Boston to Seattle Road Trip - Things to see/Rides to do along Rt. 90?

[MattTuck]

Once again, tapping the collective wisdom of the board.

My wife and I will be driving across country for her new (temporary) job next month. I've never done a cross country trip, and we don't have the luxury of making a vacation out of it, so it looks like it's going to be a straight shot mostly on Rt. 90.

While driving rt. 90 coast to coast would be a neat thing to do, I'm hoping we'll get more out of it than that. So, from the collective wisdom of the forum... I'm looking for any ideas on places to stop, sites to see, rides to do (yes, we'll have the bikes on the top of the car).

I think we're going to try to do between 400-500 miles per day, but I'm hoping that gives us a chance to at least see some of the more interesting things. I'm not opposed to detouring off Rt. 90 either, as long as it's not too far and keeps us going in generally the right direction (ie. I'd hate to have to double back to get back on the highway)

I'm especially interested in spots to stay over for the nights. Cool towns with restaurants, etc.

We will only have our road bikes (or so the wife as decreed), so if you suggest a ride, that's what we have to work with.


Thanks!

[Birddog]

For your last night on the road, stay at Couer d" Alene Idaho, that'll leave you a little over 310 miles for the last day's drive. While there, grab a burger at Hudson's. Walk the lakeshore, etc. You'll be going right through Bozeman, so you could stop there as well and see Dave Kirk. Sheridan Wyo is kinda quaint and would be a decent stop too. You have to stop and see Wall Drug in S.Dak. It's kitchy as hell, but kinda worth it for the nostalgia of old time road stops. Personally, I'd detour from Sheridan or Buffalo, stop at Cody then drive through Yellowstone and up to Bozeman. You'll also be passing right by Mt Rushmore and the Black Hills area. You might want to spend the night near there too. I'd also pull of the Interstate and go see Butte Montana. It's a piece of historic Montana. You don't have to spend a lot of time there, just drive around and look at the old houses and maybe grab a bite to eat at some mom and pop joint, like a Pork Chop sandwich at Pork Chop Johns.

In any of the smaller towns, avoid the eating joints near the Interstate and the motels. Drive downtown and check out where the locals eat.

Interstate driving is boring as hell and for many miles you'll be sniffing the ass end of semis. Montana is not so bad though and it truly is Big Sky Country.

You mightl be a little early for fresh Huckleberries, but in Superior or St Regis Montana stop and grab a bite and if they have Huckleberry pie with ice cream, get some.

Birddog

[Louis]

You'll be going right through Bozeman, so you could stop there as well and see Dave Kirk.

Whatever you do, stay away from the House of the Rising Terraplane on Little Wolf Rd. - it's been the ruin of many a poor boy, and God I know, I'm one.

[BengeBoy]

- Badlands of South Dakota
- Black Hills
- Devil's Tower, Wyoming
- Little Bighorn Battlefield (Custer's Last Stand, Montana)
- Detour through Yellowstone, back up to 90 and on East
- When you get into Washington, if you have the time, get off 90 and go down to Yakima, and then come through either along Highway 12 or 410 into Mt. Rainier National Park, either visiting the Paradise visitors center on the south end or Sunrise on the north end.

[Karin Kirk]

Matt,

Do stop by for a visit and a ride if Bozeman winds up on your agenda!
There are many detours that could take you through Yellowstone or over the Beartooth Pass. Depending on time available, there are lots of ways to string things together.

[stephenmarklay]

One thing you should at least think about is heading north out of Boston and driving all the way through Canada. I did it when I moved from Boston to Spokane WA. Great trip. You don't drive endless 4 lane highways. A lot more nature. We camped a few times etc. The upper great lakes region is breath taking.

[MattTuck]

Thanks for the advice all, some PMs have been sent.

[TMB]

Once again, tapping the collective wisdom of the board.

My wife and I will be driving across country for her new (temporary) job next month. I've never done a cross country trip, and we don't have the luxury of making a vacation out of it, so it looks like it's going to be a straight shot mostly on Rt. 90.

While driving rt. 90 coast to coast would be a neat thing to do, I'm hoping we'll get more out of it than that. So, from the collective wisdom of the forum... I'm looking for any ideas on places to stop, sites to see, rides to do (yes, we'll have the bikes on the top of the car).

I think we're going to try to do between 400-500 miles per day, but I'm hoping that gives us a chance to at least see some of the more interesting things. I'm not opposed to detouring off Rt. 90 either, as long as it's not too far and keeps us going in generally the right direction (ie. I'd hate to have to double back to get back on the highway)

I'm especially interested in spots to stay over for the nights. Cool towns with restaurants, etc.

We will only have our road bikes (or so the wife as decreed), so if you suggest a ride, that's what we have to work with.


Thanks!


Matt,

no recommendations for stops along the way, but ............

I do these all the time. I love road trips and frankly prefer to drive most places.

500 miles is a pretty easy day that will allow you lots of time to see things along the way.

One rule of thumb I always follow - even my kids understand it now.

Up early and get on the road. On the road and moving by 8 AM. That way when you stop for lunch at 1:00 or so, you've broken the back of the day and now you can meander a bit during the height of the day when the sun is high and it's warm.

Up early and on the road by 8.

After that it's easy.

[dsteady]

Deadwood, SD is the worst kind of tourist trap. Not really worth the stop IMHO, unless you're into watching bus-loads of retirees blow their life-saving on video poker in the hotel lobby.

The Black Hills (SD) are nice though, and probably a good place to time a ride along the way.

+1 to Bozeman. It's right off of 90, filled with great people and rides and a great place to chill out for a couple of days. (keep it short though, otherwise you might never leave). Take a ride up Bridger Canyon and/or Jackson Creek Rd. I keep meaning to visit the Kirks when I'm there, maybe this October.

dn'l

[VTCaraco]

We did a similar drive a few years ago for my brother's wedding (Bennington, VT to Bellingham, WA). Our experience with Canada confirms that it often has a different (more pleasant) feel, but it's also a good bit more expensive for gas (about $4 a gallon).
For our cross-country route, we went through the upper peninsula of MI and really liked that. We hit Chicago on the way home and for our personalities, the more rural route was nice. The Badlands and Mt. Rushmore was definitely a highlight. I'm not sure why, but I hadn't really thought much of the Black Hills prior to that trip. That's beautiful country.
We did Bozeman to Coeur d'Alene and that whole stretch was beautiful, too. We narrowly missed some tornadoes in that corridor, but that was a favorite stretch. Lots of miles, but they didn't drag like previous stretches. Once in Washington, we went up to Coulee Dam then to 153 to 20 and hit the towns of Twisp and Winthrop before driving through the northern Cascades. That was slow because we seemed to stop every mile to get out and take a picture thinking that it was the most beautiful country we'd ever seen. 100s of shots and probably 30 stops later, we finally agreed to just enjoy it as we drove. There may be other ways that are nice, but I can't imagine any stretch could be more beautiful. Our destination was Bellingham, so routing that far north made sense.
So for us, our stops were (dinner at the Dinosaur in Rochester) Niagra Falls (which I wouldn't necessarily recommend); west through Canada towards Flint, MI to a hotel somewhere near Saginaw; continuing north to a night just south of Might Mac bridge; a side-trip to Mackinac (which was neat) then a short drive to the middle (east-west) of the upper peninsula (UP) of Michigan; to Minneapolis; to Mt. Rushmore (where we liked it so much that we decided to spend a few days); to (great riding and a fun place to eat in) Bozeman; to Coeur d'Alene; to Winthrop (through Grand Coulee); through spectacular counrty to Bellingham.
As TooManyBikes suggests, if you put some miles on before the midday heat and lull, you should have a great time. I would add that my wife and I figured out that swapping drivers every 2 hours left us feeling the least stir-crazy and the most refreshed.

[TMB]

We did a similar drive a few years ago for my brother's wedding (Bennington, VT to Bellingham, WA). Our experience with Canada confirms that it often has a different (more pleasant) feel, but it's also a good bit more expensive for gas (about $4 a gallon).
For our cross-country route, we went through the upper peninsula of MI and really liked that. We hit Chicago on the way home and for our personalities, the more rural route was nice. The Badlands and Mt. Rushmore was definitely a highlight. I'm not sure why, but I hadn't really thought much of the Black Hills prior to that trip. That's beautiful country.
We did Bozeman to Coeur d'Alene and that whole stretch was beautiful, too. We narrowly missed some tornadoes in that corridor, but that was a favorite stretch. Lots of miles, but they didn't drag like previous stretches. Once in Washington, we went up to Coulee Dam then to 153 to 20 and hit the towns of Twisp and Winthrop before driving through the northern Cascades. That was slow because we seemed to stop every mile to get out and take a picture thinking that it was the most beautiful country we'd ever seen. 100s of shots and probably 30 stops later, we finally agreed to just enjoy it as we drove. There may be other ways that are nice, but I can't imagine any stretch could be more beautiful. Our destination was Bellingham, so routing that far north made sense.
So for us, our stops were (dinner at the Dinosaur in Rochester) Niagra Falls (which I wouldn't necessarily recommend); west through Canada towards Flint, MI to a hotel somewhere near Saginaw; continuing north to a night just south of Might Mac bridge; a side-trip to Mackinac (which was neat) then a short drive to the middle (east-west) of the upper peninsula (UP) of Michigan; to Minneapolis; to Mt. Rushmore (where we liked it so much that we decided to spend a few days); to (great riding and a fun place to eat in) Bozeman; to Coeur d'Alene; to Winthrop (through Grand Coulee); through spectacular counrty to Bellingham.
As TooManyBikes suggests, if you put some miles on before the midday heat and lull, you should have a great time. I would add that my wife and I figured out that swapping drivers every 2 hours left us feeling the least stir-crazy and the most refreshed.


You were almost in my neighbourhood.

I grew up outside of Vancouver and spent lots of my youth around Bellingham and Lynden ( riding the Mt. Baker area was great ), now live in the Okanagan Valley in BC.

Same valley as in Washington State ( think Omak, Wenatchee, etc ) and go down to WA frequently to ride. The valley narrows quite a bit as it heads north so to find longer climbs out of the valley on the east/west plane we have to go down to WA and ride.

Used to be easier to do than now - the border is a pain these days.

Winthrop / Twisp is really nice - go there if you get a chance - Doug Curtiss lives there ( Curtlo) .

For those of you that don't know - that part of north central washington state can be like a furnace in the summer so be prepared.

I have to get to Bozeman one of these days too. Bozeman should build a museum in honour of its two most famous sons.

[SEABREEZE]

Matt dont forget to bring a Camera,
Would be nice to see pictures and hear experiences of your trip, once you have time to do so..

Others who made recomendations to Matt, if you have pictures of your trip, kindly post them.

Safe and Enjoyable travels Matt.

[grateful]

I know the area well. I grew up in Yakima, WA (apple and wine country), went to college in Seattle, relocated to Boston, relocated to Bozeman and then ended up in Coeur d'Alene, ID. The NorthWest is absolutely spectacular.

First an foremost is to count all of the Wall Drug signs. I bet you can't.

Second, take the 212 South at Laurel, MT (just West of Billings) to Yellowstone. Then catch 89 North back up to Livingston, MT to catch I90. You will cross the Beartooth Pass (almost 11,000 feet) drop into the Northwest Corner of Yellowstone, zip back up Paradise Valley (spectacular views) and end up in Livingston (15 miles from Bozeman). This will add a 1/2 day to your trip and will be well worth it!

[dave thompson]

You have you're bikes. PM me and I'll give you my phone number and if it's mutually convenient, we can enjoy a really nice ride somewhere in this bicycling paradise I live in; Spokane.

[Jawn P]

The Rock and Roll Hall of fame is literally 2 seconds off of 90 in Cleveland.

Fun to kill a few hours with. Some good food in the area too.

[johnnymossville]

Could always stop off and look at Niagara Falls.

[endosch2]

Matt one heads up - I drove the same trip 4X in 92 and 93. In the summer get hotels arranged along the way because my wife and I had to sleep in the car twice for failing to do so!

[MattTuck]

Matt one heads up - I drove the same trip 4X in 92 and 93. In the summer get hotels arranged along the way because my wife and I had to sleep in the car twice for failing to do so!


Thanks all for the additional good tips.

Luckily, my wife is more on top of this than I am, she's booking hotels through her employer's travel office.

She was looking at hotels around Rapid City, SD and was wondering why they were all around $300+ per night. Turns out we'll be overlapping with Sturgis Bike Week.... should be interesting.

[endosch2]

Thanks all for the additional good tips.

Luckily, my wife is more on top of this than I am, she's booking hotels through her employer's travel office.

She was looking at hotels around Rapid City, SD and was wondering why they were all around $300+ per night. Turns out we'll be overlapping with Sturgis Bike Week.... should be interesting.

Actually the memorable part of the trip was the overnight at a hostel in Bozeman where we slept on the floor. The contact buzz lasted for days.....

[johnnymossville]

Thanks all for the additional good tips.

Luckily, my wife is more on top of this than I am, she's booking hotels through her employer's travel office.

She was looking at hotels around Rapid City, SD and was wondering why they were all around $300+ per night. Turns out we'll be overlapping with Sturgis Bike Week.... should be interesting.

Bike Week! That's always entertaining, in small doses. :)

Sounds like you are going to have a great time. The Chinese don't say USA in Mandarin "Mei Guo" (Beautiful Country) for nothing.

[TMB]

Bike Week! That's always entertaining, in small doses. :)

Sounds like you are going to have a great time. The Chinese don't say USA in Mandarin "Mei Guo" (Beautiful Country) for nothing.

Amazing what hotel rates do isn't it?

I just booked a hotel in Canmore, AB ( right outside Banff).

It is normally about $125 - $150 a night.

Now it's summer and the Calgary Stampede is on. $250 per night. :crap:

[William]

I've done this trip numerous times. I haven't seen anyone mention the Corn Cobb palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. :D

There's a little cafe (I don't remember the name) in Buffalo Wyoming that served pancakes the size of dinner plates. Not knowing I asked for an order of buttermilk pancakes as well as an order of Blueberry pancakes. The waitress was looking at me like I had two heads...."You sure you want an order of each? They're pretty big". No problem, just bring em........

:eek: :eek: :eek:





William

[johnnymossville]

..."You sure you want an order of each? They're pretty big". No problem, just bring em........

:eek: :eek: :eek:

William

LOL

[rpm]

Having grown up in Montana and lived in Minnesota for many years, I've been on I-90 a lot. South Dakota suggestions:

1. Stop at the rest stop just before Chamberlin. You're up on a hill overlooking the Missouri and on the other side you'll see the West begin. It's quite dramatic.
And drive down across the river to the next exit to visit Al's Oasis. It's a classic old-time road stop where you can get a buffalo burger and a 5 cent cup of coffee.

2. Make a stop at the badlands. If you can't drive through, get off at the east entrance and drive in a couple of miles. There are some great short hikes right there. I recommend the Notch hike which involves scrambling up a big wire ladder, and ending with a terrific view.

3. A very nice place to stay if things are crowded in the Black Hills are the Frontier Cabins in Wall. There you're an hour from the hills and 5 min from Wall Drug. These are rustic western cabins, but they're brand new and have all modern amenities. I just stayed there last month.

4. In the Black Hills, try to visit Sylvan Lake and the Needles Highway, both in the neighborhood of Mt. Rushmore. They're beautiful (the locale for the movie National Treasure 2).

I-90 will give you the classic American road trip at its best!