Chicago to Portland

Hello all! I just came back from an amazing road trip from Chicago to the southwest, hitting 10 states and several amazing parks (Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce and Arches, with a few places in between). Now I'm itching for more!

I initially intended for my last trip to be solo, but a friend really wanted to join me (and then her friend joined us along the way as well). It was great, but I felt there was a lot I missed out on because after our hike through Zion, my friend was done (and that was only our second stop!). She said towards the end of our trip that it was clear she was a city girl because all she wanted was to get home. Meanwhile, I'm already ready to hit the road again.

So I decided to start planning and keep it as a solo trip this time. I'm thinking Chicago to Portland - probably mid-September 2016 (the only other time I could take off work would be in the middle of summer and that seemed like a bad idea temp-wise and crowd-wise). I love love love driving. The trip I just took, my friend doesn't drive at all, so I drove almost the entire trip myself. Her friend insisted on giving me a rest at one point, but then I felt like I missed out on some of the most fun driving of the trip! I would have been content driving the entire time.

So with all these things in mind, here's my question(s). How many days should I set aside for a trip like this? To drive there and back? I did the last trip in 10 days, and I made it from Chicago to Oklahoma City in day 1 (if that's any indication of my driving stamina). I know that's pretty far (800ish miles, I think?), but I felt fine. I got an early start (7am I think it was), made a bunch of stops along the way, and decided to stop for the night around dinner time, giving myself plenty of time to rest before the next day. (The intent was to get the most driving done in day 1 so I'd be able to relax and drive less each day after.) For that trip, my intention was to be spontaneous and stop anywhere that seemed interesting. We did a little of that, but again... my friend didn't really want to do anything so that was pretty limited. So this time around, I want to be able to stop if there's something interesting. I don't intend to spend half a day wandering around each state, though. So how many days is reasonable for a trip like this?

I picked Portland because I heard it's a fun city to tackle on your own. Anyone have experience with this?

I've never traveled super long distances by myself, but I used to drive from NYC to Montreal alone all the time. I think that's where I found my love of driving. I want to travel the world, and don't want to wait for someone to travel with, so I decided I would need to learn to travel solo. I figured a road trip would be the best way to do this. I could always turn around if I *really* needed to. I honestly don't think I will, though. I know Portland is far and maybe I should try someplace closer, but I love a challenge. : )

I was using roadtrippers to plan a route, and basically, I'm currently looking at this:
TO: Illinois > Wisconsin > Minnesota > North Dakota > Montana > Idaho > Washington > Oregon
FROM: Oregon > Idaho > Utah > Wyoming > South Dakota > Iowa > Illinois

I like the idea of going through 12 different states, and I would like to be able to say I actually went to each one as opposed to just drove through, even if for just a meal and/or a walk around town.

Does this sound like a decent plan? Any suggestions of places to see along the way? Any alternate route suggestions? I love doing active things, like hiking, and adventurous things, like skydiving, but I also like just seeing the sights. I just want to see something I've never seen before. Coming from Chicago, I already know city life. I want to experience something else.

Thanks in advance everyone, and sorry for the long post!

Hi, and Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

All your reasons for wanting to take this trip solo, are all the reasons why I have (as a senior female) travelled almost 200000 miles in north Anerica, on my own. Way to go!

The first thing I should advice you is to get hold of good detailed maps of the States through which you plan to travel. The detail on good old paper maps is invaluable compared to any computer mapping program. Then I advice you to follow the advice in the following paragraph:-

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Originally Posted by AZBuck

Start with maps. Not GPS, not software, not Google, but real honest-to-god paper maps that show you your entire route, that you can mark up (and erase), that you can stick pins in, and that show something about the land you'll be driving through. Those are your essential tool in any RoadTrip planning process. Start by marking all the places you know you want to visit. Then connect the dots. Then look for more places of interest and scenic routes along the lines connecting the dots. Repeat until you've got as many sites and roads as you think you want.

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Good maps can be got from AAA and are free to members. If you do not already have it, a AAA membership is great insurance when going solo.

I do need to point out though, that your trip from Chicago to OKC was not the wisest thing to do. It is way past what professional drivers are permitted by law, for safety reasons. Doing such a distance on your first day is particularly unwise, as fatigue could set in, and without you knowing it, you are becoming a danger on the road, not only to yourself, but to everyone who shares the road with you. As well it is not only on that first day, but on subsequent days. Fatigue is cumulative and an insidious enemy on the road.

For your safety and enjoyment I would urge you not to exceed 600 miles (11 - 12 hours) on any one day, and that is without sightseeing. It is much more enjoyable to keep your miles to 450 - 500 and allow yourself to stop as the mood takes you.

So get out some good maps, see what there is along the way of interest to you, and plan your trip accordingly. You will soon know how many days you will need for the loop trip.

Enjoy the planning - you have lots of time to do the research.

Lifey

Thank you so much! I'm extremely jealous of your 200000 miles and hope to reach that someday. : ) I would definitely be interested in some solo female road trip tips, too (though I'm sure there are plenty of posts here on that as well).

And thank you for the maps tip. One of the most exciting things for me pre-trip this time was the purchase of an atlas. I know that sounds strange, but there was just something about it that made it feel so much more... authentic. I had also printed out all my intended directions ahead of time, just in case. I love the idea of marking places on a map then connecting the dots to plan my route, though. I will have to stop at AAA (which I do have) for some paper maps. My atlas is great, but it sounds like the paper ones may have much more detail.

I guess I probably should have mentioned that after reading a few other posts this morning that I realize the drive to OKC was probably not the wisest thing to do. I didn't know that at the time, though. I figured with the amount of stops we made and the amount of time we rested at each stop, plus the fact that we got there early enough to have at least 8 hours of sleep plus some down time, it would be ok. Luckily, I was fine (and I know - I need to add on "this time" here). There was not a single point in my trip where I felt any exhaustion (well, except after one of the hikes, but that passed quickly). : ) I think knowing there was someone else who could drive if absolutely necessary made me a little more comfortable driving the distance. (The friend I went with *can* drive - she just doesn't.) But if I'm on my own, I don't want to take any chances. So it's good to have that 600 mile cap as reference. I know the first few states I've already been to so won't really be stopping. I will plan even less mileage per day in the other states, though.

I'm so excited for this! Glad I decided to start planning now, and would definitely love suggestions of places along the way that people recommend. : )

Hi,

Another tip for your planning is to ignore the times you see on any mapping programs. Generally, 50mph is the average speed you should use, because those apps don't include any stops for gas, meals, rest stops, coffee breaks or anything else but nonstop driving. If you plan a 400 mile drive, it will likely take at least 8 hours, and if you are going to do sight seeing along the way, you should limit mileage to 200-300 maximum per day.

You have about 4,500 miles to drive on your loop trip, which would call for about two weeks to see and do things along your route. I wouldn't plan on any less than that. Use the Map Wizard on this site to plot each day's drive and then click on the "Find RoadTrip Attractions" button to see what is along that route to visit. Keep in mind that most interstates run parallel to local highways that are usually more scenic. a lot of the attractions are on those local roads.

One more thing . . . Plan on at least two days, maybe three, in Portland, as the Columbia River Gorge, Washington Park, Aerial Tram and other attractions are right up your alley.

Stay in touch as you do your research and ask questions as they occur to you. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Challenge Accepted

One of the most exciting things for me pre-trip this time was the purchase of an atlas. I know that sounds strange, but there was just something about it that made it feel so much more... authentic.

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Nothing strange at all about it - all of us who have discovered the joy of a roadtrip know that exact same feeling. The planning of a trip can be just about as much fun as being on the road!

Thank you for reading and learning about the dangers of fatigue while on the road. The worst part about fatigued driving is that by the time you "feel" tired, you've already pushed yourself far beyond the point you should have stopped.

How much time do you think you can take off for your next adventure? I'd agree with Harry, 2 weeks is about the minimum I'd plan for a trip to the west coast and back.

I guess the one other thing I'd suggest based on your post is avoid the idea of seeing states like a checklist - and once you've been there you've "done it" and can move on. Just because you've been to a state before doesn't mean you've come close to seeing everything there is to see - and even specific places you have visited before can seem completely different on a return trip.

You've obviously made a good start. Getting the atlas was a good move. Many of us travel with an atlas, AAA maps and State issued maps, which are available at all visitor centres. As well of course we have our electronics to help find specific addresses, when required.

To get many more tips, spend some time reading the Roadtrip Field Reports Forum. Those are the reports of people's actual experiences, rather than just suggestions. Many of us have multiple trips in that forum. By doing a search, you will find quite a few of solo trips.

With accommodation: be sure to inspect the room before committing. Besides cleanliness etc., be sure to check the smoke alarm is working (many a time I have found it to be disabled) and that the door has a lock which cannot be opened from the outside - such as the chain lock.

You might also like to check out these two pages - The solo trip - The art of the roadtrip.

Lifey

I see you've discovered the hazard of going on long trips with friends. You do need to iron out issues that might come up, ahead of time. We've heard of friends traveling together where one wants to sleep till noon then drive off, when the others are itching to be on the road at 8 am, and similar issues.

Each state that you've mentioned has something interesting to stop and see. Depending on how much time you can commit to this trip, you could travel up to US-2 -- so many beautiful things along that route. If you do that, though, realize that on many days, 400 miles is going to be your limit. That's because there are places where you have to come to a full stop in the center of town, and go through other bigger cities where US-2 is the city street (Duluth comes to mind).


Donna

Wow! Thanks everyone for all the feedback! I really appreciate it!

Harry - Thanks for the tips about planning extra time in Portland. I will definitely need to check those things out!

Michael - I had taken 10 days for the Grand Canyon trip, so I figured I would need more than that. As long as I don't get sick too often next year (this year was a doozy, topped off with pneumonia after I got back!), I was thinking I could take 2 weeks (plus weekends would make it 15 days).

I understand your point about the checklist, but that's not entirely the way I'm thinking about it. I mean, yes I do want to check every state off my list, but I also know there are places I will want to return to to explore further. It's like when you go to a buffet - you check out everything on the buffet before you fill up your plate with what you really want. (And then seconds of what you really *really* want!) : ) I know I will be going back to Utah for seconds - that's for sure!

Lifey - I will definitely check out all those links. Right now, in fact. : ) That's a scary thought about the locks for the rooms. I will definitely be sure to check. I haven't really thought much about accomodations yet. I have never stayed at a hostel, but figured it might be worth looking into for this (I would rather spend my money on the trip itself than a 4 star hotel). I don't know if I'm too old to do the hostel thing, though. It always seemed like a thing that 20 year olds do, and I'm 36. : P

Donna - That made me laugh! We did kind discuss my thoughts about what I wanted to do on this trip ahead of time. After all, it was *my* trip - she was just tagging along (and I'm glad I thought of it that way, because she was ready to nix all of Utah in the beginning!). But I hadn't thought that she would have wimped out on the active parts of the trip. She's super active and we love hiking together. I don't think even she was aware that she could only take so much. I was grateful her friend joined us as well, since she an I were both into being more active, so I didn't miss out entirely. I will keep that in mind about US 2, as well.

I really appreciate all of you chiming in with your tips and experiences! This is something I've always craved and no one else in my life seems to understand. Actually, that's not true. My dad is super supportive. Worried, cause he's my dad, but he seems to understand. (We are very alike when it comes to these kind of things.) And after telling him how much I thought my last trip might have been better solo, I think he finally understands and is accepting of it. (Haven't told mom yet, though... she's wonderful, but sooo negative. Figured I had time and could wait.) ; )

Anyway - point was, it's nice to see I'm clearly not alone. : )

Off to research some more with the rest of my lunch break!

- Mindy

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

I see you've discovered the hazard of going on long trips with friends. You do need to iron out issues that might come up, ahead of time. We've heard of friends traveling together where one wants to sleep till noon then drive off, when the others are itching to be on the road at 8 am, and similar issues.

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As Donna mentioned, traveling with good friends can sometimes lead to unexpected results. We actually have a "roadtrip compatability quiz" that you might find helpful for thinking about these issues.

My first hostel experience was when I already had my senior's card. The oldest person I have met in a hostel was 96, she was with her 66 year old daughter. And when I stayed at the HI in Seattle, back in 2004 (probably the best I've ever stayed at) at least 50% of the guests were over 50. Hostels are no longer regarded for the young only - hence they are no longer known as Youth Hostels, but just as you said - Hostels. As a solo traveller, I always chose to stay in a dorm of 4, 6 8 or more beds. After being in the car on my own all day, it was nice to have others with whom to share the day's events and hear of their adventures.

My first couple of trips were hostel hopping back and forth across the US. Just like everything, there are some you'd never want to return to, and others about which you will rave. Be sure to write an honest review.

Check that the hostel has a locker for each bed, and bring along an average size padlock. Never put your valuables in lockers where you have to pay to remove the key - management has access to those lockers. Lastly, do not stay at hostels where sleeping bags are permitted. These are a major source of bed bug infestations.

Hostelling is a great way to travel and to meet other travellers. Most have coffee and tea 24hrs, and a cupboard full of free food (basics), the sort of thing you may not necessarily be carrying. They usually organise discount trips to local attractions, often have discount tickets to shows, and good hostels are a great source of information about the local area.

Highly recommended!

Here is the most comprehensive and up to date site for hostels. Be sure to read the independent reviews, and note how old they are. The more recent, the more reliable.

Lifey

Just eyeballing your routes it appears you will be missing Glacier NP on the trip west and Yellowstone NP on the trip east.

For Portland, you could bend over to the mouth of the Columbia River (Astoria, OR) from Longview/Kelso, a drive that parallels the river. It is worthwhile driving the coast at least as far south as Lincoln City, OR, and then move on to Portland. There are some state and private campgrounds along the coast. Ecoloa State Park (near Cannon Beach) and Oswald State Park (Short Sands) are worth visiting and hiking. Short walk down from Short Sands parking area down to a beautiful pocket cove through old growth forest. The beach towns are nice as well.

Mindy, as you can see from the responses so far, there is much to see between Chicago and Portland. Over the months, until your departure, there are bound to be more added. as well as the ones you find yourself. There will be points of interest along a northern route, and along the southern route.... and the many routes in between.

Don't be overwhelmed, but choose carefully which you will include, lest you should not leave yourself sufficient time to really enjoy each one. Sometimes less is more! This of course also leads to the comments above about not just crossing off States. There is so much to see everywhere, and you'll want some flexibility for those surprise spots along the way. Sometimes it takes several visits to see all you want to along any given route, or in any State.

For example, next year I hope to be driving to and through Alaska for the fourth time. Want to see it all just one more time, in case I never get back there.

Lifey

I decided during my lunch to make a list of all the places recommended here and that I've seen elsewhere. Yeah. I can see why you say not to get overwhelmed. There's so much! Maybe I should have a national park checklist, not a state checklist. (Though again, I do want to go to every state but that doesn't mean my plan is to go to each state only once.)

Though I do have a route that I laid out here, nothing is set in stone. I'm just feeling things out. I liked the idea of picking places that I want to go and planning my route around that. I know there are certain states that I definitely want to see, like Montana (I've heard so many wonderful things about Montana), but I'm open to route changes as well. I want to be as flexible as possible - in the planning stages as well as on the trip.

In fact, I guess based on how many places I want to go, I may have to save Portland itself for another trip, go a shorter distance this time, and have more time to spend at each place. We'll see, though. When planning the last trip, I made a list of all the places that sounded great but picked 3 that I knew I absolutely wanted to see. I had the list in mind, though, if I found I had time or wanted to change course. I agree completely - I would rather spend more time in fewer places and actually be able to truly experience those places. I just have to figure out which places to spend my time on this trip. : )

I also have to decide about Yellowstone... It seems like a shame to go all that way and *not* go there. But then, I know I could always go back another time. From what I've heard, I would want to dedicate a decent amount of time there, so going for this trip would likely mean having to nix Portland. Decisions, decisions...

Thanks for that info about the hostels, too. That's fantastic! I particularly love the 96 year old woman traveling with her daughter. I hope that's me someday. : ) I'm a very social person, so I'm sure being someplace where I can meet and talk to others will be pretty important for me. Solitude is great, but it is a long trip, so I'm really happy to hear about the many upsides of hostels. I tried to suggest staying at some on the last trip, but again...

Mindy, Yellowstone NP is a special place, no doubt about that. I have been there a couple of times. Grand Teton NP is just to the south.

South Dakota was on your list as a state, but I am not sure how it figured into your trip planning. The Badlands NP plus the Custer State Park / Wind Cave NP greater area has several scenic drives, sites, etc. A good few days easily! A good AAA map and a couple of travel guides will open up many avenues of adventure.

Here's some more ideas, based on our summer 2014 trip: Leave Chicago, head northwest. Lake Superior is beautiful, especially around Ashland, WI. We went on the Washburn/Bayfield Loop just north of Ashland. We headed west on US-2 over to Bemidji, MN, where we went to the Headwaters of the Mississippi River near there (Itasca State Park).

From there we headed to I-94, west through North Dakota over to Bismarck and north to Washburn, ND, to Fort Mandan (Lewis & Clark). Then headed south into South Dakota, west to Badlands National Park and the Black Hills area. Landmariner suggested that you could spend a few days in the Black Hills, and that's not a joke! We drove through Badlands on the way, not really interested in doing too much stopping there (as both of us had been there as children). In the Black Hills, we spent one day seeing Mount Rushmore and the Iron Mountain/Needles Scenic Drives in Custer State Park, and the next day doing one of the tours at Wind Cave and doing the Wildlife Loop in Custer. We headed west again, seeing Devil's Tower on the way to Billings, MT, then southwest into Yellowstone where we spent two more long days seeing YNP and another day in Grand Teton.


Donna

Hi Again Mindy,

Now that Donna has suggested a route over to YNP and Teton, may I suggest a return route?

When finished at Grand Teton, you could go back up to the Moran Junction and turn there to go through the Wind River Mountains and Reservation. You intersect with I-80 at Rawlins and then take that all the way back to Chicago. There is lots to see along that route, too, and plan on a nice rest stop at the Archway at North Platte, Nebraska.

Harry

Wow! So many ideas! This is so fantastic (and boy am I glad I decided to start planning now!). It's hard for me to really comprehend the suggested routes just yet. However, AAA maps have been ordered and hopefully I will have them soon! Then I think I will be much better able to see what you guys are talking about. (I had to order them online - there don't seem to be any AAA offices nearby that I could go to in person that are open when I can get there!)

This is so hard - there are just so many amazing places to see, and I know I won't be able to see them all. Of course, so many on my list as of now (before even seeing some of these other options!) are all so far from each other. Glacier NP looks amazing. Olympic NP. Ecola SP. Oswald SP. Multnomah Falls. Craters of the Moon NM. Grand Teton NP. Mount Rushmore. Badlands... I mean, this isn't even everything, but this is some of what I had narrowed down to so far (and again, I hadn't even heard of some of the places you guys mentioned!).

I need more vacation days...

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Originally Posted by Challenge Accepted

I need more vacation days...

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Mindy, don't panic. I was retired and a senior citizen before I ever took my first road trip. You are young, and have your whole life ahead of you. Just make sure you don't spend all your money along the way, so you too can hit the road when you are ready.

Lifey

In my head, I know I have time and I don't need to see it all now. But the rest of me says, "See it all now now NOW!" : )

I was thinking about it last night and decided that I should limit this trip to things east of Portland. (I can't tell you how many times I changed this sentence... it started out as "maybe I might not possibly be able to probably should limit maybe..."). But I realized it's the only way I can realistically do this trip in 2 weeks. I just have to keep reminding myself, as you've said, that I'm still young and there's time to see those places to the west another time. I know that I won't be disappointed, and I have to have to draw the line somewhere, but I just wish I hadn't looked at all those pictures of Olympic NP, Ecola SP and Oswald West SP. : P

Seriously, though, I think it will be for the best. I may even decide to stop the trip at Montana and not go all the way to Portland. It will depend on what I discover when I get all the tools to research (the AAA maps, for example). I had built my trip on roadtrippers (I still haven't figured out how to do it here), but I just broke it up into two separate trips. I took all those places west of Portland and saved them as a new trip... for later. I don't know why, but that made it so much easier for me to decide to stick to east of Portland for this one. Maybe seeing it mapped out like that helped to remind me that I can still go there another time. (Trying to shake that "now now NOW!" mentality.)

I'm so antsy waiting for those maps. It will be like opening a present once they arrive. : P

It seems that I used to always start big and ambitious but as I started planning a trip out it would dawn on me that it was waaaay too ambitious. So, I would lop off huge parts until a nice tight trip emerged (still covering a lot of ground!). Realistically, for a two-week period, Montana maybe should be the extent of your wandering on this trip. Think "regional."

Maybe 2017, for the Pacific Northwest and then you can take in, maybe, Vancouver and Victoria, BC; Seattle; Portland; and the Oregon Coast. Hmmm... still a big chunk!

(quickly adds additional destinations to 2017 trip...) : )

I will say for me, what happens when I quickly see a place, with the idea that I'll go back later, is that often I don't get back there - or it takes me a very long time to get there again. Instead, I always end up opting for places that I haven't explored at all yet.

When I was younger, especially, I'd often plan trips where I'd never stay in one place more than a night - and always had the idea that if I really liked a place, I'd go back in the future. Much like you're planning, one of the trips I took in my early 20s was out to the Pacific Northwest. I spent a day or less in places like Seattle, Vancouver, and Glacier National Park. I had a great time on the trip - which was as much about having fun with my friends as it was seeing these places - but 10 years later, I haven't made it back yet, because I've always opted for new areas.

Like I said, I had fun on those trips, and I'm not even sure I would do things differently, but keep that in mind if you're building a plan under the idea that you'll go back to place later.

I definitely understand that. That's why I'm going to save the farther west places entirely for another time. Otherwise, I may be less inclined to go again if there is somewhere else I haven't yet been. I think that's also why I have such a hard time selecting just a few places to see. From when I mentioned possibly going only as far as Montana earlier, my list of places to see has actually increased. (Oops.) Looking on the map, though, I see where I can cut that down a bit. Many of those places I can save for the 2017 "northwest corner" trip (which I can hammer out at a much later date). : ) I just have to decide where that imaginary cut-off line is.

You could always see how far you get halfway through your time allotment, then turn around and head home via a different route.

Just came across this thread, and thought you might like it.... get some ideas from it.

Enjoy

Lifey

Thanks, Lifey! That *is* a really interesting post. I have a few links from it open to read in a bit. And glc - what a scary but fun prospect! That would be so outside my norm, though. Not that that's a bad thing, but I think I would have to psych myself up for it (I can't even go for a walk unless I have a destination in mind...). I do really like the idea, though.

My AAA maps arrived, by the way! I had them sent to my parents' house since my dad, very sweetly, added me to his AAA plan the second I got my car, which meant I couldn't send them anywhere else. : P But I'm flying out there tomorrow, so I will have them soon. I finally told my mom about the trip and she was actually really supportive about it. (She's the typical jewish mother - she worries about absolutely everything.) I told her we can look over the maps together and look at some options for my trip. She was really excited about that.

I'm also super excited because I made a photo book from my last roadtrip (I'm a graphic designer, so I had to make it super fancy, of course) and had that sent there as well since I didn't know if it would arrive before I left. Well, it's waiting for me there now!

I feel so giddy! I can't believe how happy I am even just thinking about this 2016 trip, even though I still don't know exactly what I will do. So much fun in the planning, though! I still haven't told any friends. I don't want anyone to ask to join me. : P

How’d this trip turn out for ya? I did it from Virginia to Seattle in ‘15 but was on a mission as I was moving out there so didn’t stop along the way (not even Coeur d'Alene!).

In Chicago and heading back home today with a friend so going to do Mount Rushmore and YNP along the way.

*yawn* coffee time. ;^>

Welcome to RTA! I don't think the OP of this thread has been back on since 2015.

Let us know how Mt Rushmore and YNP turn out for you! In late May/early June, they shouldn't be too crowded yet....


Donna

I'm still here! I ended up not going on this road trip because of various timing reasons (I ended up roadtripping in Iceland instead later that year!). Still would love to get to this trip sometime soon, though. A friend of mine actually just decided to move to the Portland area, so perhaps next year. : )

Enjoy Mount Rushmore and YNP!

sounds like quite the adventure, staying at Hostels should be interesting.