Moving from HSV, AL to Tacoma, WA

[alec]

I'm going to be moving from the Huntsville area around the end of October. My current plan is to travel on Hwy. 72 to Memphis, then north to St. Louis, east to Denver, then NW to Tacoma. Any reccomendations on sights along the way or alternate routes? Time is not really too much of an agenda, except I would like to limit the trip to two weeks. I don't mind mountainous travel. I am an outdoorsey type, and have been contemplating camping out a few times on my travels. Also, I'd like to find a few good places to hike. Any help would be outstanding. Either email me @ alec_bonne@hotmail.com or post here. Thanx for any help.

Alec

well if you aren't afraid of the mountains and the possibility of snow i would head up diagonally through wyoming and go through the tetons and yellowstone. you may want to check ahead and see if their campgrounds are open then. they don't take reservations but you should see if they are open at that time of year.

That's what I had been contemplating doing. Was talking w/ a buddy bout that last night. It's prob. the way I will end up going. If you have any more advice bout what to see in that area, I'd be much obliged. :)

alec

hehe, somewhere along that route (sorry i can't remember where-on highway 26 i think) i passed a truck stop called hell's little half acre (or just hell's half acre, i can't remember) that reminded me of the one in From Dusk Till Dawn. i kick myself every day for being too chicken to stop there. :D keep your eyes open. Sorry I can't remember the specifics and an area of wyoming is called hell's half acre so probably a lot of things are named that. oh well.
when you enter the grand teton area, you have to pay an entrance fee. I think it was $20 and good for seven days. I found a lot of the hiking areas in yellowstone had been closed because they are prime grisly habitat but i didn't really have a lot of time to spend anyway. i did spend one night inside the park at a campground (first come, first serve) this last may, and woke up to six inches of snow so be prepared for anything. But it was actually very cool to drive through a snowy yellowstone. Wherever the thermal geyser spots were near the road, the road was bare of snow. very interesting and beautiful area.
There was some real intensive road construction inside the park. At one point, the road was gravel for many many miles. they have a pretty extensive web site that you may want to browse through. http://www.nps.gov/yell/home.htm

lol...hell's half acre huh? i guess I'll have to look for it. thanx for the word. i'll let ya know what i see if i find it