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Old 01-04-2019, 04:25 PM   #21
bfam5
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I love trip planning. There are so many possibilities. Sounds like a great adventure.

Remember to have fun, even if it means not hitting everything on the list.
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Old 01-04-2019, 07:02 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bfam5 View Post
I love trip planning. There are so many possibilities. Sounds like a great adventure.

Remember to have fun, even if it means not hitting everything on the list.
What's even more fun is retiring & just going without planning wherever the wind blows you!
I agree, have a great trip even if you have to skip a place or two, there's always next year.
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Old 01-05-2019, 03:03 AM   #23
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I was glad to see you dump the "visiting with relatives" out of your itinerary. You are going with two 12-year-olds. Not high on their list. One wet blanket to throw on your well-planned party: Visiting Little Big Horn. If I made my grandgirls visit the battlefield I would no longer be their favorite grandfather! Unless there is a particular interest or a family tie-in, safe your money. Been there, done that!
Uh, touring RMNP after setting up camp after 2 PM and then heading out? You will barely have time to get to the entrance gates.
As a number of members mentioned, relax a little, don't be afraid of dropping one or two destinations, and make sure the girls have the time of their lives. You and Momma have a lifetime to make these trips on your own.
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Old 01-06-2019, 08:20 AM   #24
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Go online to RVTripWizard.com and enter your itinerary to get mileage and times between all stops, as well as locations of all RV stops available near your route. This is a great tool for RV trip planning. You can manually reroute from it's suggested route easily as well.
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Old 01-06-2019, 08:50 AM   #25
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Go online to RVTripWizard.com.
+1
This was very helpful on our cross country trip. We also saved a bunch of money by finding smaller, non affiliated campgrounds compared to starting exclusively at KOA.
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Old 01-06-2019, 09:03 AM   #26
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I don't know... Traveling 5-10 hours every day for 10 days straight seems like a lot. Add in daily closeup/hitchup then unhitch/openup along with fuel and lunch stops and sightseeing. Whew! 15 days maybe.
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Old 01-06-2019, 09:31 AM   #27
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I don't know... Traveling 5-10 hours every day for 10 days straight seems like a lot. Add in daily closeup/hitchup then unhitch/openup along with fuel and lunch stops and sightseeing. Whew! 15 days maybe.
Those were my thoughts as well. Two 12 year old girls "sitting in the back seat EVERY day" for 10 days ??? My kids would have revolted on day 3 and it would have become a "shut up and sit there" or "let's change the plans"... Chances are my DW would have sided with the girls (strength in numbers) and I would have been outvoted.....

10 days of "non-stop driving/sightseeing"?? Definitely going to need a vacation to recover from the vacation....

I know people do it this way, and they survive and have pictures to prove they were there..... I've always found that "looser, more laid back" plans provide for a day to just sit and enjoy or have fun when needed makes for happier, smiling 12 year olds..... YMMV
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Old 01-06-2019, 09:53 AM   #28
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+1
This was very helpful on our cross country trip. We also saved a bunch of money by finding smaller, non affiliated campgrounds compared to starting exclusively at KOA.
With a couple young girls along staying at KOAs is probably a good plan, they usually have children's activities in the evenings, might help with the long hours of traveling.
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Old 01-06-2019, 10:45 AM   #29
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After doing our 16 day 8000 km trip to Canada's East coast (we loved it) it became quickly apparent that all the dropping/setting up - packing/ hitching up became tiresome and time consuming. From now on when we travel fair distances its Walmart's followed by a minimum of 5 day stays at a park. It suits our lifestyle. In June we have a 5 day Cape Cod / 5 day Boston / 4 day, either Vermont or New York trip planned. A walmart at the beginning and one at the end.
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Old 01-06-2019, 10:48 AM   #30
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I understand what it is like making a trip like this in a limited amount of time. There is a KOA in Interior, SD within 5 miles of the Badlands and very close to Wall, a wonderful little town with 5cent coffee and free water (you will see the billboards) and the Minuteman site. We then stayed at a KOA near Custer State park. It has a great visitor's center and you can drive through the park to enjoy its scenery and animals. Mt Rushmore was nice but we spent very little time there. I strongly encourage you to visit the Sitting Bull park. It is privately owned, has an amazing visitor's center and offers tours that take you on the monument which is under construction. They encourage you to take home rocks from the mountain as souvenirs. It also helps you understand the the process of building Mt. Rushmore. Have safe travels and remember to allow yourself time to enjoy your family.
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Old 01-06-2019, 12:22 PM   #31
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My wife corrected me. It is not the Sitting Bull Monument but instead Crazy Horse. Sorry for the mistake.
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Old 01-06-2019, 01:28 PM   #32
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I looked at the website for RVTripWizard.com The only negative I see is the $39
fee to join. I can use mapquest.com for free.

Other than that the trip sounds wonderful and all those area's are on our list for
upcoming trips over the next couple of years.
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Old 01-06-2019, 05:07 PM   #33
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Did Yellowstone in '15 with an xTerra pulling a 204 RBS Bullet. Learned 25 ft length is measured from front bike pedal to counterweight box on back (350# tongue weight grows exponentially with any fresh water or only available storage). We were 44 ft and did get into Mammoth Hot Springs. If you want to do distance, Walmart, etc. is the way to go, fast, cheap, no reason stick around. We hit the places that were interesting while moving.
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Old 01-06-2019, 05:12 PM   #34
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After doing our 16 day 8000 km trip to Canada's East coast (we loved it) it became quickly apparent that all the dropping/setting up - packing/ hitching up became tiresome and time consuming. From now on when we travel fair distances its Walmart's followed by a minimum of 5 day stays at a park. It suits our lifestyle. In June we have a 5 day Cape Cod / 5 day Boston / 4 day, either Vermont or New York trip planned. A walmart at the beginning and one at the end.
I have considered the Walmart idea and if it were just my wife and I that would be the plan. After making girls sit in the truck all day, I want them to have some swimming to look forward to.
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Old 01-18-2019, 09:33 PM   #35
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This trip seems to be constantly evolving so I'll post the latest version of the itinerary. The best favor you can do is rip it apart because it helps me plan...

Latest thoughts:

We decided we want 2 nights in Cody and 2 nights in Tetons so something had to go, and it would up being Little Bighorn Battlefield.

We knew we wanted to see Cody and Jackson/Tetons along with Yellowstone so it made more sense to stop in Cody first and end in Jackson rather than circle around Yellowstone in previous plan.

Only destination i haven't decided on a landing spot is the Tetons. Only options for full hookups I see are the Virginian and Fireside Resort, both of which seem like glorified parking lots based on many reviews. Gros Ventre campground sounds awesome but the idea of first come/first serve make the planner in me nervous, and the idea of dry camping makes my wife nervous. As an Eagle Scout who spent many, many nights "roughing it", I'm good with 2 nights without hookups, but my wife and 2 12 yr olds might have issues with the nighttime temps and being limited to the water in fresh tank (42gal). Can someone ease my fears here or present me with an option I've missed?

Changes are in bold.

7/17 - leave home at 3am arrive KC KOA 2pm

7/18 - KC KOA to Kennebec, SD KOA 8am to 6pm

7/19 - Kennebec KOA to Rapid City driving through Badlands and Wall Drug on way 8am to 2pm. Tour Mt Rushmore after setting up camp

7/20 - rapid city to Cody, WY via Gillette, WY 9am to 5pm. 2 nights in Cody, seeing Museum and driving Beartooth Highway.

7/22 - Cody, WY to West Yellowstone KOA 9am to 3pm

7/27 - West Yellowstone to Jackson WY 7am to 1pm. Tour Tetons and Jackson.

7/29 - Jackson to Denver East KOA in Strasburg 5am to 4pm. Route from Jackson will be south to I-70 eastbound at Silverthorne, CO.

7/30 - Strasburg, CO KOA to KC East KOA 3am-2pm


7/31 - KC KOA to home 8am to 6pm
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Old 01-19-2019, 06:45 AM   #36
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We stayed at Colter Bay. It is on the north side of Grand Tetons, so a little closer to Yellowstone. I think you could stay there for both Yellowstone and Tetons, so you wouldn't have to drive over to West Yellowstone and avoids having to pick up and move. Just a thought.
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Old 01-22-2019, 03:16 PM   #37
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Looks like a great trip. Hoping to take the family through there in a few years.
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Old 01-22-2019, 07:15 PM   #38
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We also stayed at Coulter Bay. If I'm not mistaken, the RV campground had full hook-ups. I know there was water and electric.

When traveling from Jackon/Tetons to Denver I would suggest US-26/US-287 from Moose, WY through the Wind River Range to Rawlins, WY. Then I-80 to Laramie, US-287 to Fort Collins, I-25 to Denver then I-70 to Strasbourg.

You won't have as many mountains to deal with and the drive through the Wind River range is beautiful.

North of Denver, there is a bypass (E-470) that takes you out by the airport and lets you miss most of the city. A lot less traffic but be aware, it's a toll road and the toll could be steep with a trailer.
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Old 01-23-2019, 07:02 AM   #39
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We've stay many nights in Gros Ventre. They do have some new "improved sites" with power. We've never found it a problem dry camping and MUCH prefer Gros Ventre to Coulter Bay. Sites are more spread out and spacious. It's a large facility with a fresh water fill station at the entrance and dump station on the way out. Restrooms are clean and have running water and flush toilets.
Lots of wildlife and beautiful scenery close by as well. As for availability, if you arrive mid-day you should be OK.
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Old 01-23-2019, 08:12 AM   #40
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Adam,

In post #35 I think your first sentence pointed directly to the style of RVing that most of us follow: The trip seems to be constantly evolving Trust me when I say that even as the trip is in progress it will evolve. When the kids in the back seat see the roadway billboard advertising "The World's Biggest Ball of Yarn" or "Free Ice Cream and Pie With Every Meal" or "CARHENGE NEXT EXIT" and you start hearing the "Dad, can we???" Remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.

If you take the attitude of "put on the blinders, to hell with what we want along the way" it will become a miserable trip for everyone. Enjoy the trip, the days on the road are not "hours to endure" but they are also a "part of the trip, so let's enjoy them too".....

Trust me when I say that "billion dollar airlines run on schedules" and you see how many flights are either "cancelled, delayed or postponed"..... If the pros can't keep on a "minute by minute schedule" why would "mere mortals" even try ??????

Enjoy your trip and plan on the unexpected. Being flexible means enjoying the trip as well as the destination.....
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