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hey guys, me and a couple of my friends have decided to go on a camping/hiking/fishing trip in the beginning of august. i will be driving my 2004 civic lx sedan(auto). I have 11000 miles on my car and had 2 oil changes done since i've bought the car (first one at 5k miles, second at 10k miles), ive rotated the tires and replaced some air filter recently.
will i need to have anything tuned up or checked before i leave for this long road trip? do you guys think that 3 people can drive around comfortably from chicago to wyoming stopping at a couple of landmarks on the way? has anyone driven long distances in their 04 civic? how much money do you guys think itll cost for gas to get there and back? gas in chicago is pretty steep at around 2 bucks a gallon...im not sure how much it is out there, can you guys give me a heads up on the price of gas? alright thanks guys...any input would be awesome!

chris

 
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I'm going to Yellowstone the first week of August also. I have a family reunion in Red Lodge July 31, then we're heading to the park for a few days. From Fargo Yellowstone takes about 10 hours (like 720 miles) and gas along the way will run about 1.75/gallon. Fargo to Chicago is about 650 miles, so I'd say if you take I-90 (across South Dakota/Minnesota) it will be about 1300 miles, gas should be a little cheaper as you get into SD and WY, then get more expensive close to the park (it is a tourist trap). As far as other costs - $20 for a car pass into the park. Camping is fairly cheap, but if you haven't made reservations your SOL and are not staying in the park. There are a ton of places to camp around the park, Red Lodge is nice, but it is a couple hour drive through the Beartooth Pass to the park. I'd suggest West Yellowstone or Gardiner both are right on entrances to the park. Or even Livingston, which is about 30 miles North of the park, but right on the interstate (about 70 miles W of Billings). I have friends that live in Bozeman and my Grandparents live in Billings, also have relatives in Powell WY, so I just plan on staying with them and taking day trips into the park and around the park. Keep in mind everything in the park is very expensive - gas is probably about $3/gallon and food is expensive, plan ahead as much as possible. Sorry if you've been there before and already know all of this.

 
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I dont see a problem guy, Took my Lx auto twice to florida last year with out any problems. that over 6000 miles in 3 months. Only thing i did was oil change. Just make sure your spare tire is ok, and make sure you have cell just in case you break down. remeber you drive a honda they are pretty great driving car. And if you worry about gas mileage, some idea to save gas Don't use the ac unless you need it, also if you dont really need to bring it dont more weight lower your gas mileage. Keep the car around 60-65 mph, every 5 mph over 60 is i think 10 cents a gallon wasted.

 
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Keep the car around 60-65 mph, every 5 mph over 60 is i think 10 cents a gallon wasted.[/QUOTE]

The speed limit out this way is 75 (MN is still 70) so if you're driving that slow even the elderly in their Caddy's will be flying by you.

 
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You only change your oil every 5K miles? I like to change mine every 3K, but it probably doesn't make that much of a difference nowadays. Gas should be cheaper on your way to Yellowstone. Hell, I live downstate - near St. Louis - and gas is like .10-.20 cents cheaper. When you get out of the city, the price will drop.

And don't buy that crap about cutting more air at higher speeds blah blah blah. The slower you go, the less gas you'll use. End of story. Just figure out a good balance between being conscious of gas and being conscious of time.

And most of all, have fun but be safe.

 
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The speed limit out this way is 75 (MN is still 70) so if you're driving that slow even the elderly in their Caddy's will be flying by you. [/QUOTE]


Who cares what the speed limit is, if it is a highway stay to the right. If it not let them pass you. This is only if u wanna save gas mileage.

 
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thanks for all the great replies! im so excited!

do any of you know how the weather is in yellowstone during early august?

do you think taking only 300 bucks a person(3 people) would be enough for a 7 days trip including gas?

what are some other cool places i can visit on the way there? i found that the badlands of south dakota were kind of on the way. does anyone know if that's a good spot to chill and take pictures? i just want to drive around, stop at a couple of cool places, get to yellowstone, chief, take pictures and enjoy some camping. anyways, gimme some more info if you can about anything...i wanna make sure this thing is planned out well so i dont regret it on the way back...that would be a shitty drive back...k thanks

chris

 
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You should be fine for now. But when you get back, be sure to change the oil/tranny fluid/air filter. I went 2000 miles from Nevada to Illinois and the car was a wreck. Needed tons of maintenance, but held up pretty well other than dirty fluids and filter.

 
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$900 for 3 people can last. If you guys don't eat out 3X a day and camp every night. What I'm doing is bringing a cooler and stopping at a grocery store to make sandwiches for lunch and poptarts for breakfast. Of course having relatives in the area helps. On the way - if you go through SD, the badlands are pretty cool you can do Mt. Rushmore. I think you can get a national park season pass for $50, if you plan on hitting more than 2 it would be worth the $$. Mitchell, SD has the corn palace - a good place to take pictures. Deadwood, SD is right by Rapid City - they have an old west set up that is kind of cool. Devils Tower is a little way off the interstate in WY, just over the SD WY border but it is very cool (from Close Encounters of the Third Kind if you've seen that movie). Cody WY has an old west show that is bigger than Deadwood, but more of a tourist trap - expensive. As far as the park goes most people like to see Old Faithful, IMO the waterfalls, especially the lower falls are the coolest. When you go into the park the NW entrance is probably the best - through Redlodge - the Beartooth Pass. It winds you up about 12,000 feet, I'd suggest skipping it if anyone is afraid of hights. The North entrance is also very cool (through Gardiner) it is a straight shot through a huge valley in the mountains - very scenic. Damn I'm excited to go now, I haven't been out that way in 3 years. If you see an 04 Civic EX Sedan with ND plates give a wave.
Oh ya - as far as timing things to do in Yellowstone, the roads suck - they are all single lane and usually under construction. There is usually heavy traffic and whenever a herd of buffalo appear every idiot stops in the middle of the street to take pictures. I guess I can't blame them, but we have Buffalo in ND so it's not that big of a deal for us. Plan on at least 1 hour to drive 15-20 miles in the park.
What dates are you planning on being there?

 
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we are leaving chicago on august 1 and we might stop by a few places. I'm thinking that we'll get there by aug 4 for sure. how is the weather in this area around that time? is it going to be raining on me while im sleeping in my tent? thanks

 
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i was looking at a couple of yellowstone maps and saw that there is a museum there...does it have free entry or do we have to pay to check it out?

 
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youre car should be fine. from what my friend and i experienced, adding weight to the rear end of the car helps mpg. contrary to popular belief that weight decreases the mpg, the civic doesnt have the best weight distribution. meaning that the car runs better with luggage in the trunk.when light,t he car has trouble holding speed since its bouncing and drifting, so the engine works harder. i think the weight from the luggage weighs the car down enough so the car travels smoother. due to the areodynamics and the weight of the car. also try not have a heavy foot. this is what i and my friend experienced. here are our best results:

ME: I drive a 02 EX auto sedan. SF to LA. I drove with about 500 lbs worth of cargo and humans. cruise control for about 30% of the time. i also used the ac 85% of the time. going between 80-85 mph. i was also drafting. mpg was ~38mpg

Friend: he drives a 04 lx manual sedan. he weigh down his so much that his muffler rubbed the driveway. he made a 300mile trip. no drafting. no ac usage, going about 80mph, he got: ~36mpg


my advice is to just move more of your weight towards the rear and draft (not tailgate). use ac for your comfort. im sure i could have gotten a better mpg if i didnt use ac. some have claimed to have gotten 40mpg+ on this messageboard

 
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Check your tire pressure.

 
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you should be fine, i racked up 14,000 miles driving from dallas to los angles in 2 months in my 2004 civic ex coupe, and it runs fine. Just be sure to check ur tires at each stop, bcuz i ended up with 2 flat tires during all my trips and it was a pain in the *** to fix in the small cities that i drove by. Your car should be fine to bcuz everytime i drove those 1500 miles straight through (about 24hrs of straight drivin) with just gas stops on the way (i was really motivated to see my gf). Drove around 80mph and spent around $80 each way for gas which isnt to bad.

 
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You shouldn't have to pay anything once your in the park for access to anything. The museum was free last time I was there. I know they just built a new one, not sure where it is or if it's open yet. The old one was in Gardiner, which is technically in the park on the North entrance.

As far as weather goes, they are usually pretty dry in July/August. The temps in the park probably average in the mid 70's for highs and mid 40's for lows. It gets cold at that elevation, even in August. Western SD is usually very hot - mid 90's, same for eastern WY and MT. Plan on bringing mostly summer clothes but be sure to bring some pants and a jacket or sweatshirt. Last time I was there the temp was 80 one day and 50 the next, it got down in the 30's the next night.
Yellowstone This site is the gov'ts official site it usually has pretty good info. Also if you guys are experienced outdoorsman the park does have first come first served primative camp sites. If you check in early you can maybe get a site, but there is no running water - only have outhouses. I did that once - it really sucked because there was a fire warning so we couldn't even start a fire. I'm not sure what the fire situation is like now, I'm sure it changes daily. That reminds me if any of you smoke - don't even ash out the window in the park, they obviously take that crap seriously and you'll get tossed out.