Maine to Yellowstone

[Maine-iacs]

It's a long darn trip from here to there. What are the things I should stop and see and enjoy along the way?

[Horsedoc]

If you run I-90 west, suggest the Custer Battlefield (Little Big Horn River) just east of Harden Wyoming. Sad, yet very interesting and historic place. Not a lot of room for RV parking there, so suggest you either stay in Harden and toad back or TV back.

[docsouce]

This was copied from the North Dakota Highway Patrol web site.

"The speed limit is 55 mph on gravel, loose dirt, or on loose surface highways and on paved two-lane county and township highways, if there is no speed limit posted.

The speed limit is 65 mph on two-lane highways, if posted for that speed.

The speed limit is 70 mph on paved four-lane divided highways.

The speed limit is 75 mph on interstate highways (I-29 and I-94)."

The Montana DOT web site says "the statutory speed limit on State Highway 2 is 70 mph."

We made this trip 3 years ago. Into Canada at Thousand Islands Ca 417/17 to Sault St.Marie then US 2 from St.Ignace to St Mary at Glacier NP. We left on June 16 and arrived St Mary on June 28.
Wonderful ride...

[Matt_Colie]

Maine-iacs,

Let me start by telling you that I am a refugee from the megopolis of the east coast. I would go back there in a flash but for the taxes and the crowding south of where you are.

In rereading the thread, I saw that you current plan is 6~8 WEEKS! This is about right. Many museums need more walking than I also cannot do these days, so just relax and enjoy what you can do.

I bet you know that your primary route will be 2500+/- miles. So bet you know that you are looking at 6 hard travel days or more if you are not doing a Bonsi run.... (Don't do that, they are no fun.)

There is no way you can do this and not find out you missed something when you finally get home. Canada may still be out of the question, but if you can cross between Niagara and Port Huron, that will save a lot, but you will miss the museum at Corning but you can hit the one at Rochester. (The Strong Museum is only for people that were once a child or know someone that was.) Both are 100mi+ museums.

I class museums by how much out of your way it is worth going to see them....

On the way across Michigan (if you come this way, are The Henry Ford in Dearborn, The Gilmore in Hickory Corner and the Kalamazoo Air Zoo (guess where that is). Ford and Gilmore are both 100s, but the Air Zoo is only a 50 but it is near the interstate. Ford is all Americana and includes a village complex (separate ticket). Gilmore is a car museum and that should be all uppercase.

So get out the guide books and start planning.

I wish you hours of boring driving and marvelous experiences when stopped.

Matt

[older_fossil]

Maine-iacs wrote:

older_fossil wrote:
Probably meaning US-2, a federal highway that runs east-west across the top of the US below the Canadian border. We took a part of it from North Dakota to Glacier NP last summer.

I see it on the map. Was it noticeably slower than the interstate? I'm interested in seeing the West but not at wagon train speed :B

While much of the part we drove was two lane, it is a fairly straight road since much of Montana is pretty flat. As you approach the Rockies in the western part, the scenery gets more varied. I don't recall the small towns being a traffic issue, just reduced speeds for a mile or so.

As posted before, consider a different return road, depending on where you are planning arriving and leaving the Yellowstone area.

[DrewE]

Maine-iacs wrote:

older_fossil wrote:
Probably meaning US-2, a federal highway that runs east-west across the top of the US below the Canadian border. We took a part of it from North Dakota to Glacier NP last summer.

I see it on the map. Was it noticeably slower than the interstate? I'm interested in seeing the West but not at wagon train speed :B

US2 in the west is mostly straight and mostly 55mph speed limits, with the occasional slowdown for a town, if memory serves. It's a little slower going than the Interstates, but is not a super slow route and indeed is a major east-west highway through the region.

US2 is interesting in having a large discontinuity between the northern peninsula of Michigan and the northern bit of New York state. This was intentional from the start--the idea is that you'd go through Canada between those points, more or less following what is now a part of the Trans-Canada highway.

[Maine-iacs]

older_fossil wrote:
Probably meaning US-2, a federal highway that runs east-west across the top of the US below the Canadian border. We took a part of it from North Dakota to Glacier NP last summer.

I see it on the map. Was it noticeably slower than the interstate? I'm interested in seeing the West but not at wagon train speed :B

[Mayor30]

I would recommend Harold Warp's Pioneer Museum in Minden,Nebraska. If you like history,old cars,trucks,tractors ,motorcycles, this place has it in spades. They have a campground by the museum and you get a free ticket to the museum with one night of camping.It's about 10 miles south of I-80.

[older_fossil]

Maine-iacs wrote:

Germania wrote:
If you want to get off the Interstate for a while check out RT 2 runs east and west and will let you see the way people live.If you do go to Custer SP check out the"iron Mountain" road

Which state are you referring to? There's a lot of RT 2's around.

Probably meaning US-2, a federal highway that runs east-west across the top of the US below the Canadian border. We took a part of it from North Dakota to Glacier NP last summer.

[Maine-iacs]

Germania wrote:
If you want to get off the Interstate for a while check out RT 2 runs east and west and will let you see the way people live.If you do go to Custer SP check out the"iron Mountain" road

Which state are you referring to? There's a lot of RT 2's around.

[docsouce]

Coming from Maine Route 2 would make you feel right at home. As mentioned if you feel you have the time and want a break from the interstate. Just a beautiful ride.

[bukhrn]

Crowe wrote:
I second Theodore Roosevelt if you take the northern route. It's overlooked and an awesome place.

I third it, awesome place, we stayed at the Southern unit, one night we had one of those big bulls walk under our awning, I've seen photos of them scratching themselves on people's slide outs.

[Crowe]

I second Theodore Roosevelt if you take the northern route. It's overlooked and an awesome place.

[Germania]

If you want to get off the Interstate for a while check out RT 2 runs east and west and will let you see the way people live.If you do go to Custer SP check out the"iron Mountain" road

[Maine-iacs]

We had bison burgers the last time we were out that way - absolutely delicious!