Is this too far in too short of time

My family (hubby 3 teens) and I are planning on driving to Yellowstone (maybe Grand Teton) the spring of 2011/ We will have about 12-14 days and live in St. Joseph Mo.I realize there will be a couple long days which is fine we have done it before. But do you think it is too much?

Any suggestions would be great. We plan on going to Wall Drug, the Badlands, Mt Rushmore etc.
Thermopolis looks ok but not sure it is worth the extra time.

Thanks in advance for the help.
Michelle

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

It's quite doable and you know what to expect, it would be a couple of long days either way but breaking it up with different stops will still leave you with time to enjoy Yellowstone and the Tetons and by taking one route out towards Rapid City[I 90] and another back through Thermopolis and Casper to I 80 you will get to see different things. It's a case of figuring out how much time you want to spend in Yellowstone and work back from there to what time you have to explore on route.

It's worth remembering that Yellowstone can see winter weather [snow and ice] ]well into June, so I would try and go as late in Spring as you can when more of the park and it's facilities are open.

I am glad someone thinks it is doable. We were actually thinking about going through Thermopolis first, if we have time and coming up through Teton and Yellowstone. From there the Beartooth highway and through North Dakota. I would love to say I have been to every state and so would my kids. IF we do it this way we will have the west mostly done. Sadly Idaho, Oregon, and Washington will have to wait. I don't think there just will not be enough time to go there too. Wish there was.

I am open to any suggestions for this trip. You guys were a huge help a few years ago on our first roadtrip out west.

Thanks again

To amplify on Dave's comments - check your dates carefully. If you want to drive the Beartooth, it will not even be open till Memorial Day.

St. Joe to Thermopolis can be easily done in 2 days. On the return trip, you can actually make it home in one long day from the Badlands area on I-90 to I-29. This will give you at least a whole week or more in the area!

You will be able to check Idaho off your list easily from Yellowstone.

Thanks for the head up on Beartooth, It should be after Memorial day that we get there but I will double check before hand in case we have to reroute the trip.

There are so many wonderful things to see out west it is hard to pick and chose.

As I stated in a previous thread we would like to go on a road trip next year. We are not typically the type of people to make reservations ahead of time. However, I am concerned about finding a hotel close to these parks around the end of May beginning of June. How hard is it?

Thanks
Michelle

Please keep all questions in one thread regarding this trip, thanks.

It's a tough one to call, I like to secure a place close to popular spots but those that "wing it" alway's tend to find something. My concern is that I will spend a lot of time looking for lodgings that fit my budget and liking and waste precious time exploring the area. ["Champagne taste" and "Cheap wine budget" make it tougher ! Lol ]

The key word is "close" to National parks as well, the closer they are the harder to find and when they start filling up, it wil be harder to find good value. It really is a personal choice, but because of the reasons above I like the comfort of knowing where I will be staying, if you really don't want to book and want to leave your options open, I am pretty sure you would find somewhere.

Thanks. I am very torn and am going to try and plan at least for the couple days we are in Teton and Yellowstone.

Fortunately, I have beanies and weenies taste so cheap hotels are not a big deal for me. On one trip (that I made reservations for) there were....ladies of the evening all around. lol This was WAY back before internet.

Thanks again.
Michelle

Quote:

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This was WAY back before internet.

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The Web is a big plus even if you decide not to book, you can do some research and jot down names and telephone numbers of places that appeal and ring ahead earlier in the day to check availability. With the likes of Yellowstone being so huge you can target towns that are on your "in" and "out" routes that might save big detours.

Is one day enough in Yellowstone? I know more is ideal but could we see most of the big stuff?
I have medical issues so hiking any real distance is out of the question. Is there a huge difference in scenery between Teton and Yellowstone?
I would also like to see about what the locals like to eat in these towns. IF you drive through the city I grew up in (st louis) you have to have toasted ravs and Ted Drews.
Is there a place I can look at to find local must eats??
Thanks

What's right for Yellowstone is every minute you can spare for it. With a day and limited mobility, that should include at least Grant Village (Yellowstone lake and visitors center), West Thumb Geyser Basin, Old Faithful and the Fountain Paint Pot. All of those are on US-89 which you'd take into the park from the Grand Tetons, and are relatively easily accessible. The best advice I can give on finding the good local eating spots is to ask the locals, particularly tourist information centers and in smaller town halls. Some information centers may restrict how specific the advice can be that is volunteered, so be sure to describe as exactly as you can what it is you're looking for and ask the person where they'd eat if they were looking for such an experience

AZBuck