New Jersey to Montana Round Trip in June

[Moncleezy]

Good morning! We are totally new to road tripping and hoped for some advice about an upcoming trip we are planning.
We are heading to Helena, Montana from Northern New Jersey in early June, and plan to spend about a week driving out, 3-4 days there visiting family, and then a week driving back. It's me, my wife, a 3.5 year old and a 10 month old in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. We plan to stop at Best Western-type motels each night but have no real route planned yet. We won't be stopping to hike or camp, and also don't have any particular desire to stop at big cities along the way.

Any route suggestions (or other tips for a first time road tripping family) would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Jake

[Lifemagician]

Hi Jake, and Welcome to the Great American roadtrip Forum.

Any route suggestions (or other tips for a first time road tripping family) would be greatly appreciated!

First and most important is to get hold of some good detailed maps, such as published by AAA (free to members) and Rand McNally. When you have these, check to see how many routes there are between A and B, and do a little internet research as to what you can find out about those many different routes, and what there may be to see which interests you. Maps show and grade the roads/routes from interstate to secondary highways, back roads and highlight scenic drives.

You are going to need maps on the road, so may as well get them for the planning. They will show you so much more than you will ever see within the confines of a little screen.

Mapping programs show this is a 2300 mile journey, which can be done in 4 days of solid driving. So with 7 days you will be able to take it easy, with no doubt many stops along the way for the benefit of the little ones.

Routes I have enjoyed between these two places are US6 in PA and even through to IN, route US20 and 30 and in the west US2 is a very nice drive. As you can see, I prefer to stay off the interstates whenever I can.

Lifey

[AZBuck]

It's tough to offer advice based on a list of things you don't want to do (no route, no hiking, no big cities), but with only that to go on, Lifey's advice is pretty much what you need to be looking at. If you want to avoid big cities, then you'll need to avoid the major (toll) Interstates in the northeast as all they do is go from large city to large city, New York, Cleveland, Chicago and everything in between. I-80 across northern Pennsylvania is one exception, but then if you want to take it a bit slower, US-6 is a good alternative. But the to avoid the worst of I-80/I-90 around Cleveland and through Chicago, you should continue straight ahead from I-80 onto I-76 when I-80 exits to join the Ohio Turnpike in the Youngstown area. Taking I-76 to I-71 south to Mansfield will get you to US-30, a very good four-lane road through Ohio and Indiana farm country rather than the lake shore industrial belt. At Fort Wayne IN switch over to US-24 and take that to I-39 north. That will get you back up to I-80 (BUT, you will have avoided a lot of traffic) which will get you to Iowa City where I-380/US-218/I-35 will take you back up to I-90 west to Montana. US-2 may be a bit far north to serve as an alternate to the Interstates through the upper Midwest and high plains for you, but US-12 and US-14 are worth taking a look at if you want to would rather see this section of the country at a slower and more close-up pace.

AZBuck