2 week Western US trip in late June.

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by Stump Jumper

Again, thanks for all of the information. This site is great! I plan on sitting down with the gang this weekend to determine how much daily driving they are willing to put up with and whether we want to try to pack as much in as possible or whether we want a more relaxed trip. I appreciate all of the advice!

If everyone is just up for relaxing, then just do to the Beach or the Lake .



But if Adventure, Travel and Discovery are in the PLAN then Head out West.

Couple things I'll suggest - one is once you come up with a "Plan" get everything packed and ready to Go on Thursday Night - So you can leave right after work and just get a Jump on things - 2 0r 300 miles on pure adrenalin will make the drive out just so much easier.

Find a Wal*Mart spend the night and go Hard again - If there are two Drivers this can make life a little easier on the way out. If you really are a Pusher you could be Soaking your feet in a Colorado Stream Sunday Night (1,411 miles) - Golden Clear Creek - https://binged.it/2NjdqoU - Yea, I understand Colorado was not on the List - Work with me a little - I've made this trip too many times and the one thing I Know is that you need a reward Sooner rather than Later - think just seeing the Rockies will open up those weary Eyes .

Yellowstone is the Prize for this trip but when we travel we will drive through so much more that you might actually believe me when I tell you, the Trip can Be Better than the Destination - Might not beat Yellowstone but if you follow me it could be close.

Monday is a day to Unwind - enjoy the CG - enjoy the Town - Enjoy a Coors - Enjoy Clear Creek - take a drive or two - depending on what you would like to see - Denver - Boulder - Peak to Peak and Estes - Pick one and enjoy the day, you deserve it and you will be Back in the saddle soon enough.

Leaving Golden fairly early - you are heading to Dino National Monument - https://binged.it/2GEeu6u - we'll head out RT 6 to Idaho Springs and I-70 then to Rifle - Passing a few pretty good ski resorts - Breck, Vail and Aspen as you go, but no time to stop we are doing 300 miles today and then exploring Dino and the Green River.

Next on up to Jackson, and getting a site in GrosVenture CG - https://binged.it/2IrQ41V - Now you are here - Tetons and Yellowstone - you divide the time we have before departing for Custer/Mt Rushmore Monday a couple days here then on to what I'd call the most Boring Drive Period.

Badlands and Wall Drug to Home (I've left 4 days so Thursday you will get up and Go - and Go - and Go till you get home.

Mall of America might fall in the Schedule - Chicago - toll roads - and more - always save the Best for Last.

Look it over - some or none really is just some food for thought - I fly out to The Foothills for two weeks first of next week - Oh How I Love the Rockies, All Year Long.

Hope this is some help,

Link to a family that did this for years - 20 summers of RV road trip travels across the USA and Canada | Lolo's Extreme Cross Country RV Trips

Link to a really good group of Images of some of the sites in the schedule - https://www.pbase.com/sparker1/root%26view=tree

[Darin1960]

Starting in Leesville SC I went to Silvercity Nm, Tombstone AZ, Hollywood Ca , General Sherman Tree Sequoia Nat Forest , Vegas, Moab, Albuquerque back thru Oklahoma City then back to Leesville in 17 days. Spent 2 nights Silvercity, 2 nights Hollywood, 2nights Vegas , 2 nights Moab and 3 nights Albuquerque . all other stops were 1 night. I am bad to cram all I can into my time out. Also on my last day I drove 1000 miles Oklahoma City to Leesville because the Hurricane was headed our way and I was afraid of my basement flooding. This was my first trip out west without seeing the Grand Canyon. I have seen it 5 times before but I gotta say other than all the mesa's and desert scenery which I love , I regard the Grand Canyon as a must see along with the Arches and the General Sherman. A couple of side trips I took on this excursion was Hoover Dam and Mesa Verde . I think I did 5500 to 5600 miles total.

[elite wa]

Like what has been said 2 weeks isn’t enough time to do everything you want to do. The south west is a trip by itself and if you want to see the Grand Canyon the only way to see it is through a rafting tour anything less is a let down.
https://www.westernriver.com/grand-canyon-rafting

If Yellowstone is your final destination I would figure out how far you want to drive in a day and base that on the sites you want to see. Glacier in Mt is nice and if you are going to come all this way I would try and squeeze that in as well.

[Darin1960]

BUSSKIPPER has a pretty good plan it seems but If you have two weeks , would that not give you 16 days ? I generally plan my two weeks with sat being the first day, this way I have my two(work weeks) plus the 1st weekend, 2nd weekend and 3rd weekend. If this is the case , you could take Busskippers advice ( with the exception he said leave on thurs eve) and leave on fri eve and get a couple hundred miles out of the way. As far as miles per day, I would do the max possible from home to first major destination then scale back. I generally shoot for at least 600 miles on the first couple of days from SC being the scenery is pretty much the same, I have driven from Leesville SC to Dallas strait on three occasions and as I said did 1000 on my last day coming home on last trip . I am not in any way say you need to go to this extreme but a bit of sacrifice on the early part and the return part will give you more time at the good sites.

[LovesToWine]

I have lived in CA, OR, and WA my whole life and I think that people on the East coast really do not comprehend (my intent is NOT derogatory) that there are at least 12 states on the East coast and only 3 on our continental West coast. Our states get bigger as you travel west.

Even I am overwhelmed trying to plan a trip from WA to AZ because I know we can not just drive on down in a few hours.

However, I agree with many of the comments you have received. I would choose Yellowstone/ Tetons over Yosemite EVERY time!

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by Darin1960

BUSSKIPPER has a pretty good plan it seems but If you have two weeks , would that not give you 16 days ? I generally plan my two weeks with sat being the first day, this way I have my two(work weeks) plus the 1st weekend, 2nd weekend and 3rd weekend. If this is the case , you could take Busskippers advice ( with the exception he said leave on thurs eve) and leave on fri eve and get a couple hundred miles out of the way. As far as miles per day, I would do the max possible from home to first major destination then scale back. I generally shoot for at least 600 miles on the first couple of days from SC being the scenery is pretty much the same, I have driven from Leesville SC to Dallas strait on three occasions and as I said did 1000 on my last day coming home on last trip . I am not in any way say you need to go to this extreme but a bit of sacrifice on the early part and the return part will give you more time at the good sites.

Left out the Friday Departure - My Bad - But it was my Intention - I've found that if I'm not ready on Thursday - by the time I get all the things I forgot in the Coach on Friday it will still not likely be an Early departure . - So Thursday as a Ready day at least gives me a Chance. .....

[rk911]

Originally Posted by MTBer

I strongly disagree with this, especially if you are still working. You should pack as much as you possibly can into a vacation. There's time to relax when you get home.

to each their own. we used to go..go..go on vacation. in pre-rv days we once drove non-stop from sacremento, ca to des moines ia...36-hrs in the car. never again. a human body and mind needs relaxation from time to time.

[Darin1960]

Busskipper , every single trip I think I have everything done a week in advance but I end up scurrying around the last few hours and always find something I forgot.

[Darin1960]

rk911, I really need to learn to relax. 36 hours strait , that impressive. Ive done 18 hours or so on a few occasions with me only driving the Motorhome and that was tough.

[Darin1960]

LovesToWine, that why us east of the Mississippi love to visit your end , long beautiful scenic trips.

[followingsea]

Originally Posted by Darin1960

.... I regard the Grand Canyon as a must see along with the Arches and the General Sherman. A couple of side trips I took on this excursion was Hoover Dam and Mesa Verde . I think I did 5500 to 5600 miles total.

No, they are not must sees! At least not in the same trip.

I was born in Ohio as were my parents and grandparent but my earliest memories were sunsets over Puget Sound with Mt Rainier turning pink. Before seat belts, before AC in cars, and before the interstate we would make the trip between Seattle and Akron in 3 days. It was a family vacation (?) to visit family. The logic is clear. The Tetons are not a must see if you can see the Cascades and Olympic Mt on a daily bases.

My first duty station after Purdue was San Diego. The plan was for my dad and younger brothers to make a camping trip out of it. I had no objection to 1000 miles the first day to get the corn belt behind us. His next stop was Las Vegas. Apparently we had different ideas about camping trips. Since it was my IH TravelAll and I had lots of leave coming, I dropped him off at the bus station.

He found eating me breakfast and decided to compromise. My car, my rules, my route. 'Dad, a new Ensign does out rank a 40 year Master Chief?' To be fair, two days before I was a first class petty officer. Being dropped off at the bus station if you did not like the rules in the car was a lesson I had learned.

Got to visits Mesa Verde and Grand Canyon on that trip. Must see places I took my kids years later.

As fate would have it for a few we lived in Virginia and our son in Washington State so we would make the trek out every summer. South Dakota is a very long state. The Burma Shave sighs are gone and you have to stop for a break anyway.

My wife was born and in Louisiana. She was discussing our travels with friends/family about places to go. The Corn Place, Wall Drugs, and the Badlands loop for a picnic.

I consider the Black Hills as a must see destination. Wind Caves NP and the Crazy Horse monument are examples of things that take a half day each.

[HJLowell]

Many wear themselves out fretting over leaving something.

And the more rushed you are.
The more you leave.

I tell the kids.
Pack a backpack.
And we leave on s schedule, regardless.

My wife says.
Heck
There is a wallmart or Something every 50 miles. So if you need something ???
Shop a little.

[Darin1960]

I guess no site are must see's on any particular trip. I said ,I regard those three as a must see even though I didnt see them all on this trip (which does go along with the idea that they don't have to be seen on one trip) even though for some it is doable.

[Nat Angell]

Given the schedule you have , I would go to Utah. 5 national parks within an hour, scenery like you have never seen being from PA.