From the Midwest to the Northwest

[DonnaR57]

Two weeks seems a little short for what you want to do. Here's why I say that: Chicago to Seattle, via the southern route you've chosen, is 2300 miles. That's about 5 or 6 days driving if you're trying to keep it to 400 miles per day. Yellowstone National Park, if you wish to see anything of it at all, is going to take you the better part of 3 days going for most of the day. OK, there's 8 days. Then your return is another 2200 miles -- 6 more days. No time for stopping anywhere.

IF you can get more time, I would go out via the Southern route, and return via the northern route. That will give places like Glacier time to get Going to the Sun Highway open. It doesn't traditionally open until around Memorial Day weekend, anyway.

But you really, really need more time unless all you want to do is drive through these places to say "I've been there" without really seeing anything of them.


Donna

[Lifemagician]

Confirming what Donna says, if you want to do what you have planned, you will need more time. With two weeks you will spend up to 10 hours in the car on most of your driving days.

If you do not have extra time to add to this trip, why not head west following most of the suggestions in this thread, and driving your preferred 400 miles/day. When a week is up, head north to your northern route, and go see all the attractions along that route, heading home. Keep yourself flexible to be able to stop wherever you see something that interests you.

If you do not get to Yellowstone or Glacier, be assured they will still be there when you have a little more time, or if you get an opportunity in years to come, to fly to Seattle and do a loop trip out of there.

Trying to do it all this time is only going to leave you disappointed, having to by pass many attractions, and rush through others.

The opening times of all places is not necessarily Memorial weekend. So much depends on the winter snow fall. Sometimes they open earlier, other times they can't open till well after. But Memorial weekend is a guide for you to go by. I have driven routes and visited places in mid May, which were not due to open till Memorial weekend. Other times I have come to a road closed sign well into June.

Lifey