MOCHA9

I'm thinking about taking a road trip from South Dakota to Seattle and was wondering if anyone had any tips on what I should or shouldn't include. I would be starting out on Tuesday morning at Mount Rushmore, then on to Devils Tower and a hotel stay somewhere around Custers Last Stand. Up on Wednesday morning and head to the battlefield or monument. Then on to Yellowstone. I'm mainly interested in seeing Old Faithful....not sure about time allowance for the loop. On to Idaho falls for a hotel. Thursday we would head to Twin falls and try to find a ghost town or two heading north (not sure about that)... I'd like to over night somewhere in Oregon on the way to Mount Saint Helens, then on to Mount Saint Helens on Friday with a hotel somewhere nearby or on the way to Seattle. Regardless, I need to be in Seattle on Saturday, noon-ish, for a family reunion on Sunday. Does it sound like I will sleep through the reunion????

tomfuller

I would skip the Little Bighorn battlefield in favor of more time in Yellowstone. http://www.nps.gov/libi/planyourvisit/directions.htm
Come into Yellowstone via Cody and see as much as you can including Old Faithful and maybe Grand Prismatic Spring.
Once you've seen it you will want to come back to see lots more.
Take US 20 west out of Idaho Falls and go through Craters of the Moon. I don't know any ghost towns but you will go through Arco ID which is the first town in the US to use nuclear power to power the town.
For Oregon stay in La Grande or Pendleton.
Instead of going to Mt. St. Helens which is a long ways east of I-5 where you have to turn around and come back to I-5, try going to Yakima and then take US 12 on the south side of Mt. Rainier. This will avoid a long backtrack.
On US 12 Packwood would be a good choice.

MOCHA9

Thanks for the advice on the grand prismatic spring. I hadn't even thought of that! I need to leave a day or two earlier!

Seriously, though, I'd really like to see the battlefield. How about I stay at old faithful inn, instead of Idaho falls and skip the search for ghost towns? I feel that may take too much time anyway. Hopefully, I would then have time for the craters. I'm not sure if Arco will be an option but I will keep that in mind.

tomfuller

I hope you're not talking about this Tuesday 3/1. The roads in Yrllowstone except for the Beartooth are closed by snow.
Old Faithful Inn is usually booked for months in advance.

happytrailstoyou

Why Mt. Saint Helens rather than Mt. Rainier?

HTtY

happytrailstoyou

Unless you need to be in Twin Falls, the northern route between Yellowstone and Seattle is more scenic than the southern route.

HTtY

MOCHA9

No, not this Tuesday. Not for a couple months. I'm finding that out about the inn. Any other suggestions?

I wanted to see the sights a little further south...bucket list kinda stuff. We'll be in Seattle for a week so I figured we might make it to Mount Rainier in that time.

tomfuller

If you didn't want to go as far as Idaho Falls, there are places in Rexburg or Rigby.

MOCHA9

I was going that way specifically for the falls. Am I better off skipping both of them?

happytrailstoyou

The waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge impress me (Multnomah, etc.), but Idaho Falls was a disappointment.

If you haven't been to the Columbia River Gorge, that would be a reason to take the southern route.

In any event--satisfy your curiosity.

HTtY

tomfuller

Idaho Falls and Twin Falls are not very impressive.
For the best waterfalls in Oregon, stay on I-84 and make a stop at Multnomah Falls east of Portland (left exit to median parking lot).
Don't waste your time driving out to Mt. St. Helens and then driving back to I-5 to go to Seattle.
Arco is worth a 10 minute look but Craters of the Moon is worth about 1.5 to 2 hours. Drive US 20 west from Idaho Falls instead of the 85 MPH Interstate.

happytrailstoyou

I agree with tomfuller about Mt. Saint Helens. The destruction at the mountain was eye-popping in the 1980's, but it isn't these days. It's a long way in, and a long way out.

HTtY

Gardyloo

Not for a couple months...

Meaning... April?

Timing is ultra important in choosing a route. In April or May, for example, I'd personally skip the Idaho route in favor of taking I-90 to Spokane, then south through the Palouse to the Columbia, then west through the Columbia Gorge. The volcanoes like Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens will be snowbound until June or later, while the Palouse will be amazing -

So when, more precisely?

Palouse - http://gardyloo.us/20130409_222a.JPG
Palouse Falls - http://gardyloo.us/20130409_300a.
Hood River Valley - http://gardyloo.us/20100509_85a.JPG

Gardyloo

Sorry, problems with Fodor's and urls... again...

http://gardyloo.us/20130409_300a.jpg

MOCHA9

Ok,i was concerned that the best photo opp for the Idaho falls was online already and I've seen it. So,i will probably opt for just driving through northern Idaho, skipping the craters also. The Palouse falls look amazing! Are there more nearby? I might change our last overnight stay to that area

Gardyloo

Palouse Falls is on the western edge of the main Palouse wheat-growing area, so if time allows I'd do a meandering trip through the Palouse and on to the Columbia Gorge something like this - https://goo.gl/maps/sf5JbeVZQEv

Steptoe Butte is out in the middle of nowhere but offers incredible views out over the rolling Palouse hills, magical in spring. Some of the Palouse towns like Pomeroy and Dayton are quite picturesque, real Americana stuff. And the Palouse in the spring in general is something else - http://gardyloo.us/20130409_279a.JPG for example.

happytrailstoyou

In case you haven't been to Snoqualmie Falls, they are located about 30 miles east of Seattle and they worth visiting.

HTtY

Fodorite018

We were stationed in Idaho Falls for a while and absolutely agree that the falls there are not impressive at all. We lived within walking distance and I remember DH taking me there and I was saying "this is it?". Snoqualmie as mentioned is fantastic, especially if it has been raining heavily.

MOCHA9

Beautiful! Thanks so much! I'll check all this out....there are just so many options but so little time...I feel like I should be able to stop at so many sights, but they seem to be strategically placed as to take many more miles....

MOCHA9

I have never been west of Chicago! I know I'm trying to squeeze so much into this one trip with the limited time frame, but I'd love to see as much as possible since I don't know if I'll ever make it out west again! This is also my first time flying, unheard of at 52, but I had to compromise to get the road trip I wanted!