Three Week Road-trip:
 

Hello!
Next July my family (45, 43, 18, 15, and 13) are hoping to take a road trip out west. We have about three weeks - 24 days maximum. We're leaving from Southern Ontario and want to hit Banff National Park in Alberta, Washington State, San Francisco and San Diego, Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park and a few other places in Utah, and California. I've worked out a [extremely rough] itinerary and I was wondering if it is at all feasible, or if it is just too much? We haven't had a lot of experience taking actual roadtrips...We've driven long-distances but always with an end in sight; where we'd stay for several days. Also, does anyone have any tips of what to see/do in these places? We're all pretty active and up for an adventure...Open to any and all suggestions!
Thanks so much!


Day 1: Depart Ontario at 7:30am on Friday morning. Drive to Minneapolis Minnesota (1,566km 14h 35m) where we’ll stay overnight at the Country Inn & Suites (breakfast included in the morning). States visited in day 1: Ontario, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Costs for day 1: $170 (gas) $110 (hotel)
Day 2: Depart from Minneapolis by 8:30am. Drive to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (1,228km, 12h 5m) where we will stay overnight at a local campground. States visited on day 2: Minnesota, North Dakota, and Saskatchewan. Costs for day 2: $133 (gas) $28 (campground site)
Day 3: Depart from Moose Jaw by 8:30am. Drive to Banff, Alberta (810km, 8h 0m) where we will stay overnight in the national park at a Lake Louise campground. States visited today: Saskatchewan and Alberta. Costs for day 3: $86 (gas) $32 (camp site)
Day 4: Spend the day experiencing and exploring Banff National Park. Costs for day 4: $32 (camp site)
Day 5: Depart Banff by 8:30am. Drive to Whistler, BC (800km, 9h 45m) where we will stay overnight at a local campground. States visited today: British Columbia and Alberta. Costs for day 5: $90 (gas) $30 (camp site)
Day 6: Depart Whistler around 10:30am and drive to Vancouver BC (180km, 2h 25m) and spend a few hours visiting Uncle Brian & Aunt Deb. Depart Vancouver then drive to Seattle, Washington (227km, 2h 25m) where we will spend the night camping at Olympic National Park. States Visited on day 6: British Columbia and Washington. Costs: $70 (gas) $18 (camp site)
Day 7: Spend the morning exploring the coast of Olympic National Park before leaving for San Francisco (1,300km, 12h 0m). Stay overnight at the Cartwright Hotel downtown. States visited in day 7: Washington, Oregon, and California. Costs: $140 (Gas) $150 (hotel)
Day 8: Spend the day exploring San Francisco; Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, drive to Yosemite National Park for a few hours. States visited: California; Costs: $140 (Hotel)
Day 9: Drive from San Francisco to San Diego; stopping along the way in Los Angeles (810km, 7h 20m). Spend a few hours in LA experiencing the city and viewing famous sites before continuing to hotel in San Diego. States visited: California. Costs: $90 (gas) $125 (hotel)
Day 10: Tour San Diego. States visited: California. Costs: $125 (hotel)
Day 11: Tour San Diego and surrounding area. States visited: California. Costs: $125 (hotel)
Day 12: Drive from San Diego to Grand Canyon National Park (888km, 8h 15m). Stay overnight at campground in park. States visited: California, Arizona. Costs: $100 (gas) $34 (camp site)
Day 13: Explore the Grand Canyon. States visited: Arizona. Costs: $34 (camp site)
Day 14: Depart Grand Canyon National Park in the morning and drive to Arches National Park in Utah (531km, 5h 30m). Spend the afternoon exploring Arches. States visited: Arizona and Utah. Costs: $60 (gas) $20 (campground)
Day 15: Explore Arches National Park. States visited: Utah. Costs: $20 campground
Day 16: Depart Arches National Park and drive to Yellowstone National Park (900km, 8h 50m). Stay overnight at Old Faithful Inn. States visited: Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. Costs: $100 (gas) $140 (room)
Day 17: Explore Yellowstone National Park. States visited: Wyoming. Costs: $140 (Room)
Day 18: Explore Yellowstone National Park. States visited: Wyoming. Costs: $140 (room)
Day 19: Depart Yellowstone in the morning and drive to Kearney, Nebraska (1,240km, 12h 30m). Stay overnight at campground in Kearney. States visited: Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. Costs: $135 (Gas) $30 (campground)
Day 20: Depart Kearney, Nebraska and drive to Chicago, Illinois (1,044km, 9h 35m) Stay overnight at Holiday Inn Express in the city. States visited: Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. Costs: $115 (gas), $140 (hotel)
Day 21: Depart Chicago, and drive til we hit home. States visited: Illinois, Michigan, and Ontario. Costs: $100 (gas)

Total costs: $3,183 + food
Gas: $1,350 (assuming MPG of 23 and gas prices of $4)
Lodging: $1,753
Food: $
Other: $80 (Annual National Park Pass)

>>Day 7: Spend the morning exploring the coast of Olympic National Park before leaving for San Francisco . . . Stay overnight at the Cartwright Hotel downtown.

Day 8: Spend the day exploring San Francisco; Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, drive to Yosemite National Park for a few hours.

Day 9: Drive from San Francisco to San Diego; stopping along the way in Los Angeles (810km, 7h 20m). Spend a few hours in LA experiencing the city and viewing famous sites before continuing to hotel in San Diego.

This is a joke-right?

Just to get you started . . . From the coast of ONP to San Francisco is a 14 hours drive w/o a single stop of any sort.

SF to Yosemite is a 4+ hour drive- and you think you can sight see several hours in SF then drive to Yosemite and back in the same day

This is simply a crazy plan . . . . ..

Thanks for the response!
The times I have from ONP to San Fran are just what I got from my mapping application on my phone. I figured it was fairly accurate for my estimate but I will add another day into there I suppose.
Day 8 is worded incorrectly here. I was listing options - I'd love to see Yosemite for the day, but I know my brothers won't want to sit in the car any longer - so they'd probably stick around the city and do the things listed there while I'd probably take a solo trip to Yosemite.

I stopped reading after days 1 & 2. Five people in a car together for 27 hours in 2 days? Yikes. I'd rethink this, half the distance, twice the fun.

Or liken it to building a house, figure out what it will cost, then double it. In this case, figure out how long it will take to do this trip well, then double it.

First thing I would do is look at those drive times. I have found the first day, when everyone is fresh and excited, is the best day for a long drive. Sometimes the last day, too, if everyone is ready to get home. Those 12-hour days make me shudder!

I would suggest trying to reduce the number of one-night stays, and build in more two- or three-nighters. This will mean reducing the total number of places you get to see, but at least you will really be able to explore and enjoy the places you do visit. And if your family is anything like mine, you will appreciate having as many non-driving days as possible sprinkled between your days on the road.

Wow this is way too rushed. You have to take into consideration that Google maps takes the distance and divides it by something like 50 or 55mph which is not always possible on some roads, like Highway 1 thru Big Sur which is more like 25mph or 40mph max IF you do not get stuck behind a truck or RV. Google does not allow for stops for food, restrooms, or gas either.

Drop half your destinations or more and concentrate on one or two areas like Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier or coast of California and maybe parts of Oregon, or the SW USA Parks. You will have a much more enjoyable trip this way.

(Now watch TOMsd say sure it can be done)

"(Now watch TOMsd say sure it can be done)"

Of course it can be done, if you spend a few days in beautiful San Diego. And only then.

Just add up the miles/km you are driving &/or the amount of time you are driving...I was going to do that but my calculator doesn't have enough digits...You are going to spend 70% of your time driving or sleeping - THAT is no vacation. & w/3 teenagers no less....no way. That is about 12500km/70 km per hour (and that is way generous) = 7.5 full days of driving !! + you are camping a good bit of the time - how long is it going to take to put up tents & take them down & pack them almost every day ? That is another 2 hours every day you stop to camp. Also, some of the places you plan to visit you have to have rooms booked months in advance to even get in. You can't/won't just pull up & have a room waiting...

I agree with the others-way too rushed. Once you get to Minneapolis don't go back into Canada. Gas prices are far too high in Canada. Glacier NP is just as beautiful as Banff IMO.
Also drop San Diego. I don't understand day 8-9. Don't go back to SF if you are at Yosemite. Get a reservation in or near Yosemite if you can.
What do you need to see in Los Angeles?
Gas prices are better in Oregon than in California

If your goal is to get to as many states and provinces and National parks as you can in three weeks I think you will have achieved it. If you had any other goal it will be lost in the drive.

Otherwise the only thing I can see that will really be impossible is "Drive to Yosemite for a few hours" after having spent the day touring SF.

Also the drive from Arches to Old Faithful will take much longer than 8 hrs. It is 4 hrs from Moab to SLC. It takes us about 5 hrs from SLC to either West Yellowstone or Jackson. And then you have the drive into the park where you never go fast. Expect that to be at least 10 hrs.

If the rest of the times are that far off you won't be able to get to everything you expect.

Tom: >>Once you get to Minneapolis don't go back into Canada. Gas prices are far too high in Canada<<

That may be but since they <i>live</i> in Canada, they probably do want to go back . . .


. . . But that really doesn't matter, since the whole trip really isn't doable . . .

Since you are from Ontario - suggest you save visiting parts of the Midwest (US) and Canada for another - closer to home trip.

Once you get to SF - consider stopping for a night on your drive from SF to LA - maybe at a campground in Big Sur?

From there - you can drive on to LA nd whize through there - to San Diego.

Will come back and check again if you have added more time to the West Coast - and then add a few more thoughts.

BTW - also guessing you haven't traveled a lot on a road trip? - as any estimates one usually makes re: costs are usually low.

If you have more budget flexibility - consider taking the beautiful train ride from where you live across Canada - hopping off in Banff, etc - and winding up in Vancouver.

Then - rent a car there and travel down the West Coast. Much easier.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out where you get those time estimates. For example, best case - best case - for driving from the Olympic National Park to San Francisco is about 15 hours. And that does not take into account any traffic, no stops at all, and assumes you use I-5. That is not a pretty road, you'll miss most of the scenic beauty.

Ditto for getting from San Francisco to San Diego. The traffic in LA will cost you hours right there. And again, you are stuck with I-5.

This part just made me laugh out loud: "Day 8: Spend the day exploring San Francisco; Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, drive to Yosemite National Park for a few hours." What are you thinking???

Please heed Tomsd's warning about expenses, your estimates seem quite low. Add in an allowance for parking, especially in San Francisco.

I'm tempted to say "just go for it, and let us know how that went for you," but it would be unkind to subject your family to that without fair warning. I do understand wanting to see all that you can, but can you rework the itinerary and repost it?

As I initially said, it was a really rough itinerary with times grabbed from Google Maps...We haven't done a roadtrip such as this before but we have driven from Ontario to Florida in 20 hours (with minimal stops...3-4 10 minute stops) several times before.
I am thinking it may be a better idea to fly to Calgary - or even Vancouver - then continue down the western states. We can add like 3-4 days to the trip.
I will clearly have to add in a few more stops. I am thinking I will add another day to San Francisco, cut Yosemite (unless I go by myself which is possible), add another day or two to Utah - either Bryce Canyon or Arches-, and add another day to Vancouver/Washington. That would bring me to 24 days total which is as many days as I can be away for..better?

Day 1: Toronto to Minneapolis: 1,566km, 14h 35m
Day 2: Minneapolis to Moose Jaw: 1,228km, 12h 5m
Day 3: Moose Jaw to Banff: 810km, 8h 0m
Day 4: Banff
Day 5: Banff
Day 6: Banff to Whistler: 800km, 9h 0m
Day 7: Whistler to Vancouver, Vancouver to Olympic: 407km, 4h 50m
Day 8: Olympic National Park
Day 9: Olympic to San Francisco: 1,392km, 13h 38m
Day 10: San Francisco
Day 11: San Francisco
Day 12: San Francisco to San Diego: 810km, 7h 25m
Day 13: San Diego
Day 14: San Diego
Day 15: San Diego to Grand Canyon National Park: 888km, 8h 15m
Day 16: Grnad Canyon
Day 17: Grand Canyon to Arches National Park: 531km, 5h 30m
Day 18: Arches
Day 19: Arches
Day 20: Arches to Yellowstone National Park:900km, 8h 50m
Day 21: Yellowstone
Day 22: Yellowstone
Day 23: Yellowstone
Day 24: Yellowstone to Kearney: 1,240km, 12h 30m
Day 25: Kearney to Chicago: 1,044km, 9h 35m
Day 26: Chicago to Toronto: 910km, 8h 25m
I had to leave long days of driving on either end of the trip to cover as much land as possible..I really don't care about seeing what is in those places on this trip.
We're still considering flying out west then renting a car from there which would cut the majority of the painfully long days.

Yes, flying across Canada to start your trip is a great idea. Consider then flying home from Utah or Wyoming (or even Denver, which is a hub for several airlines), by using the "multi-city" option on the airline website. Planning a trip like this can be a lot of fun. Enjoy!

This trip looks more like a job than a vacation...to each their own though.

Forget about Olympic National Park. First, it deserves at least two days; second, you can't drive to Seattle and visit ONP...it takes several hours to drive from Seattle to the easternmost place you would want to visit, which is Hurricane Ridge.

In order to keep to your time schedule you will be primarily driving I-5 between ONP and San Diego. Using this route you will be missing the beauty of California's coast and the majestic Redwoods. I urge you to reconsider your routing, especially between San Francisco and San Diego. It will take more than 7 hours and 20 minutes to drive from San Francisco to San Diego. Traffic in the LA Basin can add several hours depending on the time of day. At least you will be able to use the car pool lanes.

1st: most of your drive times are way (waaaaaay) too optimistic.

2nd: Just the Seattle to San Diego bit would easily fill the entire three weeks if you went at any sort of reasonable pace and actually stopped to see anything enroute. Seattle to San Diego would be <i>doable</i> in two weeks you only spent a little time along the coast.

But it sounds you and google maps are both set in stone. I wish you luck.

So true on pretty much everything I have read on the drive times. It really depends on what you are looking for in YOUR vacation. Do you want to just log states/locations, with no real time seeing/exploring the destinations, except through the car window? If that is the case, you are still a bit tight on timing. And you might want to consider renting a mobile home. I know they are crazy on the gas consumption, but at least people can move around, eat, etc.
Your second itinerary is much better in the timing to see the places you are planning on visiting, but 3 full days of travel on both ends. My kids would kill me, if not my husband first! If you can save up the extra money, fly!
I so understand and respect doing as much as you can on a budget, it is the only way my family can afford to go on the vacations we go on. You also need to think about how much space all the camping gear will take. Then there is the ice chest, food and ice. You will need to stop and shop for all of this. Also, you will need to do laundry, and that will take time, even if you have a place that has a washer and dryer, which I highly recommend. You can do laundry while making dinner, eating, etc. and run a load over night, dry while you are packing in the morning.
Consider getting a credit card that gives you points at sign up and on use, use it and pay off every month. We (4 of us) are flying SFO to DC, down to Orlando and back to SFO for $490 total. If you count the credit card fees for two years, $688. Worth it in my opinion.
Gas is currently $4.09 per gallon in CA, and I am in one of the cheaper areas.
Parking in SF, at hotels, is $40 to $55 per night. Again consider renting a condo, they usually are cheaper for more room, you can make your meals in, washer and dryer and they usually come with parking. Have done this in both SF and SD. And still expect to pay $200 for a safe area. Pretty much anything under $150 (total cost) in both of these cities is not a place I want to take my kids, unless you come across a crazy good deal, but be careful.

Oh and I just got a Groupon emailn with deals on hotels in SF and Yosemite. Consider using them for places to stay.

Well, as you mentioned, you have very little experience with this type of vacation vs. the one where you are just driving driving driving to get to your destination. A roadtrip vacation like this requires that you remember that the drive IS the vacation. So, to make it worthwhile, you will want to plan for scenic stops, maybe some hikes, visits to places that interest you (shops/museums/restaurants/landmarks/etc etc).

Otherwise, just imagine making that trip from Southern Ontario to Orlando over and over again, each day. Like the movie "Groundhog Day."

So for example - when I lived in the San Francisco area, we used to take a driving vacation up to see relatives in Seattle in the summer. It took 3 days to drive each way. Yes, it can be done in one veeery long day, but there was no point. The Northern California coast and the Oregon coast are just breathtaking (not like the East Coast at all). Had we stuck to I-5 it would have been endless hours of drive through hot, mostly uninteresting country.

Going to Yosemite - if you would like to work that in, a few tips: it will take 4-5 hours drive each way from San Francisco (depending on traffic) to the park entrance. Once there, plan on at least an hour to get to the valley floow - that's where you see all those pictures of Half Dome, etc. In July it will be mobbed, so traffic will likely be creeping along bumper to bumper and just miserable (if you can get in at all). Plan ahead for that one.

I do think the idea of flying across to your first area is excellent, if you can afford it. Then you'll probably need to cut out some stops. Best of luck in your travels.

A plan that sounds good to me would be a flight to Vancouver, BC (pu car in Bellingham?), a leisurely drive down the coast, actually on the coast, as far south as San Simeon, CA. Then to Yosemite, having made reservations in advance to stay in the area (if it's not too late) and returning home from SFO or Sacramento. Add Lake Tahoe and fly home from Reno or Sacramento.

I'm still hoping you can retool your plan so everyone has a good time.

Arches to Yellowstone--at LEAST 10 hours and that's without any stops.

Well, with the drive from San Francisco to San Diego in one day you will have to take the I-5 and miss the beautiful Big Sur area. Hope you like agriculture, you will sure see a lot of it on this drive.

"Hope you like agriculture, you will sure see a lot of it..."

And smell it.

Would definitely encourage you to fly/train over to Vancouver.

And since you will be seeing a lot of beautiful scenery - you could cut out Yosemite and see more of the Oregon and California Coasts. You could leave Portland early and drive down the Oregon Coast (say driving from Portland over/starting at Lincoln City and down the Coast to Gold Hill/Beach) and find a place to stay/camp around there - and also - ride the Jet Boats up the fabled Rogue river.

From there - if you want to see Redwoods - drive a little way into Cal - south of Crescent City (Jermiah xx park) - and then over to I-5 and down to SF.

From SF - drive down to Monterey/Carmel and camp at Jules Pfeiffer or one of the other parks in Big Sur and then on to Southern Cal.

I've driven across and taken the train across the Great Plains both in the US and Canada. I much prefer taking the Empire Builder in the US. If you must see Banff and or Jasper, fly to Calgary or Edmonton. Edmonton if you want to take the Canadian train to Jasper. Calgary if you want to rent a car to go to Banff. They are both beautiful but Glacier National Park in Montana is just as nice IMHO.

Cut the destinations in half. Choose to visit the northern Rockies and Cascades, maybe down to northern California; or choose the southern Rockies and high desert areas of the Southwest. By doing this you would cut down on the driving time and give yourself a chance to breathe.

We're cutting the Northern portion of the trip and flying into San Francisco. We'll add the extra days in to different stops; and continue to the rest of the destinations from San Francisco back to Yellowstone, then fly home from Denver as someone suggested. Thanks for all the helpful comments :)

Much better! Have a great trip!

If you still have the 25-26 days and find that the drop off fee for the rental car is too high, make a loop out of your trip.
Fly home from whichever airport you start from.
Can you get a reservation in Yellowstone when you want it?