Travel suggestions for Northern/North-West USA - Fall 2021

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.
 

D'Grump

Senior Member
Hey MSgt......... an old Army E-6 here. My wife and I did a motorcoach tour some years ago, that started in Salt Lake City and ended up in Seattle. Hit Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washington State. Liked that trip A LOT👍👍 Anyway, two places come to mind that you might want to Google, and those would be Wheat Montana bakery and deli, for the best coffee rolls in the west, and Leavenworth, Washington for a picture session of a Bavarian town picked up and moved to Washington. If I can remember anymore places, I’ll post them. Have fun on your trip!
Thanks for your service!🇺🇸
Andy
 

pnomanikon

Senior Member
Hey MSgt......... an old Army E-6 here. Thanks for your service!
Andy

And thank you for your service.

And for the tips. The Wheat Montana deli looks like a nice lunch stop. There was a link on their website for the Bighorn Canyon Natl Rec Area that looks interesting, too.
 

bluzman

Senior Member
Two spots came to mind immediately when you mentioned Bend, OR. The small town of Sisters is worth a visit. It was 30 years ago but I vividly remember exploring some back roads by motorcycle near Sisters and coming upon lava fields...it was like something out of a scifi movie. The other memory of the ride that summer day was the hordes of Monarch butterflies.

Also, although it's somewhat further from Bend to the south, I'd say Crater Lake National Park is a must see. The first time I visited was June 1992, again on a motorcycle. Only a portion of the road around the crater's perimeter was open...the rest was still snowed in!!
 

pnomanikon

Senior Member
Two spots came to mind immediately when you mentioned Bend, OR. The small town of Sisters is worth a visit. It was 30 years ago but I vividly remember exploring some back roads by motorcycle near Sisters and coming upon lava fields...it was like something out of a scifi movie. The other memory of the ride that summer day was the hordes of Monarch butterflies.

Also, although it's somewhat further from Bend to the south, I'd say Crater Lake National Park is a must see. The first time I visited was June 1992, again on a motorcycle. Only a portion of the road around the crater's perimeter was open...the rest was still snowed in!!

Thanks! Crater Lake is on my "maybe" list depending on crowds and traffic. I'll have to ask our friends about Sisters. Sounds like McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway and Redmond area will be interesting to visit.
 

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
Hello MSgt, former AF SSgt here. If you are driving through the Quad Cities, the John Deere Pavilion in Moline IL is an interesting spot. Also, the Rock Island Arsenal is pretty cool. My ex's dad is buried on Arsenal Island which was a Civil War jail and has a small cemetery. You'll get great views of the Mississippi River as well.
 

pnomanikon

Senior Member
Hello MSgt, former AF SSgt here. If you are driving through the Quad Cities, the John Deere Pavilion in Moline IL is an interesting spot. Also, the Rock Island Arsenal is pretty cool. My ex's dad is buried on Arsenal Island which was a Civil War jail and has a small cemetery. You'll get great views of the Mississippi River as well.

Greetings, fellow Airman, and thanks for the tips. We used to go through there when I was stationed at Offutt AFB, Nebraska on our way to Wisconsin to visit my wife's family. Never stopped, though. We might be taking Rt 30 (Lincoln Highway) coming back, so that is very close-by. Thanks again!
 

BeegRhob

Senior Member
Have you been to Northern Michigan? M-22 would be a nice 2 lane road tour, there are plenty of sights to see and photograph, and lighthouses on Lake Michigan, where you can swim and sunbathe! https://www.m22michigan.com

The Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island, where there are no cars allowed, but hotels and touristy things are there. https://www.mackinacbridge.org/ https://www.mackinacisland.org/

Here is Trip advisor, which you can use to look up info of suggestions from the wonderful people here at Nikonites, and while you drive. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?...22FD652AE5D7B1626515749910&blockRedirect=true

I recommend the M-22 tour, there are the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes that I went to a couple of times as a kid and climbed. https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm

Rob
 

pnomanikon

Senior Member
Have you been to Northern Michigan? M-22 would be a nice 2 lane road tour, there are plenty of sights to see and photograph, and lighthouses on Lake Michigan, where you can swim and sunbathe! https://www.m22michigan.com

The Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island, where there are no cars allowed, but hotels and touristy things are there. https://www.mackinacbridge.org/ https://www.mackinacisland.org/

Here is Trip advisor, which you can use to look up info of suggestions from the wonderful people here at Nikonites, and while you drive. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?...22FD652AE5D7B1626515749910&blockRedirect=true

I recommend the M-22 tour, there are the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes that I went to a couple of times as a kid and climbed. https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm

Rob

All excellent suggestions. A few years ago, we left Milwaukee and went up to Green Bay, then Mackinac Island before looping through Canada to Niagra Falls.

We want to go do a loop around Lake Superior, but waiting for Canadian border crossing issues to end. That would be a nice 1-week drive sometime when we are visiting in Wisconsin.

Thanks for that M-22 link. We had looked at doing a shorter vacation drive sometime, going north along the eastern shore of Michigan (Rt 25 and Rt 23) - starting at Point Huron and following the shoreline north to Mackinac, but I wasn't sure what the "western shoreline" was like. Now it looks like making one big loop around MI would be a nice 5-7 day drive. And, we can finish up at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, one of my wife's favorite botanical gardens.

We will save those for when we only have a week or 10 days to travel. This year, we have a 30-day window of opportunity coming up in late Aug/early Sept, so we thought we would head west to visit old friends in Bend, Oregon.
 
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BeegRhob

Senior Member
All excellent suggestions. A few years ago, we left Milwaukee and went up to Green Bay, then Mackinac Island before looping through Canada to Niagra Falls.

We want to go do a loop around Lake Superior, but waiting for Canadian border crossing issues to end. That would be a nice 1-week drive sometime when we are visiting in Wisconsin.

Thanks for that M-22 link. We had looked at doing a shorter vacation drive sometime, going north along the eastern shore of Michigan (Rt 25 and Rt 23) - starting at Point Huron and following the shoreline north to Mackinac, but I wasn't sure what the "western shoreline" was like. Now it looks like making one big loop around MI would be a nice 5-7 day drive. And, we can finish up at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, one of my wife's favorite botanical gardens.

We will save those for when we only have a week or 10 days to travel. This year, we have a 30-day window of opportunity coming up in late Aug/early Sept, so we thought we would head west to visit old friends in Bend, Oregon.

I forgot a point of interest for that trip! In Manistee, there is a pizza and sub place that is a MUST! Big Al's Pizza, where everyone who lives out of town stops on one of their first visits back home! It was my stop when I got into town! https://www.bigalspizza.net/

Rob
 

TwistedThrottle

Senior Member
A few places to hit in Washington, Idaho and Oregon would be the Trail of the Hiawatha in Idaho just outside Coeur'd'Alene, ID. The Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee, WA which is not too far from Leavenworth, WA (highly suggested!) and Multnomah Falls in Oregon. Too many to list, but these are some really neat places to look into that don't take up much time. Depending how deep you get into Washington, you might want to look into the Olympic peninsula where you can visit the Hoh rainforest, cruise the beaches for tide pools or lighthouses or take a ferry ride to the San Juan Islands, or even up to Victoria BC, home of the Butchart Gardens, but you could easily spend days at each place and not see it all.
 

pnomanikon

Senior Member
A few places to hit in Washington, Idaho and Oregon would be the Trail of the Hiawatha in Idaho just outside Coeur'd'Alene, ID. The Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee, WA which is not too far from Leavenworth, WA (highly suggested!) and Multnomah Falls in Oregon. Too many to list, but these are some really neat places to look into that don't take up much time. Depending how deep you get into Washington, you might want to look into the Olympic peninsula where you can visit the Hoh rainforest, cruise the beaches for tide pools or lighthouses or take a ferry ride to the San Juan Islands, or even up to Victoria BC, home of the Butchart Gardens, but you could easily spend days at each place and not see it all.

Thank you for your suggestions. I will look them up and do more research.

We are planning to avoid major metropolitan areas, so we may have to skip the Olympic Peninsula because of having to go through Seattle. I could probably go "the long way around" and miss Seattle traffic. We'll see.

Ohme Gardens looks very interesting. Could be worth a detour. As of now, we are planning to drop down from the Spokane area to follow Rt 14 along the north shore of the Columbia River. There are a couple of gardens in Portland (Lan Su Chinese Garden and Portland Japanese Garden) that may stretch my limit on big towns. LOL

Thanks again.
 

D'Grump

Senior Member
If you are in the Spokane area, they had a really nice riverwalk that we indulged ourselves in while there. Lots of nice photo ops if it’s still there, and in the same shape that it was! Many, MANY good places to eat too! Spokane was my favorite stop on the tour.
Andy
 

pnomanikon

Senior Member
DANG!! Looks like this trip is going to have to wait until 2022. I've had a couple of minor medical issues come up recently. Nothing serious, but I just got some stitches in my face (a few spots of melanoma that were caught in time) and I have to follow up for that and a pinched nerve in my neck every 2-3 weeks for a few months. I don't want to rush out there and back, so it's best to wait.

Maybe the crowds at the naitonal parks won't be as big if everyone gets it out of their system this year. LOL

In the meantime, we'll do some 1-week trips.

Thanks for the inputs. It has given us some good ideas for when the right time comes.
 

RobertaDavissk

New member
America is overflowing with beautiful places. That's why I moved here in the first place. But I can't do justice to Europe, which also has a lot to see. I've been to almost every country, and I can say that Germany, Iceland, and Norway are at the top of my list. I spent most of my travel time in Germany because it was the most accessible place to get around. I used trains for my travels and was impressed with how much this mode of transportation is developed in that country. If you haven't been to Europe, I suggest you visit.
 
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Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard, enjoy the ride. We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

You might also want to consider introducing yourself on New Member Introductions.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
​​​​​​---brent, post some pictures. That might give account a kickstart.---

I will try to get back into taking more photos soon. However, the primary reason I have not taken more photos is that I have been taking care of of my wife Dolores. She had Alzheimer's Disease for the past 2-1/2 years which was not helped by the death of her 3 children (2 in July 2020 and the third in January 2021, all from the Covid-19). Then on Dec. 16, 2020, she fell and broke her hip. She never really recovered from this and was in hospice care until she passed away on Oct. 3, 2021. I hope you will understand why I have not posted more photos.
 

pnomanikon

Senior Member
America is overflowing with beautiful places. That's why I moved here in the first place. But I can't do justice to Europe, which also has a lot to see. I've been to almost every country, and I can say that Germany, Iceland, and Norway are at the top of my list. I spent most of my travel time in Germany because it was the most accessible place to get around. I used trains for my travels and was impressed with how much this mode of transportation is developed in that country. If you haven't been to Europe, I suggest you visit.

Welcome to the forum. Sorry for the slow response. We were stationed in Germany (Ramstein/Kaiserslautern) from 2000-2003 and traveled to 13 countries. Yes - lots of beauty there, but with the current world situation (COVID and politics/civil unrest), it's not the best time now to travel there. I'd love to go spend a month just in Turkey. And another month or two in the Czech Republic and the Balkans. A month exploring Norway and Sweden (only made it there for an overnight work trip). I could go on and on.

The train system in Europe is FANTASTIC and we should be ashamed for falling so far behind in public transportation like that. It really is realistic to not own a car in Europe and still get around quite easily.

If we do travel to the northwest this year (2022), we may take the historical old 2-lane east-west routes: especially Rt 50, Rt 40 (National Road), Rt 30 (Lincoln Highway), etc. Staying on backroads and exploring small towns and avoiding the national park crowds.

I'm in the beginning stages of rebuilding our family website, so I don't have my Europe pages converted yet. Check back in a month or two and I might have some online. Right now, I just have some USA trips finished.

Family – Michael Elyard

Happy New Year, and thanks again for writing.
 
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