2 week tripout west
Are you planning to drive? Fly? What are your interests? Who is going? What time of year?
Jul 15th, 2015, 05:02 PM
#4
Welcome to Fodors Sheere. You will find lots of help on Fodors . . . however you do need to give people something (anything) to work with.
As the others say we need at minimum • When? • How many? • Family/kids? • Do you mean a road trip or are you fling out? • If driving -- is the 2 weeks one way or round trip?
And the Biggie - 'Out West' covers about 2 million square miles and many states, any idea which you might be interested in visiting? . . . etc.
As the others say we need at minimum • When? • How many? • Family/kids? • Do you mean a road trip or are you fling out? • If driving -- is the 2 weeks one way or round trip?
And the Biggie - 'Out West' covers about 2 million square miles and many states, any idea which you might be interested in visiting? . . . etc.
Jul 16th, 2015, 09:24 AM
#9
The wall of chewed gum in San Luis Obispo is worth the detour from wherever out west you are headed. Also the used-to-be-a-secret pizza place in Las Vegas and the parade of boats in California if your trip is at Christmas time.
Jul 16th, 2015, 04:17 PM
#12
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With two weeks you could do:
1. A circle tour of Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, Lake Powell on the AZ - Utah border, Bryce National Park, UT and Zion National Park, UT if you are flying in.
2. If you are driving then it's going to really limit the amount of time. Maybe Petrified Forest/Painted Desert National Park, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Mesa Verde National Park, CO as you head home.
3. A circle tour of Yellowstone National Park, WY, Grand Tetons National Park, WY, Mt. Rushmore and Badlands National Park if you are driving and you would have to drop Mt. Rushmore and Badlands and could add Glacier National Park, MT if you are flying. But these trips would need to be done either in the summer or fall and not the winter.
So as you can see, we need more information like what time of the year, are you driving or are you flying to really help you.
Utahtea
1. A circle tour of Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, Lake Powell on the AZ - Utah border, Bryce National Park, UT and Zion National Park, UT if you are flying in.
2. If you are driving then it's going to really limit the amount of time. Maybe Petrified Forest/Painted Desert National Park, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Mesa Verde National Park, CO as you head home.
3. A circle tour of Yellowstone National Park, WY, Grand Tetons National Park, WY, Mt. Rushmore and Badlands National Park if you are driving and you would have to drop Mt. Rushmore and Badlands and could add Glacier National Park, MT if you are flying. But these trips would need to be done either in the summer or fall and not the winter.
So as you can see, we need more information like what time of the year, are you driving or are you flying to really help you.
Utahtea
Jul 19th, 2015, 08:41 AM
#15
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Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone, grand Tetons, Grand Canyon not really sure where to begin.
That represents 2600 mi. and 47 hours of driving according to viamichelin.com, and not counting rest stops, just to get to Grand Canyon NP. Then there's the drive back. I would drop the Grand Canyon and add Rocky Mountain National Park. You could approach it from the west and maybe include Dinosaur National Monument.
That represents 2600 mi. and 47 hours of driving according to viamichelin.com, and not counting rest stops, just to get to Grand Canyon NP. Then there's the drive back. I would drop the Grand Canyon and add Rocky Mountain National Park. You could approach it from the west and maybe include Dinosaur National Monument.
Jul 19th, 2015, 10:36 AM
#16
If you are leaving next week -- finding accommodations will be difficult. Especially for the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. I think you need to REALLY cut back on the distances/expectations and do a shorter trip . . .
Jul 19th, 2015, 03:37 PM
#19
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Start calling now for reservations in Yellowstone for 3 nights and starting 3 to 7 days after your vacation starts. You might be able to snag one on a cancellation but you will have to keep trying over and over. If that fails try to find someplace in West Yellowstone. Then when you have those dates you can build the rest of the trip around that. It's going to take you a good three days of just driving to get to Yellowstone. Depending on the reservations you find, you can do the Grand Tetons and Mt. Rushmore either before or after Yellowstone.
You barely have enough time for Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Mt. Rushmore so you don't have enough time for the Grand Canyon on this trip. Just Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Mt. Rushmore is about 3,500 miles and if you travel 12 hours a day you can make it with only 4 days of travel...but that's brutal so you're looking at more like 6 days of travel so that only leaves you 8 days to tour around. Adding the Grand Canyon adds 800 more miles and at least another 1 1/2 days driving.
Get a good map to make your routes. I'd stick to the interstates to make the best time. Like I-64, I-29- & I-80 one way and I-90 and I-74 for the other direction.
Utahtea
You barely have enough time for Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Mt. Rushmore so you don't have enough time for the Grand Canyon on this trip. Just Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Mt. Rushmore is about 3,500 miles and if you travel 12 hours a day you can make it with only 4 days of travel...but that's brutal so you're looking at more like 6 days of travel so that only leaves you 8 days to tour around. Adding the Grand Canyon adds 800 more miles and at least another 1 1/2 days driving.
Get a good map to make your routes. I'd stick to the interstates to make the best time. Like I-64, I-29- & I-80 one way and I-90 and I-74 for the other direction.
Utahtea
Jul 20th, 2015, 07:23 AM
#20
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With regard to what is "West", and what isn't:
The west officially starts at the 100th meridian, as explained here.
http://geography.about.com/od/learna...thmeridian.htm
The west officially starts at the 100th meridian, as explained here.
http://geography.about.com/od/learna...thmeridian.htm
