More Tentative Planning

 I got the road atlas today...finally.

I can now see clearly what is around Yellowstone and how big it really is. The recommendations people make on FB make more sense now. Even though I could easily see that stuff on Google Maps, the road atlas does make this easier.

Anyway, some recommendations:

Cabins inside the park.

    Old Faithful Inn has come up a lot.

    In fact, most cabins are next to hotels and these come up a lot because they are in prime locations.

Cabins outside the park

    Near northeast entrance (Silver Gate) because it is easy access to Beartooth Highway and Lamar Valley.

    West Yellowstone is a little busy but at least it has stuff to do and places to eat. It is by the west entrance.

    Gardiner comes up a lot. It is by the North entrance.

    Bozeman and Livingston come up a lot too. They are located in Montana, north of YNP.

Cabins in nearby towns

        Cody is where Shannon and her family stayed in the Spring break. Buffalo Bill Village Cabins. Cody also has a daily rodeo show.

       The South entrance of YNP is right about the GTNP.

Cabins near Grand Tetons NP.

 Jackson is near the Grand Tetons, but it seems to be expensive.

Colter Bay, Moran, Moose, and Kelly are names of other towns right around GTNP.

I would like to choose some dates and make reservations for August 2022 in cabins. I think 4 days in YNP will be good. People have said to stay in different places, so maybe two nights on the north side and two nights on the south side would be very cool. Cody on the 5th night and then drive onto Colorado. I just think that would be a nice vacation and it would give me some much-needed downtime.

Once I have those dates in place, I can start to make some other decisions. Dad mentioned buying a new car that we could use for this trip, but the next time we spoke, he said he would not be buying a car. I think I may have to rent something for the whole month anyway, so I might as well just rent an SUV with unlimited miles, if I can get one. 

Oh, one more thing, I looked up the original KUIS calendar, and probably my last class would July 25 or so. I could probably get out of Japan by 7/28. I am going to make sure my grades are all done by then.

Things to do:

Order pamphlet kit from YNP and GTNP.

Check Zanterra page more carefully for YNP cabins.

 I plan to write more this week, but I am getting so many tips and ideas from the FB groups I joined. Some people are even sharing their itineraries, which is a great way to understand how much we can fit in.

I talked to Dad this morning, and he said he may buy a new car within the next year so that we don't have to rent. It will save on costs, and he is thinking of getting one with more safety options.

He has a Lifetime America the Beautiful National Park pass!

He seems to have a pretty good idea of how long things will take and where we can go. It seems that 14-15 days will be enough for what we want to do.

I am leaning towards spending a few days around Glacier National Park so we can relax and do some activities. I will research more about that soon.

Someone on FB recommended KOA cabins, but I want to research and check on the toilet/shower situation there. I will also price out the Holiday Inns along the way. He suggested that we NOT reserve hotels, but I think we should rent a place at our main destination so that at least that is set. Other places we can kind of play by ear.

Also, he actually asked if I want to drive to the west coast and go as far as San Diego. Maybe some other trip! Gah. I am into the idea of visiting these national parks with him and the kids. I also would prefer to have some days off from driving.

Finally, my officemates gave me a 3000 yen gift card, so I spent it on a Rand McNally state map book. This should help a lot.

 Well, here we are. 2021. A pandemic. Stuck in Japan since 2019. My mother passed away after a long illness, and since travel was not permitted, I could not see her in her last months or send her off at the funeral. (I attended the funeral via Zoom. Thank god for technology.)

Vaccines came to fruition earlier this year, and people in the USA are now venturing out. People in Japan got access to the vaccine starting in June, and I received my first vax the other day. Now, I can see a light at the end of this tunnel

The purpose of this private blog is to collect ideas and tips for a trip that I have always wanted to take with my dad and kids. Now that the kids are 14 and 12, it seems like a perfect time. Next summer they will be 15 and 13. Dad has traveled these roads several times, so he will lend his experience. But more than that, I think it will be a good opportunity to bond - the four of us.

Here is the basic plan:

August 2022

Wisconsin to Idaho

Idaho to Colorado

Colorado to Missouri

Missouri to Wisconsin

Shannon and Jill would like for us to stop on our way back, so that is CO and MO in this plan. Michele's best friend lives in Idaho, so if Michele gets involved with this trip, we may get to see Janna. (Michele doesn't want to drive and would prefer a train trip. Dad wants to drive, and so do I. Perhaps she can fly out to meet us for part of the trip.)

I have joined three FB groups in order to get tips/ideas and to ask advice:

USA Road Trips Share Your Adventures

Yellow, Glacier, and Montana Trip Planning

USA Road Trips, Photos & Adventures

I also downloaded an app called Roadtrippers that helps you plan out your trip. It is owned by Rand & McNally. Speaking of which, Dad said the best thing is to buy a Rand & McNally state map book. I have an old one but will order a new one as soon as I can.

Finally, some people say to plan and book way ahead of time, while others say to play it by ear! What the... I guess I am more of a planning type.

I will be exploring the following topics:

Main routes

Sightseeing places

National parks (rules, reservations, tips, etc.)

Length of time / budget

Places to stay (KOA Cabins, Hotels, etc.)

Car rentals

Tips from FB Groups

Dad seems excited for this trip, and it is something we can all look forward to. It also serves to motivate us to stay or get healthy!