Trip "Out West"
- Thread starter Doublebit
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Bill Bates
Member
Here is why I love Fall in my part of the world
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Another vote for Rt. 1 in Californiastan. See everything already mentioned plus The Hearst Castle and 17 mile Drive in Monterey. When you're through with Rt. 1 a trip to Sequoia National and Yosemite is impressive too.
You can't go wrong traveling to any of the areas suggested. However, I think you will find the best concentration of interesting sightseeing and camping in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. Coming from the east, you encounter the Black Hills, Big Horns, Yellowstone area and Glacier park, each about a day's drive from the other. Each of those areas has many days, even weeks worth of attractions.
Even without Yellowstone Park, there is an incredible amount of stuff to see and do in northwestern Wyoming. The Black Hills is another really great area to tour. I have returned again and again to this part of the country, usually by motorcycle. I have seen a lot of the West beyond this area, and it is all worth seeing, but if you are coming from the East with limited time, this is where you get the most bang for your buck
Even without Yellowstone Park, there is an incredible amount of stuff to see and do in northwestern Wyoming. The Black Hills is another really great area to tour. I have returned again and again to this part of the country, usually by motorcycle. I have seen a lot of the West beyond this area, and it is all worth seeing, but if you are coming from the East with limited time, this is where you get the most bang for your buck
bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
The geological wonders of southern Utah's National parks, and the Grand Canyon make a make a great loop drive of three weeks duration in spring or fall.
A great option is flying to Salt Lake City and renting a motor home there from Cruise America.
A great option is flying to Salt Lake City and renting a motor home there from Cruise America.
LittleCooner
Member
First suggestion = stay away from the interstate system.
camping - find a state park, after school starts, you can pick you spot.
also camping is free in the national forest.
Enjoying your drive = if you see some small out of the way, odd type business, make sure to stop and enter. Some will build memories that will last a lifetime and you can not determine that before entering.
For a southern born guy, I think the Badlands of South Dakota are one of the greatest tourist spots in the american west. Devil tower in WY is a must see. Utah is beautiful, remember, get away from the interstate. For a great trip, starting looking for long dirt roads, no pavement. Most memorial "just driving" was turning left out of Jackson hole and doing 100 miles of dirt road up the Greys River and coming out at Lafarge. Enjoy the trip, the wild life in those out of the way places is unreal to those of us living east of the big muddy.
camping - find a state park, after school starts, you can pick you spot.
also camping is free in the national forest.
Enjoying your drive = if you see some small out of the way, odd type business, make sure to stop and enter. Some will build memories that will last a lifetime and you can not determine that before entering.
For a southern born guy, I think the Badlands of South Dakota are one of the greatest tourist spots in the american west. Devil tower in WY is a must see. Utah is beautiful, remember, get away from the interstate. For a great trip, starting looking for long dirt roads, no pavement. Most memorial "just driving" was turning left out of Jackson hole and doing 100 miles of dirt road up the Greys River and coming out at Lafarge. Enjoy the trip, the wild life in those out of the way places is unreal to those of us living east of the big muddy.
Try a late spring or early fall trip on the old Route 66. My daughter and I did that a couple of years ago and it was one of our most memorable trips ever. It takes you through or close to a ton of National Parks and Monuments and some spectacular western scenery. History is over every hill.
Make sure to stop at the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. As they like to say, "When you are here, you are halfway there!" It's 1139 miles from the start of old 66 in Chicago and 1139 miles to its endpoint in Santa Monica, CA.
Pit stop on the afternoon of Wednesday October 24th.
jtcarm
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Pit stop on the afternoon of Wednesday October 24th.
Not whole lot else to see in the Texas Panhandle, except Palo Duro Canyon and The Caprock. You have to get further south.
U.S. 40 between Denver & Salt Lake City is pretty, at least when I last drove it in 1986.
The Utah Canyon Lands (SE part of the state) are a sight. I think that entire area is just one big rock.
Of course, no trip out west is complete without a visit to Winslow Arizona. It's such a fine sight to see
Western NM not as much fun since they renamed highway 666. Not much to see except Shiprock and Chaco Canyon.
Monterey CA is beautiful, and there's Winchester house in San Jose.
You could spend most of that just in the Black Hills and vicinity.
BearBio
Member
I have spent almost 70 years in the "west". Twenty years in Washington State. We're finally going to visit the San Juan Islands this fall.
WITHOUT A DOUBT, the best time to go is after Labor Day. First, decide on whether your focus is wildlife, natural history or history! You could EASILY spend 6 months doing any of those (or others). Yellowstone alone could be a week in October. We feel Glacier is a short car visit or a walking/hiking visit. Lots of people in some areas. The tour on Going-to-the-Sun is well worth it=I'd recommend the shorter tour.
For Yellowstone, picture a big figure "8"==figure at least one day for each loop. Don't forget Cody and the Buffalo Bill Museum=east of Yellowstone=Beware pass may be closed! Beautiful scenery along the Chief Joseph Trail north of Yellowstone. Grand Teton is a nice drive but overshadowed by it's big brother. If you can, stay at the Old Faithful Lodge=the largest log building in the world! Great food!
Devil's Tower and Mt Rushmore were VERY disappointing. Better views from the highway than inside the park/monument.
Washington: Mt Rainier, North Cascades (If the leaves are turning, do the Cascade Loop through North Cascades Highway and back through Stevens Pass or Mt Rainier (if passes aren't snowed up). Quaint town: Leavenworth.
Portland and Washington: Columbia Gorge & Multnomah Falls.
Eastern Washington: The Channelled Scablands and Missoula Flood area. Slightly north is the area depicting the southernmost edge of the glaciers during the Ice Age (one of them). Those large rocks in the fields are "erratics" left by either the Missoula Flood or the glaciers.
As an ex-patriot, "STAY OUT OF CALI!". Driving, timing, etc. makes it an experience to be avoided unless you know what you are doing.
Arizona: Grand Canyon and "Indian Country". If you have time, visit the north rim. Lots of Anasazi ruins (Navajo Nat Monument, Canyon de Chelly, Walnut Canyon (edge of Flagstaff). Sonoran Desert Museum near TUCSON (correction) and San Javier del Bac (most beautiful Spanish Mission ever). Four corners.
Nevada: Not much! Great Basin and portions of Death Valley. Vegas or Reno are a must visit. Virgin River and Mesquite are nice.
Colorado: Four Corners, Rocky Mountain National Park, Stanley Hotel in Estes Park (Haunted), Pike's Peak,
I would make a list of all the suggestions that interest you, read up on them and then rank them.
Have fun! My suggestions were spur of the moment and I likely left out hundreds more!
TAKE CHAINS AND A HEAVY COAT, AS WELL AS SHORTS AND SUNSCREEN!
WITHOUT A DOUBT, the best time to go is after Labor Day. First, decide on whether your focus is wildlife, natural history or history! You could EASILY spend 6 months doing any of those (or others). Yellowstone alone could be a week in October. We feel Glacier is a short car visit or a walking/hiking visit. Lots of people in some areas. The tour on Going-to-the-Sun is well worth it=I'd recommend the shorter tour.
For Yellowstone, picture a big figure "8"==figure at least one day for each loop. Don't forget Cody and the Buffalo Bill Museum=east of Yellowstone=Beware pass may be closed! Beautiful scenery along the Chief Joseph Trail north of Yellowstone. Grand Teton is a nice drive but overshadowed by it's big brother. If you can, stay at the Old Faithful Lodge=the largest log building in the world! Great food!
Devil's Tower and Mt Rushmore were VERY disappointing. Better views from the highway than inside the park/monument.
Washington: Mt Rainier, North Cascades (If the leaves are turning, do the Cascade Loop through North Cascades Highway and back through Stevens Pass or Mt Rainier (if passes aren't snowed up). Quaint town: Leavenworth.
Portland and Washington: Columbia Gorge & Multnomah Falls.
Eastern Washington: The Channelled Scablands and Missoula Flood area. Slightly north is the area depicting the southernmost edge of the glaciers during the Ice Age (one of them). Those large rocks in the fields are "erratics" left by either the Missoula Flood or the glaciers.
As an ex-patriot, "STAY OUT OF CALI!". Driving, timing, etc. makes it an experience to be avoided unless you know what you are doing.
Arizona: Grand Canyon and "Indian Country". If you have time, visit the north rim. Lots of Anasazi ruins (Navajo Nat Monument, Canyon de Chelly, Walnut Canyon (edge of Flagstaff). Sonoran Desert Museum near TUCSON (correction) and San Javier del Bac (most beautiful Spanish Mission ever). Four corners.
Nevada: Not much! Great Basin and portions of Death Valley. Vegas or Reno are a must visit. Virgin River and Mesquite are nice.
Colorado: Four Corners, Rocky Mountain National Park, Stanley Hotel in Estes Park (Haunted), Pike's Peak,
I would make a list of all the suggestions that interest you, read up on them and then rank them.
Have fun! My suggestions were spur of the moment and I likely left out hundreds more!
TAKE CHAINS AND A HEAVY COAT, AS WELL AS SHORTS AND SUNSCREEN!
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You're right!
I could give you an after-Labor Day, three-week itinerary in Wyoming alone. I recommend moseying and not trying to cram in as much as you can.
Get to Casper. Go west to Shoshoni (the most desolate 100 miles of your entire trip, but it'll make you appreciate everything else you'll see). Go north to Thermopolis through the Wind River Canyon -- stop everywhere you can just to absorb the canyon's beauty. Visit the astounding dinosaur museum (lots of big, east coast museums whine about the stuff sitting inside this small Wyoming town's museum) and the World's Largest Hot Springs in Thermop and stay at the Best Western Plus Plaza Hotel (more like a B&B than a motel). Head to Worland and go east to Ten Sleep. Stop at Dirty Sally's for ice cream then head up Powder River Pass. Lots of photo ops. Drop down into Buffalo and visit the Occidental Hotel (tell Dawn that Bob from Atlantic City sent you). Take the grand tour of the historic place and stay overnight.
Head north to Sheridan. Visit the King Rope store (museum) and buy a hat. Lots more to see there, too. Maybe take side trips to Devil's Tower, over to Mount Rushmore and back through the Custer Battlefield in Mont.) then head to Ranchester and drop down Shell Canyon (Highway 14, don't take 14 Alt) to Shell, through Greybull and on to Cody. Give yourself several days there to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Winchester museum and scads of other weapons).
Remember, don't rush.
Enter Yellowstone through the East Entrance (50 miles from Cody). Spend some days traveling every road in the Park (the Old Faithful Hotel/Lodge is a must see), then drop down into Grand Teton and check out every pullout for photos. South out of Jackson (I suppose you should stop there to see the elk horn arches on either side of the city park) head to Alpine. Go southeast through Hoback Canyon.
Send me an email if you get to Pinedale and still have time left in your allotted vacation schedule.
THE PILGRIM
Member
The Dove of the Desert.
Just South of Tucson.
Close to the Pima Air Museum.
Real close to the only Tourable Titan Missile Site.
San Xavier Mission/ Tucson AZ
Just South of Tucson.
Close to the Pima Air Museum.
Real close to the only Tourable Titan Missile Site.
San Xavier Mission/ Tucson AZ
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2018 International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, October 6-14.
If you do make it into the wind river canyon,grab a spinning rod and some worms and dead drift em (get the correct license too)
The size of the trout will astound you!
The size of the trout will astound you!
Weimar
US Veteran
I skimmed through much of what I saw - 'Out West" - reminds me of a story.
We were stationed in The Netherlands (Europe) for the first time and my parents were coming over. They said, we want to see everything in 2 weeks! Berlin, Paris, London, besides the local stuff for you guys. Oh, and Rome!
I had to explain that, anything is possible, but 2 issues. #1 that I couldn't afford it and #2 if driving, we would be on the road the entire two weeks.....
AND, then I explained to more than one european friend, going to LA or Florida diseyland is not really 'America". One friend rented an RV and drove the USA for over a month.
1. What kind of stuff?
.........if parks - then the choices are easier, but Yellowstone itself is a couple of days, Glacier is spectacular, only have driven past the Tetons, but out west to me is Montana, Wyoming and the Pacific Northwest, not counting anything south of the Redwoods
We were stationed in The Netherlands (Europe) for the first time and my parents were coming over. They said, we want to see everything in 2 weeks! Berlin, Paris, London, besides the local stuff for you guys. Oh, and Rome!
I had to explain that, anything is possible, but 2 issues. #1 that I couldn't afford it and #2 if driving, we would be on the road the entire two weeks.....
AND, then I explained to more than one european friend, going to LA or Florida diseyland is not really 'America". One friend rented an RV and drove the USA for over a month.
1. What kind of stuff?
.........if parks - then the choices are easier, but Yellowstone itself is a couple of days, Glacier is spectacular, only have driven past the Tetons, but out west to me is Montana, Wyoming and the Pacific Northwest, not counting anything south of the Redwoods
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Erich
Member
Late spring can be unpleasantly windy here in the high desert of New Mexico; another vote for early fall.
The Anasazi ruins of Chaco Canyon, Bandelier National Monument and the Puye Cliff Dwellings are some of many things worth seeing in New Mexico. The old Acoma Pueblo buildings on the high mesa are another. Santa Fe and Taos are really nice and a drive from SF to Taos on the high road is lovely.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park - Wikipedia
The Anasazi ruins of Chaco Canyon, Bandelier National Monument and the Puye Cliff Dwellings are some of many things worth seeing in New Mexico. The old Acoma Pueblo buildings on the high mesa are another. Santa Fe and Taos are really nice and a drive from SF to Taos on the high road is lovely.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park - Wikipedia
