Taking a long road trip with the kids

[scott1120]

We'll we decided to take the kids on a long road trip next summer. I think we are going to head to Mount Rushmore. I have ordered several travel guides from the states in between, but would like some suggestions as to stops/sites? The kids will be 7 and 4. We would like to visit the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and of course SW South Dakota. we would also like to come home on a different path.
Anybody have suggestions?

[Dobick]

I took a trip back in 2004 like you describe. I drove from Lubbock, to SD, stayed in Wall, got up and went through the badlands, went to Rushmore, stopped in Deadwood and Lead, then rounded out the day by going to Devils Tower in Wyoming. Stayed the night in Billings, then drove to Yellowstone, spent a few days in the park, drove south through the tetons down to Jackson, got up the next morning and drove to Vegas, spent a few days, then drove to the Grand Canyon -- spent a day on the south rim, then drove up to the North rim and spent two days up there. After that, I was plenty worn out, and drove home.

It was a big ol' round trip of about 4500 miles, but I got to cover a lot of ground.

If I had to do it over again, I think I would try to make it up to Glacier NP, as well as spend some time in Utah

[John the Cameraman]

i want to do the same, but i don't think i can listen to the "are we there yet" for hundreds upon hundreds of miles....

[srdanz]

I've done a road trip with my kids last summer (6 and 3 at the time), but I opted for an alternative solution given that it takes a bloody day just to get out of TX.

We flew to Calgary, rented a car, and drove (in two stages) across Canadian Rockies to Vancouver, only to fly back home from Seattle.

I would strongly recommend (if at all possible) replacing portions of your itinerary with air travel. It may cost slightly more than all-car trip, but you gain time (spend more time sightseeing and less time in the car) and, priceless, peace with the kids not being cranky from 1000s of miles on their butts...