2009 Cross Country Road Trip.

[WebScorpion]

Well, I've accepted a job in Portland, OR and will be traveling with the family across the country in a van. We're still trying to nail down the details of the trip and I'd like to hear a few good ideas about places to stop along the way.

Our first stop is Cincinnati (Madeira), where we'll visit with family and friends there.

Second stop is Chicago (Evanston), where we have some more family to visit.

We're currently debating whether to stop at the zoo in Omaha, Nebraska for the third stop. It may take longer than we'd like to stop.

Stop #4 should be Mount Rushmore, SD...we hope to go to the Crazy Horse Memorial (about 30 minutes away) the same day.

Stop #5 is Yellowstone National Park, WY. We'll probably drive through Yellowstone and spend some extra time there. One of my daughters is looking forward to seeing Old Faithful (the geyser).

Stop #6 we're thinking Twin Falls, ID...I think they have about half a dozen waterfalls nearby to check out.

Portland (West Linn), OR is the end of the trip.

I'm sure we'll stop a lot more than this, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas about other places along this general route we might want to see.

We also hope to see a lot of the northwest after we get to Portland on weekends and other free time, so places close to Portland can wait.

Any input will be appreciated.
Thanks!

[Chip R]

You going to stop to see the second largest ball of twine on the face of the earth or the house of mud?

You should stop at the Omaha Zoo. It's one of the better ones.

It may be a little out of the way but if you're going through Iowa, you might want to hop up to Field of Dreams in Dyersville.

[westofyou]

Badlands are near Rushmore, well worth a look, Tetons near Yellowstone are a must, after you leave that area and head west you'll have the option to go through Craters of the Moon National Park in Idaho then Hells Canyon is an option as well after that.

Through Yellowstone on it should still be pretty cold, at night especially.. be prepared.

[RichRed]

Tetons near Yellowstone are a must

Absolutely.

[cincrazy]

Well, I've accepted a job in Portland, OR and will be traveling with the family across the country in a van. We're still trying to nail down the details of the trip and I'd like to hear a few good ideas about places to stop along the way.

Our first stop is Cincinnati (Madeira), where we'll visit with family and friends there.

Second stop is Chicago (Evanston), where we have some more family to visit.

We're currently debating whether to stop at the zoo in Omaha, Nebraska for the third stop. It may take longer than we'd like to stop.

Stop #4 should be Mount Rushmore, SD...we hope to go to the Crazy Horse Memorial (about 30 minutes away) the same day.

Stop #5 is Yellowstone National Park, WY. We'll probably drive through Yellowstone and spend some extra time there. One of my daughters is looking forward to seeing Old Faithful (the geyser).

Stop #6 we're thinking Twin Falls, ID...I think they have about half a dozen waterfalls nearby to check out.

Portland (West Linn), OR is the end of the trip.

I'm sure we'll stop a lot more than this, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas about other places along this general route we might want to see.

We also hope to see a lot of the northwest after we get to Portland on weekends and other free time, so places close to Portland can wait.

Any input will be appreciated.
Thanks!

I would hit up the OldRightHander with a PM. He could tell you more about this than anyone on the board.

[AtomicDumpling]

I would skip the Twin Falls thing and just spend extra time in Yellowstone. Yellowstone has over 300 waterfalls, dozens of which are HUGE. Yellowstone is a very large park. It will take you two days just to drive the park roads with only minimal stops to look around. Yellowstone will be the highlight of your trip for sure, so budget extra time to experience this spectacular place. The wildlife is diverse and super-abundant; the geothermal features are amazing and unique; and the snow-capped mountans, canyons, rivers and waterfalls are breathtaking. The Tetons are right next to Yellowstone and are beautiful. Seeing wildlife in their natural habitat is far superior to viewing them in a pitiful cage at the zoo.

I would definitely go to the Badlands near Mt. Rushmore. In addition to the bizarre landscape you will see lots of bison and prairie dogs.

Mt. Rushmore is neat, but is a very brief stop.

I have always loved cross-country road trips. You'll have a blast. Make sure you get out and experience things rather than just driving by and looking out the windows.

[HeatherC1212]

You should definitely go through the Badlands if you can because it's worth it. I went through there on a vacation out west several years ago and it was awesome. We also went to Yellowstone and it's definitely a more than one day stop. We stayed there for two days and even that wasn't enough to see everything. I really liked the Painted Desert and Old Faithful is pretty cool too. The Teton area is gorgeous so I agree with stopping there and walking around if you can.

Something that amused me on that west coast trip I took was the ginormous Corn Palace we saw in Iowa. I can't remember exactly where it was but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find because it's REALLY big, LOL

[Roy Tucker]

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2126

[SunDeck]

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2126

Nice, but I always thought it should be called the Spamuseum.

[BillDoran]

Crater Lake in southern Oregon is well worth a three day weekend once you settle into Portland.

[NoCalRed]

Badlands are near Rushmore

Get back on the 90 after that, head west into Wyoming and you should run into Devil's tower. You might remember this site from the movie Close Encounters.

[westofyou]

Sacred Spot... like Bear Butte

[WebScorpion]

We had a discussion on the Omaha Zoo thing and it was decided we'll take a more northern route and see Field of Dreams in Dyersville, IA and the Sertoma Butterfly House in Sioux Falls, SD.

Thanks for all the input everyone, we may try to see a lot of these things (Badlands, Craters of the Moon, Devil's Tower) depending on how our schedule is going. I love seing things like the worlds largest ball of rubber bands, the corn palace, etc. They're usually quick stops and better than stretching your legs at a rest area.

Keep 'em coming!

[Cyclone792]

This is something I'd like to do sometime, Web, so you'll definitely have to keep us updated where you actually stop and how things go. When are you actually planning on making the trip? Within a month or two, or later in the summer?

Only reason I ask is because a certain Reds Rookie League minor league squad plays in Billings, MT. Depending on your route, you might end up taking I-90 West and passing right through Billings.

[HeatherC1212]

Thanks for all the input everyone, we may try to see a lot of these things (Badlands, Craters of the Moon, Devil's Tower) depending on how our schedule is going. I love seing things like the worlds largest ball of rubber bands, the corn palace, etc. They're usually quick stops and better than stretching your legs at a rest area.

Keep 'em coming!

I love seeing stuff like that too. And I don't know if it's still there or not but there was a Diary Queen right across from the Corn Palace when I was there and it was a great treat for us to get ice cream at the same time we got to see something we'd never seen at all in Ohio, LOL

If you head into Montana at all (and this may be too far north), check out Glacier National Park which is absolutely GORGEOUS. It's up near the border to Canada though so it may be too far north during your trip.