Advice on Moving Across the Country/Northwest Sightseeing

[Burberrygirl]

I’m moving from Michigan to Oregon in a few days. My sister lives in Portland and I’ve decided to go to school out there. Does anyone have any advice on moving or transferring schools?

Also, what are some places I have to see while I’m out there? I’m driving there with my dad and we’re planning to stop and see Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. I’m not sure exactly what we’re going to do in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. We might check out Billings and go to Yellowstone, Yellowstone Art Museum, and Little Bighorn if we have time. He wants to make the drive in five days so we won’t have too much time to sightsee.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Re: Advice on Moving Across the Country/Northwest Sightseein

What route through MT are you going through? Because if you have the time to get up north, Glacier is stunning. The drive through the Rockies (through Missoula) is also incredible, and I suspect that's the route you'll probably take if you're going across the state and through to Idaho to Spokane, and then cut south to Portland (at least that's what I'm doing in a few days myself!).

Billings is meh. There's really not that much. If you have the time, go through Glacier or Yellowstone, and if not, then go through Missoula and through the Rockies. Just be careful on Roger's Pass (and going through Lincoln) - it's a bit of a steeper road and we've been getting a ton of rain lately.

Btw, I'm also hoping others will chime in on more to see between MT and Portland, especially any scenic lookouts/places/opportunities for great landscape photos on the way

Good luck with the move!

 

[Burberrygirl]

Re: Advice on Moving Across the Country/Northwest Sightseein

B.E.G., thank you for all the information!

We’re taking I-90 until around Missoula. The plan is to skip Spokane and take US-12 and I-84 instead.

Billings seemed like a good place to stop and take a break from driving (it is about 2/3 into drive for day 3). I would really love to see Yellowstone. We might have some time to see Yellowstone if we don’t spend too much time in Idaho. I can’t really find anything to do in Idaho so that might work out. I wish Glacier was doable; I’ll have to take a trip there while I’m living in Oregon.

I hope you have a nice trip too. Thanks for the help!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Re: Advice on Moving Across the Country/Northwest Sightseein

B.E.G., thank you for all the information!

We’re taking I-90 until around Missoula. The plan is to skip Spokane and take US-12 and I-84 instead.

Billings seemed like a good place to stop and take a break from driving (it is about 2/3 into drive for day 3). I would really love to see Yellowstone. We might have some time to see Yellowstone if we don’t spend too much time in Idaho. I can’t really find anything to do in Idaho so that might work out. I wish Glacier was doable; I’ll have to take a trip there while I’m living in Oregon.

I hope you have a nice trip too. Thanks for the help!

Ugh well I hope this rain clears up by the time you hit MT (or by the time I leave it!). It's miserable here lately. I would btw keep an eye on this - Montana Road Conditions Map. With the rain we've gotten lately, some roads (mostly to the southeast though) are flooded, and some of the passes (like Rogers Pass, etc.) are getting snow (and you do not want to be going through Rogers Pass while it's snowing!).

I don't think there's much in the tiny sliver of ID you'll be passing to see other than Lake Coeur d'Alene (which I always remember as being gorgeous but it was always June/July when we went through it). There are some really pretty scenic drives around Missoula - I believe one of the best right past Missoula and driving straight south through the Bitterroot Valley. I think it's too out of the way for you guys probably but if you're going to Yellowstore, you might be able to come UP from Yellowstone through the Bitterroot Valley, and then go west to cross Idaho and then angle south. I'm not looking at a map as I say this though, so I have no idea about interstates!

Ok, went and looked at a map, and plotted a route from somewhere in MI to OR. So what I would probably do (for the MT part) is go through Billings, and at Livingston/Bozeman dip south off the interstate for a quick visit to Yellowstone on the MT side, swing back up and take the Interstate again through Missoula (because that takes you through the Rockies and you can do a detour and do the drive up through the Bitterroot Valley and Lolo Nat'l Forest), and then cross Idaho west of Missoula because that is the shortest Idaho crossing (or one of the shortest) and like you said, there isn't that much to do/see in ID, and this way it'll take you through Coeur D'Alene and the lake (very pretty). It'll take you through Spokane, but another reason to do this is so that you stay on the major highways for the entire trip less scenic detours/drives, because mountain roads and little roads in MT can be a PITA (especially with the way the weather's been). Also, taking this route lets you get to Missoula from the south, and NOT have you take Rogers Pass/Lincoln to get there.

Hope this has helped!

 

[Burberrygirl]

Re: Advice on Moving Across the Country/Northwest Sightseein

B.E.G,

Thank you for all your help! I'm going to pass along all this information to my dad. We're probably going to add another day to our trip. We both really want to see Yellowstone and just travel a little slower.

Thanks!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Re: Advice on Moving Across the Country/Northwest Sightseein

I'm in Western Wa (which is a whole different world than Eastern Wa)... lol but, can say, I'd only go through Spokane if it meant seeing something else that's beautiful/fun, etc, that is before/after in your journey. Also, be sure to pronounce it right. It's phonetically spoCAN not spoCAIN. I'm not sure if people still say it wrong, but since your sister is in OR, you've probably heard it the right way. lol

Have fun!

 

[Burberrygirl]

Re: Advice on Moving Across the Country/Northwest Sightseein

I'm in Western Wa (which is a whole different world than Eastern Wa)... lol but, can say, I'd only go through Spokane if it meant seeing something else that's beautiful/fun, etc, that is before/after in your journey. Also, be sure to pronounce it right. It's phonetically spoCAN not spoCAIN. I'm not sure if people still say it wrong, but since your sister is in OR, you've probably heard it the right way. lol

Have fun!

MC,

Thank you! I've always assumed it was spoCAN, I must have heard it pronounced correctly. Thanks for letting me know. I'd feel silly mispronouncing it if I had been saying spoCAIN. lol

I remember asking you what you recommended doing in Washington in a thread (I think it was over a year ago).

ETA: I found your post. You said to check out the Olympic National Forest, the San Juans, Whidbey Island, Langley, and Seattle, of course. I'm sure my sister and I will visit Seattle while I'm living out there. I hope I'll get to check out some of the other places you recommended too!