cross country trip
 

I am planning to leave NJ on approximately 9/4 and drive solo across US to meet my girlfriend in SFO on 9/25. I will be driving North to Rochester NY, Erie PA and Cleveland OH. Each of these will be overnight visit friends, stops. I will then drive directly (with appropriate rest overnite s) to the West. My goal is to visit; N&S Dakota, Montana, Wyoming?, WA and Oregon. The greater priorities will be Montana, Oregon and Washington. I am an amateur photographer and would like to capture great scenery and outdoor activities. My question; am I allotting the right amount of time to this trek and would you make recommendations for this trip from your experiences.

Three weeks should be enough time to see the states you want to see. Are you driving your own car?
Are you coming back across the country with your girlfriend?
If this is with a rental car, make sure you are not stuck with a big drop off charge.
My favorite method of travel through Rochester, Erie and Cleveland is on board the Amtrak Lake Shore Limited.

we are going to spend a week in SFO, then drive to Vegas for a week including a stop at Grand Canyon. From there I will continue East solo. Using my own car. Have not yet worked out logistics for return (southern) route. thanks for your info

Going west from Cleveland, you may want to spend a night in Chicago. The best place I've found for a solo traveler in Chicago is the HI Hostel. http://www.hichicago.org/ I don't know much about parking there since I arrive by train/taxi.
You may want to travel across South Dakota to Rapid City and see Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands. See Devils Tower and then head north into North Dakota to get to eastern Montana.
You want to drive US 2 through Browning to get to see Glacier NP.
On your trip back east, try for a night and day at Yosemite before you head for Las Vegas.

Chicago was planned but scrubbed. Yosemite is definitely a go. I want to see Rushmore. How much time should I spend in the Dakotas?
Two days each, enough?

If you include the Badlands, Lead, Spearfish, Deadwood and maybe Jewell Cave, you'll probably need 3 nights in SD.If you go north from Rapid City into NoDak you cab visit the Teddy Roosevelt Nat. Park en route to Williston and the Missouri River. You can follow US 2 all the way across the top of MT, ID and WA before swinging south. Time permitting, take US 101 along the WA and OR coast and a combination of 101 ad CA 1 in California.

you probably want at least a coupla days in Yellowstone, the colors and patterns are stunning.

The Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park is one of the most scenic drives in the country. You'll have great opportunitites to capture wildlife and spectacular scenery.

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/glaci...e-sun-road.htm

We have been in Glacier National Park through mid-September and the road is still open, but just be aware that it can close if they do get an early snow.

Stop at Logan Pass Visitor's Center and take the short hike up to Hidden Lake Overlook where you're almost always guaranteed to see mountain goats.

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/hidden-lake-overlook.htm

Can you convince your girlfriend to come north on the Coast Starlight to meet you in Portland or Seattle?
What do you want to see in Washington and Oregon?

Just returned last week from a two week trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota, a bit of eastern Wyoming and southern Montana, and Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so I'll speak to those areas. (This was my second trip to the Black Hills so I'll admit I'm partial to this area).

When you leave Badlands National Park, it's not far to Mt. Rushmore. Rapid City is the larger town you will hit first with chain hotel choices, but it's about 20 miles to Mt. Rushmore and lots of other interesting attractions. I'd recommend staying in the small town of Keystone, at the foothills of the mountain, only about 2 miles from the monument. We stayed at the White House Resort (not really a true resort, but they do have a nice indoor pool) which was reasonable, very clean, very accommodating to guests and a great location. They also have small but comfortable single rooms at low rates for one person. Manager Scott (usually at the front desk) was very accommadating and helpful.

You will definitely need at least 2-3 days in this area. Make sure you go to the evening program at Mt. Rushmore, which starts at dusk at the outdoor amphitheater. In the town of Keystone there's a very interesting museum about Mt Rushmore sculptor Gutzom Borghlum. Crazy Horse Monument is about 17 miles from Mt. Rushmore but you will want to visit that as well. If you like caves, there are two to visit -- if you need to choose one go to Jewel Cave, not too far from Crazy Horse.

Since you are a photographer, DO NOT MISS the drive on the NEEDLES HIGHWAY LOOP. The scenery will provide great photo opportunities of wild life, rock outcroppings, and occasionally Mt. Rushmore.

You may want to make a stop in Deadwood on your way to Wyoming. Although it's a small, typical tourist town, Mt. Moriah Cemetery (where Wild Bill Hickok is buried) is beautiful as far as old cemeteries go. We went just before dusk and got some really haunting, interesting photos (okay so I know know cemetaries are not for everyone but as a photographer...)

When you leave South Dakota, stop at Devil's Tower, our nation's first national monument, in eastern Wyoming. You can get great photos when walking the trail around the tower's perimeter. There were quite a few climbers the day we were there too, which was interesting to watch.

Regarding Wyoming, we never went north of the interstate and only stopped at the Little Bighorn National Monument (famous for Custer's Last Stand) and also Pompey's Pillar, where you can see the 1806 signature of explorer William Clark (of Lewis & Clark fame) carved in a large rock pillar. Would've loved to visit Glacier NP in the north, but it was too far out of our way for the time we had.

If you can stop at Yellowstone, I'd highly recomment it. From Montana, you can enter the north entrance of the park. Yellowstone is really a great park in my opinion. We traveled off season (their high season is July & August) so we were fortunate to get a last minute room at Old Faithful Inn inside of the park, right next to the famous geyser. Saw tons of bison, mule deer, some elk and moose and even a bear.

If you have time you can venture a short drive down through the beautiful Grand Tetons National Park to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Hope this helps you with your planning. Have a great trip!

Wow, thanks to you all for these great responses. I will take all into consideration as I now make my immediate plans. Leaving on 9/4.

oregon plans?