Road Trip Out West

[jbell1981]

This seems like the best place to post this......

We are in the preliminary stages of planning a couple week July road trip out west in the family truckster. Our end destination is to see family in San Diego and of course the Zoo so we will be spending a couple days there. Since none of us (family of 5. Kids will be 14, 12 & 11 at the time) has been further west than Black Hills and Devils Tower we want to cram as much sightseeing as we can along the way.

The preliminary plan is to beeline it to Yellowstone, from there head to Salt Lake and the slat flats. Then head to Northern California (probably via Reno/Lake Tahoe) to see the Redwoods. After that this we will take HWY 1 south to San Diego with side trips in between. The way back we plan to make sure we head to the Grand Canyon (not sure if north or south rim), then to Denver and Kansas City and (maybe St. Louis) before heading home. 

The whole route could change at this point but this is what we are starting with. 

Looking for any must see stops, side trips and tips for our Journey.

Edited December 18, 2015 by jbell1981
evidently can't use the word s i t e

[leechlake]

1.  don't be overly aggressive.  Better to take some time to enjoy a spot and just relax than make the trip too demanding.  

2.  have everyone attempt to mentally prepare for trip.  Someone may get sick along the way derailing the "plan".  Keep that in mind

[Naturboy]

Went out there a couple years ago with my daughters and wife, was a pretty good time. I would suggest to save some sites for the trip home since that always seems the longest.

Did have a good time at the beach in La Jolla Ca. just north of San Diego. Could have spent a week there. We did spend 3 days around the Grand Canyon. I saw elk sign, rubs etc. all over but didn't see one till the last morning on the way to catch the sunrise on the south rim. All of a sudden he was in the middle of the road and he lifted his head other wise we would have hit him.

One thing I did see on the way there was this mountain of boulders bigger than houses. looked like they were just set on top of each other to form a mountain. To me that was so incredible because I can't figure out how it was formed. The boulders which were like a giant pile of balls just stacked there. couldn't tell you what road it was though.

[h8go4s]

That's a great trip. You'll come home with lots of ideas to spend more time at for your next trip. I'd add Glacier and Yosemite to the mix, but you really have a lot on the plate already. I could spend weeks in either Yellowstone or Glacier and not get tired of it. If you're planning to camp inside Yellowstone, I'd suggest Canyon Village if possible, as it's centrally located. RV sites are pretty specific on the unit sizes allowed. Make your reservations early.

I don't know what you're driving, but the Beartooth Pass going from Red Lodge, Montana into Yellowstone is great scenery. Also, coming back through Colorado, 34 through Rocky Mountain National Park is worth the extra miles. Both are high elevations, with lots of switchbacks and amazing views. Good luck.

[leech~~]

This seems like the best place to post this......

We are in the preliminary stages of planning a couple week July road trip out west in the family truckster. Our end destination is to see family in San Diego and of course the Zoo so we will be spending a couple days there. Since none of us (family of 5. Kids will be 14, 12 & 11 at the time) has been further west than Black Hills and Devils Tower we want to cram as much sightseeing as we can along the way.

The preliminary plan is to beeline it to Yellowstone, from there head to Salt Lake and the slat flats. Then head to Northern California (probably via Reno/Lake Tahoe) to see the Redwoods. After that this we will take HWY 1 south to San Diego with side trips in between. The way back we plan to make sure we head to the Grand Canyon (not sure if north or south rim), then to Denver and Kansas City and (maybe St. Louis) before heading home. 

The whole route could change at this point but this is what we are starting with. 

Looking for any must see stops, side trips and tips for our Journey.

Sounds like a great trip. We did a few Yellowstone & Blackhills trips in our RV when the kids were younger. If you make the cut from Reno over to Northern Cal, take the Donner pass. It would be great fun for the wife and kids to see and hear about the families that had to eat each other back then. Would make for great fire stories at night!

[Ufatz]

If you plan to stay around or in Yellowstone Park make your reservations in January. The Park is one of America's greatest resources. My wife and I have been through it more times than I can remember and I have fished it a lot. In July it will be crowded and traffic will move slowly so be prepared. Do NOT get close to the buffalo or elk and don't even think about getting too close to any bear you see.

You have a pretty ambitious plan.  Have fun.

[eyeguy 54]

try to take 3 weeks if you can.  we thought about doing a 2 week trip like this last year and figured we would have 9 days with 8 hours of driving so didnt do it. Not much time left to enjoy things. 

[delcecchi]

San Diego, list of stuff to see....

Maritime Museum,  Midway aircraft carrier, fish market restaurant are three things we like a lot. 

All kinds of stuff at balboa park, museums etc

Torrey Pines state reserve. 

Various beaches.  La Jolla Cove, lunch at georges terrace, coast walk.

At low tide you can walk from La Jolla Shores beach To Torrey Pines beach, including the infamous Black's beach.  About 5 miles. 

Torrey Pines glider port. 

Kayak tours to sea caves/ snorkelling with sharks

Further north in ca, big sur, hearst castle, point lobos state park, Monterey Acquarium.   

San Francisco.... All sorts of stuff to spend a day or two at. 

I would be happy to expand on any or all of these. 

[Big Dave2]

This seems like the best place to post this......

We are in the preliminary stages of planning a couple week July road trip out west in the family truckster. Our end destination is to see family in San Diego and of course the Zoo so we will be spending a couple days there. Since none of us (family of 5. Kids will be 14, 12 & 11 at the time) has been further west than Black Hills and Devils Tower we want to cram as much sightseeing as we can along the way.

The preliminary plan is to beeline it to Yellowstone, from there head to Salt Lake and the slat flats. Then head to Northern California (probably via Reno/Lake Tahoe) to see the Redwoods. After that this we will take HWY 1 south to San Diego with side trips in between. The way back we plan to make sure we head to the Grand Canyon (not sure if north or south rim), then to Denver and Kansas City and (maybe St. Louis) before heading home. 

The whole route could change at this point but this is what we are starting with. 

Looking for any must see stops, side trips and tips for our Journey.

Sounds like an awesome trip! Personally I would be worried about getting all that in a 2 week trip but its quite possible you could do it. The only place on your list I can add something to is Kansas City. If you like BBQ make sure you stop at Joe's KC BBQ. The WWI museum was very informative and interesting and I really enjoyed the short tour through Harry S. Truman's house. If you want to unwind in the evening without the kiddos you could also check out the Power and Lights district.

[Finns]

Sounds like an awesome trip! Personally I would be worried about getting all that in a 2 week trip but its quite possible you could do it. The only place on your list I can add something to is Kansas City. If you like BBQ make sure you stop at Joe's KC BBQ. The WWI museum was very informative and interesting and I really enjoyed the short tour through Harry S. Truman's house. If you want to unwind in the evening without the kiddos you could also check out the Power and Lights district.

X2!

[jbell1981]

Yeah, its a lot to do in 2 weeks and I am sure we will have to make in trip adjustments as we go. The biggest things that wont change is Yellowstone on the way there and the Grand Canyon on the way back. Everything else will be fit in as time allows. 

When we have done this kind of trip in the past (albeit much shorter) we just kind of wing it. We don't make reservations ahead of time at motels or anything because we don't want to be locked in. If we don't find one we just find a place to park and get a little shut eye in the truck. That lets us be a lot more flexible and is how we are going to approach this trip. 

Thanks for the replies so far!

try to take 3 weeks if you can.  we thought about doing a 2 week trip like this last year and figured we would have 9 days with 8 hours of driving so didnt do it. Not much time left to enjoy things. 

I wish we could, but 2 is all that we can do. I don't mind driving through the night though while the fam is sleeping and just pull over for a couple hours of sleep as needed for me. I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I am six feet under. 

[delcecchi]

Wow. 16 days, 5000 miles.  Buttocks of steel.

[jbell1981]

Wow. 16 days, 5000 miles.  Buttocks of steel.

No, just lots of padding!

[h8go4s]

I'm going to make sure I'm not anywhere near your route during the month of July.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep-deprived_driving

[Powerstroke]

As eyeguy shared, that route requires SO much driving that there is very little time for getting out of the car. 2 weeks would be the bare minimum and doesn't allow for many daytrips. If you want to make a round trip it is certainly doable, but your trip will be more than half drive time. By driving through the night, you are depriving you and the family of seeing some of the best scenery in the country. I get the ironman attitude because I do it. I drove straight home from Glacier (23hours) and straight through to Yellowstone (16hrs) among other trips. However, everything west of there is part of the reason you're going that way and you need to be awake to see it. 

Yellowstone is at least a 2 day sightseeing stop with one day to get there. Depending on where you stay, it can be a couple hours of driving to see the thing you want to see within the park. Heading straight from there to San Diego is another 1-day drive followed by a couple days in SD. That doesn't involve any stops in Salt Lake etc. Add in a day in Salt Lake and you've used 7-8 days, 

You don't have ot plan your sleep stops and reservations, but grab google maps and try to plan your first week. Then, knowing the gas consumption on your truck, figure out your gas stops and allow 15-30 mins for each stop. Add that stop time in. It helps with planning timeframes and when and where you will want to be for sightseeing. You can be seat of the pants, but the in the seat of the truck time will be the biggest factor. I feel like you will end up using a stopwatch. Driving in the parks and some of the mountain passes  is slower and getting everyone rustled up to hit the road again is never as easy as it sounds. Hopefully you can find a couple more days to add to the trip. 

[delcecchi]

I looked at google maps and from Yellowstone park headquarters to San Diego is over 1200 miles, and 17 hours.  That is a heck of a "days drive".    You guys must have cast iron backsides. 

[LindellProStaf]

A friend of mine did a family "vacation" and went through Yellowstone, Seattle, Redwoods, Beach somewhere in Cal. and back with a few more stops.  Did it in 10 days.  500 miles per day.  Drove a lot at night.  He said when they stopped at places like Mt Rushmore he said ok look at that.  Ok now back in the car we have to go to stay on schedule.  I told him I would have to be getting paid to do that much work trying to have a fun "vacation" like that.  NO WAY...  I would do half of what you have planned so you can relax and enjoy twice as much.

[delcecchi]

3 hours ago, LindellProStaf said:

A friend of mine did a family "vacation" and went through Yellowstone, Seattle, Redwoods, Beach somewhere in Cal. and back with a few more stops.  Did it in 10 days.  500 miles per day.  Drove a lot at night.  He said when they stopped at places like Mt Rushmore he said ok look at that.  Ok now back in the car we have to go to stay on schedule.  I told him I would have to be getting paid to do that much work trying to have a fun "vacation" like that.  NO WAY...  I would do half of what you have planned so you can relax and enjoy twice as much.

Saved on motels. 

[jbell1981]

I have been using google maps and an app/page call roadtrippers to help plan. I've made a view modifications to my original post. 

Attached is a picture of our current route but it still could change. There are several things that may change as things go if we decide to spend more time at one place or another.

Day 1 : Drive to Red Lodge, MT.

Day 2 & 3: Take Beartooth pass into yellowstone and page see there.

Day 4: Drive to Salt Lake City, Look around for a couple hours, view salt flats and Stay night in Elko, NV. (This could be modified as I am the only one who cares to visit salt lake and the flats in the family so we may eliminate this and take a more direct route to Northern Calif. 

Day 5: Travel day to northern calif. 

Day 6: Head through redwoods parks (more of just a drive through) and head south towards San Francisco. 

Day 7: See Golden Gate Bridge and maybe visit Alcatraz. 

Day 8: Drive through to San Diego

Day 9 & 10: In San Diego

Day 11: Head to Grand Canyon

Day 12: page see around grand canyon

Day 13: Travel To Denver

Day 14: page see in Denver

Day 15: Travel to Kansas City

Day 16: Kansas City to home

 

Days 6, 7 & 8 are the days that I think may take longer than anticipated due to extra page seeing along the way. If we do, that can be made up in days 13 to 16.

Another option I am looking into is driving straight from Yellowstone to San Francisco on day 4 which would allow more time in San Francisco and the coast on days 5 thru 8. 

I appreciate everyone that has taken the time to offer suggestions and advice. 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot of you are saying we will be spending to much time in the car to have fun and I understand where you are coming from but to me the family antics in the car and "page-seeing" at 55mph is half the fun of a road trip. 

Maybe I just have a little to much Clark Griswold in me.

Edited January 18, 2016 by jbell1981

[delcecchi]

Not my style, but have a good trip.  Is the rest of the family on board with this style of trip?
 

How many hours of driving does google say it is?  Over 100?

Edited January 18, 2016 by delcecchi

[BartmanMN]

My brothers family has had great luck booking a cheap flight to Vegas and then getting a cheap rental from there.  It makes a great starting point for a road trip and the airline tickets and car rentals are cheap there.

 

 

[jbell1981]

We made it back from this trip yesterday and had an awesome time. Put on a little over 6500 miles in 16 days. We followed my rough itinerary I posted above in January pretty closely. The weather variations were fun, we had snow in Yellowstone (actually snowing and accumulating, it was about 30°) all the way up to 113° at the Hoover Dam. I went and tore my achilles muscle at a beach and was on crutches a couple days but luckily it healed up a lot faster than the doctors thought it would. We stayed at a few hotels but camped most nights and slept in the van a couple nights due to not finding a hotel or campground with vacancies near where we were. One campground we were at near Aspen, CO had a naughty bear in the area so tents were not allowed, only hard sided campers and vehicles. 

Things we did along the way:

-Drove the Beartooth pass (this was the first time 3 of us ever seen real mountains)

-Yellowstone - Visited most of the main areas. My favorite there was probably the Norris Geyser area. 

-Swam in Salt lake

-Visited the Bonneville salt flats

-Went to some of the Redwood Parks in Northern California, including driving our van through a couple

-Took 101 and 1 from Crescent City down to San Diego visiting many beaches along the way. Pfeiffer beach near Big Sur was a favorite as some areas had naturally purple sand. Another fun stop was a beach that had many elephant seals visiting.  This was also the first time 3 of us had ever been to the ocean. 

-San Diego Zoo. It was fun and had different animals than are at a lot of zoos but it didn't live up to the hype that it get for me at least (The Omaha Zoo we went to a few years ago was better in my opinion). 

-Hoover Dam

-Grand Canyon

-Visited the San Francisco Mountains near Flagstaff, AZ. Very interesting area around Sunset Crater Volcano.

-Petrified Forest National Park. One of my Favorites. 

-Went to the Four Corners Monument. Not worth the money but the kids wanted to go there.

-Arches National Park

-Drove the Independence pass east from Aspen. It goes around Ebert Mountain, the highest US point in the Rockies. Some scary stretches on this road but it was fun. 

-We left the independence pass Saturday morning and pretty much drove straight though to get home yesterday at about noon so we didn't stop anywhere in Denver or Kansas City. 

One of my favorite drives was on US 191 from interstate 40 to interstate 70 through Navajo lands. Lots of interesting landforms along the way.

[RebelSS]

Wow!! A trip of a lifetime! Sounds like ya had a blast!  

[ozzie]

Sounds like an awesome time!!!  So much in such a small time frame you will be remembering cool little things from the trip for a long time!  Glad you had a good time and made it home safe...sorry to hear about the Achilles!! 

[Big Dave2]

Awesome!