Our Yellowstone trip... FINALLY... Need suggestions

Bill N · Jan 6, 2019

Since you are going to the Badlands and Rapid City I always recommend you stop at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site located at exit 131 on I-90. This is also an exit to the Badlands. The Minuteman Missile site is composed of a visitors center at exit 131, a Minuteman Launch Control Center a few miles down the interstate and a Minuteman missile site (where the missile itself is located) a few more miles down the interstate. From 1963-1994, this area of South Dakota was the home of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing composed of 150 Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and 15 Launch Control Centers. Each LCC controlled 10 missiles but had the ability to launch 50. These sites are relics of the Cold War when the US had over 1000 Minuteman missiles on alert and ready to launch 24/7. There are still 400 in that configuration in North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

My interest in these sites is that I was on the first Missile Combat Crew to accept Delta 1 - which is now the Minuteman Historic Site - from the Boeing Company in early July 1963. The web site for this attraction is:
https://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm

Bill

ditsjets7 · Jan 6, 2019

Amazing! Wow. I can?t thank you and everyone here enough. I have not done this before and I?m so excited to be able to do it. I hope and pray I can get theee and back with no mechanical issues. I just replaced the frost 2 tires and the ones in the back are 3-4 years old now. It?s a 2003 coachman Leorachaun, 36k mikes. I plan to put fully synthetic oil in her before the trip. I suppose that will mean a permanent switch to synthetic oil but that?s ok. We are bringing our bicycles too so any ideas or suggestions on where to best utilize those would be great. The rodeo on Cody was exactly what my wife said. That sounds fun. We awere thinking of white water rafting while on a grand Tetons as suggested by a friend of ours. This is such wonderful Information. Thank you again everyone!

Mike

coxid · Jan 6, 2019

There are numerous commercial rafting company?s in Jackson and GTNP I would goggle them for more information. They vary from placid river rafting to white water rafting on the Snake River including 1/2 day trips and all day trips.

ditsjets7 · Jan 6, 2019

Hi everyone, just going over all this with my wife and just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have taken the time, your own time to type up and share all this information with me. Thank you all very very VERY much! Now its time for me to make some final bookings on this trip, I'll let you all know whaen I finish it all off and my itinerary is set! please feel free to critique this rookie as you please. Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Mike

docj · Jan 6, 2019

Bill N said:
Since you are going to the Badlands and Rapid City I always recommend you stop at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site located at exit 131 on I-90. This is also an exit to the Badlands. The Minuteman Missile site is composed of a visitors center at exit 131, a Minuteman Launch Control Center a few miles down the interstate and a Minuteman missile site (where the missile itself is located) a few more miles down the interstate. From 1963-1994, this area of South Dakota was the home of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing composed of 150 Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and 15 Launch Control Centers. Each LCC controlled 10 missiles but had the ability to launch 50. These sites are relics of the Cold War when the US had over 1000 Minuteman missiles on alert and ready to launch 24/7. There are still 400 in that configuration in North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

My interest in these sites is that I was on the first Missile Combat Crew to accept Delta 1 - which is now the Minuteman Historic Site - from the Boeing Company in early July 1963. The web site for this attraction is:
https://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm

Bill

I agree that this is a great, unique stop (and the superintendent is a friend of mine!) but please note that tickets to tour the underground launch center are very limited and are available online, in advance. If you have any interest in this try to sign up for tickets as soon as you what dates you're going to be in the area. It's well worth it IMO both for those of us who lived through the Cold War and those younger folks who will now learn about it as history. Most of the Visitor Center exhibits are oriented towards explaining the Cold War to Millennials and other younger people.

John Stephens · Jan 6, 2019

We will be a month ahead of you, taking the same trip with an extension. For the Mt. Rushmore area, we are staying at Fish n Fry in Deadwood since it seems centrally located to everything we want to see in that area, including Badlands and Devil's Tower. They have a weekly special for the cost of six nights. For Cody, we're staying in Buffalo Bill State Park, and while in the Grand Tetons, we'll stay at Gros Ventre. We are also staying in Ten Sleep on the way from the Big Horns to Cody and when we get to Yellowstone, we'll stay at Buffalo Crossing.

jackiemac · Jan 7, 2019

John Stephens said:
We will be a month ahead of you, taking the same trip with an extension. For the Mt. Rushmore area, we are staying at Fish n Fry in Deadwood since it seems centrally located to everything we want to see in that area, including Badlands and Devil's Tower. They have a weekly special for the cost of six nights. For Cody, we're staying in Buffalo Bill State Park, and while in the Grand Tetons, we'll stay at Gros Ventre. We are also staying in Ten Sleep on the way from the Big Horns to Cody and when we get to Yellowstone, we'll stay at Buffalo Crossing.

Are you going to the Ten Sleep brewery John?

Bill N · Jan 7, 2019

docj said:
I agree that this is a great, unique stop (and the superintendent is a friend of mine!) but please note that tickets to tour the underground launch center are very limited and are available online, in advance. If you have any interest in this try to sign up for tickets as soon as you what dates you're going to be in the area. It's well worth it IMO both for those of us who lived through the Cold War and those younger folks who will now learn about it as history. Most of the Visitor Center exhibits are oriented towards explaining the Cold War to Millennials and other younger people.

I see that this attraction is now closed for the government shutdown but, hopefully, it will be open by the time the OP takes their trip. Maybe, just maybe, I can make my final motorhome trip to the site this summer. It will be the first time back since 1973 and probably my last chance to see the place.

Bill

John Stephens · Jan 7, 2019

jackiemac said:
Are you going to the Ten Sleep brewery John?

Jackie - of course, on your advice. We already have spoken to the Ten Broek RV park you suggested and have a reservation for one night. I figure we can get through the Big Horns and still have time for the brewery in the same day before calling it a night. I'm planning on taking the same route you did to Cody, assuming those backroads won't give us a problem. The nice thing about staying at Gros Ventre is without the need for reservations, we can take our time and get there whenever we want, so if we find something else on the way that we want to explore, we can take an extra day if necessary. I had to back our reservations for Buffalo Crossing in West Yellowstone up one day because they were already booked up for the time we wanted. That added an extra day at Gros Ventre so we've got plenty of time now to do something else on the way there if we want.

jackiemac · Jan 7, 2019

John Stephens said:
Jackie - of course, on your advice. We already have spoken to the Ten Broek RV park you suggested and have a reservation for one night. I figure we can get through the Big Horns and still have time for the brewery in the same day before calling it a night. I'm planning on taking the same route you did to Cody, assuming those backroads won't give us a problem. The nice thing about staying at Gros Ventre is without the need for reservations, we can take our time and get there whenever we want, so if we find something else on the way that we want to explore, we can take an extra day if necessary. I had to back our reservations for Buffalo Crossing in West Yellowstone up one day because they were already booked up for the time we wanted. That added an extra day at Gros Ventre so we've got plenty of time now to do something else on the way there if we want.

Just make sure you get to Gros Ventre before noon, or earlier if you can. ;D

Larry N. · Jan 7, 2019

jackiemac said:
Just make sure you get to Gros Ventre before noon, or earlier if you can. ;D

Amen! They can fill up quickly.

IBTripping · Jan 7, 2019

Including a brewery in your itinerary. I like your priorities!!!

)

jackiemac · Jan 7, 2019

IBTripping said:
Including a brewery in your itinerary. I like your priorities!!! )

And there are 3 in or near Jackson!

Roadhouse and Melvin and Snake River are all great! Melvin is down the road in Alpine but you can get their beer in town.

Great Horned Owl · Jan 7, 2019

And not far from there. the Red Lodge Brewery has a very good Bent Nail IPA. Even better, for real hop heads, is their broken Nail double IPA. Some stores in the area carry a case with six bottles of each.

Best of all, you get to drive over the Beartooth Highway to get there from Yellowstone.

Joel

John Stephens · Jan 7, 2019

jackiemac said:
Just make sure you get to Gros Ventre before noon, or earlier if you can. ;D

How long do you think the drive from Cody to Gros Ventre will be? When I try to calculate it on Google Maps, it won't give me a route straight through the park and takes me completely around Yellowstone instead, either north or south.

John Stephens · Jan 7, 2019

jackiemac said:
Just make sure you get to Gros Ventre before noon, or earlier if you can. ;D

How long do you think the drive will be from Buffalo Bill State Park? When I try to calculate it on Google Maps, it won't give me a straight shot through Yellowstone and takes me around the park instead, either north or south.

Isaac-1 · Jan 8, 2019

That is a very hard question to answer as speed through Yellowstone can be anything from 45 mph in the park on down to a snails pace depending on wildlife on the roads, also you will be crossing multiple mountain passes on this route with the associated traffic slow downs. Driving distance is going to be around 145 -150 miles from Buffalo Bill State Park to Gros Ventre Campground. Best case 3.5 hours, realistically plan on 4.5 - 5 hours, maybe more.

jackiemac · Jan 8, 2019

John, one thing to be aware of:

2019 Construction
Canyon Village Area

2019 season: some destinations unavailable as part of the Canyon Overlooks and Trails Restoration Project.
Fishing Bridge to Indian Pond (East Entrance Road)

2019 season: expect 30-minute delays along the East Entrance Road between Fishing Bridge and Indian Pond (excluding holidays*).
Norris to Mammoth

2019 season: expect 30-minute delays between Roaring Mountain and Apollinaris Spring (excluding holidays*).
*Holidays include Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.

Note that you can change date of travel in Google Maps which will show alternatives. See photo attached. Click on 3 dots and hopefully you will get the option.

Edit..... I can't get Google to take me via Chief Joseph Highway for some reason. Might need some manipulation.

Larry N. · Jan 8, 2019

I got Map Source (Garmin map program for certain GPSs) to give me 176 miles from Cody to Gros Ventre, but only after I inserted several waypoints to force it to choose the most direct route. It otherwise wanted to avoid the park completely except the last little bit from Jackson. If you figure a 35 mph average speed (you might do a LITTLE better, or maybe worse) that's five hours enroute. This takes US 14 to Yellowstone Lake, then Grand Loop Road south to 191 to Gros Ventre. This program shows 51.9 miles from Cody to the park's east entrance, saying it's a one hour drive (you might make it that quickly). The remaining 124 miles are in Yellowstone and Teton parks, slow going.

ditsjets7 · Jan 8, 2019

Hey everyone, so looking at the map has posed me to consider changing my reservations in West Yellowstone. I am currently scheduled to stay at Holiday RV Park in West Yellowstone on Hegben Lake. Looking at Grizzly RV Park although not as nice as it has no lake/boats/swimming I am wondering if that is the better location for us. We plan on Renting a car for the 5 night stay from Big Skye so we can simply park the R.V.... we do not own a "TOAD" Does anyone think that I should do this? I am torn. Thanks everyone.

Mike

Our Yellowstone trip... FINALLY... Need suggestions

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