Southern Illinois to Spokane Route Suggestions

[Mr C1]

I'm looking for route advice and suggestions for our upcoming trip to Spokane.
We hope to leave late next week, if not just into the following week, hoping to get there by the 21st....

TIA
Clif

 

[Ex-Calif]

So 3 weeks of travel? Freeways or no freeways? Sightseeing?

Not sure what type of travel.

I've done this Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska but I'd go Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana next time as I sense there is some stunning scenery along the way.

Not sure about elevation changes on that route though.

 

[Jackiemac]

We have travelled part of that route from Sturgos area on the 212 and then the 90. Fairly flat from memory. Some nice stops but you need to go off the route. Devil's Tower Wyoming for example. That is the middle Google route from Illinois City to Spokane.

Part of it isn't overly exciting but when we did it several years ago it was pretty quiet.

 

[Mr C1]

So 3 weeks of travel? Freeways or no freeways? Sightseeing?

Not sure what type of travel.

I've done this Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska but I'd go Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana next time as I sense there is some stunning scenery along the way.

Not sure about elevation changes on that route though.

We are just going to "Meander" along, 4-6 hours a day of driving. (Usually closer to 4) and stay a couple days each time.

 

[Wasillaguy]

That's about 30 hours of driving straight through. Here's how I'd go at it. It's gonna be hot, so head N first.

Day 1, about 4 1/2 hours-
Cross the big muddy on the new bridge at Chester to Perryville.
N on I-55, take the I-270 around STL to the NW to I-64 W.
At Wentzville it turns into the 61 N.
Take the 61 N to Bowling Green and go west on the 54/154 to the area of Mark Twain Lake. Lots of campground options- state park, Corp of engineers, private. Stay 2 nights.

Day 3, about 5 hours-
Go N a little to the 36 and head west to the I-29, which takes you NW to the Omaha area. Lake Manawa SP, Hitchcock Nature Center, or Missouri Valley City Campground. Stay 2 nights.

Day 5, about 5 hours-
Aiming for the Black Hills eventually, so head up the I-29 out of Omaha, then 46W, 37N, 44W through Platte to Snake Creek Rec Area. Stay 2 nights.

Day 7, about 4.5 hours-
Head for Custer SD. 50N to the I-90W to Rapid City, then down the 16, 385.
Custer SP or tons of private parks. Or stay in Rapid City. Stay 4 nights and tour around.

Day 11, about 4.5 hours-
16W to the I-90W to Ranchester WY. Down the 14 a little to Sibley Lake Campground. Stay 2 nights.

Day 13, about 4 hours-
14W to Fishing Bridge Visitor Center in Yellowstone. Book in advance if any sites are available in any of the area campgrounds. No hookups will be easier to find. Stay 4 nights if you can get em.

Day 17, about 5.5 hours-
20W out of the park, 87/287N, 359N and you're back to I-90W to Beavertail Hill SP. Stay 2 nights.

Day 19, about 3.5 hours to Spokane.

About 35 driving hours total.

 

[Ex-Calif]

We are just going to "Meander" along, 4-6 hours a day of driving. (Usually closer to 4) and stay a couple days each time.

Sounds fun!

 

[Mr C1]

@Wasillaguy how in the word did you come with that?
I like it. I'll look it over. Thanks much.
I didn't know that they put in a new bridge up in Chester!

 

[CharlesinGA]

It depends on where you are in Southern Illinois. I am usually headed up I-24 and prefer to get off on 146 at Vienna and over past Anna to 3 and either north to Chester (done that on the old bridge) or south to Cape Girardeau. Marion west to 3 also works, and is 4 lane much of the way.

I try to stay on the Interstates and make time. I usually take I-435 around KC as traffic is not usually too bad on it. There is a campground at Smithville Lake north of KC. I have not tried it however.

Its a little tricky to get back into KC but from Smithville if you take 169 south into the River Market there is the Arabia Steamboat Museum, which is well worth a visit. I visited once, a co-worker was from KC and he said he visited the museum every time he went home. So much to see.

Long Long Honeymoon stayed at the Hitchcock Nature Preserve at Council Bluffs. Another place they stayed that I have not but will try next time is in the Black Hills, Broken Arrow Horse camp. South of Custer at Sanator.

If you go into the Black Hills from the south, another good place to see is the Museum of the Fur Trade at Chadron, Nebraska.

My 2017 trip report to the Black Hills has a lot of links in it, which may be useful. Its a resource file on this forum, just click the red download button to download a PDF of it.

 

[Wasillaguy]

@Wasillaguy how in the word did you come with that?
I like it. I'll look it over. Thanks much.
I didn't know that they put in a new bridge up in Chester!

Same method I use to plan our trips.
I start by getting the fastest route end- to-end (Google Maps), then look approx. 4 hours along that route for campgrounds (Maps, RV Parky, Harvest Host, etc).
Then back to fastest route from that point to final destination and do it again.
We never end up following the plan as concocted, and rarely make reservations more than a week in advance. Only for popular parks and sometimes weekends, if website shows it's getting crowded.
We travel off-season so things aren't as crowded as the summer months.
I did notice a new twist in how some campground websites work. They will only show 2 or 3 sites available, so I reserve. Then you get there and only 6 or 8 sites are occupied, all In the same section (usually up front by the hosts).
In other words, they're intentionally only showing a few sites available, and managing where you camp to make things easier on hosts (bathrooms in other areas won't need cleaning, etc).
I hate it.

 

[UTTransplant]

Have you traveled US Hwy 2 before? Historic cross country route that is slower and interesting IMHO. You can head up at any point in your route. It is north of Spokane so you will have to drop back south a bit, but it might be worth it for a meandering trip.

 

[Mr C1]

@UTTransplant , No i have not. We not crossed anywhere remotely close to that far Nortn....