Honeymoon roadtrip - Seattle to Chicago

[clintosdebrave]

Since this trip is still months away, it would pay you to get hold of some good detailed maps of the area. If these are not available locally, you can order a Rand McNally road atlas here. You will have it in a week or two.

Good maps show natural, historical and touristy attractions, as well as the scenic routes and much more. It will be a great help to your planning, and essential to have with you on the road.

Lifey

I was planning on using a GPS based off my mobile device. Do you think an atlas would be helpful?

[Midwest Michael]

I was planning on using a GPS based off my mobile device. Do you think an atlas would be helpful?

An atlas isn't just helpful, it really is essential.

Electronic tools certainly have their place, but you should always consider them secondary navigational tools to real maps. You should always be the one picking the roads you want to take, and then using a GPS as a tool to make it easier for you to follow those roads. Doing it the other way around - and just going where the GPS tells you to go - can quickly lead to big problems, and there have been many cases where people have gotten into even life threatening situations by following GPS directions into roads and places they should never have gone.

[clintosdebrave]

Besides booking accommodation at Yellowstone National Park from beforehand, do you think its possible to book accommodation for the rest of the journey on the fly? This would of course give us more freedom with timelines.

Thanks as always.

[glc]

That shouldn't be a problem. I very seldom prebook anything unless I know I have to be somewhere on a specific day. Yellowstone, of course, is an exception but I've even been able to walk in to a motel in West Yellowstone in the first week of October. All the cities in your list in the first post are large enough to have a good choice of lodging, and unless there is a special event going on there shouldn't be a problem finding something decent.

However, if you are going to be in Chicago for 3 days, it may not hurt to prebook. Be advised the downtown hotels are quite expensive. If you are only going to spend 1 or 2 nights there, you shouldn't have a problem finding a room in one of the many hotels out by the airport. It's a 45 minute light rail ride from out there to downtown and I'd advise you return the rental car when you arrive and use public transportation, it's quite good. Parking downtown is a hassle and also expensive.

[clintosdebrave]

Yellowstone is already fully booked in summer so I guess I'll have to go for a nearby town. Any recommendations?

[justmemedia]

Which type of activities are you interested in?

Route I-90 down to I-80
24th Rapid City Deadwood. Devil's Tower, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument.
25th Souix City Omaha Badlands
26th Davenport IA
27-29 Chicago

[DonnaR57]

West Yellowstone, MT, is one that is still fairly close to places like Norris Geyser Basin, Old Faithful and the Upper/Lower/Mid Geyser Basins. Gardiner, MT, is closer to the Mammoth Hot Springs area. The only thing on the south end of Yellowstone, outside the park, is Flagg Ranch Resort. That would be a major drive from there up to Mammoth or even Tower Junction/Tower Falls area.


Donna

[glc]

West Yellowstone is the closest town to the park with a good choice of lodging. In summer, it's all going to be expensive.

I just checked, and the Evergreen Motel has rooms available for those days in June, and they are $125 - $135 a night. I can highly recommend this motel, that's where I stayed. Rooms are small, but it's recently renovated and clean. Book NOW if that's what you want, you won't find anything cheaper that's anywhere near as nice. The young couple that owns the place are very nice.

[Lifemagician]

Besides booking accommodation at Yellowstone National Park from beforehand, do you think its possible to book accommodation for the rest of the journey on the fly? This would of course give us more freedom with timelines.

Thanks as always.

For a honeymoon trip you might like to book before hand. Winging it may not necessarily get you the most romantic accommodation.

Yellowstone is already fully booked in summer ...

With their cancellation policy, I would keep looking every day, even more than once a day, and see if you can pick up any cancellation. Don't give up immediately. Otherwise settle for whatever is closest to the main attractions in the Park.

Lifey

[clintosdebrave]

Hey all. Thanks for your suggestions and advice.

Unfortunately work has gotten in the way of our planning process and only just sat down to book accommodation at Yellowstone. We managed to book a cabin at Eagle Ridge Ranch. It has excellent reviews and the cost while not cheap, isnt too bad compared to other places we saw. The only problem is that it is 40 minutes away from West gate. This is the link to the place:

https://eagleridgeranch.com/

Has anybody ever stayed here? Any thoughts? I can still cancel this booking and I think I will take Lifey's advice and keep checking availabilities in and closer to the park.

I just checked, and the Evergreen Motel has rooms available for those days in June, and they are $125 - $135 a night. I can highly recommend this motel, that's where I stayed. Rooms are small, but it's recently renovated and clean. Book NOW if that's what you want, you won't find anything cheaper that's anywhere near as nice. The young couple that owns the place are very nice.

Unfortunately when I went to book this place, I had just missed out on the last room which was booked only 1 hour before :(. Will keep checking though and hope for cancellations as Lifey said.