Quantcast

Drive out west this summer - Help!

bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,929
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Wife wants to hit the road and see the west. I was thinking of trying to drag race to Yellowstone. Looked on the map and saw that swinging through Colorado for a day or two might be an option?

Daughters are 9 and 11 and have to keep them in mind. This needs to be done on the cheap.

Heading out from Asheville. Thinking first week or two of June.

Questions include:
1. Realistic time to drive TO both places
2. Reasonable time to alot for Yellowstone for wife and 2 daughters that's not monotonous...or rushed like Clark W. hitting the Grand Canyon
3. A possible solid bike part to drop in and rent a rig for the day to hit and have the missus and kids stay with a pool.

All advise is welcome other than the proverbial "Don't do it".
 
canadmos

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
22,370
22,127
Canaderp
Drive up Mt Evans for the sunrise, then hit up a bike park for lunch?

Can toss the kids down an alpine slide or something.

:edit: Scratch the Mt Evans idea if its that early in June....could be still covered in snow.
 
wydopen

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
Some of the best riding in Ca around here IMO...perfect place to occupy the wife and kids while you ride too...dont know about the cheap part though...
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,124
1,836
Northern California
Go to Yellowstone for part of trip. As soon as you get tired of driving around a figure 8 in traffic head south for 45 minutes to Grand Teton. Stay in Grand Teton the rest of the trip, it's the most beautiful place I've seen in the US. Ride the shit out of the trails on/near Teton Pass, they are incredibly epic and there's more then enough of them to occupy yourself the whole trip if you wanted to.
 
Josef

Josef

Monkey
Apr 17, 2013
108
11
I made it from Charlotte to Denver is 24 hours with two buddies. It was 3 eight hour shifts. I wouldnt recommend that. The drive once you pass Nashville sucks pretty bad until you hit Denver (not sure on the exact number because I was sleeping for a good portion of it but plan on 18 hours or so of suck). Denver to Jackson is around 8 hours if you take 80 which is a somewhat boring drive as well.

I know you have to do it on the cheap but I would recommend flying to Denver and renting a car from there. Otherwise you may actually kill yourself and your entire family by the end of the trip.
 
djjohnr

djjohnr

Turbo Monkey
Apr 21, 2002
3,124
1,836
Northern California
djjohnr said:
Go to Yellowstone for part of trip. As soon as you get tired of driving around a figure 8 in traffic head south for 45 minutes to Grand Teton. Stay in Grand Teton the rest of the trip, it's the most beautiful place I've seen in the US. Ride the shit out of the trails on/near Teton Pass, they are incredibly epic and there's more then enough of them to occupy yourself the whole trip if you wanted to.
Click to expand...
Also, if you go to Grand Teton (which is right outside Jackson), try to grab a spot at Jenny Lake - it's a first come first serve camp area. Get there by 8AM you'll be good.
 
Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
56,403
22,487
Sleazattle
Josef said:
I made it from Charlotte to Denver is 24 hours with two buddies. It was 3 eight hour shifts. I wouldnt recommend that. The drive once you pass Nashville sucks pretty bad until you hit Denver (not sure on the exact number because I was sleeping for a good portion of it but plan on 18 hours or so of suck). Denver to Jackson is around 8 hours if you take 80 which is a somewhat boring drive as well.

I know you have to do it on the cheap but I would recommend flying to Denver and renting a car from there. Otherwise you may actually kill yourself and your entire family by the end of the trip.
Click to expand...

The 8 hour drive across Kansas is the longest 3 years you will ever experience.
 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,929
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Really good info guys. Keep it coming. As for flying, the cheapest fare for a family of 4 would be over $500. That's a whole lot of gas money. But it could be a goal.

Keep going with the ideas.

Toss me the info on this Grand Teton thing, but to be honest, I can't imagine a 1 1/2 to 2 week trip that has me pedaling around solo out West alone in the vastness being all that mega. But stick me on a lift for 6 hours at a good bike park...you're talking joy.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Aug 25, 2003
42,149
13,358
Squirtin ketchup n' mustard on charred flesh
Go see the tetons in the summer. Fuck your bike, those mountains are rad. It's a mountain range literally named 'the big titties' that's just southwest of yellowstone. It's a national park with lots of big hairy cows and peaks that are even higher than sugar mountain.

And even if you have to pedal by yourself (not likely), there are some fun trails off the pass south of there. You'll find someone to shuttle with though.
 
Nick

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
25,094
16,934
where the trails are
bizutch said:
Really good info guys. Keep it coming. As for flying, the cheapest fare for a family of 4 would be over $500. That's a whole lot of gas money. But it could be a goal.

Keep going with the ideas.

Toss me the info on this Grand Teton thing, but to be honest, I can't imagine a 1 1/2 to 2 week trip that has me pedaling around solo out West alone in the vastness being all that mega. But stick me on a lift for 6 hours at a good bike park...you're talking joy.
Click to expand...
WAY too much driving. I'd never consider a 2 week trip and spending half of that time just driving there and back across the midwest.
 
Last edited:
SinatorJ

SinatorJ

Monkey
Jul 9, 2002
582
51
AZ
If you are going to Yellowstone you should look into the bike park at Big Sky Montana. Hell of a long drive from North Carolina though Arizona is cool but no real lift options have to earn your turns. Several bike parks on the 70 corridor in Colorado Winter Park Keystone.
 
SylentK

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,668
1,109
coloRADo
Well you could come to CO and do some fun stuff that meet your criteria. But it sounds like everything you need is right there in WYO. If I were you, I'd just do that. Save yourself a lot of driving and $$$. Save it for a dedicated trip to CO. Your kids should dig Jellystone. Also, get a place with pool in Jackson to give them something to do while you ride bikes.

But the first weekend or two of June? I don't know about the cowboy state north of us, but our lifts/hi-country riding in CO is not yet snow-free that early in the season.
 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,929
24
Over your shoulder whispering
That video is awesome. When you say Teton Pass...there is a ski resort online, but no mention of a bike park. And that video looked like a bike park build with dozers. But they're shuttling?

Is there some sort of Colorado or something combo flight/vacation package maybe? Really just need my kids to see outside the confines of Disney. And my wife to stop telling me she's never been any freaking place.
 
SylentK

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,668
1,109
coloRADo
Not sure about flight/vaca packages, but in order of most kid friendly (while still be a great place to ride lifts), I'd check these places out:

Winter Park
Vail
Keystone

WP is your best bet as it's close to Rocky Mountain National Park (2nd place to Jellystone, I assume?), has base mountain activities while you ride your bike all while being price competitive. Vail will be your most expensive, but downright awesome for both you and kids if you can afford it. Keystone is meh for kids, but you'll be stoked.

All those places should offer "stay and play" packages. Check out snow.com for Vail/Keystone. WP's site usually posts lift/lodging packages too. Keep in mind that right now is the busy $ki $eason and they might not have given any thought of deals to summer 2015 yet.

As for dates, don't plan on going any earlier than last week in June. 4th of July is not the time to go if you're looking for a deal FYI.
 
Beef Supreme

Beef Supreme

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2010
1,434
73
Hiding from the stupid
Nick said:
WAY too much driving. I'd never consider a 2 week trip and spending half of that time just driving there and back across the midwest.
Click to expand...
I don't think this can be stated strongly enough. Your plan is terrible and nobody will have a good time. Pick a destination or two nearby destinations and maximize your time there. Also fly. 2k for airfare may seem like a lot but you will basically free up six days of your vacation.

I personally think Yellowstone is way over rated. It is a huge park and seeing anything involves a whole bunch of driving at 25mph while stuck behind an RV. All of the major attractions are really crowded. Personally, I think Glacier, Yosemite or the Utah parks are much better. Folks on here are correct that the Tetons are awesome so there is that if the wife really wants to go Yellowstone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom