Yellowstone trip a Success

Well we made it back in one piece.  From Tacoma, WA to West Yellowstone and back was about 1800 miles.  Two and a half days there 3.5 days in the park, two days back. About 500mls on my Samurai in the park. About 300 pictures and $300 in souvenirs.  And should I mention about a hour on the side of the freeway about 20 min from the house (outgoing) readjusting my rear brakes (that I previously adjusted wrong), two blown tires, one purchases used spare, two front  and one rear (the second spare) balanced and a return trip back to Missoula to purchase 6 new because another was about to blow.  I use to question the need to change the tires out at ten years but never have driven a heavy vehicle at sustained speeds in very hot weather (105+).  Now I know.  Cost wise the guys at schwabs had pity on me (always deal with the truck slab guys they can wheel and deal with you).  I was a return customer (from earlier in the morning)  $156 m/b 10 ply and $25 each for my old sneakers.  Not bad.  Gas - 3 63 gallon tanks at $2.97 - $3.05/gallon.  I haven't figured my total mgp but on a my first tank (WA to Missoula) I got almost 9mpg with a '92 Itasca class A '27 towing a Sami at 63-67mph over 4+ passes. not shabby.  Also multiple fuses blown from my fathers brand new MH and my brother '85 PA developed a radiator leak our side of Butte (that silver powder stuff you dump in them really works). The park was amazing.  I defiantly want to return. Maybe next time with not kids and just sit and enjoy, a little less of the tourist trap route.  Also I would stay in the main lodge and drive. Its faster and cheaper.  I'm glad we did the MH thing but I wouldn't not do it a second time.  I'll probably load the pictures to Webshots and update the thread with a link.

Thanks for the report.  Glad you had a successful trip even though you did have tire problems.  Actually tire life from date of manufacture is 7 years.  Using tires over 7 years old can and does cause problems.  We replaced our tires on the Eagle at 6.5 years even though there was no signs of cracking and the tread look excellent.  RVs that set for long periods of time the tire life can be as low as 5 years.  But you got yours replaced so your good to go for another 6 or 7 years.

something else I learned after the fact is that you can find interpretive ipod downloads on all of yellowstones sites on Itunes.  I would have been awsome to have this while going from site to sight.  Take a look and down load what you find before you go.  There is a amazing amount of free stuff on the site that you can learn from.  I would have bought a ipod if I didn't have one just for the benefit while there.  Its something to look into.

Yellowstone is a neat place.  My first trip there was in '63 when I was 11 with my grandparents and little sister and a small rented trailer.  Was back again in '73 with a wife, new baby, and a brother-in-law just graduated from high school.  We tented and temperatures got down to freezing at night.  Great times.  We lived in Idaho for 6 months in '73 and then again for about 42 months from '77 to '80.  I don't have any idea how many times we went to Yellowstone during that time.  Since we moved to Arkansas in 1980, we've been through Yellowstone at least five times on our way to or from somewhere else.  We'll probably do the same this year, since we're heading to Montana in two or three weeks.

Sorry to hear about all the troubles.  :-[

I assume by the "main lodge," you mean Old Faithful Inn.  There's a lot of other lodging in the park.  We stayed at Old Faithful Inn back in the seventies.  It was in September after the crowds had pretty much departed.  It was wonderful!  No TV and no phone - this was before cell phones - but it was really great.  I think it even snowed a bit while we were there.  Of course, we saw fresh snow on the ground when we were there on July 4, 1995, so a little snow in September really isn't anything.

We stayed at the lodging at Grant Village in September 2001.  It wasn't wonderful.  It was OK, but just another hotel and a bit pricey for what you got. 

If you want to stay in lodging in the park during the summer, you need to make reservations as much as 6 months in advance, maybe more.

Glad you enjoyed Yellowstone despite the tire problems. Whether you go back in an RV or drive and stay in one of the lodges, give yourself more time to enjoy the park. It's an amazing place with more to see and do than you can possibly accomplish in 4 days....or 4 months!!

Wendy

We will be stopping at yellowstone for only 2 nights in late June on our way to Rushmore.
We are leaving Kelowna, BC stopping in Spokane; Spokane - Butte MT; Butte - W. Yellowstone
W Yellowstone 1/2 way to Rushmore and finally Rushmore for 3 nights.

Then Back

With an 8 year old and a 5 year old and our little dog, Scruffy!!

Can't wait - I sure hope we don't have any problems with our Rig.  But if we do I have my In-laws leading the way there and back in their truck!

Jason

Just heard the other day on the TV that Old Faithful is losing time.  Seems the drought and earth movement has caused it to spout less frequently.  It's now over an hour.

ArdraF

Harley Man again. Above  replies are great as always. We stayed at  Yellowstone's Edge RV Park for four month's in 2006, just 30 miles north of N YSNP entrance,love the park and Chan & Pam, Great 4th. bar-b-que there then on to Livingston (18miles) for a fabulous yearly Rodeo! Would be there right now but family transfered to New Mexico. For those of you who have not been to YSNP  the last few years, the fire damaged acreage is coming back with fantastic results. Fire was a blessing in disguise. Parks Department now control ground cover growth. to prevent this. Wildlife is more abundant the ever. Buffalo herd is huge, Ranchers in Montana are demanding that the park be kept contained or thinned! We tour the park as early as  possible Once the tour busses loaded with non english speaking & pushy  camera with  tripod attached TOURISTS arrive  it's a bad time in the park I feel. Ol Faithful is no longer that, lots of underground water but her flow is now restricted by cave in's in her structure! You can spend days around all the mud pots and other geyser's, mind you the sulphur smell may bother some.

Just a quick question - what's a "truck slab guy?"

the fire damaged acreage is coming back with fantastic results. Fire was a blessing in disguise.

Click to expand...

I can't tell you how happy I am to hear this!  We were at Yellowstone the year following the fire and it was dismal indeed.  I'm also glad to hear they're controlling the brush now.  Always felt the NPS non-intervention policy was a big mistake.  Just happy to hear the place is once again thriving.

ArdraF

ArdraF said:

I can't tell you how happy I am to hear this!  We were at Yellowstone the year following the fire and it was dismal indeed.  I'm also glad to hear they're controlling the brush now.  Always felt the NPS non-intervention policy was a big mistake.  Just happy to hear the place is once again thriving.

Click to expand...

I was in Yellowstone during the fire and it was awful.  I have been back every year since the fire and it's really great to see the new growth.  Even the first year it was obvious nature was healing.

Phil

We were in Yellowstone the spring after the fires. And while the tree skeletons were dismal, the wildflowers in the under-vegetation were absolutely gorgeous. Timing is everything.

Got back from our trip:
B.C., Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and back.  No problems at all!  A really great trip and only $840 in fuel return.  I love my Triton.
Stopped at almost every Walmart on the way and even slept in one in Missoula.  The absolute best RV park around was one reccommended to us on this forum.  It was in Hill City, SD - Rafter J Bar RANCH.  I wish we had stayed there for the entire trip.  Will go back.
I am still picking the bugs off the front.  Favorite drive was from east entrance of Yellowstone to South Dakota.  The red cliffs were really neat.

Jay

Glad you had a great trip.