From Portland to Salt Lake City and NP's

Hello everyone, I already posted this in the Oregon forum. I%26#39;m from Italy and I%26#39;m planning a trip to the nothwest in August. I know it%26#39;s not the best period, but that%26#39;s all what I have as a vacation.

This is what I thought:

day 1: arrival in Portland

day 2-3: Portland

day 4: Mount st. Helens and Mount Rainier (overnight stay nearby)

day 5: arrival in Seattle (in the late morning)

day 6: Seattle

day 7: Seattle, leaving for Vancouver in the afternoon

day 8: Vancouver

day 9: on the road to Glacier

day 10: Glacier Nat Park

day 11: moving to Great Falls

day 12: moving to Yellowstone

day 13-14: Yellowstone

day 15: Grand Teton

day 16: Craters of the moon and twin falls

day 17-20: Salt Lake City

What do you think about it? Did I miss something worthwhile? I%26#39;d really love to go to Crater lake, but it%26#39;s too far and I have to decide between it and Vancouver.

I prefer a little more nature over big cities (but I love the as well).

From Portland to Salt Lake City and NP's

Your itinerary looks good to me. For the alloted time, I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ve missed anything major.

When you%26#39;re in Glacier, I%26#39;d suggest taking the tour rather than driving yourself -- I think it%26#39;s called the Red Bus tour. That will let you sightsee rather than having to keep your eyes on the road.

I might shave a day off of Salt Lake and spend an extra day in Yellowstone. depending on how set your plans are. That would give you a day for the Upper Loop, a day for the Lower Loop, and a day to revisit your favorite places and explore at your leisure. You can take tours in Yellowstone but it%26#39;s no problem to drive around the park. The roads aren%26#39;t as difficult as in Glacier.

One day is plenty for Grand Teton. Make sure to see Jenny Lake.

Craters of the Moon will be hot that time of year but it%26#39;s worth the stop. Glad you%26#39;re spending the night in Twin Falls. Send me a message closer to the time you leave and I%26#39;ll give you my latest restaurant recommendations.

Have a great trip!

Pug

From Portland to Salt Lake City and NP's

One more thing, if you%26#39;re planning to stay in Yellowstone Park itself, get your reservations NOW, if you haven%26#39;t already. Those fill up a long time in advance. There is a link from the park website to Xanterra, which manages the lodging in Yellowstone.

Pug

One day in Glacier is too little. It appears the majority of your trip will be behind the wheel of the car and too little time to explore any of the places on the list.

That%26#39;s true, K2kelley, but I understand the wish to see as much as possible on an overseas trip. It would be like me doing a whirlwind tour of Europe in the two weeks I have for vacation. :)

My friend from England did her own tour of the western US using a Greyhound Bus as her transportation... talk about an education in American culture!

Pug