Hey all,

My wife and I are looking to plot a one-way trip from Upstate NY to Portland, Ore., during the first two weeks of October. We'd be super appreciative of any advice you folks could offer in terms of route, waypoints and must-sees. We have a rough sketch of what we'd like to see, weather and time permitting:

We were thinking we'd drive from Buffalo through Ontario to Ann Arbor, then hit Chicago, Minneapolis, South Dakota (Badlands, Mt. Rushmore/Black Hills), Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Idaho (Craters of the Moon, perhaps), Crater Lake and then Portland.

We had previously planned a similar trip for May, but work and other commitments scuttled that plan.

We'd both be driving and are flexible on pretty much anything but the timing -- even though the lateness in the season concerns me a bit. The two things I'd most like to see are Badlands and Crater Lake.

Does this sound doable? Insane?

Thanks for your help!