Am I Being Realistic?

[nicole67892]

Hi Everyone!
So my boyfriend and I want to go on a road trip from eastern South Dakota to Seattle, WA. We have wanted to take this trip for a long time. We figured that we would travel to Seattle by going mainly through western SD and Montana, and on the way back we would go through northern Wyoming, so that we could spend a day in Yellowstone National Park.
So here's questions:
1. How long do we need? We don't plan on only stopping once on the way to Seattle, and then spending a couple days in Seattle. Then on the way home plan on spending a couple days in Yellowstone. I'm thinking two weeks, tops. Is this a feasible plan?
2. We only plan on staying in a hotel in Seattle, all the other nights we want to camp. Is $1,500 - $1,800 enough to cover costs?

Thanks!
N.

[glc]

Well 2 weeks is definitely realistic, but getting to Seattle in 2 days is not. It's over 1500 miles from Sioux Falls to Seattle, and should really be done in 3 days. I'd bump the budget up a bit, a good rule of thumb is $100 per person per day. A lot depends on gas prices and what kind of mileage your car gets. A hotel in Seattle can be quite costly too unless you research carefully, there are some budget chain hotels around the airport in the $50 range but staying downtown will be $100+ a night.

3 days to Seattle, 2 days there, 2 days to Yellowstone, 1 day in Yellowstone, and 2 days back would be 10 days. Bring $2000.

[nicole67892]

Thanks for your input! I think you're right, three days to Seattle is more like it. Do you have any cool stopping points on the way to Seattle that you would recommended?
Thanks again!
N.

[glc]

There is a thread around here somewhere that has listings of a lot of attractions along each major Interstate route. The only ones along I-90 that I've personally been to are Wall Drug, the Badlands, and Mt. Rushmore. Being that you have allotted 2 weeks, those would be very doable on the way out if you add a day or two to your trip. There's a lot more in the Black Hills than just Rushmore.

[RedCorral]

Nicole,

Leaving Yellowstone (please spend at least 2 days there) the town of Cody has some good things to see such as the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, the Buffalo Bill Museum, and the Whitney Gallery of Western Art.

Then, just west of the Black Hills is Devil's Tower (remember "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"?). And, just in case you don't see lots of wildlife in Yellowstone, the wildlife loop in Custer State Park south of the Black Hills has buffalo and pronghorn antelope. Our son was just there and had to stop for herds of both to get off the road, but he didn't mind the wait.

Finally, the Wild Horse Sanctuary, south of Hot Springs, SD, is a wonderful place to walk among wild mustangs and see a few interesting petroglyphs as well.

Have a great trip.

Craig Sheumaker
co-author of the travel guide: America's Living History-The Early Years