Road Trip Route Planned - advice greatly appreciated!!

Hi everyone :)

So happy to find this forum and thank you so much before hand .. this is our first road trip lasting more then a week so all advice is love! My husband and I are bringing our two youngest with us (6 & 9) .. and our rolling motel aka done up mini van! So no hotels needed, and we will be skipping restaurants unless it is something we really are interested in .. waste of time in our eyes and we are more of the outdoor family! we are leaving the second week of August and will see how long it takes us .. have the map on the wall, a binder full of info I put together, and a map of every state!!

Okay so route planned .. obviously we won't be doing every last thing, but here is what is on our route .. with lot's of extra stops listed in case the kids need a break, or we just wanna stop .. looking for an amazing stops near route we missed, or things I should miss .. ways to cut roads (although we are doing byways, especially wildlife loop, needles, beartooth) .. basically anything from the experienced.

Litchfield, CT
Cuyahoga National Park, Ohio
West Side Market, Cleveland
Volo Auto Museum
Chicago River Walk, Navy Pier, The Giant Bean, Millennium Park
Devil's Lake State Park .. Baraboo, WI
Blue Mounds State Park .. Blue Mounds, MN
Wall Drug
Rapid City
Badlands National Park, SD
Custer State Park, SD
Mount Rushmore
Devil's Tower
Bighorn National Canyon
Cody, Wy
Yellowstone
Grand Teton .. Jenny Lake
Bear Lake .. Idaho into Utah
Antelope Island, Utah
Salt Lake Ciy .. Big Cottonwood Canyon or Liberty Square
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Toquerville Falls, UT
Zion National Park
Page, AZ .. Navajo Bridge, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell
Cedar Break National
Grand Canyon .. East entrance then to the South exit (?) .. mather or yuvapi point for the sunset
Sedona, Az .. Slide Rock
Phoenix, AZ
Petrified Forest, AZ
Blue Hole
Cibola National
El Malpais National Monument
Palo Duro Canyon, TX
Oklahoma City
The Blue Whale
Totum Pole Park
Pop's Store
Hot Springs National Park, AR
Memphis, TN
Antique Archaeology, Nashville (American pickers store)
Lane Motor Museum, Nashville
Smokey Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg
Jefferson and George Washington National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Chesapeake Bay .. .. toward CT home

Thanks so much!!

Michelle

New Mexico -- near Albuquerque is the Petroglyphs National Monument, and the Rio Grande Nature State Park. Between Petrified Forest and Albuquerque is the El Mapais National Monument and the Zuni-Bandera Field -- both of them are volcanic in nature.

Be aware, camping near Phoenix is going to be hot-hot-hot, and the state will be in monsoon season. You may want to take a motel there. Be also aware that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally goes through the 2nd week of August this year. Anything in the Black Hills area of South Dakota will be packed then, and places to the west and east of it may be very, very busy for the week following the Rally.


Donna

Haha .. great .. actually a bit of a bonus with the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally .. I was looking for events around the areas at the time! Thanks for the heads up though, we would have been a bit shocked trying to deal with the amount of people, not knowing .. gonna search for some dead areas .. not that I know where to look .. I haven't been far off the east coast!

Love the ideas for New Mexico .. where I am the most lost .. Tip taken on the Phoenix area, wanted to fit in a couple of trendy hotel/cabin type deals we all would enjoy.. I have heard about earth ships and different cool lil lodgings .. any suggestions?

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Originally Posted by Alvaradofamily;17901 [QUOTE

.. not that I know where to look ..

Love the ideas for New Mexico .. where I am the most lost ..

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The best place to look is on your maps. Search each place you see on the web. (Have you checked what members here have suggested in the map centre above.?) You may like to include Wall Drug in Wall - get your 5c coffee and free iced water, go right to the back yard where there is a lot of history. Corn Palace in Mitchell is not on your list either. Both those places could be of interest to the young ones.

In NM in Albuquerque there is the old city and the cable car to Sandia Peak. Sante Fe and its historic area, as well as Taos and surrounds.

For the GC there is an IMAX theatre in Tusayan, which is worth going to see. The same at Zion.

Lifey

Love the cable car to Sandia Peak .. just looked that up, looks amazing!! Thanks ..

Wall drug I do have down (in the brain hhehee) .. In other states I saw a Pop's Soda .. the Blue Whale ... a few other lil cute things .. I need to map the Corn Palace! We do love the Imax theater's so we may check those out if we have time! Thanks so much :)

Do your kids or does your family have the US National Parks Passport book? If not, you can buy one at any National Park. You can get the book stamped with date stamps and also purchase pretty park pictures for each park at the visitor centers in the parks. I'm not a kid, but I bought a book last year and love getting the stamps in it!

Not sure how you are routing by or through New Mexico, but the White Sands National Monument is amazing and worth a stopover of an hour or so. It's about 3 1/2 hours south of Albuquerque heading towards El Paso, TX and close to Las Cruces, assuming you will be in that area or driving near it. We did a long day's scenic drive from Grand Canyon Village to Las Cruces, then overnighted there, and it took about an hour and a half up to White Sands the next morning.

I had never heard of that! Super cool, we will definitely get one .. We just picked up a book of stamps so we could send a post card home from each park :)

It is about 3.5 hours off route .. but gosh .. I am thinking about it :)

I see a lot of national parks and monuments on your itinerary, so I'm surprised that no one has yet informed you of two of their most cost effective programs. The first is the America the Beautiful Annual Pass that is good for admission to all units of the system for the card holder and everyone in the vehicle with him or her, i.e. the entire family. The pass costs $80 and usually pays for itself once you visit four parks or monuments. There are a few things to note about it, however. It only covers admissions, not 'extras' like parking, campsites and other concessions, and it lasts for one year, starting at the moment of purchase. It makes sense then to buy it when you first roll up to a park/monument that charges admission. They will have plenty of such passes on hand, and that way your year doesn't start until you need it.

The second is a program for your children, and they are pretty much the perfect ages for it, the Junior Ranger Program. To take advantage of this, you simply check in at a convenient Ranger Station and ask for that park's pamphlet. This will give them a set of activities to perform that will help them learn about the park and greatly enhance their experience. When they turn their completed booklet in, they will be sworn in as Junior Rangers and be given a number of free souvenirs usually including a certificate and badge.

Actually now that I think about it, your nine-year-old may be able to get all of you into the national park system for free. There is a special program that lets fourth graders become 'special ambassadors' and get their entire family into the parks for free. It's certainly worth checking out.

AZBuck

Oh my gosh! I have my annual state park pass .. never even thought! This is wonderful .. lil break in the cost ..

The kids are pretty excited we are checking it out now .. My daughter is missing the deadline in the information by 2 weeks! I am going to inquire when I call about the pass.

You are just wonderful .. Thank you soooo much!!

You say you are the outdoorsy type family? Then you must be into geocaching. It can greatly enhance your vacation experiences by taking you places and showing you sites most other people miss. Even the National Parks participate.

http://www.yellowstonepark.com/go-geocaching

If there is no chance of flash floods while at Zion, do the NARROWS HIKE UP THE VIRGIN RIVER. It is spectacular and a great family activity when the river is low.

We love caching! I was wondering how service will be to be able to use my phone gps .. I am really excited for that. The National Parks do? I know our State Parks here do, will have to check this out now. Thanks ..

I was looking at the Narrows, Didn't know if my 6 year old could handle it .. He does 4 mile cliffs, and caves around here in New England? .. What do you think?

Thanks so much!!

What is the best (meaning the most interesting not too many hours added to the trip) way to go from the badlands, mount rushmore, etc area to Yellowstone? I would like to take the famous byway there .. what do you all think ..

Also .. I see Granite Hotsprings, can I hit that out of Yellowstone, by the Tetons where Jenny Lake is I believe .. Sorry, still trying to put this all together with the knowledge can gather :)

a little less then 4 weeks till we leave :) yah!

You would be hard pressed to do better than just using US-14 as your route of choice. It would take you close enough to visit to both Devils Tower and the Little Bighorn Battlefield, And although it's duplexed with I-90 for short stretches, it enters Yellowstone from Cody via the scenic North Fork Highway through Buffalo Bill State Park and Shoshone National Forest.

Whether or not to include Granite Hot5 Springs in your itinerary is entirely up to you, It's certainly on the way to Bear Lake, your next stop, but will eat up some time.

AZBuck

Next stop meaning .. Bear Lake?

I am gonna go with US-14 then .. thanks :) Checking it out now ..

Don't know what I would do without this site .. Lot's of info on the net, too much!!

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Originally Posted by Alvaradofamily

Oh my gosh! I have my annual state park pass .. never even thought! This is wonderful .. lil break in the cost ..

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Just so you're clear, your state parks pass won't be valid for anything beyond the state parks in your state. It's not connected at all to the National Parks Pass.

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We love caching! I was wondering how service will be to be able to use my phone gps .. I am really excited for that. The National Parks do? I know our State Parks here do, will have to check this out now.

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You won't find any traditional Geocaches within National Parks, as the traditional containers are banned. You'll frequently find them in public lands just outside National Park boundaries however. You shouldn't need any sort of cell service to geocache with your phone, if you save the cache information onto your device before your trip.

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Originally Posted by Alvaradofamily

We love caching! I was wondering how service will be to be able to use my phone gps .. I am really excited for that. The National Parks do? I know our State Parks here do, will have to check this out now. Thanks ..

I was looking at the Narrows, Didn't know if my 6 year old could handle it .. He does 4 mile cliffs, and caves around here in New England? .. What do you think?

Thanks so much!!

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Geocaching in the National Parks is limited to virtual and Earth caches, but they still take you to places you might otherwise bypass and the Earthcaches are very educational. Nonetheless, not all NPs allow any form of geocaching. I don't think Zion does. Also, I don't think I got a cell signal most of the time.

The approach to the narrows is a scenic one mile long paved trail that your six year old can surely walk. The trail actually ends in the river. That portion is usually shallow and you'll find kids of all ages there. Many people venture no further and still have a great time. Heading up river, you'll find alternating areas of shallower and deeper water. In low water periods, you can go a long way with the water below your mid thigh.

Of course, the rock bottom is slippery and the current can trip you up! That is why some people rent special shoes (never attempt this without wearing shoes!) that grip the rocks. I never have because I'm too cheap but sometimes wish I had. Also, rent or bring a hiking stick of some sort. It is very important. Usually, there will be an assortment of sticks that people left behind.

The good thing is that initially you are hiking upstream against the current. You don't have to worry about the current carrying you away. It can only take you back to where you were before. I've even seen people do this on purpose, drift until they met some shallows. However, the air might be 90 degrees but that river water is freezing!

DO NOT ATTEMPT in high fast water or when flash floods are likely. People have died.

Families hiking the Narrows during low water.

Here is one families adventure.

Understood .. I will be doing whatever they offer .. The kids love the drive to walk .. Or I like to hike, and they like games :)

The narrows sounds amazing .. you pictured it perfectly for me! I just got everyone closed toe sandals for the water .. but we will check out the socks, although I am darn cheap myself! Speaking of that collapsible sticks at job lot were just five bucks.

Great tip .. don't need any deaths anytime soon, let's make it through vacation! Let's see these sites, Thanks!!

Cell service in most of the national parks is pretty non-existent. For very good reason, too, as they don't want cell towers annoying beautiful scenery! The only places for cell service are usually at the lodges or visitor centers.

GPS, altimeters, and compasses will all work, because they are not dependent on a wifi or cell signal. Chimani apps for the various parks will also work, because they don't need cell or wifi to work, either. (I don't know about the other brands of national park apps, like REI, because I have no experience with them.) I was able to use all of these at Glacier NP this summer, but not my phone nor other apps that require wifi (like GasBuddy).

The annual national park pass is definitely separate from any state park passes you may have. You can buy one online, or just buy it at the first park you stop at. It's $80. Since Yellowstone/Grand Teton and Zion are both $30 parks, all you need is one more $20 park to make it pay for itself. It won't help you on camping fees, parking fees, or a national park cave tour. Those will all be separate charges.



Donna

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Originally Posted by Alvaradofamily

I was looking at the Narrows, Didn't know if my 6 year old could handle it .. He does 4 mile cliffs, and caves around here in New England? .. What do you think

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I just saw this. Your child sounds very capable, but I would not recommend the Narrows for anyone younger than 12 or so. Flash flooding is always possible in mid-summer to early fall.

That being said, if you look at the post above -- you can certainly see plenty of kids under 7 hiking the narrows -- but I would not recommend it -- unless you don't go very far up the river, of course,

Mark

I was wondering about cell service .. For the last six months I have been collecting info and maps, in a binder .. My family is from Vermont, try to use the GPS and you will end up in Canada!

I have seen the apps, I will have to try em out and see what happens .. Maybe I will go to REI and see what they can help me with ..

Going to pick up a pass this weekend, we are gonna get the use out of em .. I did see a discount at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for camping. May just be Indiana ..

Thank you so much!!

I will keep this in mind. He is a tiny lil thing. Thank you very much!

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Originally Posted by Alvaradofamily

Going to pick up a pass this weekend, we are gonna get the use out of em .. I did see a discount at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for camping. May just be Indiana ..

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You still seem to be misunderstanding the value of the National Parks Pass. It really only covers admission fees, not any extras like Camping. At Indiana Dunes, they provide a senior/disabled discount for camping, but the annual National Parks Pass will not save you any money.

I wouldn't bother getting the pass until you arrive at your first park. Its valid for a year from when you purchase it, so there really is no advantage to buying it in advance.

I called .. they said 50% .. Maybe I didn't say the correct pass.

Perhaps not. It says very clearly on their website that there is no discount for the America the Beautiful pass. The pass is not designed to provide any extra benefit for camping, nor have I ever heard of any park providing a camping discount for having one.

Be sure to visit the individual national park web pages to check on conditions and closures and also to inquire about campground availability. For example, there is major construction at Jenny Lake in the Grand Tetons, so the campground is unavailable and traffic can become bad. Nearby campgrounds in Gros Vendre.

Also, the road between Yellowstone's Mammoth and Norris villages is under construction with half-hour plus closures. You can still access most sites but need to change some of the planning/routing calculus.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

The pass is not designed to provide any extra benefit for camping, nor have I ever heard of any park providing a camping discount for having one.

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Michael, there are campgrounds in/near NP and also in State Parks, which do give a 50% discount on camping to seniors who have the America the Beautiful Card, and who are not eligible (by residency) for the NP card for seniors.

However, it appears to be an individual thing. At Gross Ventre I was given the discount, at Baker State Park, I was not.

Lifey