Edited: 5 years ago Eat & Drink: Get an unlimited chuckwagon dinner and a show at The Cody Cattle Company. "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. Im honestly not sure we would have had the time anyways. On the bright side, I ended up in Missoula early enough to hike in two places. On both trips, I headed south from Kalispell to Missoula. Nature:Explore the cinder cones and underground lava tubes of Craters of the Moon National Monument, an alien landscape formed by fire. Washington Route 124, then US 12 cuts across the Palouse, to the twin cities of Clarkston, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho. I know what I want to do at the start, the middle and the end, its the bits in between and how long to spend at each place I am not sure about. Even outside the city, US 93 is an overused road that's still two lanes in many parts. With the evening approaching, I drove east along Idaho 200, then Montana 200. Eat & Drink:Stretch your legs and grab a cold drink or a bite at the Galena Lodgein Galena, a community-owned homebase for skiers and hikers in the Boulder Mountains. Stay: For the most authentic Yellowstone experience, spend the night under the stars. Map of Glacier National Park and the surrounding area of the park. There really is only one way to travel north-south through the Idaho Panhandle: its US 95. Very easy to get to, right off the highway. Click here for all the details. Get your own look at those that frequent this region of Wyoming at the National Elk Refuge on the edge of town. I drove aimlessly, in any direction that looked like it might yield a good photo. At least half the way, I had a rainbow and storm clouds to my left, and sunshine and mountain peaks on my right. It was the shorter route, for sure (although still a long drive), but it was the same route I had taken during my 2006 trip. Town:Helena, Montanas Historic District, Last Chance Gulch, has a fascinating history rooted in the citys early pioneer and mining days. Apart from that, the rest of the trip is completely flexible. Eat & Drink:Tuck into a massive burger with all the fixins at The Savage Grill in Salmon. The original plan included hanging out by Lake Coeur dAlene longer. You dont have to travel to England to ponder the origins of the mysterious Stonehenge. For example average summer highs in Kalispell (near Glacier National Park) are 82 F (28 C) Humidity in western Montana is lower than eastern Montana I took US 2 around the southern end of Glacier, to my stopping point for the next two nights: East Glacier Park Village. Only roadside stops of 10 minutes or less. If youre driving this road, its probably because a) Going-To-The-Sun Road is closed, or b) youre too afraid of heights One of the more challenging destinations in the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park is Ptarmigan Tunnel. Start New Trip. Plan to divide your 5 nights in Yellowstone in to 2 different locations. At the Resort, ski or snowboard in winter and golf, go for a horseback ride or hike the trails of Bald Mountain in summer. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful area that you MUST visit! A drive through does not equate to a visit! Largest cities: Cheyenne, Casper , Laramie, Gillette, Rock Springs, Sheridan, Green River, Evanston, Riverton, Jackson, Cody, Rawlins, Lander, Torrington, Douglas, Powell, Worland, Buffalo. Along the way, you get to see places like Mount Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Devils Tower and, finally, Old Faithful. First full day of fun! Technically Montana is not part of the pacific northwest, but I couldnt be this close and not visit her! This is a must do on a Pacific Northwest road trip! In 2006 I headed on into Idaho, then cut across Oregon to get back to Portland. I took the scenic route by accident, but it was gorgeous! 7. Nature:Natural beauty surrounds you as you drive north through Grand Teton National Park. *Cell reception sucks!!! Route 66 - how long do I need and where should I stop? Stay: One of Ketchums newer properties, the Limelight Hotel downtown has spacious guest rooms and large indoor and outdoor lounges starting at around $220/night. Now you're ready to hit the road specifically . The downtown and wharf area have a lot of restaurants , shops and bars. 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. North Cascades National Park, WA. for breakfast. It's not ugly by any means, but it's slow-going through the traffic of Kalispell. Stopped in Libby at Kootenai Falls and Swinging bridge. You can also email a road trip suggestion youd like us to cover at [emailprotected]. Nature:Get out on the water at Flathead Lake, the biggest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Took the ferry to Friday Harbor, very cool experience! Favorite exhibits: Marvel, Nirvana and the Fantasy area. Short walk to a beautiful waterfall in one direction and a swinging bridge in the other. For the remaining daylight hours, I had two goals: enjoy a drive through the spectacular Columbia River Gorge, and finish the day at Pasco, Washington. Then heading back towards Oregon, We continued westward through Idaho, Spokane, Washington, and dipped a little south to finish our road trip loop in the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. I wrote a long reply and have somehow lost it! I also ventured into Canada briefly on this trip -- something I didn't have time to do in 2006. *I would have really liked to have stayed in the Inn at Old Faithful. Day 2: Hike Pioneer Cabin & MTB Corral Creek in Sun Valley. The drive across Washington on Interstate 90 can be long and tedious. Stay: Cozy up in a suite, apartment or townhouse on the banks of a picturesque river at Rock Creek Resort, starting at around $130/night. I was now getting quite familiar with Montana 49 and US 89. It was HUGE! As trails go, it was okay, and as waterfalls go, it was alright. I think I stopped at almost every turnoff and took a million photos. Why not fly into Eastern Washington ((ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Hopped on the monorail and headed to the Seattle Center. From Randle to Windy Ridge, you'll be driving one of the most scenic routes in Washington State, the NF-99. After a few hours, we finally spotted the mountain. Art and design are woven into the fabric of Hotel Ketchum, an affordably-priced stay on Main Street that starts at around $120/night. The trip begins and ends in Portland, Oregon, but spends much of the time in and around Glacier National Park in Montana. Let us help you free yourself from the burdens of everyday life and boldly venture forth so you can take your vacation further. For the afternoon, we went to Glacier National Park. I expect there to be some road closures tonight in Yellowstone due to snow. Address Street Address * Hidden I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. Budget is varied, generally we find the best for the least money, I am happy spending time researching this but we would like to splash out on the first night at Cannon Beach and probably for 1-2 nights in Yellowstone. son to come out. Grizzlies, geysers and big, open skies: a US road trip through 3,000 kilometre of Big Sky country . We explored the cute downtown area of Whitefish in the morning. On the Washington side, the pace is slower, but the views are equally spectacular. Like between 40-50 hoursthe Pacific Northwest is huge! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28973-i480-Wyoming.html. Wyoming is filled with expansive landscapes, scenic roads and a rich history that all beg to be explored. If you dont intend to stop at Craters of the Moon, see similar lava formations at the bite-sized Hells Half Acre just south of town. Alternatively, you may use, Best Western Plus Park Place Inn & Suites. Port Angeles was such a cute town! 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!!! During the winter months, ski the 335 hectares at Beaver Mountain Ski Resort or ride snowmobiles on nearby trails. So jealous of her, she wakes up to mountains every day now! Use tech to your advantage. I set out to hike the Scenic Point trail. Redwood National Park was up next! What documentation do I require to enter Canada ? Unfortunately, it 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. The all-inclusive rates start at $260/night for adults, $225/night for kids under 17. We did Twin Falls to The Dalles last year. The warmest temperature recorded in Montana is in Glendive but that is in the east. We generally notice more availability after the winter holidays, so start looking again in January and you will be able to get lodging within the park with en suite bathrooms. From I-90 just south of the Montana-Wyoming border, you'll have your pick of two scenic drives that start on US 14: the Bighorn and Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway is a roughly 200-mile route across the Bighorn and Shoshone national forests on the way to Cody, while the Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Highway heads toward Bighorn Lake on US 14A. This is another scenic drive through Henry's Lake State Park and spans through idyllic houses, bucolic rolling planes and small canyons on your way. Coeur d'Alene Idaho. If the timing was right I would have loved to kayak around this beautiful lake. I reserved a room in Yakima, Washington, exactly 400 miles away, via Interstate 90. Wrapped around the southern banks of Payette Lake, McCall is a charming mountain town packed with outdoor adventure for any age or level. I don't know exactly yet what days we will be there until I can fill in the blanks. Ugh, yes, please! My cabin in East Glacier Park Village proved to be more than adequate. Arriving back at the dock, a long line of hikers were already waiting for the boat to return -- so many, the boat couldn't hold us all. It's such a neat little town, that I always enjoy walking around there. IDEAL LENGTH: 14 days. Temperatures in western Montana reach over 100 F (38 C) but are of short duration. The mountain-to-mountain route. Once there, my route was simple: take Highway 14 eastbound, for most of the rest of the day. Do you have any tips for the Washington / Oregon portion?? Theres something for everyone! Area: 97,914 sq mi (253,600 sq km). This place was amazing! 3 hrs of driving. It makes for one of the most epic road trips there is - this 12-stop itinerary is one of the best ways to do it right. Eventually I ended up in Waterton Lakes National Park, and did some more driving around (this time I hiked Red Rock Canyon, out to Blakiston Falls). More driving awaited on this day, but if you're planning a trip to Glacier National Park, you have to accept a good bit of driving. Its super cute!! Key spots: Cheyenne Old West Museum, Curt Gowdy State Park, Snowy Range Scenic Byway, Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum, Sinks Canyon State Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson. Apparently, you can drink the water out of this lake, because the lake is enclosed. Seriously people, Seattle has a monorail! Do: A charming town at the base of the Tetons, Jackson is dense with art galleries and boutiques. Out here, the landscape is dense with national forests and national monuments lauded for their stunning beauty and cultural histories, not to mention three separate national parks: Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Moving further south you'll find motorcycle roads winding through fertile stretches of the Rocky Mountains and . 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. Ive Is there anything you can recommend in between these places, do I need to extend or reduce any time anywhere? Its like saying one day in Banff. I checked into my motel in Columbia Falls, then spent the rest of the day on the west side of Glacier National Park. Breakfast: The Nova Cafe in downtown Bozeman has a menu packed with both savory and sweet morning treats. A Denver to Montana road trip is a great option for anyone departing from Colorado since it's easily doable in a day, depending on where you're going in Montana, and the drive north and west will take you past all kinds of attractions and diverse Western US landscapes.. Again the weather was not cooperating and it was very cloudy. Interests nature, wildlife, geology, cars, food, films, unusual stuff, walking to look at things - no big hikes. Our Trip Planner tool helps make planning your next camping trip or road trip easy. 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. It was so awesome, it has its own post. The northern section features thick forests and cobalt blue lakes. End your night on the town at the Bozeman institutions Rockin R Bar and The Haufbrau House. This is what I have so. I was also running out of time, but I pushed it to the very last minute. We tried to make it to Mount St. Helens before the sunset, Another must do that should be on every Pacific Northwest road trip! 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. But this itinerary has some doozies! This time, though, I took a longer route through eastern Washington and Idaho, before ending up in the Kalispell area near Glacier National Park. We havent Fly through the trees at Tree To Tree Idaho or Timberline Adventures, grab some friends and go out to Lake Coeur d'Alene, or take a hike at the many trails surrounding this city. Eat & Drink:Fuel up with clean comfort food at Diablas Kitchen in Idaho Falls where everything from the quiche of the day to the mac n cheese is made fresh from scratch. These will affect your timing. We did a couple small hikes, because how could we NOT!! Your email address will not be published. been on a ferry before, but not with this kind of scenery. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-72740071', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Portland, perhaps seeing the Oregon Coast? I drove back to Longview after dark. 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. Notice. I thoroughly enjoyed both roads, but I was very happy to call it a night, once I got to Yakima. Re: Road Trip Sept 18 Oregon-Idaho-Wyoming-Montana-Washington 5 years ago Save Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho Panhandle and its lakes, Hells Canyon and US-12 from Missoula area to Lewiston ID are some Idaho highlights. 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