Road Trip Ideas?

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JR6424
Buckaroo
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Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:58 pm

Hey everybody,

New guy here, thanks for having me. The wife and I are considering buying some property out in your beautiful state with the intent of using it as a vacation property now and to slowly build our retirement home on for the future. We'd like to narrow down a few areas to concentrate our search on but we don't even know where to begin. My thought was that we'd plan a little roadtrip through the state to try to get a feel for it. I'd like to try to figure out a route that will get us through as many of the different areas and regions as possible, but do it without backtracking all over the place in the process. We'll be coming from and returning to Washington State and we'll have about a week to 10 days to do it in. I love driving and don't mind putting in long days behind the wheel, I drive WA to PA at least once or twice a year and I usually do it in 3 days if that gives you an idea of my stamina, although this time we'd like to slow down a little and enjoy the scenery and explore a few places. So with that in mind here's what I've come up with so far, I was hoping you all could take a look at it and give me some feedback, let me know if it's realistic or crazy, if I'm wasting too much time in one area and not enough time in another, or if I'm skipping some place all together.

Day 1: WA - Cody
Day 2: Cody - Thermopolis - Lovell - Sheridan
Day 3 - Sheridan - Devil's Tower - Ft Laramie
Day 4 - Ft Laramie - Cheyenne - Laramie
Day 5 - Laramie - Casper - Riverton (with a detour to South Pass City)
Day 6 - Riverton - Dubois - Jackson
Day 7 Jackson - Yellowstone - Ennis, MT
Day 8 Ennis, MT - WA

Jackson and it's environs are way out of our price range, but I'd like to see the Tetons on the way home. We've done Yellowstone before but I figured since it's on the way we'd drive through it instead of going around. We've got another day or 2, maybe even 3 to spread out in there, to spend a second night at one of the stops or try to squeeze in some other area or town along the way. I know it's ambitious and we probably won't get to spend a whole lot of time in any one place, but I'm hoping it will allow us to figure out where we want to focus on for when we come back in a year or so to start looking at property. I know we're skipping the southwest corner of the state with this route, but I thought the drive from Riverton to Jackson would be pretty beautiful, let me know if you think that's a mistake. Thanks in advance for any help you all can provide. Hope you are all doing well and staying healthy.

Thanks,

-JR
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MrTitleist
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I can tell you that Ennis is a ton of fun. Just got back from there a couple weeks ago. Swing by Willie's Distillery for a couple drinks then head over the hill to Virginia City and take in the Brewery Follies. Then go visit Kay and Gay at the candy store.

Also, that's a ton of windshield time. Day 2 will be a burner, as will day 5. Day 7 could also be a long one.
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ZapPoke
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That is quite a tour you’ve got planned. On day two I might not go all the way to Lovell. Maybe cut over the Bighorns through Tensleep to Buffalo and then up to Sheridan.

I am partial to Dubois and have some property there. It’s cemetery plots but still...

Good luck, lots of nice little towns to visit
JR6424
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Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:58 pm

Thanks to you both for your feedback.

MrTitleist - Was everything in Ennis open? I have a buddy from work who’s kid used to work at the “Opera House” in VA City, he said they shut down for the year though. We were thinking of spending the night at the Rainbow Valley Lodge and then seeing the town and doing a side trip to VA City If things were open for business. Guess we’ll play it by ear as we get into town.

ZapPoke - Lovell was added as sort of a waypoint to get us far north enough to catch Bighorn Canyon on our through the mountains. Would you advise skipping Lovell all together though? Sketchy town or just not worth the extra miles?

Thanks again.
JR6424
Buckaroo
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Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:58 pm

MrTitleist - Just noticed you’re in Missoula now, the wife and I are big fans of the “Notorious PIG” BBQ place out there. We’ve hit it a few times as we were passing through, definitely plan on stopping again this trip. Any other BBQ/restaurant recommendations?
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ZapPoke
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JR6424 Lovell is a nice town. There is a great place there that sells honey products. Big Horn Canyon is impressive and you might get to see the Pryor Mountain wild horses. My wife (a flatlander) was scared to death the first time I drove her over the Big Horns to Lovell! Good luck!
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MrTitleist
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JR6424 wrote: Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:23 am Thanks to you both for your feedback.

MrTitleist - Was everything in Ennis open? I have a buddy from work who’s kid used to work at the “Opera House” in VA City, he said they shut down for the year though. We were thinking of spending the night at the Rainbow Valley Lodge and then seeing the town and doing a side trip to VA City If things were open for business. Guess we’ll play it by ear as we get into town.

ZapPoke - Lovell was added as sort of a waypoint to get us far north enough to catch Bighorn Canyon on our through the mountains. Would you advise skipping Lovell all together though? Sketchy town or just not worth the extra miles?

Thanks again.
Ennis was totally open. Virginia City was also totally open except the Virginia City Players weren't performing. The Brewery Follies were still performing.

Downtown Missoula has some great dining options.. Saketome is good for sushi and rolls, the place in the basement of that is a great little ramen bar. 1889 is a solid steak house, a little on the swanky and spendy side. The taco place next to it, Camino, is also good, but a touch spendy. Zoothai is delicious. All three of those are in the same building. Bar/pub food, Tamarack Brewing Company is always my go-to. Next door to Notorious PIG downtown. Biga Pizza does some good stuff if you feel the need for pizza.
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