Please feel free to critique my decisions.....

[emers382]

US2 is fine if you want to take your time as we did last May to the rally. Problem with 2 is after Bonner's Ferry ID it dips way south, we went north from there into BC and across 3 to Osoyoos. It was great though going through the entire 620 miles of MT on 2. You certainly see a lot of different geography.

[cpaharley2008]

I'll try and remember that....thanks!

[DGLP]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I'll try and remember that....thanks!

Another option. Exit I-90 to head north on 95 from Couer d'Alene, branch off to 1 up to Rykerts border crossing. 1 becomes 21 in B.C. Go a few miles to Creston, then west on Hwy 3 across southern BC (Crowsnest route) to Osyoos.

Rykerts maybe have limited hours, but traffic is very light. Hwy 3 is not freeway.

My memories of traveling from Spokane to the Okanagan via 90 and 97 in our family's '62 Chev Biscayne - flat, desert-like country and 460 air conditioning. 4 windows open, 60 miles an hour.

[ericw]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Re: time allotted. I have held this schedule for many trips, but I'm getting older and wiser....we will see if I can continue...my wife can not drive at night so I should be able to rest some during the daylight. In addition, the days are a lot longer in May and nightfall is a lot later than it is now!

I think everyone is different. When we do cross country trips and have limited time, we travel farther/faster than you. Like you, I'm a little older and wiser than in my earlier years. We always stop when we are tired. My wife drives a couple shifts during the day so I can get some naps which allow for me to make it later into the night before we stop. Her request is no big cities during rush hour.



Concerning the route, if you are looking for a little faster and if I can hit Chicago at a good time, I might go straight to Cleveland area to pick up 80/90 and then do 90 or 294 around Chicago depending on time of day. FWIW.


But whatever you do, I hope you enjoy the trip, the camping, and seeing people and the sites as much as we do!

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Years ago I was at a state wide parks and recreation conference. A nice lady from Keokuk, Iowa in the far Southeast corner of the state made a pitch for hosting the next year’s meeting in her town which is quite a bit smaller than the towns that were usually chosen. She had a good presentation which included an invitation to visit Keokuk anytime anyone was in the area.

She said “We’re just south of Quad Cities on Highway 61. You’ll have to slow down or you could drive through town and miss us. If that happens, you’ll be in Misery.”
Didn’t get the bid but should have in my opinion.

Hey, new grocery ads today that are good through Christmas. I gotta buy a ham to cook in the 14’ deep Dutch oven for Christmas dinner. And some cool whip for pie.
Iowa Dave

Hi: Iowa Dave... I've never had pie made out of "Cool Whip" before... Is it good? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I'll try and remember that....thanks!

Hi: cpaharley2008... Nothing against it... but no time spent in Chicago, is the best time. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Iowa Dave... I've never had pie made out of "Cool Whip" before... Is it good? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

A cool whip pie is a pre made graham cracker shell in a foil pan, a can of cherry pie filling, then a tub of Cool whip on top of the filling, smoothed over with a Bowie knife that’s field dressed many a wild animal. Scooped out with a soup spoon and served on a sun bleached scapula bone from a deer. It’s a Boy Scout mountain man classic according to a crazy scoutmaster I used to know.
Iowa Dave

[Mike G]

I'm going to have to dig out my scapula bones and try that!

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

We have 5 cats that we need to have someone come twice daily to feed and take care of while we are gone, reason for the somewhat "rush" out and back. Dogs are traveling with us and I'm sure after 2 weeks they will be glad to be home!

I wouldn’t drive that hard, not good for your health or safety. If you were a trucker you might be in a DOT safety violation situation.
Maybe try and leave the dogs and take the cats, cats are way easier to deal with. I wasn’t sure at first but after looking at Davids cat postings, I went for it.

[Mike G]

Cats rule, dogs drool! (said the cats)

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Cats rule, dogs drool! (said the cats)

Coyotes say “C.A.T.S. Stands for Cats Are Tasty Snacks.” Sad but true in the upper Midwest for sure. Unless your cats are inside cats or stick real close to the house or an outbuilding with access to a small hidey hole they can get to quickly, they don’t have much of a chance. I like cats a lot and had them for years but after our last one made it to 17 years we didn’t get another.

Speaking of tasty, one of the boys who joined our troop who advanced to be an Eagle Scout, was very smart and interested in all things pertaining to wilderness survival. I showed him a number of things including using a scapula for a chili dipper and dish.

I have coffee with his dad frequently now and learned that the son is now teaching science in a private school in Montana. Last summer, parents of kids who thought their sheltered youngsters ought to know more about the out of doors, paid for my scout to attend a National Outdoor Leadership School program in the Wind River Range, on low impact camping, wilderness survival etc. He’s about 40 now and like the other Scouts who attained the Eagle. Rank, I’m proud of him and the many other lads with whom I interacted.

From our high adventure trips to Florida (Naval museum at Pensacola), Wright Patterson museum in Ohio, to Soo Locks in Michigan and finally west to the Badlands and Devils Tower, I helped them spread their wings and emphasized the value of family roots.

We had many fine adults as leaders and had some memorable times including a feature story in Boys Life magazine on bicycling in Wisconsin on the Elroy/ Sparta trail.
Scouting was a very good chapter in my life.

Iowa Dave

[escape artist]

Hi: Iowa Dave... My fav. TV character ALF is always looking around saying "Here kitty, kitty". I think he likes them too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[peter]

I wasnt much of a scout, but I still remember trying to be helpful, friendly curteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent and honest. I think I left one out.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

The following route has been followed in the past for our cross country trip to Chilliwack/Osoyoos. Feel free to make suggestions or changes....

I76(turnpike) west to Ohio and Indiana to Indianapolis to catch
I74 north to Galesburg,Il and then Davenport, Ia.
Then we jump onto I80 west to Omaha,Ne to I29 north to Sioux Falls, Ia
to catch I90 west to Spokane,Wa and US2 north to Osoyoos. Looks like 6 different roads to traverse.

Hi: cpaharley2008... The trouble today is... everybody's a "Critique". Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by peter

I wasnt much of a scout, but I still remember trying to be helpful, friendly curteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent and honest. I think I left one out.

I’d you succeeded in the ones you remember and the fact that you remember as many as you do, I’d say your Scouting experience was very successful. After the derecho we had,
I wanted to contact an electrician for a friend who who was desperate to get his well pump going. I had his son’s number. The son was one of our Eagles. I called him and after I got his dad’s number, he asked if I needed help at my place cleaning up storm damage. He’d been working for our old Committee Chairman and a neighbor he previously never met. I didn’t need any help but I was very impressed by the fact he was still “scouting” 15 years after he achieved his Eagle rank. Our Assistant Scoutmaster, a 33 year Marine Corps veteran always gave the Eagle Charge. It started with “You are a marked man”.
Iowa Dave

[CharlesinGA]

Don't go thru Davenport. At the big interchange where 80 makes the turn north and 74 makes the turn west and runs with 280.... well, just go north on 80 and cross the river at LeClaire. You avoid all the mess in the Quad Cities area doing that. I've been thru there many times in the car and its a nice drive. Once you cross the river on I-80 make an immediate exit and it goes down to US67 that runs along the river. At US 67 turn LEFT and head north into LeClaire for about 1.7 mi. Turn right across the RR tracks into the Buffalo Bill Museum. Its a decently large county museum with lots of Cody stuff. He was born in LeClaire. If you have time and more interest, from the museum in LeClaire, go north thru Princeton and turn left on Bluff road. Continue on it till you run into the Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead, which is a museum operated by Scott County. Its about 12 miles drive from one to the other. This is a two story house of locally quarried limestone blocks with a wood two story addition forming an L shaped house. Lots of antiques and stuff. From there it is about 5 miles to the Scott County Park Campgrounds where they have 4 RV campgrounds in this one huge park. Its an easy drive south on US 61 from there back to I-80 to continue west.

Nearing Omaha, I-80 turns SW toward Omaha and you want to continue due west on I-880. There is lots of construction in the Omaha area and they are detouring I-29 traffic all the way east on I-80 until you turn back west on I-880. I did this back in September. Had I looked at the map I could have made a shorter detour by going west around Omaha. I think I-29 thru Council Bluffs is completely closed, it was in September, for construction. For some reason it doesn't show on Google Maps as construction.

Have you considered varying the scenery some? I get tired of traveling the same route over and over. Taking I-80 thru Nebraska to I-25 in Wyoming and north to Buffalo where you join I-90 again adds 100 extra miles it looks like.

Charles

[emers382]

Originally Posted by CharlesinGA

Nearing Omaha, I-80 turns SW toward Omaha and you want to continue due west on I-880. There is lots of construction in the Omaha area and they are detouring I-29 traffic all the way east on I-80 until you turn back west on I-880. I did this back in September. Had I looked at the map I could have made a shorter detour by going west around Omaha. I think I-29 thru Council Bluffs is completely closed, it was in September, for construction. For some reason it doesn't show on Google Maps as construction.

Charles

That I29 construction "closure" has been going on for years, and I don't believe it is actually closed. We tend to go right through Council Bluffs on the streets it's actually shorter than I29 and definitely shorter than that crazy I80/I880 route. If going southbound approaching the city the exit is straight from left lane where I29 turns west, and I've seen lots of traffic continuing on. Once I passed a truck before that exit and then passed the same truck again south of the city. How did it get ahead of me, obviously it stayed on I29.

[Camp@Home]

Interesting. We have 5 cats that the neighbor will take care of long as needed. And bring our 2 dogs with us. Agree with Mike G., not gonna rush it. Thanks for the tip on the quick route tho. I'm with Iowa Dave, will take side trips, maybe spend a week or so going out, same back. We're staying 5 nites in Osoyoos. I like the idea of visiting Chilliwack, maybe on the way back....We get to start a bit closer too..CYA there! #14