Hi
I’m planning a summer trip for 2021, hoping we might be allowed to visit your wonderful country again by then. You have been very helpful in the past can I gauge your opinion on my bones of an itinerary.

Michigan-California itinerary

Day 1
Arrive Detroit (stay in Detroit 2 nights)

Day 2
Visit Motown museum, Henry Ford museum and Greenfield village/drive a model t Ford. (Accommodation as per day 1)

Day 3
Drive Detroit to Luddington using I96W fastest route. (Approx 250 miles 3hours 45 mins). Stay in Luddington.

Day 4
Drive Luddington to sleeping bear dunes np via scenic drive M22 ( 82 miles under 2 hours) and when in the NP drive the 30 minute circuit known as pierce stocking scenic drive. Watch the dune climbers and stop at various lookouts be sure to stop at #9 and park for a short walk through to the best views of Lake Michigan. After enjoying the dunes drive on to traverse city (30 miles 45 minutes). Perhaps stop at leelanau cellars for a lakefront winery and pick up some good value wines. Stay the night at traverse city?? Expensive?? Alternatives?
Eat cherry pie, the region is famous for its cherry orchards

Day 5
Drive from traverse city onto petoskey and then through tunnel of trees (m119) then onto mackinaw city. (122 miles 2 1/2 hours).

Day 6
Park car and catch ferry over to Mackinac island and stay the night.

Day 7
Ferry back from island. Drive upper peninsula of Michigan round to escanaba on US2 (150 miles 2 hours 40mins).
Pit stop for the night.

Day 8
Escanaba to Greenbay , stop at kitch -iti-kipi spring, then possibly onto door county via US2W (no avoiding tolls?) 257 miles 5 hours.
Pit stop over night.

Day 9
Greenbay to dells of Wisconsin ( 130 miles 3 hours) take a 2 hour boat tour of the upper dells / duck tour. Stay the night in Wisconsin dells.

Day 10
Drive on to la crosse (90 miles 2 hours) Cross the river on the bridge for US 14 into downtown LaCrosse. See the International Friendship Gardens along the river and the Shrine of Guadalupe.
Pick up the great river road to maiden rock bluff. (90 miles 2 hours) (land marks on the route include from la crosse enjoying the scenery along US 61. Criss criss fom Wisconsin side to Minnesota side of river, Winona MN, Cross to the Wisconsin side of the river. Pull out at Maiden Rock. Eat at Nelson Creamery, See the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. Cross at Wabasha, See Buena Vista Park in Alma, WI)

Drive on to redwing, stay the night in this area.

Day 11
Drive into St. Paul and Minneapolis Minnesota (60 miles 90 minutes). Explore Minneapolis and St. Paul’s. Catch up day stay in Minneapolis

Day 12
Drive to clear lake - buddy holly crash site and surf ballroom. (132 miles 2 hours on I 35)
Then continue on to Des Moines (115 miles 1 hour 45mins)
Stay in Des Moines area.

Day 13
Leave Des Moines and drive to Omaha and onto Lincoln (200 miles 3 hours)
Stay in Lincoln area

Day 14
Drive from Lincoln stop at the original pony express station and museum (Gothenburg) and then at buffalo bills ranch. (232 miles 3 hours 35) Stay in the area.

Day 15
Buffalo bill ranch to chimney rock and onto scottsbluff 178 miles 3 hours.

Hopefully the visitor center at Scotts Bluff NM will be open--if so, go there first and see the excellent video presentation of that journey along the Oregon Trail. Then drive up to the top of the bluff. When you see that panoramic view, you can really visualize the three different trails converging on this spot. You will also understand why some of the folks decided to stop there, and really appreciate what it took for the others to push onward. And seeing the marks still there from the wagon trains is fantastic.

Day 16
From Scotts bluff get on scenic highway 385 and head to the black hills of SD
Custer state park.
Take the iron mountain road (US16a) a twist and turning road of loops that will give you a great approach to Mount Rushmore. 220 miles 3 1/2 hours.
Drive on to crazy horse monument 15 miles 30 minutes.
Stay at keystone for 2 nights.

Day 17
Visit badlands NP (drive the scenic road sd240)
Visit waldrug store (a tourist trap shopping experience that shouldn’t be missed)
Second night at keystone

Day 18 .
Leave keystone drive on to deadwood (cemetery with calamity Jane and wild bill hicock graves, worth a pit stop? (1 hour 45 miles)
Drive onto Medora North Dakota 3 1/2 hours 220 miles.
Visit Theodore Roosevelt NP.
Consider staying at rough riders hotel where Theodore Roosevelt stayed.
Make sure you go to the medora musical
Stay in medora 2 nights

Day 19
Flexible day stay in medora. Visit maah Daah hey trail (hike/horseback)

Day 20
Drive from medora to little Bighorn Battlefield 270 miles 4 hours
then onto billings Montana. 60 miles 1 hour
Then drive on to Stay the night in red lodge (62 miles 1hour)

Day 21
From red lodge Take Beartooth Highway to the Intersection of Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and then follow this to Cody. 113 miles 2 1/2 hours
Stay at Cody for 2 nights

Day 22
Flexible day at Cody. Buffalo bill centre, old trail town, Visit rodeo.

Day 23
Drive From Cody to east entrance of Yellowstone and plan on 2 days close to Old faithful.

Day 24
Second night in Yellowstone near old faithful.

Day 25
Move to canyon accommodation for 2 nights in the park. And visit mammoth hot springs.

Day 26
Second night in canyon village accommodation

Day 27
Drive to grand teton. Aim to stay 2 nights in the park. Visit Jackson and Jackson hole. Snake river float trip. Rodeos on Wednesday and Saturdays?

Day 28
Second night in grand teton.

Day 29
Drive to the Shoshone falls and then on to the sawtooth scenic byway up to Stanley. Pit stop over night at Stanley.

Day 30
Drive from Stanley Idaho and cross over border to Missoula Montana. 5 hours 250 miles. Stay overnight.

Day 31
Drive to Glacier NP (travel the going to the sun road). 180 miles 4 hours.
Stay 2 nights

Day 32
Second night in Glacier NP.

Day 33
Drive from Glacier NP Montana to Coeur d’Alene Idaho 250 miles 4 hours.
Stay the night

Day 34
Drive from coeur d’Alene to Washington state 311 miles 4 hours 45 mins.
Stay in Seattle

Day 35
Flexible day In Washington state - visit pike market Seattle needle

Day 36
Drive from Seattle to Portland Oregon 200 miles 4 hours
Stay two nights? Food trucks

Day 37
Second night in Portland Oregon

Day 38
Leave Portland and Pick up the highway 101 Pacific highway drive south to Florence. (Stop and see the sea lion caves.) 160 miles 3 hours 30.
Stay in Florence.

Day 39
Drive from Florence Oregon onto California. Crescent city is 180 miles 3 hours 42.
Or carry on to redwood national park and find somewhere to stay.

Day 40
Drive to Mendocino
Stay the night.

Day 41
Mendocino to san Francisco 150 miles 3 hours
3 nights in San Francisco

Day 42
San Francisco

Day 43
San Francisco

Day 44
Flight to florida or uk.