Road trip east

[cos]

Finally moving back to Cambridge full time. Today is our last full day in the Seattle apartment, movers arrive tomorrow morning. Although we're sending most of the stuff that remains here with the movers, we're bringing our car - and some stuff we don't want stuck in boxes for months, like important papers, gadgets, meds, etc. - in person. And we're planning to take a ~16 days to do it.

Breaking up the drive so we never have more than ~8.5 hours of driving in a single day, I planned this itinerary:

Missoula - Where we both spent a couple of days, a few years ago.

Yellowstone National Park - I haven't been since childhood, and Ceila has never been there. Hey, anyone who's been there more recently, any tips for how to prioritize for two days (3 nights) in Yellowstone? I know that's not enough time, so we have to pick what to see.

Badlands National Park - Neither of have been. I went through North Dakota the three other times I've gone cross country by the northern route.

Minneapolis - One night to see an old friend and a couple of Ceila's relatives.

Duluth - Visiting Ceila's relatives there.

Madison - One night, will likely also see a friend.

Ann Arbor - See Ceila's childhood friend, plus one of Ceila's cousins we're both friends with.

Niagara-on-the-Lake (Canada) - See the falls and a friend.

Western MA - I haven't booked this yet, but recently noticed on the map that it should be peak fall foliage in the Berkshires just about when we get there, so we should find a place to stay one night, see the trees, and visit MassMoCA.

Comments

[wotw]

Badlands National Park is awesome. I'm not sure how much hiking you and Ceila do, but the Notch Trail is a pretty easy walk and well worth it for the views. You can also see a lot by driving the Loop Road. While you're in the area, Wind Cave is well worth a visit, and I'm a particular fan of Spearfish Canyon (for walks and/or scenic drives). Deadwood is very touristy, but a fun place to spend a day (though the last time I was there was before the casinos, which might have changed things enough so that my recollections are now irrelevant).

My personal experience was that two days in Yellowstone were plenty, but three days in the Badlands and surrounding areas were not nearly enough. Of course your tastes might differ.

[rmd]

Have a good and safe trip!

[eirias]

Safe travels! Guessing the friend in question is C, but if you’ve got any extra time in Madison and fancy a walk, I’d be happy to see you again. No worries if not :)

[netmouse]

It's out of your way on this trip, but if you can ever find an excuse to go through Great Falls, MT, I highly recommend the CM Russell Museum.

https://cmrussell.org/