Jump to content

What travel sites to visit?


Guest rjones

Recommended Posts

I have finally got my plans together to go get my car. I have never been out West and this will be an experience for my son and myself. I am flying to Olympia, WA and driving back in a 26ft. rental truck to Northwest AR. I will fly out March 22 and I have a total of 9 days for the trip. I have picked a northern route that is shorter but only if the weather is good and I have a longer southern route figured if needed. What sites, towns, museums, parks etc. would everyone recommend to first-time travelers to the area?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you wind up going across MT on I-90, see the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge(105 cars), and the excellent Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman(leading dinosaur museum + Montana history). If going through Denver, there's the Forney Transportation Museum(has Amelia Earhart's Kissel Gold Bug) and 125 other cars...even an Amphicar! and the Denver Art Museum. I hear there's a new auto museum in Kearney, NE, right next to the Kearney Cabela's (The Classic Car Collection [ccckearney.com]).

Edited by jeff_a (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys for the replies! These are some very interesting places. Does anyone know of a large, antique car salvage yard on the way back? I am also looking at the National Parks and anything else interesting on the way back. Having never been there I'm open to most any suggestion!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The LeMay collection in Tacoma is worth the detour. The fancy new museum next to the freeway has an ever changing collection, but the family collection at the old Marymount boys school I find even more interesting. There is a one day a year event there when they open up Harold Lemays old home collection. That's the day to go. You will be overwhelmed with some of the stuff that he collected.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Rudedog

I have driven the western part of that route a bunch of times. All of the places mentioned so far are great to stop at.

The only ones that I would recomend adding are:

The Lemay Museum - I know it was already mentioned but it is a great museum and if you are heading from Olympia to I-90 you are driving right past anyway.

The Lincoln 10,000 Silver Dollar - its a tourist trap just inside the Montana/Idaho border, but fun to stop in and see all the silver dollars they have collected and hung on the walls over the years.

Little Big Horn - Site of "Custer's Last Stand". It is in eastern Montana not far off of I-90 before you drop down into Wyoming.

As you go into South Dakota, if the weather cooperates, drive the Spearfish Canyon scenic loop. It will take you to crazyhorse and rushmore before either dumping you out at Sturgis or Rapid City SD.

Lastly, if you want a great place to eat in the Bozeman area of Montana, look up Sir Scott's Oasis Steakhouse & Lounge in Manhattan Montana. It is know throughout the area as being one of the best places to eat. There is also a legend about the owner being a vietnam vet who wouldnt allow Ted Turner to come in to a celebrity dinner with his then wife Jane Fonda. I am pretty sure that the legend is bunk, but it is a funny story and the food is outstanding. I highly recommend the steak fingers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Guest rjones

I finally made the trip over spring break with my youngest son. After getting the car loaded and ready to go we left out on our way. We stopped at Lemay Auto Museum then Multnomah Falls, Oregon. Then went to Crescent City, CA to see the ocean and the coastal redwoods. Drove through the redwoods and a little ways down the coast then cut across and almost made it into Sequoia National Park but got turned around by snow at the 5000 ft. elevation. Then went down, around and back up to Death Valley. From there we went through Las Vegas, by the Hoover Dam, and into Williams,AZ. Went up to the Grand Canyon and then across northern New Mexico across Oklahoma and into home in Northwest AR. We had flown out to Seattle on Saturday and made it home on the following Saturday covering almost 4700 miles all in a 26 ft rental truck! Thanks again for all the ideas. We had a wonderful time and saw many grand things plus the time to spend with my youngest son! It was indeed a great trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...