Ok … it's my turn to ask for advice from my dear and beloved readers (even you Alan!).
I'm debating returning to Yellowstone this summer with my two 12-year-old daughters (yes, they are twins). And I was debating driving. I'm wondering if anyone has made that trek, and if so how exciting or unexciting the drive is. Any thoughts are welcome, including ideas on how long it will take, where to stop, sights to see along the way (the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore seem like naturals) and how much time one should budget for a vacation like this, given one would want to spend five-to-seven days in Yellowstone. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Pat,
Please don't tell me you are becoming Clark Griswold. Did you ever take a long roadtrip and like it? I am sure you do not want your twins to hate you.
I beg of you not to torture them in this fashion.
Fly! Airfare is really cheap now. The airlines are begging you to fly.
Here is reminder of why not to drive…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GQSwMCHJNU
(PG-13 to R-Rated….Clark drops an F-Bomb)
Ask your daughters how they feel about it. But do a little bit of research with them. They are old enough to realize that parts of the drive would be boring but how exciting are airplanes and airports?
Do some mapquest. How long do you want to drive each day? I have traveled a lot to west by car and I know that we would take at least 5 days getting there even if we drove interstate part of the way. And we would reroute coming back. We have no time limitations.
I know that you know how to check areas on the internet and travel books. Do it with the girls.
My aunt & uncle did that a few years ago with my cousins (two are in college, one is in high school now, but I think the oldest was in high school at the time.) I agree with Theodore – ask the girls what they think, and do the research with them. I think if you get their input, it would build up some good faith in the event they start to resent you after sitting in the car for the umpteenth hour and are bored. (Although, I'm sure DVD players abound, it won't be as brutal as some as the road trips I endured as a child.)
My family did that trip when I was a junior in high school (mid '90s) and it is still one of my favorite memories. We took 4 days to get there for sight seeing, and I'm pretty sure it was 3 to get back. I'd say do it 100%, even if your daughter's hate it and roll their eyes at stopping at places like Wall Drug, and they call Devil's Tower and Rushmore lame its still worth it. Even if its a disaster, its a disaster you only get one or two chances to do in this life, and years later it will be a great memory. If you can I'd suggest scrapping a day at Yellowstone and drive up to Little Bighhorn. Last note, if you are driving in August I believe the Sturgess (Harley) rally might be taking place. Its important to factor in because we hadn't planned on a quarter million bikes being on the road, at cafe's, and all the tourist spots, don't know when they hold it now, but just something you might consider. Hope its a great trip
I did that with my parents in 1975 with a camper. I still remember it as one of the great highlights of growing up. I got to hear Vin Scully do a Dosoger game on radio while I was there. Don't listenb to these naysayers. Do It for the girls!
Pat,
After you get passed Minnesota/Iowa, it is nothing but cornields. However, if you do decide to drive, I would recommend a stop through Minneapolis, Chicago and Mt. Rushmore. The age of your girls suggest they would love the Mall of America and Chicago. It would help break up the trip. Plus you could catch some baseball games along the way.
Driving is not bad but that part of the country will get boring. It is best to break it up, enjoy the route there and back.
Pat,
Our family went to Yellowstone and Glacier two summers ago. We debated driving but wanted the maximum amount of time for traveling between and seeing the two parks. We flew into Denver (nonstop and quite cheaply), picked up a rental the next morning, and did a full day of driving via Mt. Rushmore and stopping in central Montana. From what I've seen, you can get VERY decent fares to Denver, and it's a one-day drive to Yellowstone, even with a short stop at Grand Teton National Park.
i've done the drive several times. plan 4 days both ways. that way you won't be in a hurry and you can see a lot of stuff. regardless of which way roads you choose to get out here i would recommend that sioux falls, south dakota be the point of convergence. basically, everything will be fairly boring (meaning: not that much different from ohio) until you cross the missouri river in the middle of s.d. it's almost like night and day. one side is eastern, the other side is distinctly western.
in the badlands you have wind cave, the badlands and mount rushmore to check out. i always viewed the area as a tease so i blasted through as quick as i could. but since you will be vacationing and not fleeing ohio check them out–and tell us what you think. a bit after the badlands area you get into wyoming and you will see devil's tower ahead on the right. there is a loop road that leaves and returns to the interstate—-take it and check out the living mashed potato sculpture.
now, i'm going to send you on a loop. no need to go in the same way you leave in montana/wyoming. go north on i-90 and check out little bighorn (also no need to scrap anything because it will be on the way)—another place i've never been.
now, i am going to send you on the most intense drive you will find in the lower 48. don't worry, it's paved and has plenty of other people on it doing the same thing. from little bighorn, map your way to red lodge, montana. you will find yourself at the beginning of the beartooth highway. above red lodge is one of the most insane switchbacks you will ever drive. take it and go up on the beartooth plateau. this road travels over alpine terrain at close to or over 10,000 feet in elevation. it is possible the best drive in america. you will eventually drop off the plateau and into cooke city, montana where the entrance to yellowstone is a few miles away. when you get in the park you and your daughters will say "terje, you rule" for recommending the beartooths.
once inside the park you know the deal. there are a few short day trips you could take from there like bozeman (2hrs) or terje's house (2 1/2 hrs). either trip is beautiful and never boring. the bozeman trip follows the gallatin river north through the western edge of the park and then the gallatin canyon. a nice drive and possibly a nice civilized break for two young girls. the tour d'terje contains hebgen lake, quake lake (a lake formed by the 1959 earthquake), a ride up the madison valley and a cruise up the mountains through my ghost town county seat and a quick run up another beautiful river valley to terje central. either trip involves going through west yellowstone (i'm going to assume you know what west has to offer, if not let me know).
i recommend leaving the park through the south entrance and visiting grand teton national park (included in the cost of the yellowstone pass). the park is lovely although jackson hole is a touristy, uppity, yucky town. on the way home choose either the road that goes through pinedale/rock springs or dubois/lander/rawlins for more non-boring relatively quick driving scenery. then you are back on i-80.
total trip time–2 1/2 to 3 weeks is ideal. depending on my availability i might possibly be able to meet up in yellowstone and show you and your daughters a couple short hikes or give a fly fishing lesson.
Hey Pat,
Your friendly transplanted Ohioan Yellowstone enthusiast here now living in Montana.
I've made this drive several times in all kinds of directions. You can take I-70 through Colorado and make your way through Southern Utah and then north (an amazing way to go once you get past Denver – the national parks in Southern Utah are stunning).
But, if you go the I-90 route (don't take I-80; that's really boring, though the best brownie I ever ate was in Lincoln, Nebraska – unless you drive through, Iowa and then veer north back to I-90; Iowa is surprisingly pretty), the absolute must stop along the way is Badlands National Park. Badlands National Park is just unreal in its beauty; the landscape is utterly bizarre, and there are small hikes you can take. There also is a small amount of wildlife just off the main road through the park in one of the units.
On the way, you'll no doubt notice a million signs for tourist traps, especially Wall Drug, but it really is kind of in the American tradition of tricking you into something that's less than the hype. The Corn Palace in Mitchell, though, is kind of neat. Your children might like Wall Drug, though; it's really kind of silly, especially after seeing hundreds of miles of signs.
Mount Rushmore you can safely skip; it's not all its cracked up to be. The Black Hills are the first big terrain you see for a long time, but they are not particularly interesting compared with the Rockies. The monument itself is just a quick photo shot. If you double it with something like Crazy Horse, note that it's not finished and can be disappointing to see. You could drive down to Wind Cave National Park, but that takes forever and a day. When I tried that once, the elevators to the caves weren't even working.
Devil's Tower is not lame; it's very beautiful there, especially if you take a hike around the tower. It's really surprising how pretty that part of Wyoming is. And, Wyoming! What a wild land; it's the most unusual land I've ever seen and diverse wherever you are in the state. High desert plains (just getting wilder than the strange plains in South Dakota – which get really interesting after you cross the WIDE Missouri), mountains in the distance, strange landscapes.
From there, you can either take U.S. 16 over the Bighorns or U.S. 14; either way is spectacular, though U.S. 14 is more harrowing. The Bighorns are extremely beautiful. However, you can also skip them and head over to the Battle of Little Bighorn National Battlefield near the Crow Reservation. That's also interesting, though if you've been to Gettysburg or Antietam, it feels like you've seen what a national battlefield site looks like. It's still very eerie, and you really understand what happened that fateful day. From there you head through Montana, and you can go over the Beartooth Highway (the most stunning drive in America through the mountains) and into Yellowstone (assuming you are going in the summer), or you can head over to Bozeman and go south through either the Paradise Valley from Livingston or Gallatin Canyon from Bozeman. You can't go wrong, really. Also, whichever way you go, you'll see that Yellowstone is much bigger than the park; there are huge and stunning national forests surrounding the park in every direction; many of these lands have wonders of their own and should be part of what people think of when they think of Yellowstone. That's why the "newspaper" I keep on Yellowstone covers a much larger range than the park itself.
I highly recommend driving. For the boring day driving through the Midwest, it only gets better. The only downside is – you have to drive home, and things get progressively worse (though you can drive home a completely different way – for instance I-94 takes you through Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which has a lot of badlands as well, but I think Southern Utah is the place to go, if at all possible). But, to see how Yellowstone, the headwaters of American rivers, arises out of the lands you drive through, is something, and there's some amazing jewels along the way.
hey jim, where are you at?
jim makes a solid argument for driving over the bighorns. i completely forgot about that drive. there is a really cool native american medicine wheel at the top of one of the mountains. it is a common stop and really intense to see. it is surrounded by a chainlink fence for protection but that doesn't really detract from it. also, the prayer offerings tied to the fence are amazing themselves. hand crafted tradition native stuff. beautiful things.
I'm in Bozeman, now.
The last time I made that drive was to move out here once and for all just over a year ago; I can also tell you what it's like to make that drive on I-90 right at Christmas time! Now, that's just a scary experience, especially when you are pulling a U-Haul and don't have snow tires yet on your car.
But, even that drive was rewarding in the end … there's nothing like Yellowstone in winter; I've spent much of the winter skiing, and frankly the winters aren't as tough here as they are in NE Ohio because we don't have humidity. It can be -5F, and you feel alive being outdoors. It was actually -5F last week in Bozeman (in March!); all that meant was that it's a great day to put on your nordic skis and find a trail you love and enjoy.
One day, Pat, you should consider doing that as well but only if you can get away from the snowcoaches and snowmobiles and really get into it; on some snowshoes or skis.
in reference to the Battle: read the Indian side in the book "Keep the Last Bullet for Yourself"……..it will completely refute anything the guide at Bighorn tells you. A mass suicide by drunken, scared horse soldiers! But Custer was the man…..he fought till the end! Just a slice of history.
well jim, i'm in bozeman every other week. if you ever want to meet up and have a beer let me know. i've been here since 1996. my wife and i met working in yellowstone. living in twin bridges now but we started out in bozeman, bought a house in belgrade and then got lucky and sold the house in belgrade at the peak of the market. now we're in the sticks and loving it.
Very cool … well, you've got the link to my Web site; so if you want to get in touch, that's probably the easiest way.
I can't add anything as far as directions, etc., Pat, though I also feel the Bighorn drive is a must do as are the South Dakota badlands, the Black Hills and Wall Drug. If they still do helicopter rides at Rushmore that is a blast.
What I can really add though is that my brother, sister and I made that trip with our father on an almost yearly basis when I was a kid (my parents divorced and Dad, a Wyoming native, stayed out West while we moved to Ohio. He would drive out to get us or drive us back). Riding in the car on a long trip like that as a family is well worth it. My Dad's dead now and when I think of him those drives come to mind first.
Well, Pat, it would seem as if your loyal readers/contributors have it mostly covered for you, but I do have a few thoughts to add.
Your girls are old enough to be able to remember what they will be seeing and near enough to college age to possibly appreciate your breaking-up the driving with campus visits. There are a lot of fine schools and attractive college towns along the way, spaced decently to provide diversion, especially for a sports fan like yourself. Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana State (in Bozeman, a very nice little western town), Utah, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, Kansas, etc.
Lots of barren spaces between at points, but lots of spectacular scenery you wouldn't experience from a plane. And there is something to say for your children (and you, as well) knowing their country from end to end. Driving (other than hitch-hiking, which is how I learned the lower 48, always hitting college towns for overnights) is the best way to know America.
I'd encourage taking in Glacier, as well, while you're out there. Heard good things about Missoula, as well. I-70 through Colorado in the summer is very nice and unforgettable, especially for an interstate. Natives tan golden instead of reddish. Sky is clear blue, with puffy clouds as ornamentation. Boulder is very appealing.
For time estimations, it's 24 hours to the Rockies, with Omaha half way, though I'd also steer clear of 80. Boringest route, except for 90 through southern Wyoming. And do return by a different route than you leave. I'd suggest 94 and 70. Could even see the shrine that is Green Bay.
At any rate, I'm confident you'll figure it out, especially given the excellent resources your request has uncovered. Have fun and enjoy those children. They grow and leave you soon enough, as I'm sure you're aware. My elder leaves for UNC this fall, but not 'til we tour Europe together this summer with her sister. Bon voyage and cherish the memories you're certain to make together.
i wouldn't even attempt adding utah or colorado to the trip. utah alone deserves it's own week or two and is better to do in the spring or fall when it's not at brain frying temperatures.
nice book rec joyce. i'm going to look into that one.
My family used to travel out west every summer…… to Clays Park! For what it's worth, my brother in law has traveled extensively and he votes for flying into Denver.
I will not comment about the drive so much as to offer a stop along the way. We stayed at a dude ranch outside Yellowstone (there are a number of them), and despite not being horseback enthusiasts at all, had a tremendous time. Part of the time included visits to the back country by horseback, learning to lasso and fly fish, having a great time at a ho-down learning to line dance, etc. We also really enjoyed going to a rodeo in Cody, Wyoming, and visiting their town and the Wild Bill Museum there. We were lucky enough to visit Cody during their Native American festival. This once a year festival has 26 tribes represented with all their regalia, and history, plus all the enticing aspects like home made arts, crafts, jewelry, and foods! It was a very pleasant trip and one with a nice twist to the typical sight-seeing adventures we enjoy. Hope yours is memorable and fun as well…
People who say a plane trip should be taken out west instead of driving out west have never driven out west. Either that, or they are simply Stevie Wonder, so it doesn't matter anyway. The drive is incredibly boring until you get through Minnesota, but thereafter the gradual changes in the terrain and the color of terrain is amazing. This is part of the entire point of traveling out west. But Pat already knows this, since he already did the drive.
And larry d., you actually like Wall Drug? That place is the tourist trap for the ages. Literally, beginning around 400, 450 miles away, their hundreds of billboards start telling you how many more miles to Wall Drug. I've never seen anything like it in my life. By the time you finally get near there, any normal person has absolutely no choice but to get off the exit and check out Wall Drug while on the way to where they're actually going, because they've gotten everybody so damn curious to find out what the hell Wall Drug even is.
Thanks to my stop at Wall Drug, I discovered that one can never own enough jackalope shot glasses. I bought two.
At least Wall is a good gateway town into the Badlands. I once stayed at a hotel in Wall, and I was watching TNT, and North by Northwest comes on, with the famous scene on Mount Rushmore, where I'd pass through the next day. I always thought that was pretty weird.
As for Wall Drug, if you've ever read Huck Finn and remember the whole Royal Nonesuch stuff, that's what Wall Drug is like. You feel a bit like you've been scammed, but what are you to do? The billboards are amusing and keep the drive through South Dakota interesting. So, sometimes, it pulls you in.
Just don't forget the Badlands are nearby and much more interesting than Wall.
As for the time to get from NE Ohio and back, I agree with those who say leave 4 days each way, though you might make it back in 3 if you are in a hurry and have had sensory overload. Day 1 gets you to Wisconsin (or if you are really ambitious, to Minnesota). Day 2 will get you to the Badlands area. Day 3 will get you through the Badlands and even to Devil's Tower. Day 4 will get you to the park with time to stop along the way.
If you do go through the Bighorns and end up in Cody as a result, there is a great museum in Cody, if that's what you are into … on the Wild West Show and several other museums within the museum. But, you just won't have time to do it all. That's why you'll need to keep coming back again and again, until you are covering small time hockey instead of major league sports.
Well, the Montana State Bobcats almost made the tourney … falling just short to Portland State … that would have been strange.
I lived in Colorado for 7 years and drove more times than I wanted to.Everyone should drive the Great Plains once in their life to experience what the pioneers endured,BUT there is nothing to see between here and Mt. Rushmore and will bore a teenager to death. Personally I would fly and spend the extra time in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
My dad bought me a pocket knife at Wall Drug every time we stopped there, alan. I also ate Buffalo burgers there, before chain supermarkets carried them. I loved it but was the youngest and probably the only one. I still love tourist towns and tourist traps.