What to see on our trip out West

[Jakel]

My wife and I are contemplating a motorcycle trip from New Jersey to Seattle this summer. So far we are planning to stop in Chicago, Mount Rushmore, Glacier National Park, Idaho to visit friends, Mount St Helen, and Seattle. Our trip back might bring us a little further South, but not further south than Kentucky.

We have never been to these places, and are wondering what would be the best places to see, and which places, or cities to avoid. We will need to stay in Motels the entire time, so any recommendations for clean inexpensive places to stay nearby would be appreciated.

I do intend to purchase a tour book, and speak to AAA, but the people on this site are a wealth of knowledge...Thanks in advance for your input!

[skyguy79]

My wife and I are contemplating a motorcycle trip from New Jersey to Seattle this summer. So far we are planning to stop in Chicago, Mount Rushmore, Glacier National Park, Idaho to visit friends, Mount St Helen, and Seattle. Our trip back might bring us a little further South, but not further south than Kentucky.

We have never been to these places, and are wondering what would be the best places to see, and which places, or cities to avoid. We will need to stay in Motels the entire time, so any recommendations for clean inexpensive places to stay nearby would be appreciated.

I do intend to purchase a tour book, and speak to AAA, but the people on this site are a wealth of knowledge...Thanks in advance for your input!I can't really supply any suggestions for your trip per se, but I have been on an Amtrak Discussion group for some time now and they have travelers who keep travelogues and trip reports of their experiences for others to read. If your going to have a laptop on your travels you might want to consider doing similarly if you're so inclined, so you can later share you experience with family and friends and yes even post here on TOTV. You might even like to have it in the future to relive your adventure! Here is the link where you can access those Amtrak travelogues if you want to review a few and get an idea as to how they go about doing it! Travelogues / Trip Reports - Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum (http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?showforum=5&)

Have a great trip!

[jane032657]

We have a home in TV and hope to be there in fall. We live in Seattle area. I will be happy to give you some ideas. You must also go to Vancouver BC. I lived there for 26 years. It is magnificent. I am on a plane about to take off or Las Vegas. Will private message you when I get back. Seattle is lovely

[senior citizen]

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[rjm1cc]

Grand Canyon

[senior citizen]

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[Bill-n-Brillo]

Lots to see in southern Utah if you do indeed head south to see the Grand Canyon:

- Cedar Brakes Nat'l Monument
- Zion Nat'l Park
- Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park
- Lake Powell

Beautiful stuff!!

Bill :)

[Midvale]

The Badlands, SD, Custer State Park, SD with their 2,000 head free roaming buffalo herd, Devil's Tower, WY was fantastic but may be out of your route.

[chuckinca]

Lots to see in southern Utah if you do indeed head south to see the Grand Canyon:

- Cedar Brakes Nat'l Monument
- Zion Nat'l Park
- Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park
- Lake Powell

Beautiful stuff!!

Bill :)


Arches Nat Park
Moab, UT

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[chuckinca]

From Seattle back I'd go to Victoria on Vancouver Island then drive down the the coast on US Hwy 101. Stop in wine country at Healdsburg, CA and then the back way into Napa Valley via CA Hwy 128 to Calistoga (Calistoga Hotel) and tour Napa Valley. Then take CA Hwy 12 East to Lodi, CA (more wineries). Continue East on Hwy 12 to CA Hwy 49 and tour the gold country towns of Angels Camp, Sonora and Mariposa. From Mariposa head East on Hwy 140 into Yosemite Valley and stay at Camp Curry (rustic) or Yosemite Village (motel) or for a real treat the Ahwahnee Hotel (Ahwahnee Hotel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahwahnee_Hotel))

Leave Yosemite Valley going East on Hwy 120 and over Tiago Pass and into Nevada. Check out Mono Lake near the Hwy 120/US 395 junction. Take 395 North to Carson City and head back West on US 50 to Lake Tahoe. After a week at Lake Tahoe get back on US 50 going East thru Nevada (the Loneliest Road in America). Take US 50 to where it joins I-70 in Utah and do Moab and Arches Nat Park. Head on I-70 to Denver and points East.


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[jmm2760jmm]

Being from the midwest I can give you ideas for the city of Chicago.
Architectural Boat Tour (high recommend)
Lakefront - Navy Pier
Shedd Aquarium
Skydeck Chicago
Field Museum
John Hancock Observatory - Signature Room Restaurant at top
Art Institute of Chicago
Also have tons of great restaurants recommendations if you'd like. Chicago is a fun place!
Have a great trip!!

[swimdawg]

Grand Canyon

And if you're going to see The Grand Canyon, head south and visit Sedona. The red rocks are absolutely beautiful. I personally enjoyed Sedona more than the Grand Canyon.

[2newyorkers]

Yellowstone National Park is wonderful!

[chachacha]

there is so much to see out west...don't know how much time you have but i love cody with the buffalo bill museum and the street gun fight every night except sun in front of the old Irma Hotel...also a rodeo and old trail town. jackson hole (fun dinner theatre)and the grand tetons go into yellowstone from the south...out the north east entrance through the beartooth pass onto the beartooth highway (cooke city, MT) most beautiful highway in america according to charles kurault...down into red lodge and back to hwy 90 near billings....hard to see it all so choose your favorites...another great town to visit in SD is deadwood. early aug is sturgis bike rally so expect millions of bikes in the whole area...have fun! if you want to attend sturgis i recommend staying in spearfish, SD. you can camp in the city park and it is quiet, good for us seniors :) they also do a Passion Play.

[Jakel]

I guess we are going to need more time!!

We flew out to Las Vegas, and we did see The Grand Canyon, and Hoover Dam...they were awesome....but we have never been West of Michigan other than that one week.

How much should we figure for motels on average out West...5 weeks, 35 days, could we expect to average $75..???

I will be looking up most of your suggestions, and trying to fit as many into our trip as possible...

Is there a special place to stay in Glacier National Park??

Thank-you all!!

[WasEngineer]

We came across the northern US in an RV this last year and here are the places that we enjoyed.

First, we met two guys on Harley's enjoying time together while their wives enjoyed other things. These two guys were staying in KOA campgrounds all across the US in the small cabins that they provide next to the RV parking. They said the places generally were nice and clean and the price was very good and if you get the KOA card the price is even lower. We met them at the Devil's Tower which is close to I-90 if you are going to stay that far west. Very interesting formation. Also, Custer's last stand it just off I-90 in Montana, I think, and that was very interesting to wife and I.

If you are going to Idaho, we are partial to the Grand Teton mountains and Jackson (hole) Wyoming area. It was our favorite place of all the places that we visited across the US. The Tetons are just east of Idaho and kind of "on the way" form the east. Yellowstone was okay. The best of Yellowstone was the Bison herd that stampeded across in front of us.

Also, if you make it to Jackson Hole and you head west you can stay on the north side of the Sawtooth mountains for a beautiful beautiful view.

Also in the west as you travel you can visit natural hot springs all over the place, some in pools and some in creeks and at the edge of rivers, etc. If you get on the net you can purchase hot spriing book guides that show locations of these hot springs. (Haven't found and REAL natural hot springs in the east here.) We have tried to hit all of the hot springs in our travels. It is cool if you are into that kind of stuff.

Okay, good luck on your trip. I know you will enjoy it. There are actual mountains out there.

Don

In the Seattle area it is fun to ride the ferries and go to the various islands