Ohio to Seattle and everything inbetween

I leave 8/27 for a solo road trip from NE Ohio to Seattle and back again. I go back to work 9/16. I've checked out many of the messages posted on this site and others with tips and suggestions, and I think they're fantastic! As someone who tends to over-plan, I'm looking for words of wisdom about my itinerary.

I know I'm tackling a lot. My goal is Seattle - probably 5 days there. When I looked up flight prices, I figured I could spend just a bit more and see the country in the process on a road trip. Here's the plan:
Ohio – Madison, Wisconsin, Madison – Chamberlain, South Dakota, Chamberlain – Deadwood, South Dakota via Mt Rushmore, Badlands, Deadwood – West Yellowstone, Montana via Old Faithful/Yellowstone National Park West Yellowstone – Spokane, Washington, Spokane – Seattle, Washington. In Seattle: Pike Place Market, Experience Music Project, Space Needle, Pioneer Square Historic District, Cruise to spot whales, Lake Union, Day Trip to Portland, Oregon via Mt St Helen's. Trip home: Seattle – Boise, Idaho, Boise – Vernal, Utah via Salt Lake City, Vernal – Denver, Colorado, Denver – Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln – Chicago, Illinois, Chicago - Ohio.

Possible? Impossible? Potential traffic hazards? Great spots to stop for photos? Tips for hostels? I'll be staying all but 3 nights, probably, in hostels. Special tips for solo travelers? Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!

it definitely sounds feasible---how many days were planning on taking for the trip? u might want to take some food that you bought in bulk from a megastore--like sam's club--ramen noodles etc.--make sure u stay in safe places--try YWCA's so you'll feel comfortable and if you don't want to stay in hostels you could always camp since you'll be out west...

I have stayed in hostels and found them to be quite an experience (and not a bad one). They are fewer and farther between here in the states than other places, but if there is one along your way, personally, I'd give them a shot.
The downside is you don't get much privacy - they are very "communal" by nature. This can be good, or it can be bad, depending on your point of view and your willingness to tolerate "diversity." I'm not talking ethnic diversity, but just differences in PEOPLE. You can meet some who will drive you crazy, but you will also meet some that you'll make friends with for life. I believe the typical hostel is a fairly safe place. There typically aren't any private baths, and you will likely be sharing a sleeping room with others. Just consider it part of the experience!

I'm actually looking forward to the hostel experience. I can't wait to encounter other travelers, and gain some stories to tell. What about security at hostels? I'll have a digital camera and laptop with me. Leave them in the car? Sleep with them under my pillow? Do hostels generally offer lockers of some sort?

Yes, there are usually lockers but you'll need to carry your own padlock (and don't get a really BIG one or it won't fit). Security is usually pretty good as far as it goes -- you often have locked gates to get through, and the doors to the individual sleeping rooms are often kept locked, etc. They're not perfect, but I've always found them acceptable in terms of risk (my experience is somewhat limited, but I've not had a problem.) Bob

Excellent info! Thank you!

I'm planning six days/nights for the drive out and six for the drive back. I'll spend probably 5 days in Washington. The bulk food/cooler idea is fantastic. I will definitely be packing my Cheerios and peanut butter sandwich stuff.

I didn't even think of YWCAs. Great tip! Thanks!

One really cool thing about your trip, you can really blaze down the road in these states. I am not an advocate of speeding, but I noticed the limits are set at a liberal 75 and 80 miles per hour. (I always have added 5 miles per hour to the max speed, just because I want to :) So, getting from point A to B on your trip is cool! and fast. The last day of our trip, we travelled from Billings MT, to Seattle, in one twelve hour day, as we had already made all the stops we wanted to along this route. This still allowed about 6 or 7 stops along the way for gas, food, leg stretches, snacks, and photo ops....not a bad place to really make up time on the road. Also, if you find yourself in need of a Hostel in Missoula MT, there are several right near the College there. From talking with a few coeds who just stayed there, they said it was clean, safe and fun!
Happy travels! And please email or post some pics, especially when you are in Seattle!

Thanks everyone who commented and helped me solidify my plans. If you think of it, check back here 8/27 - 9/15. I'll try to post how things are going while I'm traveling!

So if I'm reading this right, you'll be staying in Madison Friday night on the way there? If so, be sure to take in the <a href="http://www.madfarmmkt.org/aboutmkt.asp">Madison Farmers' Market</a> (huh, apparently they've changed the name to the "Dane County Farmers' Market" since I lived there) on Capitol Square on Saturday morning. The Farmers' Market is huge--the State Capitol sits on a sqaure two blocks on a side--so the perimeter of the square is nearly a mile--and it's completely filled with stands. Not just produce, either--you can find pastries, snacks, juice, meat, cheese, etc. When I lived in Madison, this was absolutely the best way to have breakfast on a Saturday morning in summer or early fall.

Actually, a few weeks ago, I caught a PBS special about Madison, at 12:30 am, or some ungodly hour of the evening, and the part that drew me into the program was a feature on the market! Thaanks for the tip! I will definitely hit that while I'm in town!

My family and I drove to Seattle and back last summer. It was a fantastic journey! My advice is not to try and cover to much ground each day. You also must accept that there will be attractions that you would like to see but will have to pass for time and fiscal constraints. I plan on making this trip again in a couple of years. This time I will take longer and do more. Try and make your motel reservations early each day. Make sure that you get confirmation numbers with any reservations you make via cell phone. Try to carry as much food and drink as possible. There are lots of Walmarts and such along the way. There are also plenty of savings using the dollar menu at the fast food places. Good luck. Drive defensively.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, should take a cross-country road trip at least once in their lives. I have just returned from mine. I'm 25, I set out by myself, and I loved absolutely every second of the trip.

I saw the Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse... Wall Drug, Deadwood, Haystack Rock, Portland, Salt Lake City, the Gateway Arch... I spent five incredible days and four phenomenal nights in Seattle, I drove the Washington and Oregon coasts on highway 101... I stayed in hostels and hotels... I ate Cheese-Its and granola bars, and steak and cucumbers... I had fresh apples from the farmers market in Madison, WI, and fresh flowers from Pike Place Market in Seattle... I met girls from Austraila and Germany and a man from Bremerton, who told me about his "brawl" with a sasquatch... I spent more than 80 hours in my car and drove more than 5200 miles...

And I would do it again tomorrow.

I set up an online blog for my friends and family to check while I was on the trip. If anyone wants to check it out, go here: http://itafac.tripod.com/carpediem

I got a digital camera about a week before the trip, and consequently took about 1100 more pictures than I anticipated taking. I'm trying to get those all organized (and consolidated!) to put some online, as well.

I'm sure the folks close to me are going to get pretty sick of me talking about the trip, so if anyone out there wants information about my route or what I saw or did, just post here or shoot me an email.

If you're considering or planning a road trip, though, all I can say is DO IT. DO IT NOW.

Thanks to everyone who posted when I had questions and suggested sights to see and things to do... your help was priceless!

Sarah,

Thanks for your field report. Sounds like a great adventure!

Mark

I have several pictures from the first leg of my trip (getting from Ohio to Washington state) posted to a photosite.com website. Check it out at: www.itafac.photosite.com

Let me know what you think!

I like 'em. I left you a note in your guestbook! Post some more when you get a chance! We want photos of ferries and rocks! Bob

The rest of my pictures are up! At least, the rest of the ones that are going up on the web site. If you want to see more, you'll have to come to my house!

There are three albums on the site, the three legs of my trip: getting there, Seattle, and getting back. To see them, visit: www.itafac.photosite.com

Enjoy!

We're real roundtrip lovers and would like to ask for some information. Last years we've been to Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. We've seen almost all National parks and big cities there. Now we would like to plan in advantage a new 2005 roundtrip. But where to start and which place to go? Each year it is so difficult to us to make a selection. We're not the bar kind of people and wane see national parks, scenic byways, regional historical sites and other highlights. We wore thinking about the Great Lakes or the Atlanta area or maybe New England with Cape Cod. But the midland is also attracting us. This year we drove 3750 miles in 13 days. We had enough time to take any exit we want. We wane do it next year the same way. Please help us on some new scenic drives/ byways true America!!! We can start in every city in the US!

George & Allen

Hi Sarah!
I checked some of your photos and read your field report, looks like you had a very nice trip!:-)) If your family and friends are bored by your stories, come here and share it with us, we'll be glad to hear (hum...I mean read) them and give you a feedback, or at least write me an email, I'd be delighted to read anything about your trip!

When you'll hear the call of Mother Road, I bet you'll going to do everything you can to hit the road again, right?:-) If you're just like me (poor starvin' student) and you don't have any budget left for roadtrips,you can still have some post-road fun! To help you remember your trip memories, you can have a shower in a truck stop, hang out with truckers, head to the nearest hostel or mom & pop motel on a boring weeknight, visit unknown places in your neighborhood, have a chat with complete strangers, find a diner and eat something you never tried before...anything goes. It may seem crazy but if it puts you in the right mood, why not?:-)

Glad you returned home safely and have a great evening!

Gen:o)

Looks like a great trip! It's always fun to see my home area through the eyes of a visitor. Gosh, at one point you were just a few miles from me. I would have loved to have shown you around. Thanks for sharing!