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With only 2 1/2 weeks, I think your timetable and driving is way out of whack with the purpose of a vacation and getting to see the sights and wildlife, etc.
Especially with car camping out ... to be enjoyable, you'll need to stop early enough each day to locate a decent campsite, set up camp, cook meals, and actually see the scenery and wildlife in the area. In the AM, you'll still need time to cook, break camp, pack up, and hit the road again.
IMO, you'd be better off to head to Yellowstone and some of the other National Parks between your home and Yellowstone, and then camp out for a few days at each location. Hike, explore, relax, enjoy ... instead of just grinding out a lot of empty miles for weeks.
Several years ago I planned on taking a 3 week road trip. No real destination planned other than being back where I rented the car in 3 weeks. After 11 days and 3000 miles I was so burned out that I made a beeline back to my starting point and turned in the car. One of the highlights of my trip was New Mexcio. Had only planned spending 1 day driving accross. Ending up spending 7 days exploring the state.
LOL, We know we don't have a lot of time. That's why I am posting here to find out the best places to go. We can stay more than 1 or 2 days in one place. I just know that we want to see some beautiful places without all the people and/or touristy stuff. So if there are some really special places let us know what we must not miss, We will drive for 2 days stop for 3 or 4.......Just wondering about those we must not miss!!!! Thansk for all your post
I know the OP is already on the road, but that many miles in 2 1/2 weeks will make you want to take a vacation when you get home. We've driven from Florida to Oregon in our RV in that time limit, but there's no way I'd try to come back immediately thereafter. And we weren't trying to do a lot of sightseeing along the way. I hope you don't have any mechanical problems...
Last month I drove my parents on a 17 day vacation from Anchorage to Montana to visit my brother. We didn't camp but we took many side trips around the surrounding states. Made a trip down to Mount Rushmore and Crazyhorse Monument. We also went to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Jackson Hole Wyoming. It was a short quick trip but worth it! After all these places we drove back to Alaska in three and a half days from eastern Montana. Your trip sounds doable and you might want to break up the camping a couple times by staying in a hotel/motel somewhere along the trip to get some sleep on a bed to recoup and not to mention a hot bath or shower and to do laundry. Good luck!
It's too many miles for the alloted time, but if you must....
High-tail it for the Black Hills. You're not too likely to see any bears roaming the roads in any of parks south of Canada, but you could do Bear Park just outside of Rapid City. The wildlife loop in Custer State Park in the Black Hills will put you up close with hundreds of bison, possibly mountain goats, Bighorn sheep, antelope, deer, elk, wild burros and a few others. Don't miss Rushmore or Chief Crazyhorse monuments. They may be tourist traps, but they're interesting and you shouldn't miss them.
You might find Devils Tower worth your time. It's in the northern Black Hills in NE Wyoming. We like to camp there regularly. A couple hours west of Devils Tower you'll reach the Bighorn Mountains. This is a beautiful mountain range that's ignored by most tourists. If you feel like a break at that point, pitch your tent in one of the Forest Service campgrounds for a night and relax. We love the Bighorns.
And then you'll be off to Yellowstone, Tetons and Jackson. Yellowstone would be the MUST SEE segment, but it would be a shame to miss the Tetons completely. That's also one of your better places to see moose. (Although we see them on most trips to the Bighorns too.)
I'd never plan a trip to the Grand Canyon area in June/July. HOT-HOT-HOT-HOT! And the west coast? Too darned far. Maybe you could go north from Yellowstone and see Glacier NP, but even that's pushing it with your time constraints. Honestly, I'd recommend a few days in the Black Hills and a week around Yellowstone/Tetons, then head to Austin, maybe via the Colorado Rockies.
We're doing the same, but plan at least two years for the trip. I've posted trip highlight photos in my profile albums, if you want some samples of where we've been, or you are welcome to visit my husband's website (url listed in my profile).
Happy trails!
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I know the OP is already on the road, but that many miles in 2 1/2 weeks will make you want to take a vacation when you get home. We've driven from Florida to Oregon in our RV in that time limit, but there's no way I'd try to come back immediately thereafter. And we weren't trying to do a lot of sightseeing along the way. I hope you don't have any mechanical problems...
