Looking for information for westward trip

[Mr Sunshine]

So many great comments here. We've been to the Black Hills are many times, and just had a great week there last summer with the grandkids. The KOA in Hill City was great for kids, not your best choice if you didn't bring your own! Over the years, we have enjoyed all of the things mentioned. Plus, the Journey museum in Rapid City is outstanding, and the drive through Spearfish Canyon is one of the best in the country. You can't possibly see and do it all in a week there.

Should you pass through Nebraska on I-80, the Great Platte River Road Archway museum is worth a quick stop. Tells the story of travelers over the last 150 years. It seems that there is not much across the plains states, SD, NE, KS and Iowa, but almost every local area has it's own special charm with interesting and friendly people, worthy of a stop.

This is why full-time RVers never run out of destinations!

[JamieGeek]

Wait: I can't believe no one has mentioned....


The Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD!! How can you go see the black hills area without stopping! LOL

Sorry: I'm a sucker for stuff like this: Corn Palace, Wigwam motel, Jolly Green Giant Statue, you name it we'll stop. A visit to the Roadside America website is a requisite in my trip planning process. Hey if we can stop for 5 or 10 minutes to take a pic of The Largest Ball of Twine in the world or The Nashville Parthenon!--it is far more interesting than just stopping at a rest area, taking a leak, and continuing.

Just FYI The Parthenon is cool:

So is the Wigwam (this one in KY):

[KNMIB]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Wait: I can't believe no one has mentioned....


The Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD!! How can you go see the black hills area without stopping! LOL

Sorry: I'm a sucker for stuff like this: Corn Palace, Wigwam motel, Jolly Green Giant Statue, you name it we'll stop. A visit to the Roadside America website is a requisite in my trip planning process. Hey if we can stop for 5 or 10 minutes to take a pic of The Largest Ball of Twine in the world or The Nashville Parthenon!--it is far more interesting than just stopping at a rest area, taking a leak, and continuing.

Just FYI The Parthenon is cool:

So is the Wigwam (this one in KY):

Jamie, I'm with you on all those unique place, we have stopped at lesser known places and have really been surprised how neat they can be. Loved the Corn Palace

[RVCampingNut]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Wow! It takes us two days to get to Rushmore from Michigan. I can't imagine how much extra driving you'd be doing to get there in 2 days from Maryland!

I thought about the driving. My primary destination is out west. Driving 12 hours is actually very doable for me, but my wife wants to stop and rest here and there (can't figure that one out because she usually sleeps in the back while I drive and my son co-pilots). I've done MD to Daytona in a day with no issues and still had time to play when I got there (left home at 2am).

I really don't mind the driving. As weird as this sound, it is actually relaxing to me to drive the RV so I can drive all day. No need for bathroom breaks and food, that's all self contained. My only stopping is usually for gas.

I realized that 2 days was a little nuts, but driving for 8 hours a day to get out there, we (family) all agreed that's what we want to do because we can spend more time out west looking at the sites.

[KNMIB]

We have done the 12 hr. drives to get out west and not a problem for me, I was in sales for 40 years so I am use to driving. Since we are now retired we can keep it to 6 hours and occasionally do a 10 normally we have no time restraints so we get there when we can.

[capemedic]

We are planning a very similar trip. From cape cod to the four corners, grand canyon, Bryce canyon, and Yellowstone. Of course due to work obligations we don't have the opportunity to use more than three weeks, we plan on driving out west while stopping at night to rest. Our plan is 2 days at grand canyon, 2 days at bryce canyon, and 3 days at Yellowstone. do the best we can in the limited time we have. we currently have from august 6-24 available

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by capemedic

We are planning a very similar trip. From cape cod to the four corners, grand canyon, Bryce canyon, and Yellowstone. Of course due to work obligations we don't have the opportunity to use more than three weeks, we plan on driving out west while stopping at night to rest. Our plan is 2 days at grand canyon, 2 days at bryce canyon, and 3 days at Yellowstone. do the best we can in the limited time we have. we currently have from august 6-24 available

Sounds like a good trip. You could see snow in Yellowstone in late August. We did several years ago.

[RVCampingNut]

OK, so this is what I came up with after discussing options with the family. DW wants to make a run for it our west. I don't mind the driving.

Day 1 Stay in Elkhart and check out the RV museum
Day 2 Stay In Jackson, MN
Days 3-4 Stay and check out things at Mount Rushmore
Day 5 Take an easy 5 hours to GreyBull, WY
Days 6-8 Stay in Yellowstone and check out as much as possible
Day 9 Stay around Salt Lake City and check things out
Days 10-11 Stay around Bryce Canyon and take lots of pictures
Days 12-13 Stay at Zion and take lots of pictures
Day14 Stay in Page, AZ checking out some sites along the way and also around Page
Day 15 hit 4 corners and stay in CO
Days 16-21 make our way back home stopping at various sites along the way
- passing back north route through CO, KS, IL, and OH

Many of the campgrounds I chose had lots of local attractions to visit since I am towing my Jeep. Our "MAIN" sites were Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone Bryce, and Zion, but I found a lot of small stops along the way. It should be a good trip.
of course the first 2 days we are going to push 10 hours until we hit Mount Rushmore which I am fine with.