June 24 – July 3, 2005
I loved this trip, I bought many hotel rooms a year in advance and took $600 cash and brought a friend to help cover the cost. Came back broke. What is a bummer is my camera died 3 days before the trip so I bought a 6 mp digital camera which hurt my overall budget but in my case I go on trips for photography. This was probably the first trip I did that I did an itinerary.
[Weather & Itinerary]
Trip Summary:
Est. Distance & Time: 4,220 miles – 9 days, 7 hours
Est. Driving Time: 3 Days 1 hour
Est. Gas: $393 approx. @ 2.19 per gal round trip
Est. Lodging $369.00
Est. Meals $330.00 ($165.00 ea).
Est. Miscellaneous Cost: $200 ($100 ea)
Total Cost: $1,292
Day # 1 Friday | June 24
Nashville – Memphis [ 205.2 miles / 3 hour drive time ]
5:45pm Leave Apartment
9:15pm Beale St for sightseeing
Day # 2 Saturday | June 25
Memphis – Oklahoma City [ 468.6 miles / 7 hour drive time ]
8:00am Leave to go sightseeing – Rock & Soul Museum ($8.50 ea.)
11:00am Leave Memphis
6:30pm arrive Life Church in OKC
8:30pm Sightsee with Tommy
Day # 3 Sunday | June 26
Oklahoma City – Denver [ 681.3 miles / 10 hour drive time ]
10:00am Go to Northview Community Church (8921 NW Express Way)
12:30pm Go to Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial
2:30pm Leave OKC for Denver
1:00am Arrive in Denver
Day # 4 Monday | June 27
Denver – Dubois [ 474.1 miles / 8 hour drive time ]
9:30am Sightsee Around Denver
12:00pm Leave for Dubois
8:30pm Arrive in Dubois
Day # 5 Tuesday | June 28
Dubois – Grand Teton NP – Jackson [ 296.4 miles / 9 1/2 hour drive time ]
7:00am Depart Dubois
8:30am Arrive Teton NP, reserve camp spot $20.00 admission to park
11:00am Leave for Jackson
11:30am Arrive in Jackson
2:30pm Depart Jackson
6:00pm Arrive Three Waters Mountain
6:30pm Depart Three Waters Mountain to come back to Teton NP
11:00pm Arrive Back in Teton NP
Day # 6 Wednesday | June 29
Grand Teton – Yellowstone NP [ 105.5 miles / 2 1/2 hour drive time ]
5:45am Arrive at Moose Visitor Center for Raft Trip
8:30am Raft trip ends and sightsee
12:00pm Leave Teton NP to Yellowstone
2:00pm Arrive in Yellowstone, reserve camp, sightsee on lower
loop
Day # 7 Thursday | June 30
Yellowstone NP
All day sightsee with a focus on the upper loop
Day # 8 Friday | July 1
Yellowstone NP – Mount Rushmore [ 506.7 miles / 9 hour drive time ]
10:00am Depart Yellowstone for Cody
12:00pm Arrive in Cody
1:00pm Depart Cody for MountRushmore
7:00 pm Arrive at Mount Rushmore hotel
Day # 9 Saturday | July 2
Mount Rushmore – Badlands NP – Kansas City [ 746.4 miles / 12 1/2 hour drive time ]
8:00 leave for Mount Rushmore
9:30am arrive at Mount Rushmore
10:30 leave Mount Rushmore
1:00 pm Arrive Badlands NP
2:30 pm Leave Badlands NP for Kansas City
1:30am Arrive in Kansas City
Day # 10 Sunday | July 3
Kansas City – L-Bar-C camp – Gateway Arch [ 677.5 miles / 10 1/2 hour drive time ]
8:30am Depart Kansas City for L-Bar-C
9:30am Arrive at L-Bar-C
11:30am Depart L-Bar-C for St. Louis
4:00pm Arrive at the Gateway Arch
7:00pm Depart Gateway Arch for Nashville
Midnight Arrive in Nashville
[Check list]
- car stuff (itinerary book & maps, flashlight, AAA card, emergency car repair kit, pocket knife, sunglasses)
- CD player, laptop, cell phone & charger, AC/DC adapter & CDs
- miscellaneous (umbrella, pens, paper, notebook, post-its)
- beach chairs
- phone cards & list of phone numbers
- camera supplies (digital camera & smart media disks)
- towels (beach towel, bath towels & grungy towels for spills, the car, etc.)
- roll of quarters (laundromat, car vacuum, phone, toll bridges/highways, etc.)
- laundromat items (detergent, fabric softeners, laundry bag)
- medicine cabinet (first aid kit, bug spray, cough syrup, aspirin, vitamins, sunscreen)
- bed stuff: (pillow, sheet set, blankets, alarm clock)
- bath stuff (shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor & blades, shaving cream, deodorant, mouthwash, q-tips, roll of toilet paper, box of kleenex, ziploc bags, plastic bags, hand lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.)
- Food stuff (Goober, bread, turkey breast, cheese, hot dogs, hamburger, two cases of water, cooler, bottle opener, knife, aluminum foil, cups and spoons, etc )
- camping stuff (tent, screen tent, air mattress, pump, firewood, lighter/matches, newspaper)