Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report

Well, we're back! (sob, sob) 85 - 105 F every day. Clear blue skies. Locals were saying it was hotter than usual. JUNE 28 - JULY 16, 2003.

Now probably most folks on this discussion board will not prefer to travel in our "cheap" way, but oh well... here's a summary anyhow which may be helpful to you in some respects. We had a GREAT time!

Two single women - Toyota Corolla, no air conditioning, averaged 55 mpg, travelled 10,850 kilometres or 6,726 miles. Spent about $1,200 US or less. This includes ALL fuel, 1 person's entrance fees, food (brought dry food/cereal/bars, bought one square meal almost every day & fresh fruit/milk occas. at grocery stores), my 1/2 of any motel/camping stays, postcards, collector spoons, etc.

SAT. - Barrie Ontario Canada to Detroit (5 hrs) - to Hammond IN (overnight in car in church parking lot in sleeping bags, front bucket seats leaned back...)

SUN. - church in Hammond in morning, - to Indianapolis IN - evening church there, overnight at friends' house

MON. - to Bloomington IN (visit university & tour -had prospective student with me) - continue I70 west to Junction City KS (long driving day arrived 1:45 a.m., - overnight in car).

TUES. - Junction City KS to Colorado Springs CO - visit GARDEN OF THE GODS, tour OLYMPIC TRAINING CTR. - continue 25 S to Walsenburg CO (overnight in car)

WED. - 10 W to 160 W to 150 N to GREAT SAND DUNES NAT'L PARK (worth seeing if just for hr or 2), - 150 S to 160 W to DURANGO, - 550 N (Million Dollar Hwy) to OURAY (overnight Columbia House B & B - VERY nice, shared bathroom down the hall)

THURS. - all day Black Bear/Imogene Pass jeep tour with Switzerland of America - GREAT tour, GREAT company to go with. - finished tour by about 4:30 p.m. - drove to Montrose & thru BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NP (yes we were going thru it in the evening). - to Gunnison (overnight in car)

FRI. July 4th - woke to hot air balloons (about 20) setting up & leaving right across the road from our overnight stop! Neat to watch the launch! - 347 S to 50 E to Poncha Springs 285 N (24) to LEADVILLE CO - visit mining museum (just happened upon it & decided to go in - interesting). All day passing thru little towns with parades/celebration events for Jul 4th. - 91 N to I70 E to exit #254 Lookout Mtn Rd. to BUFFALO BILL GRAVE (note - we found out only the locals are allowed to stay up on Lookout Mtn to watch Jul 4 fireworks)
- continued 93 to 36 to ESTES PARK (overnight in car) - great fireworks!

SAT. - ROCKY MTN NP - don't miss it! Amazing views/hikes. (overnight Timber Creek campground & set up our tent - west side of park)

SUN. - continue out of RMNP on Grand Lake side. 125 N (230) to Riverside, 70 W to Encampment WY (saw historic set-up of town with 2-storey outhouse!), 70 W to Baggs (supposed to be able to see bands of wild horses along this area - we didn't), 789 N to Creston Junction, I80 to Rock Springs WY - church service - folks we'd never met let us stay in the church on carpet w/ sleeping bags overnight

MON. - 191 N to JACKSON WY (along way turned off near Farson - had to ask directions no signs visible - to find "ruts of Oregon Trail" & sign marker). - into GRAND TETON NP - drive up the road closest to mtns - west side (Jenny Lake area).
Next few days we could have planned days better - did a lot of backtracking but still didn't feel rushed at all. - back to TETON VILLAGE for 4:00 pm AERIAL TRAM RIDE (expensive but good view) & supper. - back to GRAND TETON NP for overnight campground.

TUES. - into YELLOWSTONE NP - to Old Faithful area. - back to JACKSON for MAD RIVER WHITEWATER RAFTING 4:00 departure incl. steak/trout supper. Very good/fun/safe trip. - Overnight reserved at Elk Country Inn, Jackson (very nice).

WED. - back into YELLOWSTONE NP (drove up other road east side of GTNP to get to YNP) - West Thumb & Canyon area of Yellowstone (amazing!) - overnight reserved Grant Village campgrd in our tent.

THURS - YELLOWSTONE NP - back & forth around Fountain / Mud Pot area & Old Faithful trails to see more geysers go off. & free tour of Old Faithful Inn (note - lots of people on trails would miss geysers because they didn't check the time schedule first or would stop to see something interesting assuming they had enough time, forgetting the 1/2 hr to 2 hr either side of predicted time. If it went early or late, folks who wouldn't wait missed it) - Mammoth Hot Springs area. Overnight reserved at Roosevelt Lodge CABIN (we thought quite nice - not nearly as "rustic" as imagined from Fodorites descriptions - have to walk to showers/bathroom)

FRI - out of Yellowstone on #212 - Beartooth Hwy - very scenic, lovely drive. to Red Lodge MO. (were running short on time so had to miss backtrack to Chief Joseph Hwy) - #308 to #120 to CODY WY - phone calls to old college roommates hadn't seen since 1982 & brief 1/2 hr visit with one. BUFFALO BILL HISTORICAL CTR. We only had 2 hrs & therefore only saw a TINY portion of this. Huge! Interesting. Needs a full day. - 120 (72) to 310 to I90 E to exit 510 - LITTLE BIGHORN / CUSTER BATTLEFIELD, MO. - 90 to Sheridan WY (overnight in car)

SAT - 90 E to #14 to #24 to DEVILS TOWER Nat'l Monument. We're not climbers so watched some others attempt it. Walked 1/4 way around & back (hot hot day). - 14 to Sundance to VORE BUFFALO JUMP -- easy to miss not well signed. interesting sign marker there & bit of history. 5 minute stop. - 90 / 14 past Spearfish SD 85 S to Deadwood SD - to Mt. Moriah Cemetery where Calamity Jane & Wild Bill Hickok & other interesting characters are on the cemetery map/guide. - BROKEN BOOT GOLD MINE tour in Deadwood - interesting 1/2 hr tour. Kids would like. (considered also going to Homestake Mine in Lead but didn't). - 85 to 385 (16) to CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL (evening visit - it is well lit). back to MOUNT RUSHMORE (it's open later than CH). - overnight on #16A between Custer & Custer State Park at THE ROOST RESORT campground - reserved a teepee! :-)

SUN - 16 to JEWEL CAVE NM - for 1st Scenic Tour of the day at 8:30 a.m. - back to Custer & #385 to #18 to MAMMOTH SITE (1800 Hwy 18 Truck Route). This is quite interesting. Wasn't sure what to expect but it was very good. - back to 385 to 87 to CUSTER STATE PARK. - 16to 79 to Rapid City SD - evening church. Overnight motel.

MON - I90 to Wall Drug (yep! we stopped... just to say we did... it's so big we never did find the "free drinking water"). then into BADLANDS NP - now that's quite the sight! Well worth the visit. - I90 to 281 N to 14 E to DE SMET SD to LAURA INGALLS WILDER homestead/historic town.

- wasn't tired & good driving time with no sun in the eyes so I just kept a'goin' till 1:30 a.m. Stopped for overnight in car at Albert Lea.

TUES - I90 to Toledo OH (overnight motel - arrived midnight)

WED - Toledo to Detroit to home by 3:30 p.m.
THURS - back to work!

--- great time for wildflowers everywhere. Saw probably 1,000 buffalo & 300-400 elk, about 6 pronghorns, 100's of yellow-bellied marmots, 100's of prairie dogs, about 6 deer, lots of different birds, etc. Didn't see any rattlesnakes, bears, or tornadoes...(oh well, perhaps another trip - ha!)