Travel advice - quick cross country trip

[sabconsulting]

Hi everyone,

Next month Sally and I are making a quick (3 week) cross country journey from Tennessee to Washington State. I've worked out a route to see the things I am really interested in - will be moving fast the first few days until we get to SD.

We won't have time to add any big venues or detours onto the journey, but I'm interested to hear from those of you who have done parts of the route if there are little things that are worth dropping in to see for an hour or so on the route. I.e. rather than stop to stretch our legs for 30 minutes at a gas station, why not do the same at some interesting attraction (themed diner / Stone Henge made of cars / lake with a great look-out point, etc. I know we will be passing major destinations in themselves and don't have the time to visit their major attractions, but I would kick myself if later I learned I had driven past some beautiful gorge or amazing attraction a stones throw from our route we could have at least dropped into for a quick look.

Here is the currently planned itinerary:

I40 / I24 through Nashville, St. Louis.
I64 / I70 / I29 through Kansas City, St. Joseph, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls.
I90 to Badlands.
I90 through Rapid City and 16 to Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial.
16 and then 24 up to Devils Tower, then back to I90.
Back onto 16 at Buffalo, Ten Sleep Canyon then possibly 20 and 26 down to Riverton and 26 / 287 to Jackson Lake.
Tour Jackson / Yellowstone for a few days.
191 back up to I90, then 200 and 83 past Swan Lake to West Glacier.
A couple of days in Glacier.
South via Flathead Lake to I90 again.
Follow I90 through Coeur D'Alene and onto 2 after Spokane (just to get off I90 for a bit and maybe camp by Banks Lake)
Back to I90 before crossing the Columbia River.
South on I82 at Ellensburg and west on 12 maybe having a quick look at mt Ranier and ideally drive up to Johnston Ridge Observatory get a good view of Mt St. Helens.

Any suggestions of nice state parks or dispersed camp locations along the route would be great too.

Thanks for any ideas in advance - not expecting anyone to bust a gut trying to put together a list, just if you happen to have stayed or visited somewhere along the route and thought "hey, that motorcycle museum was amazing" or something similar, would appreciate a heads-up.

Steve.

[sleepy]

Subconsulting and his wife took 3 weeks out of their busy schedule to take our camper cross country from Tennessee to Lakewood/Tacoma, WA. I think they enjoyed the trip.

It is being dismantled by Mike Lentz and Dave at Southend RV Repair. This is their third Lance 1161 in a row.

We are having in rebuilt with few modifications, we always thought the design was perfect even if the filon skins failed.

Very expensive... yes.

Much cheaper than a new camper. Goodness yes.

Subconsulting was influenced on destinations recommended by readers of this thread... I've seen some of his pictures.

In a single month Subconsulting traveled from India to England to pick up his wife then thru Chicago to Oak Ridge TN.... then drove our camper to the coast of the Pacific Ocean in WA State and Tacoma. From there flew back to England. More than 40,000 KM... close to 26,000 miles....the circumference of the earth at the equator.

And did us a great favor in taking our camper close to 3000 miles for us.

Any ideas how we are going to get it back to Tennessee?

Thanks Steve

Sleepy

[sleepy]

Almost home

[sabconsulting]

Thanks to all - this is great info. We are now nearing the end of our trip and are at Richmond WA waiting for tomorrow morning when we have a tour of the Hanford B reactor booked. Then we head west through the mountains and end up in Tacoma towards the end of the week.

It has been a great trip and the advice given has been really helpful. I will put together a trip report at some stage.

Cheers,

Steve.

[lonegunman]

If you get off I-90 in Spokane, WA and head towards Banks lake you drive within a mile or two of my house, I'll wave.

That being said, as you head west on highway 2, stop in Wilbur, Wa and have a Billy Burger, just outside of town cut north on highway 174 and go look at Grand Coulee Dam, it is a strangely straight road. Take 155 south to Banks Lake and camp at Steamboat Rock state park, then drive thru the Grand Coulee all the way to Dry Falls. It is an amazing trip, almost no one realizes how awesome the Ice Age Floods were or what they created in the middle of the state.

[ptanner]

Hemi Joel wrote:
Funny how tastes differ. I can't get thru Wall Drug without spending a couple hours. How can you not want to spend time with the friendly saloon girls or the 80' dinosaur? And you have to buy a stuffed Jackalope head for the wall in your camper! Rushmore, I would allow about an hour. It is awesome, but you can only look at it for so long. I think at sunset they had a light show or fireworks or something when we were there, that is the best time. Crazey horse was good, mostly for the story, and you can read that without being there. Since you are limited on time, I would recommend spending that time driving the Needles Highway, and touring that area.
At Dubois, Wyoming you can mount a giant stuffed Jackalope! I dig that kind of stuff. We spent about 3 hours hiking at Devils tower, I would have hung out longer but we had a schedule to keep.
You are going to have so much fun! Safe travels to you!

My wife and I made most of this trip several years ago. The two most memorable stops: 1. Little Big Horn Battlefield, arrived a dusk just as they were about to close but the Ranger told us to take our time, we were the only ones (alive) in the park...so quiet you could almost hear the voices of the past. 2. Mt. Rushmore, for the evening light show, over crowded. Plus, even though we had a National Part Pass it cost $10.00 to park because they lease out the parking and concession. Almost as commercial as Wall Drugs.

[Grit_dog]

If you can, skip Rushmore during the day, go in the evening. Cooler weather, waaay less people, get to see the evening color guard retire the flag and better pics/memories when it's lit up at night. We were on a schedule so that's when we went, by default. Glad we did, it was awesome at night.

[cross21114]

BB_TX wrote:
I, on the other hand, thought Rushmore was awesome 15 yrs ago and would go back now to see it again if in the area. Crazy Horse not so much as it was just beginning to take shape.

Little Bighorn Battlefield was interesting (for me) but quite a bit off your intended path. Buffalo Bill Cody Museum was great. Would definitely like to go back there.

And yes, Yellowstone is definitely worth a few days.

I completely agree with all this. I've been to Crazy Horse 3 times spread out since 1986 and 2005. Deadwood is a interesting place to stop particularly if you watched the show.

Badlands is a good place to boon dock over night.

Skip Wall Drug.

[Explorer1016]

Steve, when you get to St Louis you should drive into Missouri on I64 from the Illinois side. Fantastic view of The Jefferson National Expansion Monument known to most as The Gateway Arch. You will get a great view of The River Front and downtown St Louis. Farther to the west in mid Missouri you might detour to Lake Ozark. Lake Ozark State Park is a great place to spend a night or 2 right on the Lake. Lake Ozark might be too far off your route, however, it boasts 1200 miles of shoreline and some amazing views and restaraunts.

[Jfet]

Steve, I just saw this thread! You are coming to our home state.

If you want a great place to chill for a day along I-90 just outside of Spokane, try the Fishtrap BLM area. I think it is about 7000 acres and has some small ponds, hiking trails, pretty fun motorcycling. It is free and just a couple miles off the highway about an hour west of Spokane.

It does sound like you are doing a fast trip though. Sort of like trying to see the UK in 3 days like we did. Yep, there is that rock ring thing, oh there is an old castle....oops time to go.

[weedrancher]

I'd check road conditions in Wyoming and Idaho. I just came though and there's lots of snow melt causing flooded roads in the wind river, Dubois areas.

[bb_94401]

Instead of exiting Yellowstone via 191, take the eastern exit and hwy 212 over beartooth pass to Red Lodge. Spectacular views. Lots of nice Forest Service CG and boondocking available in that portion of the Custer-Gallatin NF. Head north to pick I-90 west then Hwy 191 north. Hwy 12 west to White Sulfur Springs (the Lewis & Clark NF just north of town has NF CG and boondocking). Continue west on 12 through Helena and then head north at Avon on 141 to pick up 200 and then 83 north to swan lake.

While you are running around glacier and the flathead valley consider visiting the National Bison Range (Wildlife Refuge) located outside of Moiese, to the west of St. Ignatius (N47.37234, W114.26352). Nice views of the valley, plus the chance to see bison, elk, deer and antelope.

When exiting the flathead on hwy 93 south, instead of taking it all the way to I-90, take hwy 28 from Elmo west then south past hot springs, then 382 south until you pick up 200 west. Goes right along the Clark river and much nicer scenery than I-90. Follow 200 west until taking hwy 135 south to pick up I-90 at Saint Regis.

[sleepy]

We've had some feedback... Steve is running a little ahead of schedule.

That's good... when you have airports at each end of your camping trips .

Sleepy

[Grit_dog]

If you're on I90 in western MT, there are multitudes of Natiknal forest campgrounds not far off the freeway. Great option for overnight stops.
Personal favorite, but Rock creek about an hour east of Missoula is great. Several campgrounds on th river, 15-45min off the highway and excellent fly fishing if you're into that.

[sleepy]

Eugarps... Bill, I t could have been you making these kind of decisions.

It seems that Steve is probably in or was In today...Badlands, Mt. Rushmore. Or Crazy Horse Monument

He and Sally are very nice people, Janet and I saw them this past weekend. We even went hiking with them.

Chet and Janet

(sleepy)

Note: I accidentally ran across this thread. A few of the posters are spot on.... we have been to about everywhere mentioned.

We will be going to the State of Washington this fall we hope.