Across the USA - help me plan a road trip!

[jsveb]

Hi guys

Me and my family are moving from SE Alabama to the Monterey area in California. Coming June.

We will be taking the car. Do not want to miss the chance to see this amazing country.

I need your help!

I have got some of the main points planned, but need some guidance and additional not-to-miss places.

We will be traveling from:
Departure: SE Alabama
Tupelo
Memphis
Mt. Rushmore
Somewhere in Montana. I just want to see Montana
Yellowstone
??? Maybe all the way out to see some of Oregon???
Destination: Monterey


Unfortunately it will not be in a 911. The family is coming along in the minivan.

Any and all ideas, advice and recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Tobra]

Glacier Park in Montana, not sure if the Going to the Sun Road is open that early, depends on how much snow they got

White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns in NM

Southeastern Utah is very scenic, Moab and Arches

Columbia River Gorge in Oregon

[Zeke]

I don't think he can do NM if he's way up on the 90. There are things to see on each major hiway; the 10, 20, 40, 80.

A lot of Interstate 40 is right along Rt 66 in the West until Oklahoma City.

You can't do it all at once.

[rouxroux]

If you have the time, I'd suggest to head up through the Mississippi delta on Hwy. 61 to Memphis, then maybe to St. Louis and then west on as much of Rt. 66 as you can before heading north.

[afterburn 549]

Include Highway 20 Wa state (cascade Highway )

[jsveb]

Thanks guys. I will lay it out on a map and see what makes sense.
This is already a great help!

[A930Rocket]

The Badlands, Custer's Last Stand, Devils Tower, Yellowstone, Yosimite, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam

[kanadary]

Yellowstone, grand canyon, glacier...

[genrex]

Field of Dreams (and the farmhouse) in Iowa... a personal favorite.

Montana.... the excellent actor Sam Neill said in The Hunt For Red October, "I had always wanted to see Montana." Words to remember. Montana is picturesque and huge and timeless and has its own special pace of life.

Yellowstone.... I'll always remember Old Faithful (the big geyser), and the paths through the hot springs, and the main lodge and the restaurant.

The Grand Canyon.... even bigger and better than the Columbia River gorge at Vantage WA, the beauty and the colors and the incomprehensible time it took to create that. Just mind-boggling.

You will need lots of film...

_

[jsveb]

I really appreciate it

This is what it looks like to far:

Tupelo
Memphis


Devils tower
Mt Rushmore*
Little big horn battle field
Yellowstone, old faithful geyser
Bryce canyon
Zion national park

I have had to prioritize some.

Keep the suggestions coming.

[jsveb]

Forgot to ask:

Will we be needing snow chains going through some os the passes in early June?

[recycled sixtie]

The going to the sun hiway(same as hiway to the sun?) says on the internet it is not open till early June. Now we have had a pile of snow in the Can . Rockies this winter and I imagine the N. US. Rockies would be similar. It would be worth a ph. call first before u venture out to make sure it is open. I still have snow tires on our Camry as I don't trust the weather in the mountains for a while.

Have not done the hiway to the sun for many years and likely it was July/August and it was busy then . Snow permitting/hwy open ? it would be less busy in June. Definitely a great high altitude road with great views.I mentioned this to my wife and she said when are we going?!

[LakeCleElum]

U can't see it all without backtracking. Personally, I would head for southern Utah and then:

Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, Price, Park City, Hiway 150 to Evanston, Wy, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, (Glacier Park if time allows), Flat Head Lake area, Lolo Pass from Missoula to Lewiston, Rattle Snake grade to Enterprise, Ore....La Grande, Hwy 244 to Ukiah and south on 395 and get to Bend. From there, Crater Lake, Grants Pass, Hwy 199 to Cresent City, the Redwoods to Legget and then Hwy 1 all the way to Monterrey......

I have over 700,000 miles on Motorcycles, been in all 50 states and 22 countries.......Just my opinion. G'luck.

[AFC-911]

Montana...Probably the next best thing if you can't make it to Alaska or the Canadian Rockies.

Having been to AK and AB, I don't really need to go to MT. Can you actually see glaciers up close at Glacier NP?

Southeast Utah sounds amazing for an entirely different reason.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

U can't see it all without backtracking. Personally, I would head for southern Utah and then:

Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, Price, Park City, Hiway 150 to Evanston, Wy, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, (Glacier Park if time allows), Flat Head Lake area, Lolo Pass from Missoula to Lewiston, Rattle Snake grade to Enterprise, Ore....La Grande, Hwy 244 to Ukiah and south on 395 and get to Bend. From there, Crater Lake, Grants Pass, Hwy 199 to Cresent City, the Redwoods to Legget and then Hwy 1 all the way to Monterrey....

I have a twin! I have been on each of those roads and have crossed this great Country and Canada 30 times easy.

If you are set on Rushmore, get there early in the day and book a hotel now. The place gets jammed. Take back roads.

After that, go to the Little Bighorn Monument. It takes 30 minutes but is actually a very interesting hour or so. How to get there: 85 north out of Spearfish then 212 west. Great road. Get gas before you head out and get gas in LBH.

Leaving, take the Crow St Cut off and head to Route 313. Stay on 313 to 310 to 72 to 78 into Red Lodge.

Plan to spent a little time there. Neat place.

From there you can decide if you want to head west or northwest. I would take the earlier advice and drive through Glacier. I can't emphasize enough: stay off the interstates as mush as possible. Montana road are great. Plan ahead for lodging and stay off the interstates.

Stay in Whitefish.

I spent two months in rural Montana last summer and loved it.

If you do this route you are a little far north for the Lewis and Clark Trail or Lolo Pass.

I'd head to Sandpoint. I would then, however, head south to Lewiston, ID.

Stay at the Holiday Inn Express on the top of the hill in Lewiston. Great pool and view. Ask if Terry is still there.

The drive from Lewiston through Pomeroy and Dayton is one of my favorites. Into Walla Walla.

I'd head to Bend from there and then the rest is up to you

The choices are endless. If you do this right you won't see an interstate from Rushmore.

Enjoy!

[LakeCleElum]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I have a twin! I have been on each of those roads and have crossed this great Country and Canada 30 times easy.
Enjoy!

Paul - Sounds like twins for sure....Bet I was past you town this week...I flew to Philly to pu a m/c I bought in Chadds Ford, PA....Came thru Maryland, down the Blue Ridge Prkwy and in Charleston now....Heading west tomorrow via Flordia...

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Paul - Sounds like twins for sure....Bet I was past you town this week...I flew to Philly to pu a m/c I bought in Chadds Ford, PA....Came thru Maryland, down the Blue Ridge Prkwy and in Charleston now....Heading west tomorrow via Flordia...

Not to hijack (although LCE and I have given some perfect advice), I think I need to do a cross country on a motorcycle. You should chronicle your latest trip for us folks who could learn a thing or three.

Ride safe!

[jsveb]

LCE and Seahawk, it is indeed excellent advice, I'll try and sort it out on a map.

What would you guys think about not solely staying on hotels, I'd really like to camp in a tent with that kids. Is that nuts, or ok?

Btw Seahawk, nice choice of aircraft

[aigel]

I have little to offer in terms of places - most the destinations have been named.

One thing I would like to point out is that you should consider skipping the western sights that are within and 8 hours drive of Monterey. You can always do these on long weekends / short trips from your new home. I would focus on the stuff in the center of the country, i.e. driving to Yellowstone is a big deal from any reasonably populated area! Stay in those places longer.

Have fun!

G

[Rot 911]

What's your time frame? That will determine how many places you can realistically see.