7 day Road Trip from Boise, ID
 

Hello All!

A friend and I will be in Boise, ID for a weekend event in early July. The week following our event we plan to take a 7 day road trip that will lead us back full circle to fly out of Boise. We just booked the flights with good fares! :-)

We are considering heading to Yellowstone or to the Grand Canyon or possibly head toward Portland. She's from Canada and I am from Illinois. Neither of us have explored the western U.S. much and we are eager for the adventure.

We plan to rent a car in Boise. We will depart on Sunday and need to be back in Boise by the following Saturday, as we both fly home on the next Sunday. We both like to hike, kayak, raft and be in nature. We also enjoy the beauty and peace found in nature. We will not be camping, but rather looking to stay in hotels, inns or other spots along the way. We welcome suggestions!

If there's time and locale for pampering in a hot spring or spa...we both would be delighted...but that's not a pre-requisite.

What are your recommendations that would allow us to maximize our time, while not being on a crazy fast pace and provide opportunities for breathtaking beauty and seeing the sites of our beautiful western U.S.?

Thank so much for sharing your thoughts and suggestions!!
D & P

From Boise, head east on I-84 to Mountain Home and then east on US 20 to Craters of the Moon NM. Spend an hour or 2 there before heading east on 20 to Idaho Falls and then to West Yellowstone, MT. If you can't get lodging within Yellowstone, stay in West Yellowstone.
Plan on at least 4 days to see what you can of Yellowstone NP.
Leave Yellowstone by the east entrance to Cody and then south on 120 to Termopolis WY. http://www.travelwyoming.com/listing...ngs-state-park
Return to Boise by way of Rock Springs on I-80 splitting off on I-84 in Utah.
A small detour you might want to take is west of I-84/15 to Promontory UT to see the Golden Spike Historic site.

In July--stay north. Do a trip through Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. That is easily a week. You can see Craters of the Moon, Sun Valley and the mountains there, plus all that Yellowstone and GT have to offer. Don't go to the Grand Canyon--save that for another trip. Or--you could do a week long raft trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

I agree that Yellowstone and Grand Teton NPs is a logical destination from Boise and that the Grand Canyon is not.

I don't want to discourage from going to GTNP--it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. However, since you "are eager for adventure," you are well positioned to explore the variety offered by the beautiful state of Oregon. The basic routing would be Bend, the coast from Florence to Cannon Beach, Portland, and the Columbia River Gorge.

I suggest you consult guidebooks for these destinations to decide which ones offer the experiences that most appeal to you.

HTtY

Thank you for these helpful suggestions!! ��