I am trying to convince my DW that we should plan a 3-week trip from OH to the west next year. I've always wanted to go, but don't know where to start. Are there websites or resources anyone would recommend to assist in planning route and sites we should definitely hit?
Mr. B
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'08 Trips: 11, Nights Camping: 33, Miles Logged on TT: 2,189
Unless you are into marathon driving, 3 weeks is just barely enough to get to the west and really enjoy it. I agree with mockturtle - narrow it down to one area (Yellowstone/Tetons, Colorado, Glacier, or the sw Utah parks & Grand Canyon - note the "or" here!) We have managed a pretty good, but somewhat quick, overview of Yellowstone with a 2 1/2 week trip from the Chicago area (which is an extra travel day ahead of you), and also a good satisfying trip to Colorado (which did leave us wanting more) in 2 weeks time. We did take a 3-week trip to the Pacific NW from here one time, towing our PUP, and had almost no 2-night stays anywhere along the route. DH said he did NOT want to do that again!!
Do some research (including some searches on this site if you like) and pick which area interests you the most, then we can more easily work on planning routes.
And I agree - go ahead & plan. Gas is likely not to get much, if any, lower than it is right now.
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2004 Ford 350 Super Duty 2W Dirve Long Bed PU
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Easterners think the west is anything west of the Mississippi river Just kidding, and no offense meant. But the West is really a big area. If by west you are meaning the Dakota's and Yellowstone then go for it. By west you are meaning the Pacific ocean then stop and think about how far you want to drive a day to get there. Give us some clue about what you think you want to see and then we can offer some constructive idea's.
We did a 6 week cross country trip 3 years ago. I planned the trip on this forum. I took out the map and decided what sites we wanted to see. I have 3 kids so they each got to pick one place to go. I posted questions about the best places to stay at each place. We had a great time. If you only have 3 weeks you will have to spend long days on the road to make up time. We would drive late into the night and pull off at a Walmart or truck stop to save time and money. You could make Mount Rushmore and the Bad Lands in 2 to 2 1/2 days. We went to Cody WY., Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons next. Look at the maps and decide what you want to see and how much time you have stay there. You can see a lot in a few days and move on to the next stop.
Have a great trip!
Dmax 27
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Not much left to say. The time of year would be helpful to know, as some areas are better than others weatherwise. Suggest you target area as suggested above. You can easily spend 3 weeks in:
The Yellowstone, Teton, Glacier Park area
Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Canyon area
Oregon coast
You get the idea. Narrow it down a bit and you'll get plenty of help here. Good luck.
donn0128 wrote: Easterners think the west is anything west of the Mississippi river
You Easterners think anything west of the Alleghenies is still Indian country!
The best trips are those not planned - spur of the moment yields wonderful surprises. Get out the AAA books and read a little bit and just wing it!
Matt J - 1956 416 Unimog w/32ft Jamco and two mules; Unimog 1750L camper in Guatemala
Bert - '08 Dakota 4.7, 19ft Airstream
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Sorry for the delayed response. I dropped that post yesterday and signed off for the day. In terms of what to see/where to go, I'm trying to narrow it down and you've already started focusing my thoughts.
I can only get away for a 3-week period. It would be after the kids get out of school, so our trip would be June or July. I realize I can't see "The West" in total so I have prioritize. Would Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon make sense or would we be driving the entire time? My sons are 9 & 13 and I'd like to show them as much of the western US as I can while still making our stops meaningful. I don't just want to do a "drive-by" and check something off a list.
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Just kidding, and no offense meant. But the West is really a big area. If by west you are meaning the Dakota's and Yellowstone then go for it. By west you are meaning the Pacific ocean then stop and think about how far you want to drive a day to get there. Give us some clue about what you think you want to see and then we can offer some constructive idea's.
