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to sll3454, I figured our actual time would be about ten minutes more than google says, because of bathroom trips, but we definitely drive at the high end of the speed limit when it's safe.
to jasper12, thanks for the advice! I have our itinerary set to leave two hours before breakfast, and an hour stop 3xs a day. I love the idea of letting them swim as well, thanks! We also have dvd payers on the back of the seats which suffice very well for 3-hr stretches of driving (so far I think I only have two of those planned out in the 3 days I've already scheduled). They are only 4 and 3 and don't fight so I think our major battle will be with stiffness from being cramped.
Any other advice is welcome, we've never road-tripped before.
I did that trip a few years ago, slept in Chicago, Sioux Falls, Gillette WY, Missoula, stopped there. Don't envy you. Good luck.
Try to stay on a routine. Either way, the drive is long and boring.
MOD CUT
Be sure to stop at Missoula, my hometown for a break and a bite to eat as you cruise through I-90. We have a lot of restaurants on Reserve street which has an offramp from I-90 and if nothing else, a Starbucks for a quick pick me up, potty break for the kids and quick view of the scenery.
Also, you will be approaching three major passes enroute to Seattle once you pass Missoula, the first is Lookout Pass past St. Ignatius which will require you to slow down unless you wanna burn up your gas climbing up the mountain and be on the lookout for LOTS of semi's in the right lane as they crawl up the mountain side.
The next is 4th of July pass in Idaho which isn't as steep but goes for for awhile on both ends. Don't ride the brakes to much on the way down the passes with all that your carrying in that Civic, let the engine drag slow you down or shift into lower gear.
Your BIG boy pass is the Snoqualmie pass in Washington before you reach Seattle. This is a REAL big and long pass with LOTS of traffic at times depending on the time of day. When I drove through 3 weeks ago, they are do rock blasting on the east side of the pass for expansion and saftey reasons so be sure watch the interstate signs for updates and tune into 1610 AM for updates. The pass will likely tax your little Civic engine with it being fully loaded, so keep an eye on your temperature gauge and stay in the far right lanes to let faster traffic go past as you are now entering "Balls to the Wall" driving that is Seattle. If you have a smartphone or a GPS, I highly suggest you use it as you get closer to Seattle unless your real good at figuring out on and off ramps coming at you from every direction as you enter the city
Also, the 150 miles past Spokane are VERY boring with nothing to look at but lots of farms and desert like to terrain and really hot temperatures, so be sure you have the kids occupied or they are gonna be miserable like me and my sister where back in the day when our family did road trips that direction. Avoid stopping in Ritzville unless you absolutely have to as its always freaking crowded with tourists traveling and the few restruants are always crowded, especially the Shell gas station/subway, get to Moses Lake where you will have more choices of eating and drinks and potty stops.
You will also experience passes near Billings and Butte in Montana so my prior advice still applies. Be ready for lots of twists and turns in the road outside of Billings in the Livingston area and again in Bozeman, prior to Butte and then after passing Drummond towards Missoula. You will have a lot of scenery to take in as you drive through my homestate, so be ready for a lot of head turning
And to save gas, go 70, not 75mph, your Civic and your wallet will thank you. Yes, you will be passed a lot by impatient drivers but let them burn up gas and money.
If you wanna see Yellowstone, which is alot better experienced if you get out of the car and walk around, you will need to exit I-90 past Sheridan, Wyoming and take Highway 14 which will be slower drive across VERY boring Wyoming or take the exit at Livingston, MT for Highway 89. Either way, it will take you more time and gas to see Yellowstone, so its up to you
Last edited by jasper12; 07-15-2013 at 07:03 AM..
Reason: Rudeness is not appropriate
So.. we're driving from South of Atlanta to Seattle in a month or two. I'm trying to hammer out a good path.. my friend suggested driving straight across to Houston, TX and straight up to Wyoming to avoid the mountains as much as possible, but we kind of want to see Yellowstone. After that it would be up and over to WA.
Other than that.........help?
A Frightened Mommy
Your friend is telling you the wrong way...
I drove from Savannah, GA to Seattle in May 2011. I went the diagonal route... That is..
A gorgeous drive. No mountains to speak of till you reach western Montana and Idaho... and they are awesome anyway.
Same goes for Snoqualmie Pass when you cross the Cascades east of Seattle...
Why drive across the flat dull HOT state of Texas? With this route you get Mount Rushmore AND Yellowstone.
I left on a Tuesday morning and arrived on a Sunday afternoon... which included a half day stop at Mt. Rushmore... didn't push myself... I just did 600 miles a day and stopped for the night.
I've lived in CA, WA, and TN, and visited TX from all of those locations. I've done the drive from WA to TN a few times. Both across country through Wyoming, Indiana, etc., and also down I-5 into CA and across the southern end of the country.
I'm going to go against the grain here, and suggest that you travel across country to Los Angeles, then take I-5 north.
There will be plenty for your kids to see and experience, and at their age they won't remember if they went to Yellowstone. You can always take them to Yosemite, if you don't think you found enough excitement along the way.
And once you hit Los Angeles, you can see the beach, and lots of interesting things along the way north, and you hardly have to deal with any mountains at all.
Just consider it. It's what I'd do from experience. There's plenty to see along the way, and I think it's quicker and less stressful.
Just put in Atlanta, GA and Los Angeles, CA for directions in Google maps to see what I'm talking about. Then from Los Angeles, north on I-5 all the way.
I've lived in CA, WA, and TN, , . . .
I'm going to go against the grain here, and suggest that you travel across country to Los Angeles, then take I-5 north.
There will be plenty for your kids to see and experience, and at their age they won't remember if they went to Yellowstone. You can always take them to Yosemite, if you don't think you found enough excitement along the way.
And once you hit Los Angeles, you can see the beach, and lots of interesting things along the way north, and you hardly have to deal with any mountains at all.
As an adult I've driven from CA to NC (I-40) and from NC to WA (I-90, described in previous post). As a child I rode in the car from MI to OR once (I-80), and between Los Angeles and Portland (I-5) many times. I-5 is boring. I-40 is boring. I-80 is boring. I-90 is boring.
If you do decide to add a few days to your trip (yikes!), make sure you arrive in the Los Angeles area during a low-traffic time (ha!).
Los Angeles to Seattle with children is a three-day trip if you don't plan on stopping to see all the interesting things. Of course, sight-seeing is always the most fun with a couple of stressed, hot, bored, tired, crying preschoolers who have the added stress of not knowing where they live.
Seriously, take the short route. There are enough fun things to do when you get to WA. Just get there and get settled into your place.
When we left Cali last March coming to Beaumont, TX. (That's another story for another time) We went to Automobile Club and had them to map the trip out for us for free. It included the freeway/highway, motels, rest areas, and restaurants. They did it all for free. Of course, you have to have to be an Automobile Club roadside member, (not auto insurance)
It certainly helped us. Now...if I can just find my way the hell out of Beaumont...
Hope this helps! Good luck!
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