someone this morning, that just spent 3 days there, and didn't hardly scratch the surface. We figure that we will save this for another time.



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[Ladybugsmom]

Originally Posted by zeebad1

We may be taking you up on this offer


Change of plans. I did talk to someone that made this same recommendation. We will be going through Seattle. We will welcome the cooler temps.

It was 71 and sunny when I got home from work at 6pm... perfect weather!
I have weekends off, so if you end up in western WA on a weekend, I will definitely be able to show you the fun spots! If you happen to make it here mid-week, let me know anyway, maybe we can get together for dinner! I'm about 40 miles north of Mount Rainier, and that is a must-see, so getting together would be easy!

Enjoy the road trip, drive carefully, and I hope to meet you while you're here!

[hotrodsally]

Originally Posted by Ladybugsmom

It was 71 and sunny when I got home from work at 6pm... perfect weather!
I have weekends off, so if you end up in western WA on a weekend, I will definitely be able to show you the fun spots! If you happen to make it here mid-week, let me know anyway, maybe we can get together for dinner! I'm about 40 miles north of Mount Rainier, and that is a must-see, so getting together would be easy!

Enjoy the road trip, drive carefully, and I hope to meet you while you're here!

Same for me in Vegas. Have a great trip!

[zeebad1]

We left home around 8:00 AM this morning, and drove straight west on I-80 to the west side of Iowa, turned north on I-29, and took that to I-90 in South Dakota.

Some people may have considered that portion of the trip quite boring, but with my livelihood dependent upon agriculture, it was very interesting to see the variations in crop conditions. I thought things looked pretty tough in northern IL., but after seeing some of the fields in Iowa & South Dakota, I don't feel quite so bad.

We made it to Wall, South Dakota this evening. Just over 750 miles in 12 hours. Checked in to the room, and walked up town for dinner, and strolled through Wall Drug Store.

Plan is to check out the Badlands first thing in the morning, head to Mt. Rushmore next, and on to Crazy Horse monument after that.

When we finish up with these, we'll be heading on up to Glacier Nat. Park.

It looks like Billings MT. is about 1/2 way, so that might be as far as we get.

The temp got up to 97 this afternoon, and 93 is the forecast for tomorrow. Still not as hot as it was back home.

[zeebad1]

Please keep the suggestions coming. Lots of great things to see, and we don't want to kick ourselves later for driving right past something.

We spent the morning, and part of the afternoon around the Black Hills.Took a helicopter ride over the Badlands. (The best way to see them.) stayed off the interstate, and headed cross-country to get to Mt. Rushmore. Stopped there for a quick visit, and went on to the Crazy Horse monument. It was nice to see all of the changes since we were here in '85.

Then we took off to the north, and are spending the night in Billings, MT. A little over 500 miles today. Got to see quite a variation of terrain. Flat, hills, pasture, wasteland, and everything in between. It makes us appreciate the rich black soil of the midwest.

It's another 475 miles to Glacier Nat. park, which is our next destination.
We talked to a couple at supper, that had just spent the week up there, and they gave us some good information, of what to see & do while we are there.
Sounds like we'll be doing quite a lot of hiking, but the scenery is worth it.

[Ladybugsmom]

Mske sure you have a spare memory card for your camera, lots of Kodak moments in Glacier!!!

[zeebad1]

We didn't leave Billings very early this morning. We decided it was easier to line up lodging from a hotel room, instead of bouncing down the highway, so we luckily found a room for 2 nights in Kalispell, about 20 miles from Glacier NP. Had to fuel up, wash the car, and gather up a few necessities.

I finally got around to unloading the camera, so here are a few from the Black Hills......















and then some more from today, as we traveled north.......















Tomorrow is when we will start to investigate the park, and it sounds like we'll be hiking & driving alot. Going To The Sun Road is definitely on the schedule. If we aren't too tired, I'll try to get tomorrow's pictures up when we get back.



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[Ladybugsmom]

At the top of the pass on the Going to the Sun road (Logan pass, I believe) is the start of some really great hikes with amazing views. The Highline Trail is my favorite, but might be a bit long if you're just passing through, don't want to spend a whole day of your trip walking on one trail...

[zeebad1]

Here's the update for today. What an AMAZING place!!!

Here are a few "teaser" photos, and a link to my Photobucket page, with many more. I took over 160 pictures today, but only loaded the best for now. I wish I could label each & every one, but time doesn't allow for that.


http://s445.photobucket.com/albums/q...20Road%20Trip/


We saw this, just before we got to the park this morning, and had to get some pictures of it......








License plate reads "NO55MPH." Anyone on here know who it belongs to?






















Going back again tomorrow, to hit a few of the spots we really want to touch on.

I have to add that the "Going To The Sun Road" is something that everyone should travel in their lifetime. We drove the full length, twice today, in both directions. It's AWESOME!!!!

[Ladybugsmom]

Great pics!! You're right about that road, a must-see for everyone!

[zeebad1]

Spent last night near Bonners Ferry, ID, in this beautiful log home.
I now know why they moved away from IL.





and this is what I saw when I stepped outside....




We headed west to Seattle, and snapped a few more on the way, and a few when we got there.










More to come!

[Ladybugsmom]

It was great meeting you and your lovely wife last night! Have a great time on the rest of your road trip, and drive safely!

[DwRed1LTV6]

Nice pics on your trip! ! !

Loving the scenery and that cabin, its cool that
it was once here In IL !



One of these years i would like to somewhat retrace.
.our familys trip in jul 1964.it went from stlouis mo to doniphan mo
then west to sacremento.
Part of the reason i mention that trip is, my parents actually were
headed to florida ~

[zeebad1]

Many thanks to Chuck Sharin (CamarosRus on www.nastyz28.com. The best 2nd gen site ever!!!) for giving us a great tour of Seattle, and its many wonderful sites. He spent the whole day, driving us around, showing us many things that the normal tourist would have never found.

The city was bustling, with several major events going on this week. Blue angels are in town, hydroplane racing, an NHRA event nearby, and Navy ships docking in town.

We did end up riding the monorail, and strolling through Pike Place Market. (The other 2 of the 3 things that you need to do, while in Seattle.)

Chuck also opened up his home, (which I might add, is very, very nice,) and let us spend the night there. Ladybugsmom only lives about 20 miles away, so she came over, and we grilled salmon, sweet corn, baked potatos, and had a very good time, visiting about cars, and everything else in general.


We got to see the famous Fremont Bridge Troll.....






One of the Navy ships.....





The equipment where Chuck works....




And our cars.......






My wife & I can't thank Chuck enough, for taking the time to spend the day with us, and all of the hospitality. I'm so glad that we made the decision to visit Seattle, and finally meet with him. Thanks go out to Jeanette also, for taking time away from her schedule to meet with us last evening.

It's good to put faces with names in this day & age.

We're probably going to stop by Mt. St. Helens, drive some of the Columbia River Gorge, and end up along the coast in Oregon tonight.

Still having a blast!!