Ok, so we think we have this about figured out now. (LOL) Would apperciate any input. This trip is planned for late June, this year. (Wyoming %26amp; South Dakota) Keep in mind we won%26#39;t be doing any long hikes (nothing over 2 miles) unless something we want to see is over that, then we will consider it. Also we have drove through National Parks after dark (GSMNP %26amp; The Grand Canyon Arizona)
Day #1 - We can%26#39;t leave till about noon. (its a 27 hour drive from home to YNP. but we want to drive cause some of the states we are going through we have never been in and yes we are those ';people'; thats on a ';mission'; to be in or go through all 50 states) Any way 1ST day we hope to make it to around Kansas City MO. (its about 6 hours from here to St. Louis MO.) Drive 8 to 10 hours.
Day #2 - Cont. driving. Hoping to make it between Cheyenne WY. and Rowlins WY. (hoping closer to Rawlins WY) We are not planning on making motel reservations for this area or should we? Drive 8-10 hours.
Day #3 - Leave motel by 9AM. Take hwy. 287 out of Rawlins. Swing by to see Independance Rock hist. site. Back track back to hwy. 287. Cont. on. When 287/26 ends, its near Grand Tetons. We want to go view this (not planning on spending a lot of time here or at Ind. Rock site) After this head up to YNP. If still daylight we want to see Yellowstone Lake and Old Faithful. Check into motel West Yellowstone.(Need motel recomendations. I need to get this reserved ASAP)
Day #4 - YNP day, Going to try to see the lower loop. ';Hoping'; to see Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake (fishing allowed here? from the bank? lisences available at visitor center or rangers office?) Would also like to see Inspiration point and artist point. (is this the ';Grand Canyon'; of Yellowstone?)Is the hike to see these long? At dark or near dark head back to W. Yellowstone, motel.
Day #5 - Check out of motel. Go see the 1959 earthquake mon. head back through W. Yellowstone and drive the top loop (my map is not showing much for the top loop...so I don%26#39;t know what all is there) Eventually drive the Beartooth Highway (probably will be late afternoon but hopefully before dark!) Take this highway up to I-90. Check into a motel around Billings MT. (I%26#39;m not planning on making reservations for this 1 either, hoping we might get further down the interstate)
Day #6 - ';Might'; see the Little Bighorn Battlefield Nat. Mon., heading on down I-90 (I%26#39;m thinking we might make better time by staying on interstate) heading to SD. Stop in and see Devils Tower Nat. mon. Back to Interstate and on to SD. ';Might'; go tour Badlands 1ST and back track back to Keystone (We want to see this but don%26#39;t want to put it on our day to go home...20 hour drive from there to home) Check into Keystone SD. (reservations done made here)
Day #7 - Tour Jewel Cave (if I can get reserv. made for it) after jewel cave, see Wild Life Loop at Custer State Park. (is this a 1 way road? if we start down it will we be able to turn around and come back out of it, if we see we are pushing for time?) The late afternoon and evening will be at Mt. Rushmore.
Day #8 - If we arrived at Mt. Rushmore late the day before we can go back on this day. ';Maybe'; see Crazy Horse on this day and we can put the Badlands on this day too, if we have to. The evening of this day we will be going to a chuckwagon supper. (if we can get reserv. made for it)
Day #9 - get up early and start home.
Do we have to much planned for each day?
Thanks for your help!
Our itinerary, how does it look?
Sounds like your plans are good except for the Black Hills.Everything here will be a blurr for what you have planned.You need a minimum of 3 days here.
A must is the Evening Lighting Ceremony at Mt Rushmore.Drive the Needles and Iron Mountain road.
Needles to Custer State park after visiting Crazy Horse and the Iron Mountain Road back to Keystone after visiting Custer State Park.2 spectacular roads.
Custer state park loop ...2 ways..
Check out the Alpine Inn in Hill City for dining..
A real jewel and unbeatable DESERTS.
Big mistake here in the Black Hills, not staying longer....I would definitely adjust my plans
So much to see and so little time as you will find out.
Our itinerary, how does it look?
Sorry, but all the time we have for the Black Hills area is a Friday night, Sat. %26amp; Sun. and starting home on Monday morning. We know we won%26#39;t be able to see everything at both places but we work and we had to do alot of a-- kissing to get a few extra days for this trip so the days we have is what we have:( We can not add any more days to this. Plus we are not the type of people to ';lolly-gag'; around at each and every stop. Stop, get out, look around, video tape or take a few pics. and move on. Maybe when we retire we will be able to go back to the area and stay longer:) The 2 highways you mentioned we do plan on driving them. HTH!
One thought on a spot between Cheyenne and Rawlins...do the Wy 130 scenic byway and stop at Saratoga. The Saratoga Inn has great hot springs soaking (several rock pools of different temps. Or, the less expensive historic Wolf Inn and then use the free city hot pool (aka Hobo Pool) for a soak. After that much driving it might be soothing. Both Wolf and Saratoga Inn would require a reservation. Both have very good restaurants. Hobo pool is open 24 hours so available even if you arrive late. Downside is the scenic byway might be dark by then even around June 21 solstice. Plan ';B'; would be stop at Laramie and do the byway early in the morning, not stopping at Saratoga. Only 42 miles from Saratoga to Rawlins.
Backing up to Day 1....It would be 755 miles, mostly by freeway from Nashville to KC would be 8.5 hrs so a fairly late stop with leaving at noon but doable with a supper stop in Columbia or so.
Day 2...KC to Cheyenne is about 9.5 hours and that really is the best choice for variety in hotels/restaurants around there. You could push along to Laramie (1/2hr more) where there are also good chocies. A great place to jump off on WY 130 too and the early morning (easterly) light would be extra spectacular on the Snowy Range. Beyond Laramie there is nothing much in the way of towns on the freeway until Rawlins...a full hour beyond Cheyenne via I-80.
Or leave KC really really early and make a long day of it to Saratoga. KC to Saratoga (via WY 130) would be about 13 hours (not incl stops).
That noon departure from home is the real killer for the intended distance. An extra 5-6 hours would have opened up a lot more chocies on day 2. For instance making it to Lincoln, NE on Day One would make it possible to get to Lander, WY on day 2, even with a stop at Indie Rock.
Reading between the lines on Days 6 %26amp; 9....it looks like desire not to see Badlands ';on the way'; is driven by a plan to push through to home in one shot. After the preceeding 8 days the tiredness factor, even with two drivers, would be significant. As I have related in other threads when my wife was 18 she was almost killed when her girlfriend who was driving fell asleep and rolled the car just west of Cheyenne, WY. They were pushing to get from Salt Lake City to home in Minnesota in one shot after two week road trip to CA. Her right side has not worked in 35 years. Another girl in the car lost most use of both her arms.
Perhaps your agenda really is too much and taking out a day somewhere to allow a stop on the way home would be a good idea. Perhaps use some of the time backtracking from the Badlands to stay in the Hills and then leave on day 8 (with stop at Badlands) and a night on way home in Sioux City or Omaha.
I see Joeman and Sequim have answered some of your questions, so I will try to keep my two cents brief. As for lodging in West Yellowstone, I have stayed at the Lazy G. It%26#39;s very reasonably priced and very clean, but a bit dated. I really think it would suit your needs well because you will be very busy touring, so time in your lodging will be limited as you know. We are returning to Yellowstone this year and staying at the Alpine Motel, which looked a bit more modern and is the #1 rated motel in West Yellowstone on this site. I will let everyone know when I return! And as you know, you should make reservations as soon as possible.
I know you realize what an ambitious trip you have planned, but I would be cautious about driving around Yellowstone after dark. There%26#39;s such an abundance of large wildlife here. It%26#39;s a beautiful place, but the animals rule! I%26#39;d be cautious about evening driving due to fear of hitting an animal.
Also, the upper loop of Yellowstone is where you will find Mammoth Hot Springs, the Lamar Valley, and Tower Fall.
The hikes around Artist Point, which is in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, are very short and will fit your desired length perfectly.
Have a good trip. I am certain you will want to return to these beautiful areas when you retire!
Thank you both so much! We actually do have 2 full days to return home. So yeah, day #9 we can get a room that night. And we don%26#39;t plan to drive straight back. (no way!) So we are still ';thinking'; about putting Badlands on this day. Yes, we were thinking about staying in/near Laramie WY. Thanks! We apperciate your advise.
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