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road trip from Vancouver to Yellow Stone, any places in between worth a visit

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  • Aug 17th, 2018 3:52 pm
Member
Jun 1, 2004
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road trip from Vancouver to Yellow Stone, any places in between worth a visit

planning to have a road trip from Vancouver to YellowStone, going to spend 1 week in Yellow Stone and have 1 week on the road. just wondering any places in between worth a visit...Thanks
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Nov 14, 2003
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LaLaLand
Grand Coulee Dam in eastern WA state.

You can also get a guided tour of the guts of the dam, but you need to book in advance.
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May 25, 2009
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batcave wrote: Grand Coulee Dam in eastern WA state.

You can also get a guided tour of the guts of the dam, but you need to book in advance.
Visited there as a kid and they did a really cool laser light show on the dam at night. I don't know if they still do that.

I would make a side trip down to Mount Saint Helens. Olympia and Mount Rainier areas are cool. If you take a northern route Glacier National Park is great and driving the Going to the Sun highway is awesome. If you take a southern route Craters of the Moon is a good place to check out.
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Feb 7, 2017
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Eastern Ontario
Billings Montana is one of the few cities near Yellowstone
And to the east of it off I-90 lies Crow Agency
And the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument & Historic Park

A “slight detour” from Yellowstone’s East Gate
And you could make it a circle route to end in Billing’s

Gotta remember this is Montana & BIG Sky country
So like Canada’s Prairies, folks don’t blink at an extra bit of driving

When it comes to National Historic Sites, and especially Battlegrounds & Hallowed Grounds of Remembrance
The USA does a good job with their interpretive centres
I’d say this one is well worth the drive
I put it up there on the list with Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and the Flight 93 National Memorials
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Nov 10, 2015
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Monte Creek, BC
How well do you know the southern part of our province? If you don't know it well, take Hwy 3. It parallels the US border and will take you through many interesting B.C. communities. That would be the recommended route either going or coming back.

But the number one site between Vancouver and Yellowstone is the Going to The Sun Highway. It's just off Hwy 2 in Montana at West Glacier and cuts through the Rockies to come out at St. Mary, Mt. You can't go wrong.
Then at the end of it head south and if possible take the Beartooth Highway in Yellowstone. It and Going to the Sun are two of the best mountain drives in America.
Google them both. You won't believe how beautiful these two drives are.
No political content in signatures (Who did I offend?)
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Jan 31, 2013
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Red Deer, AB
I agree with Poleman. Maybe cross the border south of Creston and take a piece of the Idaho panhandle (Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene are really nice. From there you can drive to Flathhead Lake / Kalispell/ Whitefish and then into Glacier Park.

Someone suggested Billings: it's a very sad looking place and I wouldn't spend any unnecessary time there.
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Feb 7, 2017
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Eastern Ontario
knuks101 wrote: I agree with Poleman. Maybe cross the border south of Creston and take a piece of the Idaho panhandle (Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene are really nice. From there you can drive to Flathhead Lake / Kalispell/ Whitefish and then into Glacier Park.

Someone suggested Billings: it's a very sad looking place and I wouldn't spend any unnecessary time there.
It was I who mentioned Billing’s in my post
BUT NOT as a Destination...
But rather as a point of reference
To a far greater site to see
read my post again
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Jun 1, 2004
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Thanks All for the good info. Really helpful. Appreciate.
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Red Deer, AB
Pointshubby, I did realize that it would be place to stay when visiting Yellowstone, but still.....it wouldn't be my first choice, also because it's more than 2,5 hrs driving to Yellowstone.
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Eastern Ontario
knuks101 wrote: Pointshubby, I did realize that it would be place to stay when visiting Yellowstone, but still.....it wouldn't be my first choice, also because it's more than 2,5 hrs driving to Yellowstone.
Huh...

No where did I say that Billings would be a Base for Yellowstone
:facepalm:

Let me help you out... cause clearly you did not go back and reread my original post

I said Billings was one of the cities nearby... and off of the i-90
And to the east of it
Also off the i-90
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument & Historic Park (aka Custers Last Stand)
A spot definitely worth the drive / detour
A memorial add on to a trip to Yellowstone
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Jan 31, 2013
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Red Deer, AB
whatever. Billings is nowhere between Vancouver and Yellowstone anyway :) and if you can avoid the city, I would do that at all costs :)
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Jun 13, 2018
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State Rt 20 thru Washington State is a must drive. Eastern end of Washington Pass is the Methow Valley with a western themed town called Winthrop. Then Pateros, Brewster, Grand Coolee, Spokane, & then far too many national forests to choose which to drive thru. I'm heading that way next week.
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Jun 12, 2007
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London
For Going to the Sun Road in Montana, check the NPS website for the latest information before going.

It’s currently closed from Lake McDonald to Logan Pass due to forest fires (Mandatory evacuation in effect)

West Yellowstone is the normal base for exploring Yellowstone, however it very busy and reservations are needed.
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Jun 1, 2004
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ritzcrv wrote: State Rt 20 thru Washington State is a must drive. Eastern end of Washington Pass is the Methow Valley with a western themed town called Winthrop. Then Pateros, Brewster, Grand Coolee, Spokane, & then far too many national forests to choose which to drive thru. I'm heading that way next week.
Hi ritzcrv, would you mind to share more detail about this route? I heard about Winthrop, but not the others.
Sr. Member
Jun 13, 2018
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Here is a snapshot idea.
State Rt 20 to Omak.png
Driveable 3 seasons, closed during winter from way too much snow. It gets hot on the 'dry side' of the Cascades.
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Jun 26, 2011
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We did the drive from Vancouver and didn't stop anywhere except to rest. Nothing along the way really compares to time spent at Yellowstone. Just get there as soon as possible to spend more time there.

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