Hey y'all I need help !

[Butch Wilson]

OThe time has come ! Linda Gail and I have purchased a camper and headed west in June . We have compiled a must see list . Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon ! We had considered the famous Indiana attraction The Dan Quale museum , but I don't think we will have time . Please give us your favorite attractions to visit along the way . Our trip is currently scheduled for six weeks but eight weeks may be more realistic. I can't think of a better way to kick off our retirement !

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Butch, That is a great vacation plan. When my late wife and I visited the same areas we spent a lot of time in the Tetons. We did a lot of hiking in the Tetons and didn't see as many people as in other areas. Butch have a great vacation and please share some pictures when you can.

[Butch Wilson]

Thanks Ron
The Tetons will be perfect, we had planned a visit to Mount Rushmore next door, with stops at Wounded Knee and Little Big Horn !

[JoshinMO]

Hey! If You don't mind a little bit of city view monks mound (cahokia) in collinsville illinois is nice. Also if you happen to be traveling through southeast missouri the springs along the current river are also quite nice.

[sneakygroundbuzzard]

if you get into Deadwood SD, the street shows are pretty cool to watch
.i also enjoyed the tour of the old cemetaries where Bill Hickok is buried,then there are the underground tours of the old chinease under ground in Deadwood.
interesting fact,these underground areas where built by the chinease to give them an area to shop and drink etc after dark,as they werent allowed on the city streets after dark.(as i was told by the tour guide  :dunno:  )

[CMD]

Butch, assuming you see Yellowstone first, and then drive west, I can only say, after a couple trips out that way,, that southern Utah was my favorite area. From Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, you then have Arches National, Canyonlands National, Capital Reef National, Bryce Canyon National, Zion National Park, and then south to the Grand Canyon. All those parks mentioned are outstanding. At the eastern end of Bryce, you can find short trails to overlooks where it will be just you, the Mrs., and bristle cone pines thousands of years old. And overlooks to die for! These are short walks, but people are lazy and most stay with the crowds to see the park. Also, if you you see no other canyon outside of the Grand, Oak Creek Canyon, where Sedona is located, is out of this world for it's red rock canyon scenery.  I would also highly recommend Canyon de Chelly in northern Az., and a day long Navajo guided tour of the Anasazi ruins there. Unforgettable experience. And while I did not have a chance myself, I know Ray would highly recommend Chaco Canyon, NM.  Have fun, bud!
Tip: at the Grand Canyon, park at the overlooks, but then just take a short walk into the thinly forested land adjacent, and you can get privacy and wonderful shots through the pines of the canyon. While everyone else is crunched together at an overlook. Just think outside the box at all these parks and you can shed the mobs to some extent. Of all the Utah parks, Zion is the most impressive probably for it's scenery. A landscape similar to Yosemite.

[sailorjoe]

Congratulations Butch on your coming retirement. I've been retired for several years and have done a good amount of traveling and camping in the western U.S., Canada and Alaska. If I knew what are your interests then I could give you more specific answers. It seems like from the list you gave that mountains and canyons and such areas of natural beauty are things that you wish to see.  But if you are interested in museums, historical sites, etc. then there are some outstanding attractions of that kind throughout the west.  Also, where does your trip begin? Route planing is all important as you doubtlessly are aware. There are so many areas of natural beauty that are not famous that you may discover once you are out there. You have a rather ambitious itinerary spread out over a huge area that you may want to consider visiting one region and then going back another time and seeing another. For example if you are starting from a southeastern state then you could take a southern loop all the way out to southern California where you mentioned wishing to visit Yosemite and then back through the central west to home. Then another time make a loop that would cover much of the northwest. Also, you may want to consider the time of the year when you want to visit. IMO midsummer months are not the best time to visit many areas of the desert southwest because the daytime temperatures can be really hot, although the deserts do cool off a lot at night. Also, consider that once you are retired that you may be able to travel anytime you want to. For me, I've found that I'd rather visit some of the more popular areas in the spring and early fall instead of the peak tourist season when schools are out and some of the attractions are really full of people. For example, if you wish to get a camping space at a campground within the Grand Canyon Nat. Park in the main tourist season then you should start trying to get reservations NOW.  Otherwise you may find yourself camping in Flagstaff more than 50 miles away. The same goes for Yellowstone, etc.  The direction from which you enter a major attraction like YS or GC also is important. If you are entering Yellowstone from the south, the town of Jackson Hole is an interesting touristy place to visit. If you like art, then it is filled with lots of art galleries and other attractions. If you are entering from the west, then the town of Cody has a world class museum that you could easily spend two days visiting. This is the Buffalo Bill Museum and it is not really just about Buffalo Bill but Native American history and culture, natural history, and one of the largest firearms collections in the world.. South and east of Grand Canyon are many attractions in Arizona and New Mexico.  If you are in southern Arizona then the area around Tucson has a lot to see. One could easily spend a week in the Tuscon area with historic Tombstone not far to the east and the Saguaro Nat. Monument in the Tuscon area with the giant cactus. Western Colorado is a place where you could spend many days seeing some really beautiful and interesting places. Good luck and I know you will have a great time, especially if you have never seen these places before.

[Butch Wilson]

Formulating a plan now Charlie ! Right now it is a triangle Yellowstone on the way to see our grand daughter in Olymia Washinton .
South down to Yosemite, then across to the Grand Canyon ! Mesa Verde with definately be a side trip !

[Butch Wilson]

Sorry Sailorjoe we hail from the great state of Carolina ! The list grows, there is indeed a lot to see in this country ! Linda Gail and I have up to this point been too busy working to enjoy it ! This is our see it while you have the chance trip and hopefully the first of many !

[CMD]

Butch Wilson wrote:

Formulating a plan now Charlie ! Right now it is a triangle Yellowstone on the way to see our grand daughter in Olymia Washinton .
South down to Yosemite, then across to the Grand Canyon ! Mesa Verde with definately be a side trip !

  Cool, Mesa Verde is spectacular for it's cliff dwellings. Not to direct your itinerary, but I will just point out, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park are just a pretty short drive west of Mesa Verde, with the town of Moab, Utah as the tourist base for those parks. Arches in particular is very easy to drive through on good roads in a loop, and the formations of sandstone arches are spectacular to see. Very vehicle friendly park and can be seen in just a few hours. But, I digress really. You can't go wrong on the trip you're planning. Way to go in retirement, Butch

[rmartin]

Hey Butch, how ya been? If you are in the Grand Canyon area, Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest, and Painted Desert are worth a visit. As Charlie mentioned Chaco is well worth the time but if it was one or the other, Mesa Verde should be the priority. Some people do I think, but I sure wouldn't pull a camper up the  Mesa!

[sailorjoe]

Butch Wilson wrote:

Formulating a plan now Charlie ! Right now it is a triangle Yellowstone on the way to see our grand daughter in Olymia Washinton .
South down to Yosemite, then across to the Grand Canyon ! Mesa Verde with definately be a side trip !

Many great side trips possible in a travel triangle like that. In southwest S. Dakota there is the Badlands, the Black Hills with many points of interest (Deadwood, Rushmore, Chief Crazy Horse, etc.) then into Wyoming with Devils Tower, Big Horn Mtns. and into S. E. Montana with Little Big Horn Battlefield.  Cody near the eastern entrance to Yellowstone I've already mentioned and it is high on my list of favorite places to visit because of the museum there. North into Montana one of my favorite areas is the area around Great Falls. A beautiful area of historical interest because of the Lewis -and- Clark expedition with several nice museums, including the Charles Russell place. Heading south out of Olympia you may want to consider going down Hwy. 101 instead of I-5. 101 is one of the most scenic drives in the whole USA. The Oregon coast is awesome. If you decide to take the quick route down I-5 then a side trip to Crater Lake might be well worth your time. And of course northern Calif. has much to see before you ever get as far south as Yosemite.

[chase]

You know the best attraction out west is me! :evil:  :rolf:  I have a few that are not on a map
I am glad to see your post.

[Hoss]

I wish I could offer some advice Butch and glad to see your post.  It is good to hear you and LG are going to do this. I wish I was more suited for some travel I would hitch a ride to Chase' house. Warning though I tend to be the person in that back seat that will poke you in the shoulder and  ask "are we there yet"  over and over and over and over and over
. Have a great trip and if you need anything when you do get over this way (Sevier Co)  let me know. Or if f you stop around here for a meal or anything would be happy to meet you both.

[Claycald]

rmartin wrote:

Hey Butch, how ya been? If you are in the Grand Canyon area, Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest, and Painted Desert are worth a visit. As Charlie mentioned Chaco is well worth the time but if it was one or the other, Mesa Verde should be the priority. Some people do I think, but I sure wouldn't pull a camper up the  Mesa!

X2....those are great places and there is the site where the meteor hit close to that area as well, worth an hour of your time to take a look at that huge crater in the ground....I believe one of the largest in the world, but I can't remember the name :dunno: