summer vacation 07

[rrab1]

Hi all, Planning summer trip Oo. and we are looking for idea's on Colarado, Montana, and North & South Dakota, We will be leaving from St. Louis and have 12 day's to use, anywhere that you have stayed and enjoyed please let me know. Don't know if we can do all in 12 day's but will look into all suggestion's Thank's Don

 

[Cummins Thunder]

I HIGHLY recommend Ouray. Link



I stayed there last August. Beautiful town, friendly locals, TONS of jeep trails very near town, and some of the trails start in town!



A good way to spend a day is to rent a jeep in Ouray, and take the mountain pass "Engineer Pass" to Lake City to eat, shop, or whatever fits the bill.

 

[PKnoerzer]

I second Ouray. The last time I was there was when my truck was new as you can see in the photo.



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We will be passing through St. Louis next year on our way out to Ouray. We are going the southern route to go to New Mexico first.



Have fun!

 

[Foil Freak 1211]

SouthWest Colorado is great, very scenic. What about the Yellowstone/Jackson Hole/Grand Teton area? That personally is one of my favorite trips. Great scenery, and tons of wildlife.



What are you looking to do on your trip? Sight seeing, four-wheeling, boating?

 

[BGlidewell]

Hi all, Planning summer trip Oo. and we are looking for idea's on Colarado, Montana, and North & South Dakota, We will be leaving from St. Louis and have 12 day's to use, anywhere that you have stayed and enjoyed please let me know. Don't know if we can do all in 12 day's but will look into all suggestion's Thank's Don

What do you like to do and when are you going to go? (when school is out?) Kids?

 

[CBari]

When I was sixteen the family packed up for a 2 week trip to yellowstone and I was not happy about it, but by the time I got back that was and is still my favorite vaccation. It has got to be the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Can't wait till life settles down and the wife and I can make a trip out there.

 

[rrab1]

Thank's for the reply's, no kids going with us,sight seeing mostly, truck has never been off road would hate to get it dirty but if I must :-laf I will ,Don

 

[PWitteveen]

If you will be in the Yellowstone area, I recommend Cody WY. Nice town and the Buffalo Bill musuem is very nice. Several nice campgrounds in the area, we stayed at the Ponderosa Campground. Very nice people and a very clean campground.



They also have a rodeo every evening in the summer that we also enjoyed. First time we had been to a rodeo and my wife was suprised at how much she enjoyed it.

 

[RRees]

I highly recommend Ouray/Silverton area also. I'll be taking my family out there next year also. Probably in the July timeframe. I'll be taking my Jeep also.



There are some really scenic trails where you can take a full size truck also. Actually most of the trails that I will do next year, won't require a Jeep, but I'm going to take it anyway.

 

[BGlidewell]

If you can plan the trip so as to miss the school breaks, you will have a lot less crowds to deal with. We went to Ouray on our Honeymoon in June of 03 and really liked the scenery. Lots of waterfalls and the food was good. The temperature was hotter than I was expecting. It did not get colder than 70 at night. I would not take my TV on any of the trails though. If you go here, you might as well go to Moab too. Amazing scenery past Ouray heading to Utah. Also if you can, try to go to Telluride. We did not have enough time and wished we did. Its kind of a pain to get there from Ouray. If we go back, we will probably plan on an October date to see the Aspens change. The road in to Ouray is prone to being closed for blasting rock slides periodically which means you may or may not be at a stop on the road for 30 minutes or so several times. Be sure and take a digital camera capable of stitching together 180 degree + panoramas

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Northeastern NM is one of my favorite areas too.

 

[Foil Freak 1211]

If we go back, we will probably plan on an October date to see the Aspens change.

Prime aspen viewing is right now. If you come in October, you will be a little late.

 

[fkovalski]

Prime aspen viewing is right now. If you come in October, you will be a little late.

You 'aint kiddin'! I'll sit on my deck in the evening with a 6pack and watch an aspen change right before my eyes!



There are so many places in CO that it is hard to pick just a few... certainly the ones mentioned are alwys worthwhile.

 

[BGlidewell]

Prime aspen viewing is right now. If you come in October, you will be a little late.

prolly right about that, late September/early October in NM.

 

[RJOL]

Here's my $. 02:



1. Plan a stop in Rapid City, SD (off I-90). Mt Rushmore is about 20 miles south and is worth the stop. You can tow your RV up there (roads are good) but plan on arriving in non-peak times to make sure there is parking for it in their lot.



2. Continue West on I-90 and stop off at the Little Big Horn Monument, Montana (Custer's Last Stand). This is located about 25 miles South of Hardin, MT. They have limited parking for RV's, but don't go with an RV during peak hours.



3. Continue Northwest on I-90 to Livingston, Mt and either go North to Glacier National Park, or South to Yellowstone / Grand Teton National Parks (You need RV reservations anywhere in these areas).



From there, decide how you want to go back home. That's plenty enough for 12 days..... :-laf

 

[rrab1]

Rick, I like it any rv park suggestions Don

 

[Foil Freak 1211]

I'm making another trip to Yellowstone and Tetons in October. I'll post some pictures after the trip. If you have never been, it really is something to see.

 

[RJOL]

I've only used the National Park sites in Glacier and Yellowstone. I didn't have my RV when I went through Mt Rushmore and Little Big Horn. If you have a Trailer Life directory, I'd used the ones they recommend. In Yellowstone the Fishing Bridge RV Park is in the park near the Yellowstone Lake. It has full hookups, but has pet restrictions and no tents (due to bears). We actually stayed just outside Glacier Park, on the West side, at Glacier Campground. (www.glaciercampground.com). If you need some suggestions for Rapid City, SD, let me know and I'll look them up in my directory. My only other suggestion is not to try to bite off more then you can chew in 12 days. You could spend 4-5 days, each, in Yellowstone and Glacier and not see everything, especially if you like to get out of your vehicle and look around. The loop road, inside Yellowstone, is over 100 miles long, so that will give you an idea of the size of this park...

 

[Strick69]

Here's my $. 02:



1. Plan a stop in Rapid City, SD (off I-90). Mt Rushmore is about 20 miles south and is worth the stop. You can tow your RV up there (roads are good) but plan on arriving in non-peak times to make sure there is parking for it in their lot.



2. Continue West on I-90 and stop off at the Little Big Horn Monument, Montana (Custer's Last Stand). This is located about 25 miles South of Hardin, MT. They have limited parking for RV's, but don't go with an RV during peak hours.



3. Continue Northwest on I-90 to Livingston, Mt and either go North to Glacier National Park, or South to Yellowstone / Grand Teton National Parks (You need RV reservations anywhere in these areas).



From there, decide how you want to go back home. That's plenty enough for 12 days..... :-laf

Man I should not have read this thread. Now I want to pack up and head out.

 

[Cummins Thunder]

If you still plan on passing thru New Mexico, you MUST stop to see the Carlsbad caverns. LINK



Pictures do it no justice at all!!! It is simply incredible :--)

 

[macdaddy]

rrab1



Don't miss Montana's Glacier National park, especially the goin to the sun HWY. We stayed at the West Glacier KOA. This pic is just west of Logan pass.



Mac