Dream route

[CoachC]

H All,
I'm thinking a trip across US2 from Michigan to Seattle (or reverse) would be a great trip. Has anyone made that trip? If so, what were your "wow" experiences or favorite stops and stays?
Just doing some dreaming before we head west to Nevada after Christmas for our 1st winter trip now that my DW has retired.

Thank you for sharing!

Cheers

[TonyDi]

I think the weather that time of year is going to determine where you can go. I absolutely love Glacier Nat'l Park. However its main attraction the Going to the Sun Road will be closed. I would base my stops on the weather. I've traveled Rt 2 across all of MT into Idaho and it is a great back country road when it's nice out.

[CoachC]

Thanks for the input Tony. Not planning to make that trip this time of year. Just looking ahead at future possibilities while I impatiently wait to hit the road:
I appreciate your wisdom and experience that you often share here
Thanks so much!

Rick

[TJ]

Originally Posted by TonyDi

I think the weather that time of year is going to determine where you can go. I absolutely love Glacier Nat'l Park. However its main attraction the Going to the Sun Road will be closed. I would base my stops on the weather. I've traveled Rt 2 across all of MT into Idaho and it is a great back country road when it's nice out.

You won't be taking the coach on the "Going to the Sun Highway;" and, I doubt that you'd want to. Large vehicles are prohibited and the narrow roadway carved into a rock wall with some serious vertical drop-offs is certainly not for the faint of heart.

TJ

[Arch Hoagland]

We ran across 2 many years ago from Montana to New England. Really enjoyed the trip.

[BillJinOR]

I just came from Spokane to mackinac ( St Ignace) a month ago. We didn’t go into glacier this time just through it on 2. The scenic part is glacier and the drive through Washington. The rest Montana and n Dakota is a lot of mostly flat boring nothing.
There are of course small towns and the usual stories of pioneers. We hadn’t done the whole trip across 2 and have dropped down to 90 before so wanted say we’d done it , and were traveling with a group of friends. I can say we’ve checked it off the list. Meh.
The glacier to Seattle part which we’ve done in prior years was however very enjoyable. Minnesota of course has all the lakes. We did have to plan stops carefully as there isn’t as much choice in spots to accommodate our larger rig . Traffic was light and roads mostly typical 2 lane US highway ( good - wide )

[Dav L]

This summer went Michigan to Chicago, to Lake Minnetonka, to Sioux Falls, to Mt. Rushmore, to Wall Drug to Yellowstone and then south to Salt Lake, California, Great Gorge, St Louis and back to Michigan.

Your path might go north instead of South. I haven't been that direction via RV so can't help from there. But that is most of the hot spots along the way cross country. Great trip for the family. Enjoy!

[wepinegar]

Originally Posted by Dav L

This summer went Michigan to Chicago, to Lake Minnetonka, to Sioux Falls, to Mt. Rushmore, to Wall Drug to Yellowstone and then south to Salt Lake, California, Great Gorge, St Louis and back to Michigan.

Your path might go north instead of South. I haven't been that direction via RV so can't help from there. But that is most of the hot spots along the way cross country. Great trip for the family. Enjoy!

Hope you enjoyed Minnetonka - what brought you there?

[Dav L]

Originally Posted by wepinegar

Hope you enjoyed Minnetonka - what brought you there?

One of my software developers has his boat on the lake. We enjoyed a tour of the lake and hanging out for the day grabbing some dinner at a restaurant near his marina - Excelsior Bay Marina.

We left the RV in a Target parking lot and my friend picked us up in his Jeep and took us to the lake.

Some nice sticks and bricks on the lake.

[MapleKing]

I did this trip several years ago and I know several people have mentioned Glacier, but that's not the only thing to see along the way:

Michigan

• Mackinac Island
  Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore (side trip)
  Isle Royale National Park (side trip)

Wisconsin

• Apostle Islands National Lake Shore

Minnesota

• Aerial Lift Bridge (Duluth)
  Lake Itasca (Headwaters of the Mississippi River)

North Dakota

• International Peace Garden
  Rugby - Prairie Museum & Geographical Center of North America
  Fort Union Trading Post

Montana

• Havre Beneath the Streets
  Waterton Lakes NP (Canada) - North of Glacier

Idaho

• Bird Aviation Museum (near Sandpoint)

Washington

• Coulee Dam
  Leavenworth

Obviously it's not an exhaustive list but food for thought. There's lots to see along the way and places to step between Glacier and Michigan!

[wepinegar]

Originally Posted by Dav L

One of my software developers has his boat on the lake. We enjoyed a tour of the lake and hanging out for the day grabbing some dinner at a restaurant near his marina - Excelsior Bay Marina.

We left the RV in a Target parking lot and my friend picked us up in his Jeep and took us to the lake.

Some nice sticks and bricks on the lake.

Glad you enjoyed it! I am about 2 miles by air - 5 miles by road north of there on the north side of the lake! Near Lord Fletchers if you boated past there! And yes - there are some incredible places on the lake!

[jmcarter]

We also love Waterton Lakes NP across the border from Glacier. Also in MT stop at the Downstream Campground, a COE campground at Fort Peck. Nice and quiet with a great museum at the dam...good dam tour as well.

[CoachC]

Great stuff MapleKing!
Thank you.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and comments I'm sure there are many potential "dream trips" out there. I want to do route 66 also. N/S trip along the Mississippi could be fun.
Lots of choices

Safe travels all!

[Pine Stump]

Originally Posted by CoachC

H All,
I'm thinking a trip across US2 from Michigan to Seattle (or reverse) would be a great trip. Has anyone made that trip? If so, what were your "wow" experiences or favorite stops and stays?
Just doing some dreaming before we head west to Nevada after Christmas for our 1st winter trip now that my DW has retired.

Thank you for sharing!

Cheers

We are from Michigan and live north of 2 and are thinking the same thing this spring...Will be a watching this thread..