Neuman605

Last summer we flew to Denver (live in Cleveland) and did a road trip to Badlands, Bighorn, Cody, Cheyenne, Yellowstone, Tetons and Rocky Mt. NP.

This summer we would like to hit some areas in Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

We want to fly to ?? to same on time, then need 2 week road trip itinerary.

Needs suggestions and ideas

tomfuller

With 2 full weeks I'd fly to Portland and spend 5 or 6 days in Oregon seeing at least Crater Lake and a long stretch of the Oregon Coast. Return the rental car and take the Amtrak Empire Builder overnight to Whitefish MT and rent a car there to see Western Montana including Glacier NP. Cut over into Idaho to see Craters of the Moon and anything else you might want to see.
If you still have time return the car in Whitefish and take the Empire Builder to Seattle. The two sections of the Empire Builder split in the middle of the night in Spokane.
Recently the Empire Builder has been running late (up to 6 hours) because of a large volume of oil and other freight in North Dakota and eastern Montana.
Flying home out of Kalispell is another option.
The view of the Columbia River out of the right side of the train leaving Portland is fantastic.

janisj

Neuman605: You really should re-post the over on the US forum tagged for Idaho/Montana/Oregon. Very few Fodorites read/participate on this board which is really for general travel discussions - types of luggage - that sort of thing.

You'll get input from others -- tom generally thinks no trip is complete w/o at least some time on a train

Neuman605

Tom, Thanks for the ideas.

Janis, you are correct & I surely will. I am just in beginning stages of planning, thought I'd pick a few ideas here first.

Actually hoping to get an international trip in prior to this road trip.

janisj

>>Janis, you are correct & I surely will. I am just in beginning stages of planning, thought I'd pick a few ideas here first.<<

The thing is destination questions are much better on the geographic forums. Here almost no one will see your post. If you want a variety of input . . . That happens on the US forum, not on 'Travel Tips'.

5OHS

I searched MONTANA and found this post...

Appreciate Tom Fuller's response.