The Next Trip!

So the next trip is queued up and ready to enjoy. It's been two years since Route 66, and we're finally ready to pack up the van again and head west! This year it's the Pacific Northwest: Mt. Rainier, Seattle, Olympic National Park, Columbia River Gorge, Portland, the Oregon Coast, Crater Lake National Park, Bend, Oregon, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Yellowstone, and Custer State Park (Mt. Rushmore). Depending on our ability to connect to the web, I will try to keep a daily post going of our adventures. Hope you can join us in spirit. It's going to be quite a trip! Here is the schedule:

Day #1 & 2: Frankfort to Mt. Rainier (32 hours)...yes, you heard that right. We're CRAZY! Finally make it to Paradise Lodge. Now doesn't 32 hours in a car seem worth it if you're ending up in Paradise?
Day #3: Spend the day at Mt. Rainier (we drove all those hours so we could do that)
Day #4: Mt. Rainier to Port Angeles, WA (5 1/2 hours)...spent mostly in Seattle, but crossing Puget Sound at sunset and making our way as close to the next stop as possible without missing anything. Stay in a funky hotel. Steve is wary.
Day #5: Port Angeles, WA to Olympic National Park, Kalaloch campground (3 hours)...Exploring as much of Olympic as we can in a day. Staying on the coast just south of LaPush (which Em wants to see because of Twilight) First night of camping!
Day #6: Olympic NP to Portland (5 hours)...Straight south, past Mt. St. Helens, a quick stop on the west end of the Columbia River Gorge to see the waterfalls, and then into Portland for the night. Get to sleep in school! No really, it's a hotel that was originally a school. Check it out: http://www.kennedyschool.com
Day #7: Portland to Yachats (5 hours)...starting at the north end of the Oregon coast, driving about 1/2 way down seeing all the towns along the way. Camping on the coast.
Day #8: Yachats to Crater Lake National Park (7 hours)...mostly on the coast, but then making our way inland to get to Crater Lake in the evening. Camping in the mountains.
Day #9: Crater Lake National Park to Bend (3 hours)...day spent mostly seeing Crater Lake, with a stop in Newberry Natioanl Volcanic Monument before making it to Bend. Tonight we sleep in a Yurt!!
Day #10: Bend to Jackson, WY (12 1/2 hours)...a long day of driving. See Craters of the Moon National Park on our way. Get in late, so stay in a hotel.
Day #11: Jackson, WY to Yellowstone National Park (3 1/2 hours)...Drive through the Tetons and into Yellowstone where we'll camp for two days.
Day #12: Yellowstone...Get to do a Cowboy Dinner. Steve, Andy and Em get to rides horses to it, Pete and I will do a covered wagon.
Day #13: Yellowstone to Custer State Park (8 hours)...A long day of driving. Want to see Crazyhorse memorial in the evening. Camp for the next two nights
Day #14: Custer State Park...See Wind Cave, Swim in a swimming hole? or at the lake near the campground, see Mt. Rushmore at sunset.
Day #15: Custer State Park to home (15 hours)...collapse.

We can't wait!