30 days 'out west' - much help needed
 

In early planning stages of a month long trip to the western states in May 09. See if this seems doable:
Denver to Mt. Rushmore
Mt. Rushmore to Jackson, Wy.
Jackson to Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City to Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon to Death Valley
Death Valley to San Francisco
to Eureka to Eugene to Seattle. This is around 3,100 miles based on interstate (I am sure).
Just want to get some feedback about this route, then needs lots of info about things not to miss. Mostly like things of nature, not much hiking. ALso, not necessiarly the areas planned on Ca. coast other than SF, but up the coastline to Wa. state. Thanks, Jean

So you are planning on traveling at least 100 miles every day ? Doesn't leave much time for actually seeing, or experiencing, your destination(s) of choice. For starters, I would pare off the Oregon/Washington part of the trip. That will probably save you a 1/4 of the driving. Much of the stuff you have listed involves hiking. After all, you have to get to the sights. But you don't really want to hike ?! Methinks you may want to rethink this trip, in it entirety. For starters, buy a map.

I have an atlas and a map

It seems like an awful lot for 1 month. Its a lot of zigzagging across the west. I would try to pare it down somewhat. It doesn't seem like you will have any time at places other than to check a box to say you were there and move on. They may be interstates but some of them probably are not 65 MPH. Some could be slow-moving.

I wouldn;t worry about covering 100 miles per day - or rather 200 miles every other day - that's only about 4 hours.

I would worry abuot the not hiking part.

The entire country isn;t laid out around the interstates - and often you have to drive locally long distances and then walk in order to get to what you want to see. Much of it can;t be seen out of the car window.

So - if all you had to do is drive - it would be a lot. But - with all the walking (and do look into the details of some of the places you're going in terms of walking required) I don;t think it's doable.

For the most part - the scenic bits aren't on the interstates. That is a LOT of territory to cover in a short time. As a straight road trip -- a month would be more than enough. But for sightseeing, seeing the national parks, etc probably not really long enough.

For instance to see the Northern Calif coast through the Redwoods and up into OR/WA along hwy 1 and 101 is a beautiful but slooooow drive. To see anything much at all you need 4 days minimum for that drive - a full week would be better. If you cut over to I-5 it is faster - but you lose out all the gorgeous OR/WA coasts.

I would cut your trip into blocks of one week:

1. Denver-Rushmore-Yellowstone-Jackson

2. Grand Canyon- Monument Valley-Bryce-Zion

3. Las Vegas-Death Valley-Sequoia-Yosemite

4. SF to Seattle by coast, skip Eugene. (you don't have time for this)

I would skip Salt Lake City, too.

You will find May is still cold in Yellowstone, and the Sierra passes may not be open in May. Overall, your itinerary has too much driving, not enough time hiking, exploring, seeing stuff for me.

jfawp,

I have camped and traveled all over the west all my life. I would recommend cutting your planned destinations by half for your month of travel.

My other suggestion would be to (actually) use the atlas & map. For example, if you want to 'drive up' the Pacific Coast, then that is what you need to do. It IS beautiful, but it is also, not a fast trip by any means. By driving the Interstate there, would be to miss the point of that part of the trip, which IS the Coast. Why SLC ? Why Eureka ? Why Eugene ? I've spent more than a month (cumulatively) in San Francisco, & have only scratched the surface.

Thanks SAnParis2. I have been looking at my map and atlas. And no, I'm not to much into hiking and why SLC, Eureka and Eugene - I had originally thought I wanted to go to Salt Lake City to see the Morman Tab. Choir, but soon realized that needed to be at a different time. Why Eureka and Eugen - I saw them on the map, just googled them to get some general idea of distances.

Let me start all over. For the last two years I have spent every night of the world with my mother at the nursing home (except for a couple of short vacations). I loved her deeply. The day after I buried her (which was last week), I was thinking what in the world was I going to do, there is such a void in my life. And I decided that night I was going to take a month off, and knew I couldn't do it this year because of being out with my mom so much, so I started looking. And no, I haven't put a lot of time looking at my map and/or atlas, I was just looking at all the places I wanted to see before I die, and realized I'm considered a 'senior citizen' now, and thought I might not get but one chance to see the beautiful creations of God (and man). So I just asked my fodorite friends to help me get started in some general direction. I know there is a lot of wide open space out there, and the greatness of it is bigger than my mind can comprehend, that's why I ask for so info to get started. I knew I would have to cut some things out, I just wanted some kind feedback.
And to the rest of you, if you're still reading, thank you from the bottom of my heart - I know I've got to get to work now to figure out just where I would like to go for my month. Thank you. Jean

Jean,

Sorry to hear about your dear Mom. Now we see your motivation for wanting to plan such a trip.

For the places I'm familiar with, here are my minimum recommendations for time to spend:

Yellowstone - 4 days
Tetons & Jackson, WY - 2 days
drive Jackson - SLC - approx 4.5 hrs
SLC - Choir rehearses Th eve, and sings Sun morn
drive to Capitol Reef NP - 1 day
drive to Bryce via Hwy 12 - 1/2 day
Bryce - 1 day
Zion - 2 days
Grand Canyon - 2 days
Death Valley - 1 day
Yosemite - 3 days
Lake Tahoe - 2 days
San Francisco - 3 days

This would not include all the driving time or long hikes. Just the short visitor walks the Natl Parks offer for short time visitors.

Hope this helps!

Jean, you've just lived my worst nightmare. My sympathies on the loss of your mother and the trials of the last two years.

I like Dayle's suggestions. It doesn't include everything on your list, but I think it's very realistic timewise. Why don't you Mapquest the various drives and see how his itinerary pencils out.

BTW, you'll want to make reservations in Yosemite as early as possible. Accommodations for May 2009 have been available for booking for three months already.

Keep your chin up.

Since Yellowstone roads may not all be open in early May, perhaps you could reverse the trip, and go south first, to visit YNP later in the month.

I'm sorry about your mom. My 80 year old mom just told me to travel as much as I can, while I can, because "you never know".

Thanks, to all of you. I will spend some time now with the different suggestions you all have made and I'm sure I'll have more questions, but these will help me get started in the right direction.
Thank you most of all for your kind words about my mom. Can I share this with you:
HE LEADETH ME
In pastures green? Not always; sometimes He Who knoweth best, in kindness leadeth me In many ways wehre heavey shadows be; Out of the sunshine warm and soft and bright - Out of the sunshine into the darkest night, Only for this - I know He holds my hand; So whether in the green or desert land I trust although I may not understand.

And by still waters? No, not always so; Ofttimes the heavy tempest round me blow, And o'er my soul the waters and billows go.
But when the storms beat loudest and I cry Aloud for help, the Master standeth by And whispers to my soul, "Lo, it is I". Above the tempest wild I hear Him say, "Beyond this darkness lies a perfect day. In every path of thine I lead the way."

So whether on the hilltops high and fair I dwell, or in the sunless valleys where The shadows lie - what matters? He is there. So where He leads me, I can safely go, And in the blest hereafter I shall know Why in His wisdom, He hath led me so.
Hope I didn't bore you. Jean

Because of weather, it would be wise to start in the southern areas perhaps going into Phoenix and Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Stop by Las Vegas on your way to Death Valley. San Francisco up to Seattle (dont miss Napa Valley if you are into wine or the Olive Pit if you like olives) Then from Seattle drive through beautiful Idaho to Yellowstone Park and Jackson WYo. On to Mt Rushmore and end in Denver.

Skip Salt Lake City - have been through there many times and unless you are Mormon there isn't that much to do.

I have driven all of those roads and you won't have a problem doing this in one month. We used to drive straight through from Idaho to Wisconsin. The drive is half of the journey - it is beautiful anywhere in the west.

Judging from your multiple prior posts from multiple years past, this "out west" thing is a big fantasy of yours that you haven't ever acted upon, but don't mind wasting poster's time on.

You have a plethora of suggestions.

Please stop playing games.

Thanks Marginal - The first time I came to the west coast was in Dec. of 05. It was my first trip on the west coast. Mid way thru my stay at San Francisco I was called home because my mom had a fall and they didn't think she was going to survive. We went back to SF the next Sept. and the same thing happened, half a trip came home because my mom had gotten bad off again, dr didn't think she would make it. That time he said she must go into a nursing home, which she did. Then we did take a trip to Las Vegas, Death Valley, Big Sur, down to Santa Anna, that was last Sept. We felt better about going then because mom was in a nursing home. We started talking about another trip and I posted a few inquires, but then I knew we couldn't because my mother's health started really failing, so I dropped all plans for another trip. So now I can take a longer trip and see some of the things I've always wanted to see. Sorry if I've waisted your time, you don't have to reply or read,if my posts bug you. It wasn't my intention to be a pest to anyone.

Marginal I agree. Dayle has made some great suggestions, but I must admit, I don't see the point of many of those places if you don't intend to hike. If you don't really know where you want to go, then just meander. Some places you will need a reservation, others, not so much. I'd have no trouble wandering the West Coast for a month.

Oh please. You don't have to hike to enjoy the mountains. It's just a different experience, not less enjoyable.

We just took my 86-year-old mother to the Eastern Sierra last weekend. She was able to do two short level walks, one in Tuolumne and the other in 20 Lakes Basin, but she spent most of the time just enjoying the scenery from the car. Since she couldn't hike, should she have stayed home?

Thank you for HE LEADETH ME. I enjoyed reading it and passed it on to my sister.

Jean - no, but perhaps a better destination, would have made for a better trip. Riding in a car Iam fine with for a while, but for 3000+ miles, no way.

You're missing the point. It's not your trip. It's jfawp's trip, and jfawp asked for feedback on the route not whether you'd take the same trip yourself.

Jean - My last response was to your comment, not the OPs. (Please keep up..) I'm not really sure the OP has any idea of what they want to do, except see the whole of everything West of the Mississippi, in 30 days or less.

"My last response was to your comment, not the OPs."

We're both named Jean, so I don't know who your response is directed to. But I stick to MY last response which is that jfawp should take the trip she wants.

BTW, 3000 miles over 30 days doesn't sound so bad to me. When we go skiing in Colorado, we do 2000 miles in 14 days. Different strokes for different folks, and all that.

Perhaps if she were better educated about said trip (which many of us are trying to help her to be) the excursion through the West may be altered a bit. To her benefit no less. Anyone who looks at the original itin. & thinks it is 'OK', would certainly have some issues in my book. You better like looking out a car window as that's all you're going to get, for 30 llllllllllloooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg ggggggg days. Also, when you go skiing in Co. you aren't driving every day. I assume you are driving there, and back. Please compare apples to apples.

SAnParis2, your assumption is wrong.

Jfawp, enjoy your planning. Please don't be turned off by this banter. Come back if you have more questions. Don't forget to book your Yosemite accommodations as soon as possible.