Day 0:
Cars are PACKED. Everything we need for this adventure and those coming are packed into our two cars. For us, this includes lots of bicycles and other sports equipment so our cars are packed as tightly as possible. Everything we aren’t bringing is being stored at this point. We slept at my parent’s house for one night so we were ready to head out the next morning.
Day 1: Lancaster, PA > Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio) > Richfield, OH
- States: PA, OH
- Miles: 354
After returning our old apartment keys in Lancaster we hopped in our cars, grabbed some coffees, and headed west. My mom and I rode in my car and Cooper rode with Ryan in his. Once we got on the Pennsylvania Turnpike it rained pretty much the rest of the way. When we arrived at Cuyahoga Valley National Park it was still raining so we parked at Kendall Lake, put on our raincoats and headed out for a short hike. We did the Pine Grove Trail and Ledges Trail making a 4.1 mile loop. This was a great hike which brought us through heavy tree cover, protecting us (somewhat) from the rain. We loved this hike because it was packed with features like overlooks, rocks, and even a cave (closed to humans due to white noise disease in bats). Cooper (and Ryan) loved jumping up on the rocks. Then, we checked into our hotel and grabbed some Mexican food from a place next door.
Day 2: Richfield, OH > Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana) > Chicago IL > Elk Grove, IL
- States: OH, IN, IL
- Miles: 374
We packed the cars up from our first hotel night. The cars were packed tetris-style so it took some time to get everything to fit again. Once the cars were packed we headed to Indiana Dunes National Park. We first stopped at the welcome center for some advice from a ranger and then headed to West Beach for a picnic lunch before another hike/walk. From the West Beach trailhead we climbed 240 steps to see Lake Michigan from above the dunes. The climb was sunny and hot but once we reached the top, we descended into some forest for a bit before heading back to the parking lot. From the dunes, Cooper and my mom headed back to the hotel while Ryan and I headed into Chicago for some sightseeing. We went to SkyDeck Chicago at the Willis Tower (a 1,450 ft. skyscraper which is the second tallest building in North America). We stood on the glass and peered out over Chicago before descending in the high speed elevator. We walked to Millennium Park to see Cloud Gate (known as the “bean”) and other art such as the Crown Fountain as we enjoyed some ice cream from an ice cream cart. On our way out of the city we stopped at the Gallagher house, where Shameless was filmed, for a quick photo. Once we got back to the hotel we ventured out once again for some famous Portillo’s hot dogs and cake shakes for dinner.
Day 3: Elk Grove, IL > Le Coulee Cheese (Wisconsin)> Dignity Sculpture (South Dakota) > Wall, SD
- States: IL, WI, SD
- Miles: 840
This morning we woke up ready to put in a long day of driving. After about 4 hours in the car we stopped in Wisconsin for a picnic style lunch consisting of cheese and meats from Le Coulee Cheese store. The store offered a variety of local cheeses that we figured we had to try while in Wisconsin. After that quick stop we got back on the road until we came upon a rest stop with a beautiful view of the Missouri River as well as some sculptures including the Dignity Sculpture. From here, we headed straight to Wall, SD and were guided by the “Wall Drug Store” signs that began 350 miles before Wall, SD on Rt. 90 West.
Day 4: Wall SD > Badlands National Park > Wall SD > Wind Cave National Park > Crazy Horse > Mt. Rushmore > Rapid City, SD
- States: SD
- Miles: 236
Ryan and I woke up early and headed into the Badlands National Park for a hike while my mom and Cooper hung out in the hotel. We entered the park at the Eastern entrance and drove in a bit before stopping at an overlook. From there we headed further into the park to check out some hikes. First we hit the Window Trail which is a super short (.3 mile) out and back which offers some opportunities to climb and see wildlife. We were fortunate enough to see a Bighorn sheep snacking on some grass. Unfortunately, it is also relatively rocky and Ryan managed to sprain his ankle on our way back. Although his ankle was hurting, it wasn’t super swollen at this point and so we decided to head onto another shorter trail. At the other side of the parking lot we entered the Notch Trail (a 1.5 mile out and back). This trail is a little more challenging although doable for most people. After a little while of walking we came across a big long ladder to help you ascend a cliff. Once you’re up, you walk along a ledge for a little while until you come across a beautiful overlook. We took a break to sit down and check out some wildlife below and saw a few Pronghorn (also known as antelope). From here we headed back to the car (Ryan’s ankle really began to hurt) and drove through the rest of the park, pulling off at overlooks and only getting out to check out some wildflowers and a family of Pronghorn hanging out on the cliffs. From the road, we could see some bison in the fields as we exited to Wall.
We met up with my mom and Cooper in Wall after exiting the park. We wandered the Wall Drug Store for a while (with Cooper- dogs are allowed!). Then, we grabbed lunch at a cafe (they let Cooper inside, under the table shhh) before heading to the next stop: Wind Cave National Park. It isn’t a far drive to Wind Cave from the Badlands but be warned: the route includes an 8-mile dirt road (something I was not prepared for as I drove my hybrid, weighed down with all of my belongings, in the rain). When we got to Wind Cave we found the tours were all sold out for the day so we chose a short walk to the natural opening of the cave and checked out the free museum in the visitors center instead.
From Wind Cave, we drove to Mt. Rushmore, making a quick stop off the side of the road to see the Crazy Horse Monument. At Mt. Rushmore we had to leave Cooper in the car (no dogs allowed) so we made the quick walk to the end of the boardwalk to check out the monument, took some photos, and then headed back to the cars. We settled into our hotel in Rapid City, grabbed takeout, did a quick contrast bath to reduce swelling in Ryan’s (very swollen and bruised) ankle, and went to sleep.
Day 5: Rapid City, SD > Casper, WY
- States: SD, WY
- Miles: 266
We awoke from a very comfortable hotel sleep and my mom took Cooper downstairs to potty. She came upstairs with bad news: my mountain bike was gone (the lock was cut). Whoever took it left my road bike (left unlocked after they cut the lock), my BMX bike (on the roof) and all 3 of Ryan’s bikes on the back of his car. We spent the morning submitting a police report and then spent the afternoon driving to Casper Wyoming. After checking into the hotel we grabbed a new bike lock at Walmart and stopped for some local barbeque. At this point, we began bringing all bikes (now 5) into the hotel room each night (something we knew we should have been doing, but hadn’t been).
Day 6: Casper, WY > Grand Teton National Park > Yellowstone National Park > Whitehall, MT
- States: WY, MT (ID for a second)
- Miles: 469
This morning our hotel offered an amazing breakfast at the attached restaurant which had create-your-own omelets. We grabbed some Starbucks and got on the road to Grand Teton National Park. Before we even entered Grand Teton National Park we pulled over and got to see a mama bear and her two cubs hanging out about 100 yards from us. We pulled over on Jackson Lake for a picnic lunch and played fetch with Cooper for a bit on the beach before driving through the rest of the park. We had a big hike planned for our day in Grand Teton however Ryan’s ankle was still swollen and becoming more bruised and painful so we decided to stick to the short walks at pull offs/overlooks. After exiting Grand Teton National Park it’s only a short drive north to Yellowstone’s entrance. We stopped at a couple more pull offs/overlooks on our way to Old Faithful, where we waited 1.5 hours to see the geyser erupt. We stopped at the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring as well but it was difficult to see through the steam. On our way out of the park we saw several buffalo, one of which was walking (slowly) down our side of the road causing a traffic jam. A bunch young moose were hanging out on the side of the road as well. Eventually we all passed him, and he didn’t seem to mind. A few minutes down the road we got stuck in an even bigger traffic jam- this time caused by cars pulling over/stopping in the road to see some bears playing in the creek. Once we made it out of the park we made the long, dark, boring and rainy drive to our hotel in Whitehall, MT.
Day 7: Whitehall, MT > Spokane, WA > Post Falls ID
- States: MT, ID, WA
- Miles: 367
With only a few hours of driving for the day and Ryan still unable to hike on his ankle, we slept in a bit before packing the cars and continuing to head west. We made a quick stop for lunch in Missoula MT before heading to Coeur d’Alene (a cute city situated on a big lake). We went to McEuen Park to let Cooper play at the dog park and then walked around a little bit to see the Lake. After checking into the hotel, Ryan and I headed into Spokane to meet my college friend for drinks at Brick West Brewing Co. in Spokane. We brought some dinner back for my mom, who was relaxing in the hotel with Cooper and got some sleep.
Day 8: Post Falls, ID > Spokane, WA > Tacoma, WA
- States: ID, WA
- Miles: 316
We headed into Spokane again, this time to walk around Riverfront Park. After walking around to see the river, sculptures, and bridges we grabbed some lunch from a local coffee shop and headed to Tacoma- our last hotel of the trip!
Day 9: Tacoma, WA > Olympia, WA
- States: WA
- Miles: 30
Olympia, where our new apartment is located, is only about an hour from Tacoma so we woke up, got some Denny’s for breakfast, and headed to our apartment! Our landlords reviewed some information with us and then we spent the afternoon unpacking. My mom and I ran out to Walmart (for some essentials), Petco (for a new tag for Cooper), and Trader Joes (for dinner) quickly. We made our first dinner in our new apartment and then got some well deserved sleep!
State Count: 10
Mile Count: 3,252
National Park Count: 5
We are loving Olympia/ the PNW so far and we are so excited to share all of our adventures with you!
Comments
Wonderful narrative❣️ Fantastic trip plan. Been to all of those places. Sorry you didn’t get to see more of Mt Rushmore…but my Mom always said you need to leave some things undone as a reason to return. Sent your link to Tina and Bruce. Tina was very impressed with the amount of touring you got accomplished. Haven’t heard from Bruce yet. Bet your mom had a great time!
As far as the bike, at least they only got one and probably the most expensive one. Just think about it as they probably needed it more than you. Helps the pain. Please send some pics of your new digs. Be safe and we’ll. Hugs, Aunt Carole
Author
Yes we’ve been having a great time! Miss you!