camping in route to rally

[rlukeyoung]

I plan on traveling from the St. Louis, MO area to the rally and camping along the way. Can anyone recommend some good sites along the Lewis & Clark route? Thanks

[1flyer]

Which route are you planning on taking? Are you going to try and follow as close to the Lewis and Clark route as you can? I'm heading that way from STL myself but thinking about detouring through Teton's and Yellowstone and then through Lolo pass.

[rlukeyoung]

Those detours sound pretty nice...I don't have a firm plan/route yet...Part of my planning will depend on campsites. Having never traveled that part of the country, I'd prefer to have a destination each day before I hit the road. Could you let me know your planned route? Will you be camping or moteling it? What day do you plan on leaving the St. Louis area. Thanks Bill

[1flyer]

I’ve done some asking around and looking on the web and I don’t think there will be a problem with finding camping places along the route. My problem is estimating how much time I have for “rubber necking and smelling the flowers” along the way. The volunteer’s briefing is on the 14th at 2:00 and that’s the only time I need to be someplace. If I leave STL on Friday (9 July) I should be able to make it to Spokane in time for Wednesday’s 2:00 Meeting.

Day One (9 July) I-70 to Kansas City I-29 to Sioux Falls
Day Two (10 July) I-90 to Ranchester
Day Three/Four (11/12 July) 14 to Yellowstone/Tetons
Day Five (13 July) 287/ I-90 to Missoula 12 to Lewiston (Lolo Pass)
Day Six (14 July) 95 or 195 to Spokane

[Fasterling]

I am also heading out from St. Louis, but will likely depart on Monday, shooting for a Thursday arrival in Spokane (not too much rubbernecking or flower smelling along the way).
St Louis -> Kansas City (I-70)
Kansas City -> Sioux Falls (I-29 / I-35)
Sioux Falls -> Spokane (I-90)
If I can convince the other rider I'm going with (he's on an R-75), we will be jumping off the super slab for some back roads riding along the way.

[Unregistered]

thanks for the routes...I'm planning on taking my time and may even be two-up if I can convince my 12 year old son to come along for the ride...doubt I'll be putting in 10 hour days, so I may have to leave earlier. I'll post later when I make definite plans. thanks for the great info..

[fredrosenbaum]

Relative to camping on the way to the rally. Unless you have plenty of time, the setting up at night and the getting on the road in the AM will eat into your daily milage. My son an I just completed a xcrountry VA-CA-VA national parks stamp run and ended camping just one night. We found stopping at economy motels worked better for us, ie coffee, continental breakfast and ice for camel backs. I expect to be leaving from CT and moteling to Spokane and camping once there. Just my .02.
Fred Rosenbaum
Burlington, CT

[kbasa]

If you're going to hotel, it's best to start looking by 5pm.

There's nothing worse than doing the "Holiday Inn Shuffle" as you try every hotel in town looking for a room.

[1flyer]

"Holiday Inn Shuffle"? One of the great features of the GPS is the database that list all the closest hotels and their phone numbers. You can sit on the side of the road with the cell phone and call around until you find a vacancy.

[JetDoc]

Don't know how it is in the midwest, but many of the KOA campgrounds out here have "Kamping Kabins" available.

They're usually just four-walls-and-a-roof type structures, but more convenient than pitching a tent and way less expensive than the Holiday Inn.

[MarkF]

Originally posted by Chief
Relative to camping on the way to the rally. Unless you have plenty of time, the setting up at night and the getting on the road in the AM will eat into your daily milage. My son an I just completed a xcrountry VA-CA-VA national parks stamp run and ended camping just one night. We found stopping at economy motels worked better for us, ie coffee, continental breakfast and ice for camel backs. I expect to be leaving from CT and moteling to Spokane and camping once there. Just my .02.
Fred Rosenbaum
Burlington, CT

Personally, I use a small Bivy style tent. My set-up takes less time than checking into a motel. Plus you need to unload the bike to get everything secured in a motel. In a campground (woods on the side of the road) your stuff is right next to you.

When travelling I like to shower at night before hitting the hay. In the AM I just pack up and take off. I'll get breakfast at my first fill-up.

My $0.02

MarkF
K1MKF

[rlukeyoung]

I'm going to try to camp as many nights as possible on the way there and back. I figure the National or State Parks should be a good start. Once I get past Kansas via Louisiana, Arkansas & Missiouri, I plan on stopping at the Missouri River Recreation area in South Dakota, Badlands N.P, Bighorn Canyon NP in WY, Yellowstone for two days, then on to Spokane via Montana.

On the way back, I want to visit Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Arches NP, and a park or two in CO (Black Canyon? Great Sand Dunes?undecided) before heading south to LA.

I'll keep my eyes open for fellow Beemer riders...