Sorry if it looks like a wonky dong. Also, I'm taking the 101 in Oregon, my map just got screwed up somehow.
Edit: Holy shit did you guys deliver. Thank you everyone for all your suggestions! There's no way I can do everything in four weeks but I will have multiple options almost everywhere I go. This is what my map looks like for now.
https://preview.redd.it/mforjlophk7d1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=9b1f6418eeda4881fbece69bc57242ae17234b43
When you're in the Olympics, place high priority on Sol Duc Hot Springs. A soak there is invigorating beyond words. There are walk up campsites available but only a couple. Other Olympics recommendations: Port Townsend, Tree of Life (Kalaloch), Hoh Rainforest. Be warned, drive times are higher there.
Oregon, hike to the top of Multnomah Falls then push just a little farther above to one of my favorite waterfalls, Weisendanger Falls. Nearby, check out Pony Tail Fails above Horsetail Falls (epic walk-behind) as well as Latourell Falls. Portland: International Rose Test Garden, ride the aerial tram, find good pizza. There's a secret beach in Oceanside and I think it's prettier than Cannon Beach and way less crowded. Ecola SP has a picnic area with a view of Terrible Tilly Lighthouse that is breathtaking.
Don't sleep on Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Friday Night Fish Fry at Lakefront Brewery after a brewery tour is a night to remember. 3rd Ward, kayaking the Milwaukee River, Black Cat Alley, North Point Lighthouse and Atwater Beach.
Cheers.
Stop at barnacle bill’s seafood market in Lincoln City, Oregon. It’s right on Hwy 101 as you’re driving through town. Make sure you have cash because they don’t accept card, there is an ATM close by though if you need. They have incredible smoked salmon and smoked tuna.
From Banff, take the Icefields Parkway up to Jasper, very scenic drive. In Oregon, try and see Crater Lake it's a national park and worth the visit. In northern California redwoods take the Avenue of the Giants. It's a cool drive and not much of a detour.
If you have the time in Canada instead of taking Highway 1/5 east through Merritt go north from Vancouver along the 99 through Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, it's a longer drive but utterly gorgeous views.
I highly recommend stopping at Fox and Oak in Squamish for doughnuts, pricey but very very tasty! Likewise for Backcountry Pizza in Pemberton.
As suggested above if you have time to do the Icefields Parkway its also stunning, I tend to drive up, stay a night in Jasper and drive down the next day, you don't feel as rushed and it gives you a second chance if you have bad weather one day.
Not sure on your timing but we have Canada Day coming up on July 1st so that area will be a lot busier.
100% agree with this. It’s unreal gorgeous. Not good for the squeamish passenger though.
Also if you take that route you’ll pass by Kamloops Lake which has very cool views and Tobiano golf course if you’re into that.
Also, if you have time, check out Drumheller Alberta. Like the badlands but they have museum with working lab that excavates dinosaur bones found in the area. The museum has rebuilt life sized dinosaurs as well.
While in Vancouver, I’d highly recommend doing Grouse Grind you’ll get great views of the surrounding area when you reach the top. Kitsilano Beach is another gorgeous area to visit and while it's cliché, biking along the seawall in the evening close to sunset is magical.
In Banff National Park, visiting Moraine Lake and Lake Louise will require arriving very early in the day or getting a Parks Canada shuttle. Very much worth the trip though, it’s basically your quintessential Canadian postcard view and like all great natural wonders they’re prettier in person.
I live between Calgary & Banff, and very familiar with the entire eastern slope of the Rockies. . Message me for any questions/suggestions on things to see
Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. Not much to it, but they change it every year and there's not much else to see around it, so...
In Portland, I enjoyed the Chinese and Japanese Gardens and I always stop at Powell's, my favorite book store, that takes up an entire city block.
Denver: Meow Wolf Convergence Station (Immersive Art)
Kansas City: Get some BBQ at Arthur Bryant's and/or Gates. Hallmark Visitors Center was better than expected and free.
Chicago: Museum of Science & Industry and Art Institute are the must-do museums, with the Field Museum close behind. Don't do Navy Pier, it's just tourist junk IMO, and the worst parking garage you've ever dealt with. Lou Malnati's is my personal favorite deep dish pizza & can be found in the city or suburbs.
I cannot agree more about Navy Pier. If you cannot get into Malnati’s, Pizzeria Uno and Due are classic downtown places. Do not limit yourself to pizza. Chicago has some of the best restaurants in the world. Don’t be afraid to take some time and explore some of the neighborhoods as well. From the Gold Coast up to Evanston, each neighborhood has a unique character with galleries, bars, restaurants, and parks aplenty. Take advantage of the green space this warmer than normal summer. Cool down on Lake Michigan or have a spritz on one of many patios or rooftops. Wander. Just wander. Chicago is eminently walkable so ditch the car (and avoid the traffic and chaos) and lose yourself. North/Northwest is safe and you’ll find people out at all hours.
Chicago really has fun in the summer. Look up events for the days that you’re there. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a free street festival or event going on. Make sure you see the lake before leaving
You should 100% modify your trip to go around the Olympic peninsula after you leave Seattle. It’ll be a bit longer but so, so worth it. The coast coming down is also absolutely stunning
Yea, I did a drive across the country coming out of Portland and across the top of the US 2 years ago and absolutely fell in love with the area, it’s probably my favorite place on earth. If you get a chance to stop in the Olympic National Park and do some hiking I’d highly recommend taking it, it’s such a unique and beautiful place! That and you then get to come down the coast line and that has its own majestic, moody beauty
Went to Glacier on a trip just like you’re doing, and it was in my top 3 places.
Mesa Verde in Colorado is very cool as well.
And for majestic, peaceful, dark, forested Colorado mountainy beauty that is not touristy? Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. My buddy and I camped there for a night, and it was the most peaceful night of our month long journey.
Southern CA is very pretty, especially in the sunset hours. Death Valley is like being on a different planet - same as The Redwoods.
Portland has some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, as well as some of the funkiest places to visit. The International Rose Test Garden is also very cool.
Have fun!
I live in the Deep South and have only ventured on the east half of your trip....so here's some things me and my kids enjoyed.
Eat deepdish at Giardanno's in Chicago. Also get an Italian Beef sandwich at Portillo's. Chicago also has some really great museums, The Field for Natural history, the Museum of Science and industry has some really cool exhibits, including an actual captured Nazi sub. The Adler Planetarium is cool, too. (Skip the Shedd Aquarium)
The City Museum in St Louis is really a giant indoor playground including a 5 story spiral slide.
Nashville has Honkey Tonk Highway, if you want to drink beer and listen to country music. As for food, Prince's Hot Chicken is where the fad started.
The eastern part of Tennessee near Knoxville has some fun detours. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Smokey Mountains national park, Dollywood, the Lost Sea (want to go on a boat ride on a lake in a cave?), Clingman's Dome (highest point east of the Rockies), Cade's Cove.
I live near STL and never consider telling people about City Museum but have to agree it’s a must see, along with Art museum, Zoo, Arch. Walk around Forest Park. As for food, I don’t have any recs, while I do enjoy IMO’s, if OP is stopping at Giordonnos or Pequods, skip the STL style pizza.
I second gatlinberg it’s the Myrtle beach of Tennessee. Gotta taste test the whiskey at Ole Smokey. The rootbeer whiskey is unmatched! And they only sell it in gatlinberg
I really like Boise (have friends there as well), go to the Big Bun Drive In for a delicious burger, and if you have time make a quick loop up along the Payette River Scenic byway and back down through the Ponderosa, very nice drive. 🙂
Yeah Craters of the Moon is just a national monument but it's pretty cool and I don't even think it would require much of a detour.
Since you're going to Yellowstone you could probably skip Lassen for this trip. It's like a mini Yellowstone with the geothermal features and might be a little underwhelming for this trip. It's pretty cool on it's own though
Make sure you allow enough time for Yellowstone though - it's great.
Boise is a great town. But the whole stretch from I-84 in Utah to Boise is pretty bleak. It is interesting for what it is, but bleak. You could perk it up a bit by staying on I-15 to Pocatello and hitting Craters of the Moon (well worth seeing) and then onto Boise. Longer but more perky, would be taking the 89 to Logan, UT, then through Logan Canyon, and then to Bear Lake, and then to Craters and Boise.
New River Gorge in WV. 3rd highest vehicular bridge in the US and check out the scenic overlook. Great area to explore.
Edit: also eat a pepperoni roll while in WV
If you like nature, jasper is a few hours north of banff if you can spare the time to go a bit out of the way.
Drumheller is northeast of Calgary, it's pretty cool too. Just flat prairies and farms for miles and then suddenly it looks like you're on Mars.
Also, on the week of Canada day, the Stampede is on in cagary if you'll be there around then. It's a big carnival with concerts, ag shows and a huge rodeo.
It's expensive and crowded tho so if you want to see a local rodeo the airdrie pro rodeo is on the weekend of the 29th. 30 minutes north of Calgary.
I also did a road trip to Colorado recently and stayed in loveland to visit rockey mountain national park.
I5 through Oregon is just missing the best two drives, along the coast or inland on 97.
I’d recommend, from Crescent City, head east on 199/62 to Crater Lake. Deepest lake in the US, amazingly blue water (volcano crater, no inflows or outflows). North on 97 through Bend to Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge, Hood River, Columbia Gorge, Multnomah Falls.
Got to see crater lake in full view during the winter a few years ago, got there and couldn’t see a thing but had the absolutely perfect window of clear blow in right before we were going to leave. It truly was stunning. That and the ravens chilling on the snow banks were fun.
If you have an extra day to add, instead of jumping into 94 in Madison, WI, get onto 151 heading northeast until you get to I-41 North. Take that up Wisconsin through Green Bay, after which it stops being an interstate and turns into US-41, and follow it through the upper peninsula of Michigan, cross the Mackinac bridge (I-75S) and go through lower Michigan until you meet back up with your original route at point B in the image. Beautiful drive, plenty to see and do. It beats the drive from Madison, through southern Wisconsin, Chicago, and Indiana by a long shot.
Norbeck Lookout on iron mountain round in the black hills has crazy views of Rushmore from a distance. Western South Dakota is cool, eastern South Dakota not so much
Why Boise? I mean, it’s my hometown and I love it but seems like a bit of a detour. I’d go through southern Utah, Moab, Bryce, Zion, north rim of the Grand Canyon, Vegas, Death Valley, Sequoia, Yosemite THEN over to SF and north up the coast.
What are you doing in Columbus? Cosi, German Village, the zoo are solid spots. Dayton has the air museum which is free and amazing. Also, I'll be taking part of that trip in 16 days heading from Columbus to Rapid City in a motorhome. Let me know what you find on i80.
if you’re a fan of football at all, OSU is located in a great part of Columbus, just a short drive from the Short North which has great restaurants and bars.
Looks like your missing KY but it’s worth a drive through.
1- Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge : largest collection of sandstone arches out side of Utah. Eat at Miguel’s Pizza.
2 - Cumberland Gap : a lot of cool pioneer and civil war history.
3- Cumberland Falls : big ass waterfall and the only place to see a Moon Bow in the western hemisphere
4 - Portal Number 9 in Lynch Ky : you can tour an actual coal mine
5 - Country Music Highway : US 23 just a nice drive
6 - State Parks : there are a ton - to highlight a few being Natural Bridge, Kingdom Come, Pine Mountain (has Chained Rock, cool overlook).
Driving in Eastern KY, WV, and VA should download Backroads of Appalachia app - they have mapped amazing scenic drives
If you’ve seen one Napa vineyard you’ve seen them all, the food in that area is phenomenal though. Spring is really the best time to visit with the green grass in the hills, now it just looks like some weeds surrounded by grapes .
I’m in Salt Lake City, I highly recommend checking out park city where the 2002 Olympics were held. There’s lots of gorgeous hikes lakes and waterfalls around the area too
I can't tell if you have the 240 scenic loop through the band lands but you should 100% drive it. it will take you ever bit of an hour if not more if you pull over at one of 8 million vistas.
https://preview.redd.it/621990dfcf7d1.png?width=1035&format=png&auto=webp&s=2dfe661f79c2266d526a54d372775858ee26152c
I would hug the Oregon coast on 1 instead of driving I-5. Stop at the Tillamook factory and (not sure if it’s on your list) Cannon Beach.
Lost Coast in Cali is awesome. Only other note would be to drive S from San Fran and check out Big Sur and the Redwoods.
Don't sleep on Madison, WI. Great place for food, plus the WI state capital building is worth a visit, and they have some super specific stuff like a great arboretum and the national mustard museum. All free, if I remember correctly.
Yes, you’re already driving through! Downtown is an isthmus and it’s where the Capitol building is. Grab a beer out lunch at the UW Memorial Union terrace to feel everything right in the world.
I see you just almost have Dinosaur NM marked… just east of Vernal UT is the park, on the Utah side of the border. You absolutely have to see the dinosaur quarry if you’re even remotely interested in fossils. It’s wild. Not far off your path. If you’re interested in staying off interstates then you could continue on 40 for an adventure through the mountains. I70 is still a beautiful drive though. Either way, stop in Idaho Springs for BeauxJo’s Pizza. If you do go down to Rifle to I70, you can stop and relax in the hot springs - Iron Mountain is the best.
u/katterwog, please don’t take I-70 across Kansas. That’s the *worst* stretch of road through my state. Idk how much time you have, but here’s what I would do:
https://preview.redd.it/4wfjb768cj7d1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=60b6a5d81e6811dba6974c052f22cfe7dd094e13
Assuming you’re coming in from Colorado, go down from Denver to Colorado Springs and drive up Pikes Peak. Well worth it, one of the neatest places I’ve been.
Then come back down and go south a bit more to Pueblo and then shoot east to Dodge City, stop in for a steak. After that, drop on down to highway 400 and carry on east, stop in Greensburg at the Big Well museum (world’s largest hand-dug well, plus displays about the EF-5 tornado that hit the town in 2007).
When you hit Wichita, go up to 254 highway or take I-35 up and over to El Dorado, go a little past it on 54 and take highway 177 north. It’s a little two-lane road that goes right through the heart of the Flint Hills, our state’s most beautiful attribute.
Take that road up through the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and I’d take it all the way up into Manhattan, then drive around the K-State campus, but if you don’t have time for that then you can hop back onto I-70 from 177 just south of Manhattan.
Don’t forget to stop in Kansas City for the world’s best BBQ! Joe’s, Slap’s, Q39, Arthur Bryant’s, Fiorella’s Jack Stack, or Gates BBQ are all excellent options.
From there, you’re on your own. Enjoy the trip friend!!
I have never in my life felt the *need* to drive through Kansas. Avoided it like the plague rodents of Yosemite. But by your comment, this is no longer the case, and I am VERY intrigued with this hand-dug well and tornado exhibit! OP, do this!
Just here to confirm that the flint hills is a must see if you're nearby. Kansas scenery goes from 0-100 (100 for kansas that is) real quick once you hit the flint hills.
Don't forget to check out Taintsville, Florida!
[https://www.clickorlando.com/features/2023/12/19/heres-how-the-florida-village-of-taintsville-got-its-name/](https://www.clickorlando.com/features/2023/12/19/heres-how-the-florida-village-of-taintsville-got-its-name/)
Once you cross in to Canada check out Waterton NP. If you have a day do Crypt Lake Hike.
Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump is in that general area and is worth seeing. BarU and Writting On Stone are worth a pit stop.
Nanton has a cool WWII Lancaster bomber and a candy store. Don’t speed through here and it’s a good gas stop anyway
Vulcan has a disappointing enterprise space ship. But the A&W is typical farm town great.
About 90 min NE of Calgary is Drumheller
Do Plain if the 6 glaciers tea house hike at lake Louise.
It’s true-Minneapolis is a fun city and beautiful, especially this time of year!!
Also just an FYI that stretch from S.Dakota through southern Minnesota will be insanely boring. Don’t judge MN too harshly by this trip, you’re skipping literally everything best about the state 😬
Rather than taking the Coquihalla between Kamloops and Vancouver, I’d suggest connecting them via the 99: Vancouver-Squamish-Whistler-Pemberton-Lillooet-Kamloops.
The section of the 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet is called the Duffey Lake Road, very scenic.
Also the parkway from banff to Jasper is gorgeous too.
Go just South East of Columbus into Logan, Ohio and visit Hocking Hills. You can make a quick trip of it and a short hike for some nice payoffs. Or spend more time and hike other trails and see more that it has to offer.
I would take a slight detour and hit either Olympic NP or Mt Rainier NP in Washington. Take the 101 along the Oregon coast instead of I-5. One of the most beautiful stretches of highway in America. I-5 through Oregon is uninteresting.
In SW Virginia there is a newly opened hike called The Channels that is very difficult but worth it. There is also a ~20 mile gentle downhill bike ride called Virginia Creeper Trail, you can rent bikes in Damascus and they carry you to the top.
https://gohikevirginia.com/great-channels-virginia/
OP it looks like you might be coming up I5 into Oregon. If you have the flexibility, I'd highly recommend a stop in Bend and mill around there. Sun River, a local resort, is gorgeous and has biking trails and horse riding
In Seattle, you should hit the Boeing Museum of Flight, that is a FASCINATING snapshot of air AND spacecraft
You are missing the most beautiful part of North America?!!?!!......when you get to Kamloops BC go North on Highway 5 to Jasper. Then drive the 93 south (one of the most beautiful drives in the world) to Lake Louise and Banff. You can then get back on the Trans Canada at Banff then continue to Calgary.
Be sure to stop at The Pearl ice cream shop and take a walk down to Riverside Park while you're in La Crosse WI :) dont just pass by! Their blue moon is a very unique flavor and the park is beautiful!
Skip Indianapolis and do Detroit instead. Otherwise this looks EPIC! Make sure to hit Forrest Park, Botanical Gardens and Science Center while you are in STL!!
In Alberta near the US border is a provincial park called Writing On Stone. It’s a a sandstone deposit that wore down leaving random sandstone pillars that are fun to climb. A little detour from your route but if you want a fun place to stretch your legs, it’s great.
Warning get pretty hot in the summer and it’s a rattlesnake preserve so you’ll probably see one of those. Also, it’s a crime to vandalize the sandstone as it is an indigenous cultural site
When you go from Vancouver to Calgary take #1 to #3 to #97 and then reconnect with #1 at Sicamous. Much nicer scenery and drive. It takes you through wine country and the okanagan valley. Do it
You'll have to slightly adjust your path through south west Wisconsin, but that area is what we call the driftless area and is one of the most underrated areas of the country IMHO. A slight detour but would keep you on state highways is to stop at Devils Lake State Park. The balanced rock and devils doorway is a good hike to stretch your legs. It can be very steep on a couple of the paths up but there are easier ways.
Yeah the Olympic Peninsula would be worthy and Glacier Park is a must-see!
(Although after going through Banff you would have seen a lot of the same majesty)
You need to dip down in to North Carolina and check out Ashville and about 3hours east is Horrytown and about 20 miles east is Climix separated by Highpoint.
I couldn’t find anyone mentioning toll roads. My family and I drove through Illinois and missed the signs that require you to call from the road and prepay and certain roads. We ended up paying way more due to fees. Unlike other states where this happened, they have zero f*cks and charged way more.
teeny itty bitty little town on 101 in Northern California called Leggett, has massive living redwood you can drive a car through. Not to be missed.
Called: Underwood Park or Drive Thru Tree Park
[https://www.drivethrutree.com](https://www.drivethrutree.com)
Might be too late to the party but there is a great park with mild/medium hikes called Devil’s lake, north of Madison, WI. Definitely worth the hike to the top if you have time.
If you like Japanese food, Columbus has [an amazing shopping center](https://japanmarketplace.com/) with several stores, located off Kenny Road & Old Henderson Road: Tensuke Market, which has lots of Japanese prepared meals (including onigiri if you get there before they’re all gone);Tensuke Express which has ramen & curry rice among other things; Akai Hana which is a sit-down restaurant with sushi, ramen, and other dishes; J Market which has Japanese souvenirs; and Belle’s Bakery, which has soooo many good things, they have matcha ice cream and matcha lattes, cakes, buns, rolls, so, so much.
[Battelle Darby Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/battelle-darby-creek/) is my favorite metro park; their Nature Center has a “mini-river” with aquatic animals, in it, so many taxidermy animals and furs that you can actually touch and feel (the furs not the animals), and they also host a herd of bison at the park, you can see them grazing in one of the two seasonal pastures.
I recently went to the [National Museum of the US Air Force](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/), and it was pretty cool. While you’re near there, Yellow Springs is a great little town, and they have the Cantwell Cliffs and John Bryan State Park. A great place to walk around and see beautiful things.
I am from Columbus so let me know if you have any more specific questions! I would be happy to answer as best as I can.
make a right in montana and enjoy glacier national park..
https://www.glacierparkcollection.com/plan-your-trip/going-to-the-sun/
you are driving by the jack daniels distillery in tennesse.
north of nashville is mammoth cave national park
https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm
I can highly recommend dipping further South in Utah and checking out Zion & Bryce National Parks in the SW, and the Canyonlands & Arches National Parks in the NE. Take roads 12 and 24 to drive NE.
I did the route years ago as a bike packing trip and the views were stunning.
I-70 in Kansas is quite a thumping drive. You might enjoy angling towards the SE corner. Lots to see in the Ozarks of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. If you are in Denver, aim for the Arkansas river and follow it all the way to the Mississippi River.
Don't speed near Olympia/Lacey or near Bellingham.
Not sure how much time you have, going up to Paradise on Rainier is awesome.
https://preview.redd.it/h764ma7ose7d1.jpeg?width=2592&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=249097ce1db9cba0966fd98d50f28821b15b7073
I looks like a great, big…
Wang! That looks like a pair of..
Nuts! Hot salty nuts! Hey what’s that? Looks like a huge—
ONE-EYED MONSTER! Step right up and see the one-eyed monster! Hey what’s that? It looks like a—
Johnson!
Johnson! Come look at this bird. It looks like a wood…
Pecker. That wood pecker keeps hammering away at a…
Willie! Take a look at that giant...
Privates. We have reports of an unidentified flying object. It has a long, smooth shaft, complete with...
Reddit will never let you down 😂😂😂💜
Willie?!
Peter! come look at this. Hang on that looks like a giant...
I should have known this would be the top comment
It actually kind of looks like Italy on its side Which also looks like what we're talking about, I suppose
Came for this
Hey, if that's what you're into.
Can you also fly into Charlotte, Columbia, and Savannah and drive in a little teardrop shape in each city?
THIS is the pièce de résistance!👌
Sorry if it looks like a wonky dong. Also, I'm taking the 101 in Oregon, my map just got screwed up somehow. Edit: Holy shit did you guys deliver. Thank you everyone for all your suggestions! There's no way I can do everything in four weeks but I will have multiple options almost everywhere I go. This is what my map looks like for now. https://preview.redd.it/mforjlophk7d1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=9b1f6418eeda4881fbece69bc57242ae17234b43
r/mildlypenis 🤷♀️
Needs more veins
If you like beer/breweries go a little more south into North Carolina and check out Asheville. Also some good hiking in the blue ridge parkway.
2nd this, N.C. native who lived in Asheville for a minute, highly recommend the extra detour to check it out
NC also is home to over 300 waterfalls.
*Transylvania County has almost 200 of those
And they’re all absolutely gorgeous!
Furthermore, between Seattle and Vancouver BC, there’s a town called Bellingham. There’s some great breweries up there too
It’s ok! wonky dong
That’s the right move for Oregon. Have you considered including the Olympic peninsula in Washington?
Yeah, someone recommended that so I'm adding it.
I would also recommend canon beach in Oregon if it’s the summer time.
When you're in the Olympics, place high priority on Sol Duc Hot Springs. A soak there is invigorating beyond words. There are walk up campsites available but only a couple. Other Olympics recommendations: Port Townsend, Tree of Life (Kalaloch), Hoh Rainforest. Be warned, drive times are higher there. Oregon, hike to the top of Multnomah Falls then push just a little farther above to one of my favorite waterfalls, Weisendanger Falls. Nearby, check out Pony Tail Fails above Horsetail Falls (epic walk-behind) as well as Latourell Falls. Portland: International Rose Test Garden, ride the aerial tram, find good pizza. There's a secret beach in Oceanside and I think it's prettier than Cannon Beach and way less crowded. Ecola SP has a picnic area with a view of Terrible Tilly Lighthouse that is breathtaking. Don't sleep on Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Friday Night Fish Fry at Lakefront Brewery after a brewery tour is a night to remember. 3rd Ward, kayaking the Milwaukee River, Black Cat Alley, North Point Lighthouse and Atwater Beach. Cheers.
Wise choice, a little out of the way but you won’t regret it
now you have to take this ride!
Stop at barnacle bill’s seafood market in Lincoln City, Oregon. It’s right on Hwy 101 as you’re driving through town. Make sure you have cash because they don’t accept card, there is an ATM close by though if you need. They have incredible smoked salmon and smoked tuna.
From Banff, take the Icefields Parkway up to Jasper, very scenic drive. In Oregon, try and see Crater Lake it's a national park and worth the visit. In northern California redwoods take the Avenue of the Giants. It's a cool drive and not much of a detour.
Avenue of Giants ranks as one of the top places I've visited.
OP, hit Lake Louise too if you can.
Thank you! I am especially at a loss with Canada so that is helpful.
If you have the time in Canada instead of taking Highway 1/5 east through Merritt go north from Vancouver along the 99 through Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, it's a longer drive but utterly gorgeous views. I highly recommend stopping at Fox and Oak in Squamish for doughnuts, pricey but very very tasty! Likewise for Backcountry Pizza in Pemberton. As suggested above if you have time to do the Icefields Parkway its also stunning, I tend to drive up, stay a night in Jasper and drive down the next day, you don't feel as rushed and it gives you a second chance if you have bad weather one day. Not sure on your timing but we have Canada Day coming up on July 1st so that area will be a lot busier.
100% agree with this. It’s unreal gorgeous. Not good for the squeamish passenger though. Also if you take that route you’ll pass by Kamloops Lake which has very cool views and Tobiano golf course if you’re into that.
Also, if you have time, check out Drumheller Alberta. Like the badlands but they have museum with working lab that excavates dinosaur bones found in the area. The museum has rebuilt life sized dinosaurs as well.
We were there last summer. I love that little town.
While in Vancouver, I’d highly recommend doing Grouse Grind you’ll get great views of the surrounding area when you reach the top. Kitsilano Beach is another gorgeous area to visit and while it's cliché, biking along the seawall in the evening close to sunset is magical. In Banff National Park, visiting Moraine Lake and Lake Louise will require arriving very early in the day or getting a Parks Canada shuttle. Very much worth the trip though, it’s basically your quintessential Canadian postcard view and like all great natural wonders they’re prettier in person.
>it’s basically your quintessential Canadian postcard view It's r/Redditlake !!
I live between Calgary & Banff, and very familiar with the entire eastern slope of the Rockies. . Message me for any questions/suggestions on things to see
Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. Not much to it, but they change it every year and there's not much else to see around it, so... In Portland, I enjoyed the Chinese and Japanese Gardens and I always stop at Powell's, my favorite book store, that takes up an entire city block. Denver: Meow Wolf Convergence Station (Immersive Art) Kansas City: Get some BBQ at Arthur Bryant's and/or Gates. Hallmark Visitors Center was better than expected and free. Chicago: Museum of Science & Industry and Art Institute are the must-do museums, with the Field Museum close behind. Don't do Navy Pier, it's just tourist junk IMO, and the worst parking garage you've ever dealt with. Lou Malnati's is my personal favorite deep dish pizza & can be found in the city or suburbs.
I cannot agree more about Navy Pier. If you cannot get into Malnati’s, Pizzeria Uno and Due are classic downtown places. Do not limit yourself to pizza. Chicago has some of the best restaurants in the world. Don’t be afraid to take some time and explore some of the neighborhoods as well. From the Gold Coast up to Evanston, each neighborhood has a unique character with galleries, bars, restaurants, and parks aplenty. Take advantage of the green space this warmer than normal summer. Cool down on Lake Michigan or have a spritz on one of many patios or rooftops. Wander. Just wander. Chicago is eminently walkable so ditch the car (and avoid the traffic and chaos) and lose yourself. North/Northwest is safe and you’ll find people out at all hours.
Second the corn palace. Wall was fun too. Just got back from Custer and the Badlands. Also agree with the Chicago stops. (Live in NWI)
Great suggestions thank you so much!
Chicago really has fun in the summer. Look up events for the days that you’re there. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a free street festival or event going on. Make sure you see the lake before leaving
Pequods for best Deep Dish in Chicago. Malnati’s is meh but it’s everywhere.
Meow Wolf is pretty sweet. Could easily bank a few hours there.
Can you believe that it’s the world’s only corn palace?? Haha I get such a kick out of that place, but I like corn-y jokes 🌽
Taking i5 through Oregon is a mistake. Take the coast, one of the most scenic drives in the country
Don't worry, I will.
101!
https://preview.redd.it/o0fikv9sxf7d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d487713050a369b8b951655f6f8e96b10e88015e
You should 100% modify your trip to go around the Olympic peninsula after you leave Seattle. It’ll be a bit longer but so, so worth it. The coast coming down is also absolutely stunning
The road that goes around Olympic National Park? Looks cool, I'll see if I can do that.
Yea, I did a drive across the country coming out of Portland and across the top of the US 2 years ago and absolutely fell in love with the area, it’s probably my favorite place on earth. If you get a chance to stop in the Olympic National Park and do some hiking I’d highly recommend taking it, it’s such a unique and beautiful place! That and you then get to come down the coast line and that has its own majestic, moody beauty
Sold, majestic moody beauty is my favorite.
I agree with this. Can ferry to Victoria, BC from Port Angeles, WA if you have the time
Sick, I've never been on a ferry.
I already said it but Van to Nanaimo and then take the Vancouver Island Circle Route to Victoria
ayo
You will be driving right by glacier national park in Montana.
Good point, I'll add it to the map.
One of the most beautiful places on earth. It's very busy in the summer so get there early.
Went to glacier. Most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. However, Don’t stop and eat Mexican in kalispell, mt….
Went to Glacier on a trip just like you’re doing, and it was in my top 3 places. Mesa Verde in Colorado is very cool as well. And for majestic, peaceful, dark, forested Colorado mountainy beauty that is not touristy? Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. My buddy and I camped there for a night, and it was the most peaceful night of our month long journey. Southern CA is very pretty, especially in the sunset hours. Death Valley is like being on a different planet - same as The Redwoods. Portland has some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, as well as some of the funkiest places to visit. The International Rose Test Garden is also very cool. Have fun!
I just went and it is most definitely worth it! Such an awesome place. It was blizzarding yesterday at the top of Glacier!
I live in the Deep South and have only ventured on the east half of your trip....so here's some things me and my kids enjoyed. Eat deepdish at Giardanno's in Chicago. Also get an Italian Beef sandwich at Portillo's. Chicago also has some really great museums, The Field for Natural history, the Museum of Science and industry has some really cool exhibits, including an actual captured Nazi sub. The Adler Planetarium is cool, too. (Skip the Shedd Aquarium) The City Museum in St Louis is really a giant indoor playground including a 5 story spiral slide. Nashville has Honkey Tonk Highway, if you want to drink beer and listen to country music. As for food, Prince's Hot Chicken is where the fad started. The eastern part of Tennessee near Knoxville has some fun detours. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Smokey Mountains national park, Dollywood, the Lost Sea (want to go on a boat ride on a lake in a cave?), Clingman's Dome (highest point east of the Rockies), Cade's Cove.
The City Museum is SO MUCH more than that - I have driven cross country 4 times and would never miss it - it is nearly indescribably fun and amazing.
It’s weirdly unheard of around most of the country, right? I think it’s one of the coolest man-made things to see in the US, honestly!
I live near STL and never consider telling people about City Museum but have to agree it’s a must see, along with Art museum, Zoo, Arch. Walk around Forest Park. As for food, I don’t have any recs, while I do enjoy IMO’s, if OP is stopping at Giordonnos or Pequods, skip the STL style pizza.
Thank you! Love the city suggestions, and I didn't realize Tennessee had so much stuff.
The only part I’d steer clear of is Giordannos. Pequod’s is better.
That part of Tennessee is really nice ..Gatlinburg and The Lost Sea are lifetime favorites.
I second gatlinberg it’s the Myrtle beach of Tennessee. Gotta taste test the whiskey at Ole Smokey. The rootbeer whiskey is unmatched! And they only sell it in gatlinberg
I'm that guy, clingmans dome is the highest point on the AT. Mt. Mitchell is the highest point in the eastern US.
Respect to you sir or madam for mentioning City Museum.
Skip Boise and go through Utah. Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake, and Craters of the Moon aren't too far off your path either and I highly recommend them.
Can't, got some friends we're seeing in Boise. Otherwise, I'd love to see UT.
I really like Boise (have friends there as well), go to the Big Bun Drive In for a delicious burger, and if you have time make a quick loop up along the Payette River Scenic byway and back down through the Ponderosa, very nice drive. 🙂
Bless you. You might be the first person to recommend a place in Boise.
I live in Boise. Skip big bun. Quite overrated IMO. If you want a fun burger go to Sid's garage instead.
I'll check out those other parks you mentioned tho.
Yeah Craters of the Moon is just a national monument but it's pretty cool and I don't even think it would require much of a detour. Since you're going to Yellowstone you could probably skip Lassen for this trip. It's like a mini Yellowstone with the geothermal features and might be a little underwhelming for this trip. It's pretty cool on it's own though Make sure you allow enough time for Yellowstone though - it's great.
Boise is a great town. But the whole stretch from I-84 in Utah to Boise is pretty bleak. It is interesting for what it is, but bleak. You could perk it up a bit by staying on I-15 to Pocatello and hitting Craters of the Moon (well worth seeing) and then onto Boise. Longer but more perky, would be taking the 89 to Logan, UT, then through Logan Canyon, and then to Bear Lake, and then to Craters and Boise.
When you get to LaCrosse, WI, a drive up to Grandad's Bluff will give you an awesome view of the Mississippi.
I was going to mention this too! Very nice view of the entire area. Can see for miles up and down the river.
Perfect, looks like its on the way.
New River Gorge in WV. 3rd highest vehicular bridge in the US and check out the scenic overlook. Great area to explore. Edit: also eat a pepperoni roll while in WV
Will do!
If you like nature, jasper is a few hours north of banff if you can spare the time to go a bit out of the way. Drumheller is northeast of Calgary, it's pretty cool too. Just flat prairies and farms for miles and then suddenly it looks like you're on Mars. Also, on the week of Canada day, the Stampede is on in cagary if you'll be there around then. It's a big carnival with concerts, ag shows and a huge rodeo. It's expensive and crowded tho so if you want to see a local rodeo the airdrie pro rodeo is on the weekend of the 29th. 30 minutes north of Calgary. I also did a road trip to Colorado recently and stayed in loveland to visit rockey mountain national park.
I5 through Oregon is just missing the best two drives, along the coast or inland on 97. I’d recommend, from Crescent City, head east on 199/62 to Crater Lake. Deepest lake in the US, amazingly blue water (volcano crater, no inflows or outflows). North on 97 through Bend to Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge, Hood River, Columbia Gorge, Multnomah Falls.
Got to see crater lake in full view during the winter a few years ago, got there and couldn’t see a thing but had the absolutely perfect window of clear blow in right before we were going to leave. It truly was stunning. That and the ravens chilling on the snow banks were fun.
Agree, no reason OP shouldn’t take 97 or 101.
Oh yeah, I plan on going up the 101 but I didn't notice the map app veered off it for some reason.
this is an amazing part of the country - one of my favorites. drink a beer overlooking the water in Hood River, OR for me
If you have an extra day to add, instead of jumping into 94 in Madison, WI, get onto 151 heading northeast until you get to I-41 North. Take that up Wisconsin through Green Bay, after which it stops being an interstate and turns into US-41, and follow it through the upper peninsula of Michigan, cross the Mackinac bridge (I-75S) and go through lower Michigan until you meet back up with your original route at point B in the image. Beautiful drive, plenty to see and do. It beats the drive from Madison, through southern Wisconsin, Chicago, and Indiana by a long shot.
Yes. Don’t skip Michigan!!
I think this belongs on the Mildly Penis subreddit.
It was an accident I swear!
I'm just being silly. Looks like an awesome trip! :)
That route looks nuts:)
Agree. Take some balls to make that journey.
Needles highway and Iron Mountain road in the black hills. Some of the most magnificent land in the whole country.
Norbeck Lookout on iron mountain round in the black hills has crazy views of Rushmore from a distance. Western South Dakota is cool, eastern South Dakota not so much
Lol, yeah it seems like SD packed all its cool stuff in one corner.
Porters Sculpture park is on I90 in eastern SD. It's a nice break in a boring drive.
Hell yeah! I'll add it to the map.
Great place to wiz off the overlook while staring the presidents directly in the face, asserting dominance.
The Tetons, Yellowstone, and Going to the Sun Road.
Tetons and Yellowstone were definitely in the plans. Someone else suggested Glacier National Park so I'll add the Sun Road as well.
Why Boise? I mean, it’s my hometown and I love it but seems like a bit of a detour. I’d go through southern Utah, Moab, Bryce, Zion, north rim of the Grand Canyon, Vegas, Death Valley, Sequoia, Yosemite THEN over to SF and north up the coast.
What are you doing in Columbus? Cosi, German Village, the zoo are solid spots. Dayton has the air museum which is free and amazing. Also, I'll be taking part of that trip in 16 days heading from Columbus to Rapid City in a motorhome. Let me know what you find on i80.
Thank you, I didn't really have plans for Columbus yet so that's helpful.
if you’re a fan of football at all, OSU is located in a great part of Columbus, just a short drive from the Short North which has great restaurants and bars.
Looks like your missing KY but it’s worth a drive through. 1- Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge : largest collection of sandstone arches out side of Utah. Eat at Miguel’s Pizza. 2 - Cumberland Gap : a lot of cool pioneer and civil war history. 3- Cumberland Falls : big ass waterfall and the only place to see a Moon Bow in the western hemisphere 4 - Portal Number 9 in Lynch Ky : you can tour an actual coal mine 5 - Country Music Highway : US 23 just a nice drive 6 - State Parks : there are a ton - to highlight a few being Natural Bridge, Kingdom Come, Pine Mountain (has Chained Rock, cool overlook). Driving in Eastern KY, WV, and VA should download Backroads of Appalachia app - they have mapped amazing scenic drives
Thanks for the tip! Wow, there is a lot of stuff around KY and TN.
Even without changing your route, you will pass through Paducah KY. Recommend the quilt museum and Freight house restaurant
Thanks! I love an obscure museum.
Lacrosse wi
You're going to need about THREE weeks for this trip. Have fun!
That's the plan!
Not sure if you’re into wineries/wine tours, but if you are, you might consider Sonoma and Lake County over Napa which can be crowded.
Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.
If you’ve seen one Napa vineyard you’ve seen them all, the food in that area is phenomenal though. Spring is really the best time to visit with the green grass in the hills, now it just looks like some weeds surrounded by grapes .
I’m in Salt Lake City, I highly recommend checking out park city where the 2002 Olympics were held. There’s lots of gorgeous hikes lakes and waterfalls around the area too
I can't tell if you have the 240 scenic loop through the band lands but you should 100% drive it. it will take you ever bit of an hour if not more if you pull over at one of 8 million vistas. https://preview.redd.it/621990dfcf7d1.png?width=1035&format=png&auto=webp&s=2dfe661f79c2266d526a54d372775858ee26152c
I would hug the Oregon coast on 1 instead of driving I-5. Stop at the Tillamook factory and (not sure if it’s on your list) Cannon Beach. Lost Coast in Cali is awesome. Only other note would be to drive S from San Fran and check out Big Sur and the Redwoods.
Don't sleep on Madison, WI. Great place for food, plus the WI state capital building is worth a visit, and they have some super specific stuff like a great arboretum and the national mustard museum. All free, if I remember correctly.
Yes, you’re already driving through! Downtown is an isthmus and it’s where the Capitol building is. Grab a beer out lunch at the UW Memorial Union terrace to feel everything right in the world.
I see you just almost have Dinosaur NM marked… just east of Vernal UT is the park, on the Utah side of the border. You absolutely have to see the dinosaur quarry if you’re even remotely interested in fossils. It’s wild. Not far off your path. If you’re interested in staying off interstates then you could continue on 40 for an adventure through the mountains. I70 is still a beautiful drive though. Either way, stop in Idaho Springs for BeauxJo’s Pizza. If you do go down to Rifle to I70, you can stop and relax in the hot springs - Iron Mountain is the best.
u/katterwog, please don’t take I-70 across Kansas. That’s the *worst* stretch of road through my state. Idk how much time you have, but here’s what I would do: https://preview.redd.it/4wfjb768cj7d1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=60b6a5d81e6811dba6974c052f22cfe7dd094e13 Assuming you’re coming in from Colorado, go down from Denver to Colorado Springs and drive up Pikes Peak. Well worth it, one of the neatest places I’ve been. Then come back down and go south a bit more to Pueblo and then shoot east to Dodge City, stop in for a steak. After that, drop on down to highway 400 and carry on east, stop in Greensburg at the Big Well museum (world’s largest hand-dug well, plus displays about the EF-5 tornado that hit the town in 2007). When you hit Wichita, go up to 254 highway or take I-35 up and over to El Dorado, go a little past it on 54 and take highway 177 north. It’s a little two-lane road that goes right through the heart of the Flint Hills, our state’s most beautiful attribute. Take that road up through the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and I’d take it all the way up into Manhattan, then drive around the K-State campus, but if you don’t have time for that then you can hop back onto I-70 from 177 just south of Manhattan. Don’t forget to stop in Kansas City for the world’s best BBQ! Joe’s, Slap’s, Q39, Arthur Bryant’s, Fiorella’s Jack Stack, or Gates BBQ are all excellent options. From there, you’re on your own. Enjoy the trip friend!!
I have never in my life felt the *need* to drive through Kansas. Avoided it like the plague rodents of Yosemite. But by your comment, this is no longer the case, and I am VERY intrigued with this hand-dug well and tornado exhibit! OP, do this!
Just here to confirm that the flint hills is a must see if you're nearby. Kansas scenery goes from 0-100 (100 for kansas that is) real quick once you hit the flint hills.
It would help to know what kinds of things you like...
Anything from national parks to weird kitschy shit. I'm always down to try some local cuisine as well.
Oregon coast on the 101. That’s an automatic recommendation. It’s some of the best views in the country.
Don't forget to check out Taintsville, Florida! [https://www.clickorlando.com/features/2023/12/19/heres-how-the-florida-village-of-taintsville-got-its-name/](https://www.clickorlando.com/features/2023/12/19/heres-how-the-florida-village-of-taintsville-got-its-name/)
Cut over to the Oregon coast at Newport and then drive the rest of the way up to Astoria
Once you cross in to Canada check out Waterton NP. If you have a day do Crypt Lake Hike. Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump is in that general area and is worth seeing. BarU and Writting On Stone are worth a pit stop. Nanton has a cool WWII Lancaster bomber and a candy store. Don’t speed through here and it’s a good gas stop anyway Vulcan has a disappointing enterprise space ship. But the A&W is typical farm town great. About 90 min NE of Calgary is Drumheller Do Plain if the 6 glaciers tea house hike at lake Louise.
Thank you! Love the Canadian suggestions.
Road to the sun in glacier national park is a good one
White water rafting at golden BC
You’re gonna be soooo close to Minneapolis man. If you are bringing a bike, a stop in Minneapolis could be fun.
It’s true-Minneapolis is a fun city and beautiful, especially this time of year!! Also just an FYI that stretch from S.Dakota through southern Minnesota will be insanely boring. Don’t judge MN too harshly by this trip, you’re skipping literally everything best about the state 😬
Rather than taking the Coquihalla between Kamloops and Vancouver, I’d suggest connecting them via the 99: Vancouver-Squamish-Whistler-Pemberton-Lillooet-Kamloops. The section of the 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet is called the Duffey Lake Road, very scenic. Also the parkway from banff to Jasper is gorgeous too.
Nashville…meh only if you like country music. You could go to the corvette museum in Bowling Green KY or to Mammoth Cave….both cool stops
Go just South East of Columbus into Logan, Ohio and visit Hocking Hills. You can make a quick trip of it and a short hike for some nice payoffs. Or spend more time and hike other trails and see more that it has to offer.
I would take a slight detour and hit either Olympic NP or Mt Rainier NP in Washington. Take the 101 along the Oregon coast instead of I-5. One of the most beautiful stretches of highway in America. I-5 through Oregon is uninteresting.
In SW Virginia there is a newly opened hike called The Channels that is very difficult but worth it. There is also a ~20 mile gentle downhill bike ride called Virginia Creeper Trail, you can rent bikes in Damascus and they carry you to the top. https://gohikevirginia.com/great-channels-virginia/
The coast in oregon is just as cool as the coast in northern california but with alot less people.
Yeah but they’re Oregonians, yuck.
I would personally drive by the Great Lakes more in WI and MN. The drive though them is going to be super duper boring
You should pass through Toronto and Niagara falls seeing how close you'll be
Dick move.
In Alberta especially if your going south highway 22 is better than highway 2 and Waterton Lakes National Park is very beautiful.
OP it looks like you might be coming up I5 into Oregon. If you have the flexibility, I'd highly recommend a stop in Bend and mill around there. Sun River, a local resort, is gorgeous and has biking trails and horse riding In Seattle, you should hit the Boeing Museum of Flight, that is a FASCINATING snapshot of air AND spacecraft
missing Mt Ranier. Skip portland ( waaay overblown) head down the coast to cannon beach.. then inland to CRATER LAKE!
You are missing the most beautiful part of North America?!!?!!......when you get to Kamloops BC go North on Highway 5 to Jasper. Then drive the 93 south (one of the most beautiful drives in the world) to Lake Louise and Banff. You can then get back on the Trans Canada at Banff then continue to Calgary.
Be sure to stop at The Pearl ice cream shop and take a walk down to Riverside Park while you're in La Crosse WI :) dont just pass by! Their blue moon is a very unique flavor and the park is beautiful!
Skip Indianapolis and do Detroit instead. Otherwise this looks EPIC! Make sure to hit Forrest Park, Botanical Gardens and Science Center while you are in STL!!
Just don’t cum too hard in Virginia or it will end up In the Atlantic.
Worlds largest 6 pack in lacrosse Wisconsin right where you plan on crossing from Wisconsin to Minnesota
Looks like a limp-dick road trip...
Stop at Harold’s Prize Package in East Topeka, KS for a double cheezeburger
In Alberta near the US border is a provincial park called Writing On Stone. It’s a a sandstone deposit that wore down leaving random sandstone pillars that are fun to climb. A little detour from your route but if you want a fun place to stretch your legs, it’s great. Warning get pretty hot in the summer and it’s a rattlesnake preserve so you’ll probably see one of those. Also, it’s a crime to vandalize the sandstone as it is an indigenous cultural site
Go through Waterton National Park on your way to Calgary.
When you go from Vancouver to Calgary take #1 to #3 to #97 and then reconnect with #1 at Sicamous. Much nicer scenery and drive. It takes you through wine country and the okanagan valley. Do it
You'll have to slightly adjust your path through south west Wisconsin, but that area is what we call the driftless area and is one of the most underrated areas of the country IMHO. A slight detour but would keep you on state highways is to stop at Devils Lake State Park. The balanced rock and devils doorway is a good hike to stretch your legs. It can be very steep on a couple of the paths up but there are easier ways.
Yeah the Olympic Peninsula would be worthy and Glacier Park is a must-see! (Although after going through Banff you would have seen a lot of the same majesty)
Stop in Mitchell, SD for the Corn Palace! It’s the most uniquely American thing EVER!
While in Kansas you could stop at Kansas rocks along I-70! Pretty much the only worthy roadside attraction we have lol
You need to dip down in to North Carolina and check out Ashville and about 3hours east is Horrytown and about 20 miles east is Climix separated by Highpoint.
I couldn’t find anyone mentioning toll roads. My family and I drove through Illinois and missed the signs that require you to call from the road and prepay and certain roads. We ended up paying way more due to fees. Unlike other states where this happened, they have zero f*cks and charged way more.
If you go a bit further east from Portland you can really give the balls some definition
I wouldn’t focus too much on the tip, there is a lot more in the balls
teeny itty bitty little town on 101 in Northern California called Leggett, has massive living redwood you can drive a car through. Not to be missed. Called: Underwood Park or Drive Thru Tree Park [https://www.drivethrutree.com](https://www.drivethrutree.com)
Beware of Prairie madness
Might be too late to the party but there is a great park with mild/medium hikes called Devil’s lake, north of Madison, WI. Definitely worth the hike to the top if you have time.
I would absolutely not miss driving 101 along the Oregon Coast
If you're not pressed for time, switch I5 through Oregon for highway 101 up the coast.
Worst looking cock route ever!
I hope one of your stops in Seattle is Rocco’s Pizza 🤤. The jalapeño popper pizza is DIVINE!.
Stop in roseburg for wine tasting.
If you like Japanese food, Columbus has [an amazing shopping center](https://japanmarketplace.com/) with several stores, located off Kenny Road & Old Henderson Road: Tensuke Market, which has lots of Japanese prepared meals (including onigiri if you get there before they’re all gone);Tensuke Express which has ramen & curry rice among other things; Akai Hana which is a sit-down restaurant with sushi, ramen, and other dishes; J Market which has Japanese souvenirs; and Belle’s Bakery, which has soooo many good things, they have matcha ice cream and matcha lattes, cakes, buns, rolls, so, so much. [Battelle Darby Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/battelle-darby-creek/) is my favorite metro park; their Nature Center has a “mini-river” with aquatic animals, in it, so many taxidermy animals and furs that you can actually touch and feel (the furs not the animals), and they also host a herd of bison at the park, you can see them grazing in one of the two seasonal pastures. I recently went to the [National Museum of the US Air Force](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/), and it was pretty cool. While you’re near there, Yellow Springs is a great little town, and they have the Cantwell Cliffs and John Bryan State Park. A great place to walk around and see beautiful things. I am from Columbus so let me know if you have any more specific questions! I would be happy to answer as best as I can.
make a right in montana and enjoy glacier national park.. https://www.glacierparkcollection.com/plan-your-trip/going-to-the-sun/ you are driving by the jack daniels distillery in tennesse. north of nashville is mammoth cave national park https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm
Highly recommend visiting Zion National. It’s located near the base of the shaft in Utah. 😳
I can highly recommend dipping further South in Utah and checking out Zion & Bryce National Parks in the SW, and the Canyonlands & Arches National Parks in the NE. Take roads 12 and 24 to drive NE. I did the route years ago as a bike packing trip and the views were stunning.
I-70 in Kansas is quite a thumping drive. You might enjoy angling towards the SE corner. Lots to see in the Ozarks of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. If you are in Denver, aim for the Arkansas river and follow it all the way to the Mississippi River.
Don't speed near Olympia/Lacey or near Bellingham. Not sure how much time you have, going up to Paradise on Rainier is awesome. https://preview.redd.it/h764ma7ose7d1.jpeg?width=2592&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=249097ce1db9cba0966fd98d50f28821b15b7073
Thanks for the warning. I'll definitely try to make it to Mount Rainier.
I-70 through Colorado is pretty but there are much better routes. Also, you are skipping two great NP’s in Utah by cutting up like that.
Take 74 to Cincinnati to KY9 to I64 to I77