Heading out west next week....suggestions

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lilmissy

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I have to deliver a trailer from PA to WA. Never will happen again and i have never been out west. So my daughter and I are going to make it a mini vacation in ID, Yellowstone, Montana, some where out there. Any locals out there that can direct us for the best things to do int he winter out there?
 
Drive careful, especially with a trailer. We stopped at Mt. Rushmore. It looks bigger on tv. Niagara falls was pretty cool if you have never been. We passed up Jessie James birthplace as we saw the sign at the last minute and didn't want to turn around. I still wish we had went back.
https://jessejamesmuseum.org/
 
lilmissy said:
I have to deliver a trailer from PA to WA. Never will happen again and i have never been out west. So my daughter and I are going to make it a mini vacation in ID, Yellowstone, Montana, some where out there. Any locals out there that can direct us for the best things to do int he winter out there?
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Hope someone has suggestions! Hope you can take us with you!!!!
 
Since you are making this trip in winter, I want to give you some tips about weather. Maybe this is something you are already familiar with.

Since we are not sure of your route, that can make a difference. You do want to watch weather reports and predictions and avoid blizzards and snow storms. Crossing the middle of the country, the plains states, there can be lots of wind that can cause problems if you are towing something. Please make sure you have plenty of gear for bad weather, as well as food and drinks, in case you get stalled, stuck or something for a while.

Out west, towns can be far apart, so you want to watch your gas gauge and make sure you have gas to get to the next place. I'd also make sure I had good full sized spare tires. You could have a flat or other tire issue and literally have 100s of miles until you could get your tire repaired or replaced. Wyoming is the least densely populated state, and therefore, the place where the services are far apart. It is usually very windy in Wyoming.

My aunts and uncles always discouraged me from traveling through Native American reservations, especially Pine Ridge in South Dakota. I have driven through several over the years, but there are not many resources to help you if you have trouble with your vehicle.

Have you ever been out west?

Many places are popular in the summer and there are many restaurants and places to spend the night in the summer, that will be closed in the winter months. If you can, you might want to check out what is available in places you want to see, such as Yellowstone.

Yellowstone is great, but large. The Old Faithful geyser is one of the more popular attractions there, but you have the opportunity to see bison, elk, bear. I've seen coyotes there.

The Black Hills of South Dakota is a very popular tourist destination. The roads through the Hills wind around. More popular touristy things to do there are Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse monument, but there are caves, lots of museums and exhibits, wildlife, archeological sites. The Badlands, east of the Hills, is also a popular tourist destination. Wall Drug is well known and large, blocks large. It is in Wall, SD, east of the Hills. Many people like to stop there.

Montana is a beautiful state, but can be so cold. It is a long way across Montana. Also, towns are not close together. It used to have the highest speed limit of all states, and it may still. Maybe 90 mph?

I may add more later. I hope you have a safe trip!
 
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My advice is to wait for spring but if you can't wait then stay informed about road and weather conditions.
Yellowstone park is closed for private vehicles for the winter. You will have to go with a guide and enter from the North entrance. You'll need to plan ahead for that.
Where In Washington are you going? That will help us give you suggestions on things to do.
Watch the weather very, very close. The mountain pass between the West and East side of Washington has had several closures due to weather, cars, and trucks crashed. Any vehicle over 10,000 pounds has to have chains on board and when traction tires are required for cars they must chain up.
Make sure you have a well stocked winter survival kit in case you get stuck for a few days.
 
lilmissy said:
I have to deliver a trailer from PA to WA. Never will happen again and i have never been out west. So my daughter and I are going to make it a mini vacation in ID, Yellowstone, Montana, some where out there. Any locals out there that can direct us for the best things to do int he winter out there?
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Please come see me 😁 Where in WA is your destination? With a few more details as to route, we can offer a little better "advise." Also, when is this scheduled? Yay!
 
I've driven across country in winter 4 times... I-90, 80, 40 and I-10. A great many attractions are closed in winter. In fact almost all of them. There isn't much to do outside except for a few ski resorts.

I've stopped at a few places that stay open, like the giant meteor crater in New Mexico. I was the only tourist there and looked like the Michelin Man to the local wild life. It didn't take me very long to look at that big hole in the ground. It was Cold!

Only count on larger cities to have good food/drink and hotels.

I would also plan the trip down to the smallest detail. Not only the cities I plan to stop at but the exit number also. Everyday when you start a new days journey make sure someone has that days plan when it's different than the master plan... eta for lunch/city and eta for dinner and what time you expect to be at a hotel.

Drive very carefully, especially with a trailer which can be a handful in high winds. Have spare tires and know how to change tires on the vehicle and the trailer. Basic traveling tools, I'd add a couple small hydraulic jacks, some wood (4x4's) to chock the tires of both vehicles. I'd also take 20ft of chain w/clevis hooks. 1/4", grade #70 transport chain would do.

Plus - winter travel gear, food & water, heavy clothing, bedding, a good camp stove in case you need food, tea/coffee. Eggs won't spoil, travel well in a carton... a scrambled egg and a can of heated soup makes a good meal.

I planned my gear counting on being stranded up to 72hrs. A freak winter storm plus a break down can mean no one can get to you for a couple days. So be ready...

Pulling a trailer you'll be doing good to average 50 mph over the course of a whole day. So I didn't plan my days by mileage but by the cities where I planned to stay the night. Because of long distances between some cities some days I might only travel 400miles or a long day of 600miles.

One more thing that was my preference. If I stopped in a large city for the night I made sure I drove across the city before getting a room. At the start of the next day I did not have to fight morning rush hour traffic across the city. I found that fighting traffic is a crappy way to start the day.

Have a great trip! Post pictures!

Edit to add - tire chains. I still have a set. You'll need to be aware of the state and local laws but... if chains are the difference between being stranded in the middle of no-where in a storm, and a warm bed for the night ... I'll pay the fine! Oh, I practice putting them on, can be tricky in the dark with frozen fingers.
 
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One more item... How well can you back the trailer? Can you do it at night?

Twice in my life I've made the mistake of stopping at a hotel not realizing there was no place to turn around in the parking lot. I had to back my trailer out. Farm boy here, backing cotton wagons was no issue... On one of those 2 occasions I was in a uhaul truck towing a full sized pickup. That took all my skills to back it up around a curving hill.

This is where goo gle maps comes in handy for modern travelers. You can look at your prospective hotel on satellite view. Then you know if you can circle the hotel. Or stopping with a trailer won't be an issue, you may have to park across several empty parking spaces. I've done that many times.

Anyway, didn't want you to get in a jam trying to back a trailer out of the worst parking lot imaginable.

Sort of funny... I was once hauling a 2300lb Charolais bull and stopped at a burger joint for food to go. I parked across several empty spaces and went to check the bull. About that time some lady walks up to me, starts yelling about my parking... The bull stuck his head out of the trailer at that moment. She stopped in mid sentence, stared at the bull, then walked away without another word. 🤣
 
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Winter weather issues for your entire trip. Once you hit the hills rising up to the mountains, and especially the mountains, all weather tires probably wont be good enough and before you leave you should consider a mud/snow type tire with a more aggressive tread pattern. Depending on your vehicle you should also have at least one set of tire chains or cables, and two sets might be necessary if the weather is bad. Also, along I-80 if a winter storm kicks up it is not uncommon for them to actually close the freeway, actually using steel gates so you can't pass the exit ramp. Since you are pulling the trailer a set of cables for the tire trailers would be a very good idea to help keep the trailer on the road, especially if the roads are slick and the winds are kicking up.

As far as places to visit, South Dakota has a huge tourist trap called Walls Drug. It is a large group of buildings/stores that sell most every souvenir related to the area. Also, if you are heading that way a visit to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse should be on the list. Access to Yellowstone will be very limited, at best, due to the snow build up this time of year. Even though it is winter Idaho has a place called Lava Hot Springs that is open all year and the hot springs are toasty warm and plenty relaxing if you want to soak some sore and tired muscles.
https://lavahotsprings.com/hotpools/
Iowa and Nebraska have a variety of tourist type museums just off the interstate. The signs start well in advance and will give you time to look them up and decide if you want to start. Anything related to the old wagon train routes to old west towns or similar type tourist traps.

That's all I got. I haven't been farther west that southeast Idaho but I have made the trip along I-80 a few times between Utah and Michigan.
 
I assume you'll be taking I-80, at least to Chicago. I've never been on I-80 east of Chicago but I've traveled every inch of it from Chicago to The Bay. Honestly, there's not much to see west of the Mississippi. Eastern Iowa has the World's largest truck stop at Wolcott.. If you take 90 out of Chicago I can't help you much, I've never traveled it past Minnesota since I was a kid. 90 has a lot of Tolls around Chicago. I don't think the western states have tolls though.

80 might be easier except for the Wyoming wind. The only bad mountain pass on I-80 on the way to WA is Happy Jack pass just east of Laramie, and it's not that bad. It can get a little funky in eastern Utah in the winter. Then you could cut northwest of Salt Lake on I-84 towards Boise. I've never gone quite as far as Boise though. Idaho is a gorgeous state to drive through.

Whatever you do, do not go down to California and try to come through Donner Pass. That's a good way to end up sleeping in your vehicle for two days. They measure their blizzards in feet, not inches there. And they get mudslides too.
 
You have a wealth of sound advice here, My suggestion would be taking Interstate 70, which I believe you can catch around Pittsburgh. This will take you all the way to Denver where you would want to start heading North to WA. This is a little farther South, and the weather might not be as foreboding as a more northerly route. It is highly traveled; well marked, and populated, so if you did have trouble, help might not be as far away.

I would echo all of the other suggestions about Winter travel. Make sure someone is aware of your route and plans. Check in with that person a couple of times a day especially when you stop for the night so they know you are safe. Have plenty of extra Winter gear in the truck; coats, hats, gloves, scarves, boots, blankets. Bring sunglasses. Sounds silly in Winter when weather is gray, but snow in bright sunshine can be blinding. I would be completely prepared to be able to spend at least three days in the truck without leaving the cab, including something for potty breaks (as bad as that sounds). Food, water, meds, just in case. Today there was a headline about people in Virginia being stuck in cars for hours due to a blizzard. Will your vehicle power adapters for phones, ipads, laptops work in the truck?

Sounds like it could be a great trip. Plenty to see, and beautiful scenery. I hope you aren't pressed for time, and can enjoy it. Drive safely and have fun.
 
Unfortunately this is for work and cant say, sorry the weather could be bad.
right now we are taking 70, 74, 80, 29, 90, Looks to be less snowy.
heading to Pullman WA. Then its a free for all on way home.
lava Hot Springs looks like a stop, thanks!
never been out west and not into to much touristy trap towns. Thinking of renting snowmobiles. Maybe Jackson Hole, Tetons would like to see the church.
i freeze dried a bunch of food, got a cigarette lighter plug water heater, got tire chains. I have a Dodge pickup and hauling a 30’ trailer to some college in Pullman.
 
The time of year/weather is going to severely limit your options. If you can spare a few extra days, I would suggest dropping down south and take the I-40. It's the Old Route 66 and you can also pick up the Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, 4 Corners, Monument Valley, Etc.....
You may still catch some snow but not as heavy....
 
Guessing you are going to WSU in Pullman. Not much to do around there.
CdA (idaho) is beautiful even this time of year.
If you like wine, head south to Walla Walla WA, not crowded this time of year.
Be careful as a lot of this area around Pullman and a bit south is very icy and can be quite deceiving.
 
Also just saw you are taking 90- you'll be going through MT/ID passes (Bozeman, Homestake, Lookout Mtn etc..) Make sure you download the Idaho weather app which has road conditions. We just passed through there a few days ago over New Years and there was a lot of ice in spots that would be difficult to navigate with a trailer. Thankfully we have our subaru outback which did just fine.

Livingston MT is a cute town, just north of Yellowstone. They have a great downtown area just off the 90 freeway that's easy to get to. Lots of cafes and shops, been more up and coming the last couple years. Lots of beautiful scenery through there.
Bozeman is also pretty great with some good restaurants and things to do and see in the downtown area (same with Missoula MT). These towns are easily accessed off 90.
 
tire chains , for the truck drive wheels, at least one for a steer tire, and at least one for a trailer tire, and practice putting them on in a clean dry parking lot, when you need them it won't be clean and dry. cable chains are probably all you need, lighter easier to put on and if you need vee bars you are better off parking.
 
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If you're taking I=90 as the last part of your journey,...you'll have to get on I-195 south from Spokane down to Pullman, unless you have another route option. Not sure of the road conditions there, but atleast you're not coming to the west side and going over the pass. All I can say is drive very careful, black ice is the worst and sometimes hard to see, day or night
 
JustMe said:
If you're taking I=90 as the last part of your journey,...you'll have to get on I-195 south from Spokane down to Pullman, unless you have another route option. Not sure of the road conditions there, but atleast you're not coming to the west side and going over the pass. All I can say is drive very careful, black ice is the worst and sometimes hard to see, day or night
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I have no idea what you can expect from those roads, but since this has also become a winter driving tip thread that anyone can benefit from, there is a way to distinguish black ice from wet pavement (both shine and look darkish).

Look at the rear tires of vehicle(s) in front of you. If you see spray churned up near the pavement, you are good. If no spray, it's black ice.
 
ClemKadiddlehopper said:
I have no idea what you can expect from those roads, but since this has also become a winter driving tip thread that anyone can benefit from, there is a way to distinguish black ice from wet pavement (both shine and look darkish).

Look at the rear tires of vehicle(s) in front of you. If you see spray churned up near the pavement, you are good. If no spray, it's black ice.
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Good thought Clem, i also check to see if moisture is dripping off of my mirrors if I am the only vehicle on the road same observations apply.
 
I’m leery of over passes, where small roads cross over the interstate on bridges. Many times on I-90 these bridges would get salted during the day by locals. Water would drip down on the interstate and form pools. When temps really started dropping in late afternoon the pools would start to freeze.

I always made sure I was never changing lanes or braking under a bridge. I saw a van near Rochester NY pulling a trailer once. Still daylight when they hit a big ice patch under a bridge and tried to brake. They did a 360 and then a 180, went off the road backwards into a snow bank. The trailer never jackknifed, amazing… The size of the guy’s eyes who was driving was also amazing.
 
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