Planning WY, MT, ID trip (vacation, vehicles, snow)

[aiden_is]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

... if you go through the Black Hills to see those sights, you are going to add 2 days to your travels.

Damn! And those are all things we will WANT to see. What's the point of driving all that way just to blitz by all the sights so we can keep to a schedule? This is looking more and more like a 2 part deal.

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

It's funny. Borglum (sp) carved out Mount Rushmore and said that he would only do it if it was always free to folks that wanted to see it. So, seeings how the Forest Service and the State of South Dakota couldn't charge you, they narrowed the road so that there is no shoulder, they built a couple of huge parking lots, put in a toll booth to each parking lot, and then put on a couple extra staff members to patrol the road to make sure nobody actually stops on the side to take a picture. hahahaha But it's still not bad. Well worth the stop and the walk through the museum and giftshop.

That sounds like a government run operation, for sure. Stick to the letter of the agreement, but totally gut its intention.

Thanks for the info EH.

[aiden_is]

Okay, based on feedback from those in attendance at tonight's family meeting (kids were in bed), I think we're looking at splitting this thing up. There's so much to see and do, and combining that with competing agendas (recon, vacation, sightseeing), I think we've identified a need to separate the kids from the adults based on locations and agendas.

For your amusement, I present the following two trips, carved from the overly-ambitious original trip:

Family Road Trip
Date: Early May
Duration: 10 - 12 days
Route: Google Map
Focus: Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Sheridan, Cody, Yellowstone, Lander

Couples Trip
Date: Summer
Duration: 7 days
Route: Google Map
Focus: Priest Lake, Sandpoint, Clark Fork, Glacier National Park, Bonner's Ferry

This cuts out a large portion of the Montana and East Idaho regions I had intended to see, but they will still be there when we move to the area!

Does this make more sense? Is it more realistic?

[WyoNewk]

The Mount Rushmore "parking lot expansion" is one of those things that REALLY ticks me off. I know EH remembers what Rushmore was like before that was done and probably knows what it's like now.

Before the expansion the faces were pretty impressive. You pulled off the highway and parked in a gravel parking lot, then walked up a little flag-lined path to the faces. It was far from being a wilderness area, but it was understated - almost quaint. And then you were greeted by these huge faces! But somebody in Washington decided it wasn't fancy enough, so they imported all the big ideas they'd gathered from doing Washington, D.C. monuments and stuck them in front of the faces. Marble here, concrete there, more marble, more concrete. Bigger is better, you know? So now when you finally see the faces, they're dwarfed by all the fancy-smancy enhancements. And, like EH pointed out, they get to charge you. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

The price of admissi... oops! I mean the price to park isn't that huge; it's just the idea. As usual, the feds took a great attraction and screwed it up, imho.

If you get to the Black Hills, be sure to visit Custer State Park, especially the wildlife loop in early morning or late afternoon. When we go there we spend the whole day driving around the park, back and forth, taking animal pictures. And have some carrots or apples for you kids to feed the wild burros. They hang around the road and beg from cars. My step-daughter fell in love with one of them and cried when she couldn't take it home. She was 17 at the time. Oh, that reminds me. Here are some of the pictures that she took that first day. Most of them were taken at Custer State Park: Eye on Nature

Some other ideas for you... if the weather isn't cooperating, check out Jewel Cave National Monument - Jewel Cave National Monument just outside of Custer, SD or http://www.mammothsite.com/ at Hot Springs, SD. Jewel Cave has an elevator to take you down, so it's an easy tour for kids... or old guys like me.

Spend a little time Googling the Black Hills and you'll probably find something else your family would want to see -- from visiting the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane to panning for gold. I personally think the Black Hills has more variety for young families than does Yellowstone, and I'm a HUGE fan of Yellowstone!

[jody_wy]

Yue left out Thermop, the hot pool and dino dig and museum.... new trip looks ok too black hiss are neat too

[hsmom28]

Early May can mean snow still. Just factor that into your planning. It sounds like you have some great itineraries planned.

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[tigergal]

Originally Posted by hsmom28

Early May can mean snow still. Just factor that into your planning. It sounds like you have some great itineraries planned.

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And sometimes late May can! It was snowing to beat the band on my daughter's last day of school this year (and throughout the Memorial Day weekend)!

[NW Crow]

Sounds like a good plan.

[aiden_is]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

The Mount Rushmore "parking lot expansion" is one of those things that REALLY ticks me off. I know EH remembers what Rushmore was like before that was done and probably knows what it's like now.

Before the expansion the faces were pretty impressive. You pulled off the highway and parked in a gravel parking lot, then walked up a little flag-lined path to the faces. It was far from being a wilderness area, but it was understated - almost quaint. And then you were greeted by these huge faces! But somebody in Washington decided it wasn't fancy enough, so they imported all the big ideas they'd gathered from doing Washington, D.C. monuments and stuck them in front of the faces. Marble here, concrete there, more marble, more concrete. Bigger is better, you know? So now when you finally see the faces, they're dwarfed by all the fancy-smancy enhancements. And, like EH pointed out, they get to charge you. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

The price of admissi... oops! I mean the price to park isn't that huge; it's just the idea. As usual, the feds took a great attraction and screwed it up, imho.

Haha... you don't appreciate the commercialization of a national monument??? Are the gift shops stocked with products made in China at least? That's the only way to truly know you're in America.

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

If you get to the Black Hills, be sure to visit Custer State Park, especially the wildlife loop in early morning or late afternoon. When we go there we spend the whole day driving around the park, back and forth, taking animal pictures. And have some carrots or apples for you kids to feed the wild burros. They hang around the road and beg from cars. My step-daughter fell in love with one of them and cried when she couldn't take it home. She was 17 at the time. Oh, that reminds me. Here are some of the pictures that she took that first day. Most of them were taken at Custer State Park: Eye on Nature

You're step-daughter at 17 had an amazing eye for photography. She has a great feel for composition, and those pictures are stunning!

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

Some other ideas for you... if the weather isn't cooperating, check out Jewel Cave National Monument - Jewel Cave National Monument just outside of Custer, SD or http://www.mammothsite.com/ at Hot Springs, SD. Jewel Cave has an elevator to take you down, so it's an easy tour for kids... or old guys like me.

Spend a little time Googling the Black Hills and you'll probably find something else your family would want to see -- from visiting the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane to panning for gold. I personally think the Black Hills has more variety for young families than does Yellowstone, and I'm a HUGE fan of Yellowstone!

I'll add these to the list of things to consider. Thank you for the suggestions!

[aiden_is]

Originally Posted by hsmom28

Early May can mean snow still. Just factor that into your planning. It sounds like you have some great itineraries planned.

Originally Posted by tigergal

And sometimes late May can! It was snowing to beat the band on my daughter's last day of school this year (and throughout the Memorial Day weekend)!

Okay, stop trying to freak out the city-slicker. I know how to drive in snow, but unfamiliar narrow mountain roads under a blanket of powder do give me pause. The early May idea comes from a desire to avoid touristy areas after school lets out. I've heard horror stories about traffic in Yellowstone, and from the sound of things, Rushmore's underdeveloped roads could present a similar issue. If we don't go then, we would need to wait until late August / early September, right? Or is the crowding over-exaggerated?

[hsmom28]

Many of the tourist attractions close or have limited hours the day after labor day in the Rushmore area. So you might not want to do this in September depending on what you want to see. The reality of the weather should definitely be part of your planning. I know Yellowstone has been known to have snow into June on the roads. It IS crowded during summer but trying to go earlier or later has its issues. :/

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