Community Forums

M2D · 06-28-2017, 09:08 AM

We have reservations for five days over Labor day weekend at GNP. We will be going onto the Port Townsend, WA area after that to attend the Wooden Boat Show. We live just outside of Boston, MA.

We have been traveling in our fiver for two years now having made several north south trips and trips to Maine and Ontario, Canada and upstate, NY.
We have not taken the fiver out west. This will be our first time. We have the mountains west and east books which we have found very useful.

We are planning our routing to GNP. We plan to give ourselves two weeks or so to get there. We try to keep it down to 400 or so miles a day as we are retired and can do that. We can do more if necessary. We are planning to see all that we can over the next years of our retirement but are not in a rush. Expecting to stop to see things on our way to GNP. Plan to be home by the third week in October for this trip so will select accordingly for places we will see after the boat show.

We usually do our best to avoid big cities while towing. I can see that we may be too near Cleveland and Chicago depending on the route we take. I have great respect for the information so kindly given here and thank you in advance for any advice you might care to give us about our routing. We have a one tone diesel dually and so should be OK for towing in the mountains and intend to choose wisely which passes/roads we take.

Michele and Mark

Cooperhawk · 06-28-2017, 09:26 AM

Well, if you take the Turnpike, I80/90, you will see quite a bit of Cleveland and Chicago. We have done it a few times and it can be hectic. If you drop down to I70 you will hit a few cities, but not nearly as bad as the above. Also consider just taking secondary highways and seeing small town America. We like to do that when we can.

After Indianapolis take I74 up to Peoria and then angle north to Davenport and you will be on I 80 and on your way. After Davenport there are many good routes to get you to I90 and then up to I94. I would also avoid the Twin Cities.

Rburian · 06-28-2017, 01:54 PM

Went to Glacier last Sept, from Cape Cod, I 90, I 39, I 94 to Glendive, Mt. 200s , 13, 2 To Glacier. DO NOT TAKE 200 in MT. Rt. 2 roads are good, but not scenic , lots of ranches. HARVE, MT. has a nice campground and a Walmart, Shelby also has a nice campground.

Cooperhawk · 06-29-2017, 07:55 AM

Also the KOA in Jamestown, ND. is nice and there is a nice CG in Glascow, Mt.

BigSkyBob · 06-29-2017, 08:09 AM

Just a FYI, the Going to the Sun road was officially opened on June 29th. Still some snow in the Logan Pass area and visitors center.

Old Scout · 06-29-2017, 08:14 AM

Not a "road warrior" by any means but coming from the east coast, it is difficult to avoid big cities until you get thru Chicago. One option is to go a bit south of I90/94 corridor on secondary roads until you get to Chicago. Or get north in to Canada, cut across to Detroit, north to upper Michigan, and then US2 straight across to GNP. Mi, Wis, Mn along the lakes are nice, ND and eastern Mt are pretty stark. I90 thru SD, then north to Wy and Mt provides for more scenery and things to see and do along the way. Good luck--be safe....

Rburian · 06-29-2017, 05:30 PM

There are several ways to bypass Chicago, the one I use is to take I 90 to I80 to I 355 to I 88 to I 39 or just stay on I 80 to I 39 I have taken these routes every year for 12 yrs from Cape Cod to Wisconsin and than to western Mountains.