Do: Explore the ghostly remains of Garnet, an early gold mining town, or soak up some culture at the Missoula Art Museum. The Oregon side offers access to several waterfalls, but you can see the biggest one, Multnomah Falls, from the Washington side as well. Breakfast: Get in on a breakfast buffet (individual specialties are also available) at the Obsidian Room in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Road Trip USA: Great Sights of the West - Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone And The Grand Tetons. Nothing was open, because it I was able to visit Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and a little bit of California in 10 days! One of my good friends moved there a year ago and this was my first opportunity to come visit. The town of Pomeroy offers a nice break from the drive through the Palouse in southeastern Washington, but its best Rocky Point Trail is a fairly easy hike on the west end of Lake McDonald, that leads to a couple Johns Lake is probably one of the least interesting and most disappointing hikes in Glacier National Park. It had grown grey and cold, and I didn't feel much like hiking or picture-taking in that kind of weather. Many regions continue to see high infection rates and deaths, while many states and counties remain under varying stay-at-home orders. Keep your eyes peeled for bison, elk, moose, bear and other incredible animals. going. Anyways, my son had a few free hours and we were going to make the most of it. On my way to Spokane, I saw a bear running in a field!! I stopped at Snoqualmie Falls as soon as the sun was coming The quiet Slough Creek Campground in Lamar Valley is a stones throw from some of the best wildlife-watching in the park ($15/night). Area: 97,914 sq mi (253,600 sq km). The downtown and wharf area have a lot of restaurants , shops and bars. Wrapped around the southern banks of Payette Lake, McCall is a charming mountain town packed with outdoor adventure for any age or level. One more reason to go back to the area. At least half the way, I had a rainbow and storm clouds to my left, and sunshine and mountain peaks on my right. I am planning a road trip for September 2018 and need some suggestions on what to see, what to do, where to stay and how long to spend in places. Take a fly-fishing float trip on the Yellowstone, one of the great waterways of the West. Go canoeing, kayaking, or fishing during your stay. It's such a neat little town, that I always enjoy walking around there. I love bookstores, so I just had to check it out and of course buy a couple books! This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. for breakfast. Temperatures in western Montana reach over 100 F (38 C) but are of short duration. Sweet Peaks ice cream for dessert. Sub-region Pacific States (Alaska, Washington, Hawaii, California, and Oregon). I hiked to the "L" and beyond, then came back and sat on the "L" for a while, and thought about dinner. Mountains rise against big blue skies, geysers and hot springs bubble up from the earth, and wildlife abounds. The rest of the day was spent looking for a Walmart or Target. Visiting the many historical markers, interpretive centers, and monuments along this long trail is a marvelous way to learn more about their journey through present-day Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.As you stand at the same sites where they once stood, look out at . It was good, not as good as the huckleberry but still good. Short walk to a beautiful waterfall in one direction and a swinging bridge in the other. was very foggy, so I could not see the waterfall at all. With the evening approaching, I drove east along Idaho 200, then Montana 200. To start the day, I backtracked slightly on US 2 to Kootenai Falls, where a nearby swinging bridge spans the wild rapids of the river. On the bright side, I ended up in Missoula early enough to hike in two places. I wrote a long reply and have somehow lost it! Seriously people, Seattle has a monorail! Grizzlies, geysers and big, open skies: a US road trip through 3,000 kilometre of Big Sky country . Along the way, you get to see places like Mount Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Devils Tower and, finally, Old Faithful. As I finished up the Ptarmigan Falls hike, I was dodging storm clouds. Eat & Drink:Get quesadillas and burritos with a family-touch at Los Gabanes Mexican Restaurant in Greybull. Perhaps you can enjoy a short visit to Mt Rainier NP. Just what I needed after being in a car and plane for hours. It was beautiful, but it was just a nice walk in the woods, without any real payoff. It would be a longer drive, and further from the mountains, but I'd cover new territory. Or at least, I told myself I'd hike as far as Appistoki Falls, and then see if I wanted to go further. Take the Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway and stop for a hike at the Craters of the Moon National Monument, where a lava field spans 618 square miles, before traveling on to Idaho Falls, a quiet and. I pushed through the rain and made it to my stopping point at Longview, Washington, by late afternoon. I explored the east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road just briefly, then called it a day, and drove back to my familiar cabin. Start New Trip. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful area that you MUST visit! I stopped at Lake Coeur d Alene in Idaho to view the scenery and get out of the car. 11 thru mt rainier to yakima or moss lake, 12 l9ng drive to west yellowstone or gardiner, 15 am yellowstone then down to grand teton. Please may I ask for help regarding our itinerary!! Road trip: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming Amigurumit Weekend getaway to Twin Falls Idaho where there are waterfalls, kayaking, hot springs, hiking, and more! Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion. Your itinerary involves huge geography with lots of driving but minimum NP time. See an impressive collection of dinosaur fossils at the Museum of the Rockies or browse the shops and galleries downtown. Most of the day was spent on the Oregon Coast. The mountains along the Continental Sure, its twisty, bumpy, steep, narrow, and generally difficult to drive, but Montana Route 49 along Glacier National Parks east Pincher Creek may feel like a sleepy little prairie town where nothings happening and that may be true. Near the end of my day, I had made up enough time that I decided to treat myself to some two-lane roads: one was straight as an arrow, the other was a very squiggly line on the map. clouds would not lift. I set out to hike the Scenic Point trail. There are two routes to consider: Head slightly south first for a visit to the shortgrass prairie of Thunder Basin National Grassland, or head toward Highway 90, which passes through . US 87 goes from Idaho to Montana and connects to US 287 after you enter Montana. This road trip felt like we did something without actually doing anything. Mount Rainier was our top destination today. If you're an outdoor lover, you must squeeze in one day in Grand Teton National Park into your Seattle to Yellowstone road trip. Eat & Drink:Fill up with a ham gobbler sandwich, French dip, or chef salad in Choteau, Montana, at the roadside Outpost Deli. Stay: A former working cattle ranch, K3 Guest Ranch Bed & Breakfast offers Western-themed accommodations and an all-inclusive breakfast cooked over a campfire. Let us help you free yourself from the burdens of everyday life and boldly venture forth so you can take your vacation further. There were few places to eat, everywhere I went, and with the sun setting so late, I wasn't getting back into civilization until well after 10 p.m. My first visit to Waterton in March, 2012, was snowy and cold. Login or register to comment on this itinerary below or join the conversation with other members on our Road Trips Forum. It was so awesome, it has its own post. Instead, I chose to explore the Palouse -- a region of rolling hills, where every turn looks somewhat like that desktop image on Windows XP computers. The northern section features thick forests and cobalt blue lakes. The Oregon coast is beautiful! Thanks to the late-season snowstorm (which dumped the snow that was keeping GTTS Road closed), many of the trails in Two Medicine and other areas were soggy, muddy, or outright flooded altogether. hour to get there. Gorgeous!! Discover road trips, the best places to stay, and other travel resources that will ensure an unforgettable Wyoming getaway. The National Museum of Wildlife Art has an impressive collection of artistic renderings of animals from around the world. Quick note, we decided on a Pacific Northwest road trip so we could visit my son who was playing for a drum corp in the Seattle area. Once across the border, it was just a short drive downhill to the town of Waterton, where I ate my first real meal in several days. Art and design are woven into the fabric of Hotel Ketchum, an affordably-priced stay on Main Street that starts at around $120/night. As Montana 49 ends, US 89 continues the scenic drive, all the way to the entrance to the Many Glacier area. Take in other interesting Western sights in South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming as a bonus. You follow the Columbia River, which divides Oregon and Washington, until you pass Boardman, Oregon, at which point you will follow I-84 south through the Eastern, Oregon towns of Pendleton, LaGrande, Baker City, and Ontario as you enter Idaho. Answer 1 of 5: Hi, My husband and I are planning a 2 week Washington / Oregon / Idaho / Montana road trip in late May / early June starting and finishing in Calgary, AB (Canada). I also ventured into Canada briefly on this trip -- something I didn't have time to do in 2006. I opted for the shorter, familiar route. He called while I was in route to Spokane and told me he had a few free hours the next morning to hang out. Another must do that should be on every Pacific Northwest road trip! You're welcome. YUM! I had to hurry to finish the hike, and then hurry back to the airport, but I made it with time to spare. Day 4 Seattle, WA drive to Portland, OR 3 hrs of driving. I bought way too many souvenirs, so we had to buy another suitcase to get everything back home.whoops. Forks Washington- Home of the Twilight series! I drove around Pincher Creek on the morning of Day 7, just to see what it looked like when the streets weren't piled with snow and stained with salt. *Slow down and look for wildlife. Why not start by looking at top questions on top right and you'll see some sample itinerary's and good things to do. Breakfast: At breakfast, youre back at the communal dining room but if you sleep in and miss the meal, stop by the on-site Coffee Shop to fuel up. Washington 14 parallels Interstate 84 and historic US 30 -- both of which are on the Oregon side. The latter begins its trip on the triple-track Alameda Corridor, . If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. 25th - Spend time in Olympic National Park - whale watching tour. Idaho - Ketchum/Sun Valley/Stanley area in the southern part of the state are popular destinations. Yellowstone's southern most exit is 76 miles from the Grand Tetons northern entrance. I do so agree about reconsidering your plan and reversing the loop for all the good reasons already given. There may be minimum night stays at Cannon Beach. Summer season is the busiest season for traveling within the United States; July and August are by far the most crowded times in most national parks, and the months when hotel rooms are the most expensive. After the rapid consumption of a burger and fries, I drove the Akamina Parkway and Red Rock Parkway -- two scenic routes that are snowbound in the winter. SeaTac - Portland - Columbia River Valley. Is there anything you can recommend in between these places, do I need to extend or reduce any time anywhere? The drive across Washington on Interstate 90 can be long and tedious. It took a lot longer to get there and around the mountain than I thought. Try it out now for free! As long as the itinerary matches your travel style, it's okay. It took a while to get out of the traffic mess of Portland, but eventually I made my way across the Columbia River and into Washington. son to come out. Whether you plan to explore the backcountry on foot or to stick to the roads, youll spend your day immersed in an epic natural world. My last day in the area, and it happened to be the first day the Going to the Sun road opened in Glacier National Park!!! Tips for foreigners: Renting or buying a vehicle in the USA? Definitely fit the whole Portland vibe! You'll have to be very choosy here. Are you driving a (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? At the historic Pioneer Saloon, meat is on the menu, along with plenty of liquor to wet your whistle. Get an early start for a driving day that will take you to Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. Not sure how many days you plan to spend in Idaho, but you might consider adding 2 nights in the Yellowstone area for Cody and to drive Beartooth Pass (which also is closed today due to snow.). Detour:A disaster at a nuclear power plant in 1961 left Atomic City a virtual ghost town. Around sunset, I ended up at the railroad tracks and grain elevators north of Pincher Creek. It was perfect. It is a must do for every Pacific Northwest road trip! It passes through spectacular scenery, traveling over the Continental Divide in Montana, through Old West towns and on to exciting cities. Ive wanted to come here forever!!! I was also running out of time, but I pushed it to the very last minute. Feeling a bit worn out from moving on all the time and starting to feel a bit "blah" about the driving. I only made one worthwhile stop, at the Center of the Universe in Wallace, Idaho. So, I drove back up Yakima Canyon to Umtanum Creek, where a suspension bridge takes hikers over to a trail that winds up a side canyon. Check out authentic cabins and artifacts from Wyomings pioneer days at Old Trail Town or stop in at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a complex of five museums that includes the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indians Museum, and the Cody Firearms Museum. Set out on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, a 66-mile historic highway that will take you past mountains like Mt. It was a small hike down to the beach and I was worried wed be tripping over everything after it got dark, but we were fine. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-86306967', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flights we book, approx 20 days. Suggestions for a South West USA road trip, Suggestions for an East Coast USA Road Trip, Suggestions for a West Coast USA Road Trip. I checked out Libby Dam, then drove north, almost to Canada, then took US 93 south to Whitefish. Its in an older home by a river. Stopped at the Quinault Rain Forest for a quick hike. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-72738360', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Seattle, WA, Day 7 Portland, OR drive to La Grande, OR, Day 8 La Grande, OR drive to Craters of the Moon, Day 9 Craters drive to Yellowstone NP, Wyoming, Day 11 Yellowstone NP, WY drive to Bozeman, MT, Day 12 Bozeman, MT drive to Flathead Lake, MT, Day 15 Flathead Lake, MT drive to Whitefish, MT, Day 16 Whitefish, MT drive to Calgary, AB. Yellowstone National Park. You dont have to travel to England to ponder the origins of the mysterious Stonehenge. WHEN TO GO: Late May to early October. I drove down to Portland, then took Interstate 84 into the Columbia River Gorge. I drove the treacherous curves a bit more quickly this time, but still stopped to gaze at the incredible eastern side of Glacier National Park. Reflections on Washington DC: A most American city; The great underrated American state capitals . Portland, Oregon to Richland, Washington - Saturday, 227 miles, 3 hours Our first destination on our road trip from Portland to Yellowstone was going to be the National Park itself, but the distance from Portland to Yellowstone would have involved between 762 and 829 miles, and a minimum of 12 to 13 hours driving, without stops, depending on . North of Many Glacier, I turned off onto Highway 17, the Chief Mountain Highway -- named for the prominent peak that stands watch over the road to Canada. North Cascades National Park is located about 3 hours northeast of Seattle. Almost everything in town was boarded up, and Waterton Lake was frozen. The Grinnell Glacier hike is arguably one of the best hikes in Glacier National Park. In town, find a great nights sleep within the wood-paneled rooms at the Alpine Lodge (~$150/night). Rural northern Idaho offers very few highways, so theres a good chance that youll choose Interstate 90 to get from As far as I know, theres only one beach on the Oregon coast where you can walk up to, and Longview, Washington is an industrial/timber town on the banks of the Columbia River. When I arrived, it was too early to check in, so I headed on into the park. These roads criss-cross farmland and ranchland in the rolling prairieland at the foot of the Rockies -- an area known as the Castle Special Place. Moving further south you'll find motorcycle roads winding through fertile stretches of the Rocky Mountains and . And unfortunately, the plan I eventually chose could have been better. There are many different areas of the park with a lot of diversity. Maybe a few short stops. We use cookies on koa.com to help improve your experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits, troubleshoot how the site operates, and learn more about how koa.com is performing. Agree to begin in Yellowstone and the Tetons for better weather. Or try your hand at fly fishing on the Logan River. I could have made the trip quicker, by driving up to I-90, then cutting across Washington and Idaho. Took the ferry to Friday Harbor, very cool experience! "A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean (audiobook), Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural and Education Center, "Empire of Shadows: The Epic Story of Yellowstone" by George Black. Making it worse, it was rainy and foggy, almost all the way. First stop, Biscuit Bi$%#! Washington: Best viewed in the Columbia River Gorge and the Cascade Mountains from mid-September through mid-October. Day 2: Montana First full day of fun! Click here for all the details. There are many people that would do your tour to include Banff, Jasper and Yoho NP along with Waterton and Glacier and work their way towards Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Powells Books and VooDoo Donuts were the must dos here. We explored the cute downtown area of Whitefish in the morning. We walked around town until the ferry was ready to leave. Routing by HERE 2021; Improve this map; Remove Ads. Montana has so much to offer - including its crown jewel, Glacier National Park - and we've designed the perfect 10-day Montana road trip itinerary through Western Montana, complete with details to help you plan each step of your trip. My other option would swing widely to the east and south, then eventually end up at Missoula. Why not start by looking at top questions on top right and you 'll see some sample itinerary and. Trips, the best hikes in Glacier National Park recommend in between these places, do I to... 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