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gypsydad · 12-12-2021, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick tracy

Unless you plan to hike a lot at Glacier, wife and I did it in one day last summer. East entrance was closed, drove the "going to the sun" road, one hike and done. IMHO great to see once, but Grand Tetons, Yosemite are the best in the west for hiking, Yellowstone for pure scenery.
From Glacier, Bonners Ferry is beautiful, Sandpoint super cute and fun, not many RV or state parks to camp in until you get to Couer d'alene.
We live in Portland metro, when heading east we drive straight through to Idaho in one day, either Boise if going south (UT, CO), Sandpoint if going north (Canada,, MT, SD)
Oregon coast is great, top to bottom Astoria to Brookings. if you can only make three stops - Astoria area Fort Stevens State park, Newport area Sea Rock Cove or South Bay State park, Winchester bay/Coos Bay - Winchester Bay resort, Sea Perch RV resort. World class golf at Bandon Dunes. Crater Lake would be a great stop.
Might be worth noting, June in the PNW is mostly rainy.

If your going to Glacier, take the time to see the park; "one and done" reference above, would be a "SIN" once your there. Anyone who has spent a few days in Glacier will likely agree: the scenery inside the park is spectacular...I tell people Colorado is amazing, Tetons are spectacular, but nothing holds a candle to Glacier...every turn inside the park on GTS road is like a Rockwell painting; The hikes are also spectacular, especially back in Many Glacier area! (And, if you really appreciate Glacier, you should plan to go to Banff and camp! It's like Glacier on steroids!)

Tetons are surely very nice; we go there/camp also 3-4 times in the summer (live an hour away from Tetons) but lots of people there also hiking...Yellowstone is nice, but the crowds in Yellowstone are worse than any of the others; we always camp outside Yellowstone and daytrip early in the AM before the crowds get bad! (pics are Jenny Lake (Tetons), 2 Jack Lake (Banff), and our favorite camp spot in Swift Currant campgrounds next to Many Glacier lake.

wolfemp · 12-12-2021, 06:29 PM

Agree that rushing thru Glacier makes no sense. Take your time. Search around Flathead Lake some. Go south thru Missoula, follow the Payette down to Boise. So much to see. Boise to Bend, Eugene then the coast. Great stuff.

vhaalen · 12-12-2021, 08:26 PM

From Missoula, you are only 3 hrs from Coeur d'Alene, ID. Lots of beauty and history in the Lakes region (Lakes Coeur d'Alene, Pend O'Reille, & Priest). Twenty miles east is Spokane, WA, home of Gonzaga University, with the Spokane River Falls in the center of town. South of CDA (Hwy 95) is the Palouse, a huge wheat growing region through wide expanses of lush rolling hills. Good time of year to be in the part of the country.

rcmenz · 12-13-2021, 06:33 PM

A couple of fun facts when you are planning your trip. Idaho has more surface area than Texas, actually more surface area than any other state in the lower 48. Except for the southern desert Idaho is all mountains. Many of the state highways that others have suggested follow river canyons. Think Colorado but without as many guard rails.

In what we call the high country (like the Sawtooths around Stanly) camping season starts in July because that is when the snow is pretty much gone from the high passes. September is when all us retirees hit the Oregon coast, the weather is good and all the hoards of tourists are gone.

Northern Idaho is a special place, green and lush, an extension of northern Washington. Large lakes surrounded by granite peaks. As in US Navy submarine testing facilities large. It also has one of the few interstate highways in Idaho, a highway that will take you through the Cascades into Washington, close to Cascade National park and then to the San Juan Islands.

Southern Idaho and eastern Oregon are the northern edge of the Great Basin Desert, all lava flows and sagebrush. You drive west out of Idaho at the top or the bottom third because the middle of the Oregon, Washington Idaho boarder area is called Hell's Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon and you must drive around it. Watch your gas if you take a two lane, it is a long way between gas stations.

Portland is nice, but the Emerald City on a sunny summer day is absolutely spectacular. Although if the boarder is open to see Vancouver with all those glass high rises backstopped by green is very special. Yea, you may want to spend a couple of months.

Dick tracy · 12-15-2021, 12:58 PM

[QUOTE=gypsydad;2561517]If your going to Glacier, take the time to see the park; "one and done" reference above, would be a "SIN" once your there. Anyone who has spent a few days in Glacier will likely agree: the scenery inside the park is spectacular...I tell people Colorado is amazing, Tetons are spectacular, but nothing holds a candle to Glacier...every turn inside the park on GTS road is like a Rockwell painting; The hikes are also spectacular, especially back in Many Glacier area! (And, if you really appreciate Glacier, you should plan to go to Banff and camp! It's like Glacier on steroids!)

Great pics, I'm sticking to my opinion, for my time/money Glacier is pretty low on the list compared to Jasper NP, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, even the Oregon coast and Olympic National Park. I do agree with you on Jasper NP/Banff WAY better than Glacier.
It's ok to have differing opinion, makes to world go round, not all robots.

KCurtis · 12-15-2021, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BRS

This is a bit confusing. You state that you want to visit Montana and Idaho but then you want to visit the OREGON coast. Are you aware that you will be driving 500 miles across the state of OREGON to get to the Pacific Coast ?

Fully aware. It was an either or question - not both. Thanks!

KCurtis · 12-15-2021, 01:27 PM

Thanks you all for the information!

I've been in Yellowstone several times over the past 8 years. It is great, but I've had enough of it for now and I am ready to see and am looking forward to seeing the other National Parks.

KCurtis · 12-15-2021, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsydad

If your going to Glacier, take the time to see the park; "one and done" reference above, would be a "SIN" once your there. Anyone who has spent a few days in Glacier will likely agree: the scenery inside the park is spectacular...I tell people Colorado is amazing, Tetons are spectacular, but nothing holds a candle to Glacier...every turn inside the park on GTS road is like a Rockwell painting; The hikes are also spectacular, especially back in Many Glacier area! (And, if you really appreciate Glacier, you should plan to go to Banff and camp! It's like Glacier on steroids!)

Tetons are surely very nice; we go there/camp also 3-4 times in the summer (live an hour away from Tetons) but lots of people there also hiking...Yellowstone is nice, but the crowds in Yellowstone are worse than any of the others; we always camp outside Yellowstone and daytrip early in the AM before the crowds get bad! (pics are Jenny Lake (Tetons), 2 Jack Lake (Banff), and our favorite camp spot in Swift Currant campgrounds next to Many Glacier lake.

Beautiful pics! Thanks!

Where exactly is that site in your picture? It looks awesome!

gypsydad · 12-15-2021, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCurtis

Beautiful pics! Thanks!

Where exactly is that site in your picture? It looks awesome!

Which pic/site?
Here they are again with few more. One comment; Don't miss Glacier Park, no matter what someone might tell you from their "short" visit. We have stayed 3-4 times each summer for many years, and we never get tired of seeing from GTS road..just get up early and head to Logan Pass; you will never forget. There are so many "stop" moments on that road! Glacier is becoming as or more popular than Yellowstone, however. Yellowstone is just ridiculous with visitors, especially tour busses and "out of town" visitors who have never seen a squirrel up close, let alone a buffalo or deer; they stop in the middle of the road and hold everyone up..they go inside the "keep out" signs on the geysers for pictures, and really never seem to consider moving out of the way and letting traffic continue...really has ruined it for a lot of people. Glacier, getting the same way, but not as many traffic jams due to buffalo or deer as in Yellowstone. We see Tetons several times in the summer (an hours drive) Getting thru Jackson is the hassle; getting into the park for the day is not an issue, but again, the lakes and lodge areas tend to get really crowded with hikers. My advise for any of these is to stay outside the parks, venture in during the day. There are lots of state and local campgrounds outside the parks...just get up early to go inside!
pictures in order:
Swift Currant at Many Glacier, in front of lodge.
Logan Pass on GTS Road, Glacier
Campsite in Swift Currant campgrounds, Many Glacier
St. Marys lake heading West from St. Marys on GTS road
Lake McDonald from Apgar area
Swift Currant falls
2 Jacks Lake outside Banff
Banff from Gondola above city

gypsydad · 12-15-2021, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCurtis

Beautiful pics! Thanks!

Where exactly is that site in your picture? It looks awesome!

Assuming the camping pic before is the one you are questioning? The camp pics in both posts are same site; just different views of our campsite in Swift Currant, Many Glacier...my favorite site and campgrounds for sure...although, we do like Apgar also...because the lake is close and the village is also close. Both Apgar and Many Glacier have great stores for shopping, supplies, and eating of course!

gypsydad · 12-16-2021, 11:23 AM

Campsite at Swift Currant: forgot to include these pics 3 years ago...same campsite...momma and Booboo were coming over across the creek to see us, when i whistled to get them to look at my camera; the little one was scared, and scampered up the tree, causing mom to do a 180 and look for her cub...when Booboo came down, they scampered back into the woods where they were coming from. Many Glacier we have seen bear and moose most every trip in that campground!