Road Trip from New York, New York to Seattle, Washington

[vanerev]

Things to consider/ Logistics:

Time line: August 31, 2016-September 9, 2016 --> 7 days
Transportation: Rent a car in NY, then fly back from Seattle
Number of Drivers: 2
Length of driving time: Ideally, drive between 8-10 hours a day.
Length of time for stops: Take at least 2 full days, each in one place [possibly Chicago and one full day in a national park (haven't settled on one, yet)]. I'm considering either the Badlands or Yellowstone. Any suggestions?
For the rest of the 5 days that involve mostly driving, we would like to stop in Cleveland, Chicago (full day), (what are some cool places to visit in between?) Badlands, South Dakota (possibly full day) or Yellowstone, Wyoming (possibly full day), Montana (any suggestions?), and finally, Seattle, Washington (suggestions?).

I hope to hear your thoughts soon. Any advice/tips/recommendations are welcome.

[DonnaR57]

A little reality here:

NYC to Seattle is, by the most direct route, a 3050 mile trip. At 500 miles per day (that's about 9-10 hours in real time), you're looking at a 6 day trip. So that doesn't leave you much time to spend 2 days in Chicago, or a day or two at Yellowstone (to do it justice, you should have at least 2 days), or even a half day at Badlands. You will definitely have some decision making to do, or get some more days.

The other reality you're looking at, is that Sept 2-3-4-5 is the American Labor Day weekend. For some, it's the last hurrah of summer, but for others, it's an excuse for a 3 or 3-1/2 day weekend to go someplace away from home. It means busier highways.

BTW, if I had to choose between Yellowstone and Badlands, I'd choose Yellowstone -- because of the sheer diversity of things to see there: waterfalls, a "grand canyon", thermal features, a huge lake, wildlife, mountains. Just my opinion, though.



Donna

[Lifemagician]

There are so many things to see along this route, that your 9 - 10 days will evaporate very quickly.

Having two drivers makes no difference as to how far or how long you can be in the car on any given day. It would be wise to divide the trip into - at minimum - 6 equal driving days, and book your accommodation before hand, so you will not be tempted to drive further on any day. If you do, it will only make your next day(s) more tiring and miserable.

Having travelled it several times, 9 - 10 days is not a great deal of time for this trip. If you want to enjoy short interesting stops (all marked on your maps) along the way, you may not have the time in Chicago/Badlands/Yellowstone you are planning on.

Lifey