Month long road trip-Give me ideas for what to see.

timwinters

timwinters

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Or...how about cool places to drive?

The 10 day forecast for our area doesn't contain a high temp below 92.

Ugggghhhhh.

It's time to plan a roadtrip to the Pacific NW. Our main destinations will be the Redwood National Park (which we've never seen) and the Columbia River Gorge area (which we love).

We'll be driving since Chris doesn't like to fly and since we'll have a least two dogs with us. We'll spend a week at our destination and take a week or two both going and coming. I've been in 47 of the contiguous 48 but the NW is the area that I've explored the least.

We don't like tourist trap places (hence my disdain for places like Branson). We like outdoors and nature. Any points between here and there are options.

Anyone (but especially you NW folks) please toss me any ideas for worthwhile places to visit between (roughly) I-70 and the Canadian border.

THANKS!
 
Drop off I-70 and go through the Springs to the Gunnison area before rejoining the interstate at Grand Junction. Low-key area, great WX, much to do and see.



timwinters said:
Or...how about cool places to drive?

The 10 day forecast for our area doesn't contain a high temp below 92.

Ugggghhhhh.

It's time to plan a roadtrip to the Pacific NW. Our main destinations will be the Redwood National Park (which we've never seen) and the Columbia River Gorge area (which we love).

We'll be driving since Chris doesn't like to fly and since we'll have a least two dogs with us. We'll spend a week at our destination and take a week or two both going and coming. I've been in 47 of the contiguous 48 but the NW is the area that I've explored the least.

We don't like tourist trap places (hence my disdain for places like Branson). We like outdoors and nature. Any points between here and there are options.

Anyone (but especially you NW folks) please toss me any ideas for worthwhile places to visit between (roughly) I-70 and the Canadian border.

THANKS!
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Hey Tim,

You would not regret a visit here. Our Summer Temps don't start until about July 5, it seems. And then it is over by August 15. Temps go above 90 on average only 6 days per year. Water temps in Summer tend to be 68 to 75F. Then, a visit to Glacier is a good one too.
 

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This is probably farther than you want to go or have time for, but you could board a car ferry at Bellingham Washington and take the inland passage to Skagway Alaska. Pets need to remain in the car deck, though.

I only mention it because it is definitely a different and enjoyable experience and it is nice to sit in the observation deck and let someone else "drive" while the scenery rolls by at a stately pace.
 
timwinters said:
No, but we'll probably have our camping gear with us.
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I would suggest looking into a month long rental of one. Unless you are planning on staying with someone ( aka free ) then the cost of the unit is very competitive vs the hotel and meals costs. It's almost a no brainer vs fly/rentalcar/hotel for longer trips. I rented one for a trip out to Seattle and it was great. We toured around the Olympic peninsula and the ability to come and go as we please was very nice. We had young children then and it made that much easier but even without them I think it's a great way to travel around. I can't see buying one but the rental thing seems to work well.
 
If you do Co. Springs, the cog railway ride up Pikes Peak is very worth it. A unique ride, and gorgeous views.
 
It is hotter than snot in Eastern Wyoming right now. But, if you start west on I-80, get off at Ogallala and follow the Oregon Trail. Chimney Rock, Scottsbluff, then Register cliff with names carved in the cliff from the mid 1800's and some really cool ruts in Guernsey, WY. Then head towards Lander WY by way of Casper. There is Hells Half Acre along the way. It isn't much but it is a real desolate section of ground that they used for moonscapes in the movies. At Lander is the Popo Agie river that disappears underground then reappears a half mile away but it takes the water 2 hours to get there. Also more Oregon trail stuff is around there by Atlantic City. There is a microbrewery in Lander and it is a nice clean little town. Then go over the pass between Dubois and Jackson. Gaze at the Tetons awhile. Then head towards Idaho. Driggs ID has a nice little aviation museum. There is the Craters of the Moon which is a Lava field.It is on the north side of that Boise valley area. I haven't seen it from the ground, only flying over it. That puts you on the same general latitude as the Columbia River gorge. A possible side trip would be up to Gelena ID north of Haley(Sun Valley). There is nothing there except beauty. The Sawtooth mountains to the west and long valley north to Stanley. The resturant there has good food and Alaska Amber beer in bottles. The airport is across the street and has tent camping sites. It gets cold at night even in July. And on the Oregon/Idaho border is Vale OR where Bob Bement is. They have a town full of murals that sounds kind of neat. Also on the border is Hells Canyon. I'm not sure of the best place to enjoy the view but it was pretty cool from the edge of Memaloose airstrip. There were some campers up there when I landed.
 
Glacier Park is about to open up all the way in Montana, Plenty to do there if you're the outdoor type, A ride on Going-to-the-Sun road is probably worth the drive alone. The Flathead river that runs along the edge of the park offers decent cutthroat fishing and a beautiful float trip (There's a little whitewater to keep it interesting). Yellowstone is nice this time of year, but it's a lot more like Disney World these days, worth a day or two of your time. I'm currently re-doing the state of Montana's visitor site and it's progressing nicely, http://www.visitmt.com loads of stuff to do here in the summer.
 
I'm a fan of fly fishing the Snake River in Idaho from a boat...
 
One Short said:
It is hotter than snot in Eastern Wyoming right now. But, if you start west on I-80, get off at Ogallala and follow the Oregon Trail. Chimney Rock, Scottsbluff, then Register cliff with names carved in the cliff from the mid 1800's and some really cool ruts in Guernsey, WY. Then head towards Lander WY by way of Casper. There is Hells Half Acre along the way. It isn't much but it is a real desolate section of ground that they used for moonscapes in the movies. At Lander is the Popo Agie river that disappears underground then reappears a half mile away but it takes the water 2 hours to get there. Also more Oregon trail stuff is around there by Atlantic City. There is a microbrewery in Lander and it is a nice clean little town. Then go over the pass between Dubois and Jackson. Gaze at the Tetons awhile. Then head towards Idaho. Driggs ID has a nice little aviation museum. There is the Craters of the Moon which is a Lava field.It is on the north side of that Boise valley area. I haven't seen it from the ground, only flying over it. That puts you on the same general latitude as the Columbia River gorge. A possible side trip would be up to Gelena ID north of Haley(Sun Valley). There is nothing there except beauty. The Sawtooth mountains to the west and long valley north to Stanley. The resturant there has good food and Alaska Amber beer in bottles. The airport is across the street and has tent camping sites. It gets cold at night even in July. And on the Oregon/Idaho border is Vale OR where Bob Bement is. They have a town full of murals that sounds kind of neat. Also on the border is Hells Canyon. I'm not sure of the best place to enjoy the view but it was pretty cool from the edge of Memaloose airstrip. There were some campers up there when I landed.
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:thumbsup::thumbsup:....

If I am home you are more then welcome to camp on my land.... Full hook up, 50 amp service... Unfortunately the Tetons are about 2 miles to the west so being able to see Idaho from the camping spot is out of the question,,, those pesky rocks ya know.:);)
 
If you cross over the pass from Jackson heading for Driggs, be sure to stop at the Emporium in the town of Victor just south of Driggs. Very small town, everything is on main street, you can't miss it. They have a soda fountain in the back and make fresh huckleberry milkshakes.

The Teton Valley in Idaho is absolutely beautiful!
 
Redwood forest is really neat, Newport is my favorite city in the PNW.
 
Thanks for the ideas thus far. Much to chew on.

We have some logistics to work thru before departing, like finding someone to babysit one of our dogs...she's definitely NOT a road trip dog, but we hope to be on the road by early-mid July.

Maybe we'll connect with some!
 
All,

We have decided to postpone our month-long trip west because the drought that we're in the middle of is kicking our butts. We're struggling with keeping a few thousand dollars worth of landscaping alive (Chris loves landscaping) and leaving for a month long trip at this time would be botanical suicide and a waste of a lot of Chris' hard work.

So, we've postponed our trip until fall. That might be a nicer time to do it anyway with smaller crowds at the places we'd like to visit.

All the ideas presented here have been noted in an Atlas and THANKS for all those ideas. When we do take the trip, we'll head west and it'll be an "oh, look, someone recommended that, it's only 200 miles out of the way, let's go."

As stated before, wandering aimlessly is one of my fortes. ;)

Maybe we'll see some of you in October.
 
Okay, it didn't get postponed for two months but rather for a year+.

Last year's trip was cancelled due to the drought and then we had to cancel attending 6Y9 because of an injured dog. So, we plan to combine both trips into one this year. First attending 6Y9 and then heading west to WA, OR & CA before returning home. We plan to spend the entire month of September (& probably longer) on the road.

Any additional ideas of what we JUST MUST SEE between Michigan and Portland and The Redwoods are appreciated.

Bring 'em on!
 
skidoo said:
You would not regret a visit here. Our Summer Temps don't start until about July 5, it seems. And then it is over by August 15. Temps go above 90 on average only 6 days per year. Water temps in Summer tend to be 68 to 75F. Then, a visit to Glacier is a good one too.
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Unrelated to the thread, but just had to comment. I took a trip to MT last week hoping to escape some KS heat. Turns out that, even in the Glacier high country, it was HOT! Temps in the 80s above the treeline made for very hot hiking. Flathead Lake was packed with people jumping in to escape the heat.

Meanwhile, highs in the 60s in KS. So much for that idea.. Still was a great trip.
 
timwinters said:
Okay, it didn't get postponed for two months but rather for a year+.

Last year's trip was cancelled due to the drought and then we had to cancel attending 6Y9 because of an injured dog. So, we plan to combine both trips into one this year. First attending 6Y9 and then heading west to WA, OR & CA before returning home. We plan to spend the entire month of September (& probably longer) on the road.

Any additional ideas of what we JUST MUST SEE between Michigan and Portland and The Redwoods are appreciated.

Bring 'em on!
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Pretty much any place in Nebraska.
 
timwinters said:
Any additional ideas of what we JUST MUST SEE between Michigan and Portland and The Redwoods are appreciated.
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Crater Lake was mentioned. I'll second it. It's not close to Portland at all, but there is nothing quite like it. Lesser known, and still further to the south is Lava Beds National Monument. It's hot there (sorry), but some of the caves have natural refrigeration and are filled with ice.

As for redwoods, where? They grow from southern Oregon halfway down the California coast, some 600 miles of range. The high altitude ones grow in the southern Sierra Nevada and are quite different.

The western Olympic Peninsula can be interesting for an easterner. There are areas of temperate rainforest there. Not sure you'll want to camp -- these places make Seattle look like a desert resort.

For an aviation buff, DO NOT MISS the Boeing widebody assembly line in Everett, WA. You haven't seen anything quite like that if you haven't already been there. Ever seen a 747 being hoisted by a crane? What about a 777 on a conveyor belt? The museum sucks bad, but there is a much better one in Seattle.
 
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I-70 to the Canadian border is a rather large area. In addition to the suggestion I made last year, here's an electic list of places that my wife and I have visited:

Fort Peck Dam in Montana. When we were there you could visit the power station. I assume that is still the case.

One can tour the world's first nuclear power plant in Arco Idaho.

Craters of the Moon National Monument, near Arco.

Mount St. Helens. Has a visitor center.
 
Forgot to mention Dinosaur National Monument and Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. I think they are not as visited as other places just north of I-70 but should be interesting if you like outdoors and nature.
 
+1 for the Mt. St. Helens center. The visible evidence of the magnitude of that event is hard to comprehend even when you're standing there looking at it first-hand.
 
wabower said:
+1 for the Mt. St. Helens center. The visible evidence of the magnitude of that event is hard to comprehend even when you're standing there looking at it first-hand.
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It's been about 15 years but BTDT. it is indeed cool.

Thanks for all the suggestions....keep 'em coming.
 
NIL:

Evergreen Aviation Museum, home of the Spruce Goose, in McMinnville, OR (about 30 SW of PDX). Big museum with lots to see.

I was there in June, and there's lots to see. It's off the beaten path, so I wouldn't classify it as a tourist trap.
 
Thanks, Norm. We'll try to make that one especially since we plan to see Bill while in the area.
 
The Spruce Goose in McMinnville, Oregon?

Dan
 
wabower said:
+1 for the Mt. St. Helens center. The visible evidence of the magnitude of that event is hard to comprehend even when you're standing there looking at it first-hand.
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Rent an airplane and fly around it. You'll never get a better view of the mountain and the devastated area downhill to the west.
 
MAKG1 said:
Rent an airplane and fly around it. You'll never get a better view of the mountain and the devastated area downhill to the west.
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Good idea!

But better yet...con a Buddy who lives in Portland to take us flying!
 
If you plan on taking I-40 through Albuquerque, I'd recommend a slight detour to take Highway 14, also known as the Turquoise Trail. Its awesome.

If you wind up going through Denver, I'd recommend just taking in the views as you head through the mountains on I70.
 
timwinters said:
Good idea!

But better yet...con a Buddy who lives in Portland to take us flying!
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It really surprises me no one seems to do this!

I rented a 172N from KVUO and flew out there on a calm, clear CAVU day, with flight following, and got complete radio silence, so bad I had to ask Seattle Center for a comm check to make sure the radio was working.
 
Okay, it's T minus 7 days. The route is somewhat defined and I'm open for suggestions for additional cool stops along the way.

I'm assuming 5 weeks or so to make the full circuit but it'll be a "we'll get there when we get there" attitude and trip.

Here's the route (roughly):

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Major stops:

Madison, Wi,

Sidnaw, MI (for a week, waterfalling the UP)

Bemidji, MN

Devils Lake/Minot, ND

Williston/Ft. Peck Lake, ND

Great Falls, MT

Glacier National Park/Flathead Lake

Coeur d'Alene

Hell's Canyon

The Dalles/Hood River, OR (for a week(ish) exploring the Columbia River Gorge and Portland)

Redwood National Park, CA

Crater Lake, OR

Bend, OR

Boise/Idaho Falls, ID

Jackson/Yellowstone/Grand Tetons

Cody/Gillette

Badlands National Park, SD

Chamberlain/Sioux Falls, SD

Home (probably overnight in KC)

What's along the way that I'm missing?
 

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About an hour or so south of Redwood National Park is a small town called Ferndale, CA. Grab some snacks there, then head south out of town on Mattole Road, which takes you over the King Range to the Lost Coast. I lived in CA for 25 years and trekked all over the state, and IMHO this is the most spectacular scenery in CA, if not in the entire US.

It's an adventure, with a narrow, winding road that's not always in the best shape, but when you crest the King you'll be rewarded. And definitely continue down to the coast if you have the time. You'll join the coast at Cape Mendocino, the westernmost point in the Lower 48. Then continue to Petrolia and onward to Highway 101 and back north for a nice loop that will take the better part of a day, but will imprint memories into your brains that will last a lifetime.

Google "mattole road lost coast" for more info. Whether you go or not, have a great trip!
 
Bemidji to Devils Lake will take you through Grand Forks ND, I lived there once, 5 winters in 4 yrs. great farm country, flat, watch out for the Mosquitos in ND.

Between Cody to Badlands, Devils Tower (Close Encounters movie) then close to Rapid City SD,(I lived there once also) another nice town. Near Sturgis SD cut south through the Black Hills to Hill City and Mt Rushmore, need to stay for the lighting ceremony if you can. South of there is Crazy Horse Monument, another good stop. Crazy Horse was born at base of Devils Tower.

It was Crazy Horse that met up with Gen Custer at Little Big Horn.

Enjoy the trip!
 
Lots of fires in Idaho right now, major roads should be ok.
Near Glacier Nat Park is Kallispel Mt, nice area.
 
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