SEA-Yellowstone-Deadwood-DN-SLC

[tony32408]

HI all,

I've read these forums for years but I never signed up and posted until now. I know we don't have a lot of time at each location. I'm cool with only two days in Yellowstone. I would rather see a variety of places for a shorter time.

Could you please give me your option though on my schedule? It feels like I"m trying to do a lot here. I could cut out Denver or SLC. Denver is only 6 hours from Deadwood and I've always wanted to go. SLC seemed like it would be cool and looked like it's not far out of the way since I have to head in that direction home. It looks like either way it's 20 hours back to Seattle. Maybe cut out SLU and spend more time in Denver area?


Day 1 - Montana - Missoula
Day 2 - Wyoming - Yellow Stone
Day 3 - Wyoming - Yellow Stone Day 2
Day 4 - South Dakota - Deadwood
Day 5 - Mt Rushmore
Day 7 - Denver
Day 8 - Denver/Aspen Day 2
Day 9 - Salt Lake City
Day 10 - Salt Lake City Day 2
Day 11 - Home

Thanks so much.

You all are awesome!

Antonio

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

I must say, I am a bit surprised. You say that you've been reading these fora for years, yet you still think Denver and Deadwood are only six hours apart. No. That is only true in the fantasy world of on-line mapping routines where their virtual car never has to stop for gas, or gets behind a slow truck and their virtual driver never needs to eat, or use a restroom, or sees a red light. In the real world in which you'll actually make this drive, it's going to be a LOT closer to seven hours. If you're lucky. That's an extra 15% or so and that same 'time tax rate' will apply to your entire trip. For example, Denver to Seattle (direct, not including Aspen) will take 24 hours of on-the-road time, not 20, and while you would go through SLC on the way, that 24 hours of drive time does not include stopping at all in SLC except for perhaps food/fuel/restroom.

Grand total, I see over 55 hours of just driving to complete your proposed journey. That's really 5 to 6 full days on the road, before ANY stops to see anything meaningful. Add a day at each of your proposed destinations (two at Yellowstone) and you've 'spent' 12 or 13 of your 11 available days, even at a frenetic pace. I can't tell you what to cut, that's up to you. But cut you must, significantly.

AZBuck

[Utahtea]

HI all,

I've read these forums for years but I never signed up and posted until now. I know we don't have a lot of time at each location. I'm cool with only two days in Yellowstone. I would rather see a variety of places for a shorter time.

Could you please give me your option though on my schedule? It feels like I"m trying to do a lot here. I could cut out Denver or SLC. Denver is only 6 hours from Deadwood and I've always wanted to go. SLC seemed like it would be cool and looked like it's not far out of the way since I have to head in that direction home. It looks like either way it's 20 hours back to Seattle. Maybe cut out SLU and spend more time in Denver area?


Day 1 - Montana - Missoula
Day 2 - Wyoming - Yellow Stone
Day 3 - Wyoming - Yellow Stone Day 2
Day 4 - South Dakota - Deadwood
Day 5 - Mt Rushmore
Day 7 - Denver
Day 8 - Denver/Aspen Day 2
Day 9 - Salt Lake City
Day 10 - Salt Lake City Day 2
Day 11 - Home

Thanks so much.

You all are awesome!

Antonio

Hi...WOW...that's a lot of driving especially Salt Lake City all the way back to
Seattle, WA!

Maybe if we knew a little more about you it would help. You mentioned "we". How many are going and age reference might help. Will you be camping or using hotels? Are you going to be making any reservations? What time of the year are you going?

Make sure if you are staying outside of Yellowstone to get try and get into the park VERY early in the morning because the lines to get in are LONG! Don't expect to be able to drive fast in the park. A bison jam can cause HOURS of delays! We've spent two weeks at a time in Yellowstone several times and there's areas we haven't seen! Not to mention you are so close it's a shame to miss the Grand Tetons.


Utahtea

[tony32408]

I"m 40 and I'm bringing my 4 year old twins. They are used to long road trips. I'd like to go the first week in August. I'll bring a tent but I also plan on staying at hotels. I'm sure I'll do reservations either way before leaving. As far as what we wold do I'd like to see a few things in Yellowstone, visit the sites in Deadwood (one of my favorite TV shows), and go to Mt Rushmore. I haven't really worked out the details for Denver/Aspen or SLC yet. If we did end up going it would be exploring the city and anything interesting that's open. Do you think it would be better to just cut out SLC?

[AZBuck]

Wow! You say your two little passengers have done long RoadTrips before, but that must have been as infants, or at least no more than toddlers. At four, things are going to be a whole lot different. I have taken a number of both RoadTrips and fly/drive trips with my own grandsons and at this age yours are going to be active, not sleeping or happy to watch the world go by while they sit inert in their car seats. I would strongly suggest that you do two things. 1) Plan for some significant outside activity (emphasis on active) each and every day, and 2) Plan on spending at least two nights in several different locations. Those two together lead to one inescapable conclusion, at least to me. Your plan is simply too much. I would cut out Denver, Aspen and Salt Lake City and just make this a trip to Yellowstone, Deadwood and Rapid City. Period. That would cut your driving time to about five days tops and leave you about six days for seeing Yellowstone and the Rapid City area, including Deadwood. As Utahtea noted, two days might be the minimal time needed for your children to experience and enjoy Yellowstone, and there is so much to see and do in the Rapid City area that it could easily fill a week, let alone three or four days. Besides Mount Rushmore, there's Devils Tower, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, the Badlands, and the Crazy Horse Memorial as well as a number of dinosaur museums and dig sites. Don't you think your kids would rather spend time at a few of them rather than more days in the car?

AZBuck

[Southwest Dave]

I have to agree with the above from AZBuck, your just trying to do way to much for it to be enjoyable. As it is often with family road trips, less can be more. Yellowstone is likely to be busy but whatever, it is extremely slow going around this massive park. Before deciding anything you should see what lodging/camping options are available in or around Yellowstone as you may have a long drive just to get there in the morning.

[travelingman]

Do you remember YOUR vacations as a four year old? Of course not! They are too young to understand or appreciate anything on your list. They would be much happier spending the time at a neighborhood playground. The reality is that you are planning a vacation for yourself and dragging them along.

You would get more out of this trip by postponing it at least four years, or leaving them with someone and going by yourself. That being said, you’ll all get more out of this by cutting the driving and adding “do something” time.

The parks often have kid activities that would be worthwhile. Trouble is that the Covid hysteria has shut so much down, so this might not be an option. Many campgrounds have pools and organized activities but who knows if that will be the case next month?

[AZBuck]

As long as your youngsters are going to National Parks, let/help them get the most out of their visits by checking for the availability of any Junior Ranger Program at the Visitors Center. The kids will typically be given an activity book that they fill in as they explore the park and then show the Ranger at the end, for which they get free badges, certificates or other souvenirs of their visit. Note the following on that web page: "Junior Rangers are typically between the ages of 5 to 13, although people of all ages can participate."

AZBuck

[glc]

One problem with that - the visitors centers and ranger programs are still closed in many parks.

[AZBuck]

I suspect that, even if the Visitors Center wasn't open, if the kids approached a Ranger with their masks on, (s)he would have something for them or at least 'swear them in' as Junior Rangers and/or tell them a bit about the park at their level.

AZBuck