pnomanikon
Senior Member
My wife and I are looking for travel suggestions. We both retired in 2019, and live in West Virginia (USA). Luckily, we were able to do our dream trip in September 2019 – a 6,500-mile loop to the southwest including 19 states, 7 national parks, and several state parks.
http://michaelelyard.com/SW Retirement Trip 2019 Home.htm
This year (late August and September), we would like to drive the northern loop starting near Milwaukee and heading west through Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, then visiting friends in Bend, Oregon before returning through Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio. We will be staying in hotels and not camping. No specific routes planned - just meandering.
HOWEVER - This time, we want to avoid the crowds, so we are passing on the “biggies” like Yellowstone, Glacier, Mt Rushmore, etc. (We've been to most of them before, except Glacier, but we lived in Alaska 7 years). We are looking for interesting state parks and similar out-of-the-way sites to visit and scenic roads to drive. As much as I would love to drive 1 more day past Bend and visit the Oregon coast, I think it would be bumper-to-bumper campers and crowds. Am I wrong about that???
On previous trips, we have found interesting stops like Caprock Canyon SP (Texas), Springfield Botanical Gardens (Missouri), Winslow (New Mexico), VLA Observatory (New Mexico), Rt 30 Lincoln Highway (Wyoming to Ohio), Campobello (FDR’s estate just over the Canadian border in Maine), Meijer Botanical Gardens (Michigan), and similar sites. Places like these are what we like.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Do you have any sites you would recommend on this northern/northwestern loop? Anything that falls into these general categories: botanical gardens (!!), nice easy hikes with scenery, photographic spots, historic sites, scenic roads (2-lanes – we prefer the slow pace of old backroads), etc. Also - any "very clean" mom&pop hotels and diners. Doesn't have to be fancy, just clean.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
http://michaelelyard.com/SW Retirement Trip 2019 Home.htm
This year (late August and September), we would like to drive the northern loop starting near Milwaukee and heading west through Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, then visiting friends in Bend, Oregon before returning through Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio. We will be staying in hotels and not camping. No specific routes planned - just meandering.
HOWEVER - This time, we want to avoid the crowds, so we are passing on the “biggies” like Yellowstone, Glacier, Mt Rushmore, etc. (We've been to most of them before, except Glacier, but we lived in Alaska 7 years). We are looking for interesting state parks and similar out-of-the-way sites to visit and scenic roads to drive. As much as I would love to drive 1 more day past Bend and visit the Oregon coast, I think it would be bumper-to-bumper campers and crowds. Am I wrong about that???
On previous trips, we have found interesting stops like Caprock Canyon SP (Texas), Springfield Botanical Gardens (Missouri), Winslow (New Mexico), VLA Observatory (New Mexico), Rt 30 Lincoln Highway (Wyoming to Ohio), Campobello (FDR’s estate just over the Canadian border in Maine), Meijer Botanical Gardens (Michigan), and similar sites. Places like these are what we like.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Do you have any sites you would recommend on this northern/northwestern loop? Anything that falls into these general categories: botanical gardens (!!), nice easy hikes with scenery, photographic spots, historic sites, scenic roads (2-lanes – we prefer the slow pace of old backroads), etc. Also - any "very clean" mom&pop hotels and diners. Doesn't have to be fancy, just clean.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.