SEA-Yellowstone-Deadwood-DN-SLC

Thanks all. We're like 2 hours from Mt Rainier and they have done the Jr Rangers Program there. It was still an option last month when we went even with the buildings closed. The longest trip we have done was last Summer when the kids were 3 years old. We drove for about 8 hours into Oregon. They are actually pretty good about being in the car still. I think they entertain each other more than anything. Apart from the driving, all we do when we get places is activities/site seeing. That's quite the list around Rapid City. I'll look into adding those to the list. I'll make the reservations as soon as I have the schedule down. Hopefully this week.

It sounds like it's just not realistic to add Denver on to this trip without being rushed and adding a lot of unnecessary drive time. It also sounds there is plenty of things to keep us busy around the Rapid City Area with the extra days.

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Originally Posted by travelingman

The reality is that you are planning a vacation for yourself and dragging them along.

You would get more out of this trip by postponing it at least four years, or leaving them with someone and going by yourself.

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I so fundamentally disagree with this idea that it needs to be addressed.

Of course a 4 year old isn't going to remember the details of a trip at this age, but that hardly means that children don't get anything out of a trip at that age. A trip itself lays the foundations for new ideas, the concept of traveling to see things you've never seen before, and maybe, even a moment or two they will remember. You don't read to 4 year olds because you expect them to forever remember the book, you read to them to lay a foundation for appreciating the importance of reading and learning throughout their lives.

Now, of course, you still need to adapt your trip to the needs of small children. One 8 hour trip in the car is not nearly the same as trying to cover thousands of miles over the course of a little over a week. It means you do need to stop more often, and factor in more things that kids will enjoy - which can be something as simple as a playground - and covering less ground each day so they aren't strapped into a car all day, every day, for repeated days.

Cutting out Colorado is a very good start. I will say there are also many more things on a closer to direct route that would be a good use of the "extra" time you won't be using adding those extra miles. For example, Grand Teton wasn't on your original list, and with just 2 days at Yellowstone, you really wouldn't have time to include it before. Little Bighorn and Devils Tower are also some more places to check out that I'd think your new plan would allow some time for.

Okay. Here is our updated schedule. This one feels much better. Let me know what you think.

Day 1 – Missoula
Day 2 – Devils Tower/Cody
Day 3 – Yellow Stone
Day 4 – Yellow Stone
Day 5 – Deadwood
Day 6 – Mt Rushmore/Crazy Horse
Day 7 – GTNP/Jackson Hole
Day 8 – Coeur d’Alene
Day 9 – Home

Its a lot better than your original but it will still be a full on trip, especially for the young ones. If you take 2 days of travel time off for Yellowstone (where you will add more miles driving around the park) you are still looking at 375 miles or so per day which is 6-7 hours in the car every day. Thats a different experience for the youngsters than one long day on it's own would be.

I'm not sure if you have done a typo but going out to Devils tower and back to Cody then to Yellowstone and back out to Deadwood doesn't make much sense unless there is a reason. Going from Missoula to Yellowstone then Jackson Hole , Cody and across to Mt Rushmore, Deadwood and Devils tower would work better.

Is there a reason you've shortened this from 11 days to 9 days.

Anything you had gained by cutting out Denver and SLC is pretty much wiped out by reducing your total trip time. In some ways, you might actually be even worse off now, since you've added more things into the 9 days.

And as Dave mentioned, the order of things you've got doesn't really make sense either. Cody and Devils Tower aren't close and are on the wrong side of Yellowstone. I would also suggest you'll be better off hitting Yellowstone and Tetons back to back to save time and miles.

Thanks for the recommendation. It feels like I'm getting closer with each revision. Let me know what you think about this. I changed the order and I added an extra day at Yellow Stone, given the travel time from Missoula. I could cut out Devils Tower or Crazy Horse to have more time in Deadwood. Any other recommendations or suggested changes to the order?

Day 1 – Missoula
Day 2 – Yellow Stone
Day 3 – Yellow Stone
Day 4 – Yellowstone
Day 5 - GTNP/Jackson Hole
Day 6 – Cody
Day 7 – Devils Tower / Deadwood
Day 8 – Mt Rushmore/Crazy Horse
Day 9 – Coeur d’Alene
Day 10 – Home

The problem I see now is that getting from the Black hills area to Couer d'Alene is way too much to do in a single day and even stopping at a 'half way' point between Deadwood and home would be 2 long days that would feel like rushing home. Ideally, a day 11 would work best, but if thats not an option then I think doing a quick visit to the Tetons during your 3 day stay in Yellowstone could work OK and take a 3 day trip home.

I agree with Dave, you're getting closer, but still have a couple major flaws.

The Black Hills To Coeur D Alene is more than 800 miles. That would be unwise and unsafe, even if you didn't have to think about a child. The Seattle area to Rapid City is basically at the upper limit of what you should consider doing in 2 full days of driving, and if you are going to do that, then you need to stop at the halfway point - which would be Butte, MT.

If that is the approach you're going to take, then I would strongly recommend flipping your trip around and do the long drive out to South Dakota first, when everyone is at their most fresh and energetic, rather than trying to pile 2 long haul days on the end of a still fairly fast paced trip where everyone is going to be a little tired.

I will throw one more idea out to add some variety into your trip. Rather than backtracking on I-90, you might go from the Black Hills to Cody, then to Yellowstone, and finish with Jackson/Tetons. From there, that would allow you to head west to Idaho and return via I-84/I-82, stopping in Boise or somewhere like that on the way home, without adding much in the way of travel time.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

I agree with Dave, you're getting closer, but still have a couple major flaws.

The Black Hills To Coeur D Alene is more than 800 miles. That would be unwise and unsafe, even if you didn't have to think about a child. The Seattle area to Rapid City is basically at the upper limit of what you should consider doing in 2 full days of driving, and if you are going to do that, then you need to stop at the halfway point - which would be Butte, MT.

If that is the approach you're going to take, then I would strongly recommend flipping your trip around and do the long drive out to South Dakota first, when everyone is at their most fresh and energetic, rather than trying to pile 2 long haul days on the end of a still fairly fast paced trip where everyone is going to be a little tired.

I will throw one more idea out to add some variety into your trip. Rather than backtracking on I-90, you might go from the Black Hills to Cody, then to Yellowstone, and finish with Jackson/Tetons. From there, that would allow you to head west to Idaho and return via I-84/I-82, stopping in Boise or somewhere like that on the way home, without adding much in the way of travel time.

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Michael,

I really like that idea of going all the way to Black Hills first and then doing Cody, Yellow Stone and then Jackson last. I'm sure the trip back will be the least fun and this way I'll be closer. If I take that approach, how can I change my drive in to Deadwood? Would I need to make it three days? Should I still stop at that Missoula? Any other thoughts on stops?

Thanks all for being patient with me here.