We are a well traveled family taking our first family driving trip across the US together before my daughter goes to college. We will be driving to Chicago(kids have never seen it) from CT and want to end up in San Francisco. Across S. Dakota down to Salt Lake through Tetons or across Nebraska? Good overnight spots? We can drive about 500 miles/day if we need to. Thanks!
Last family trip: Chicago to Salt Lake?
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From Chicago West...
Strictly my opinion as a tree, lake, woodsy, 4 season loving Upper Midwesterner. No offense is meant to those of you who call tornado alley home.
Your choices are 70, 80 or I-90. I can tell you from personal experience that the drives across NB or KS and Eastern CO are amongst the flatest, hottest most boring, most desolate places one can experience. Therefore, while 90 has it's moments as well, I would opt for that every time.
I-70 through the Colorado Rockies is the most scenic, also over the highest elevation. In UT, you can then pick up US50 across Western UT and the "Loniest Highway" across NV.
I did this trip with my family literally 35 years ago when I was 10 and I STILL remember it all vividly. No question in my mind to choose the Dakotas over Nebraska. We took a month to do it and turned around at Salt Lake, a month with 6 kids and 2 adults in one car was enough.. . . Still a fantastic trip that we all still talk about.
Highlights I recall (and would happily revisit) west of Chicago (which is a fun family town):
Badlands of South Dakota
Mount Rushmore
Devils Tower (think Close Encounters of the Third Kind)
Yellowstone
Dude ranch in Wyoming (sorry can't remember the name)
Grand Tetons (I live in Switzerland and even the Alps are only slightly more beautiful)
Rafting on Snake River
Mesa Verde
Durango and Silverton Colorado (steam train between the two)
Denver/Pike's Peak
If you are going to a lot of US National Parks, you might want to buy a National Parks Pass that will give you entry to all parks, it costs US$50, includes vehicle admission charges, and is good for a year. You can buy it on-line, take a look at https://buy.nationalparks.org. Website for US National Parks is nps.gov. This can save you quite a bit, as for example, the entrance fee for the Grand Canyon and most other parks is $10 per person or US$20 per vehicle.
If you are talking about this summer, I would start making hotel bookings ASAP if you want to stay in any park or nearby.
We are taking 12 days in a one way rental car and planning on flying back from San Francisco. Thanks!
i drive from michigan to utah each fall. 1 day to grand island neb. 1 day to glenwood springs co. iowa is nice and friendly and you can see the neb. sand hills off to the north.
after denver, the route is beautiful through the mountains to grand junction, especially glenwood canyon. i then turn left at cisco ut and keep following the colorado river to moab. then on to capitol reef, bryce and zion. from there on, others have many suggestions. there is lots of info on the forum.
in my estimation, this is the most scenic of all areas. so much to do in the parks and monuments and you will have time to see everything. breathtaking!