Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest is a great way to get out to the wonderful midwest National Parks. This itinerary can be used to get you to Glacier National Park or Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. Road Trips can be fun budget Vacations with some planning. By Utilizing Hyatt points for free stays on many of our road trips we can have cheap vacations. This itinerary can be combined with other itineraries for a Budget Hyatt Vacation on points. This is a great itinerary for a Midwest national Parks Road trip.
2 Day Itinerary Wyoming to Ohio
We did this section of our road trip in 2 days. If you stay 1 night in Omaha it breaks the trip almost evenly into 2 12 hour driving days. If you wanted to break it out into 3 days it would be 6-8 hours each day of driving and you would have some time to visit Omaha.
This itinerary can start From Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Park or even Jackson Hole. All of which is about 6.5-9 hours from Scotts Bluff National Monument. We started this itinerary from Chinook Winds Motel in Dubios, Wy which we stayed at after a Day in Grand Tetons.
Salt Lake City is also only 7.5 hours away and Denver, Colorado is only 3 hours away. You can check out the many Midwest USA Itineraries below that are possible with this Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest.
Wyoming to Nebraska
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Scott’s Bluff National Monument is a nice short stop on your midwest road trip. The site was part of the Oregon Trail and was important because when the Scotts Bluff passage was created it shorted the trip around the mountain by going through the pass. You can walk part of the original Oregon Trail on a hike at the National Monument and enjoy the small museum inside the Visitors Center. They also have a Junior Rangers Program. Our kids enjoyed talking about their experience playing Oregon Trail and we even saw a very long snake, which based on a photo we took the Ranger said was not poisonous. From Where we stayed at Chinook Winds in Wyoming, it was about 5.5 hours to Scott’s Bluff National Monument.
Omaha is about 6hr 45minutes from Scott’s Bluff National Monument. If you spend 2 hours or less at the National Monument this would be a 14 hour day not including stops for meals.
Runza Beef Sandwiches
There’s a Runza fast food restaurant right near Scott’s Bluff National Monument. There are beef sandwiches are a Nebraska Classic and they are really good. I enjoyed the spicy beef while everyone else enjoyed the regular.
A Nebraska Steak and Reubens
If you have a chance make sure to order some Nebraska Beef while you are here. while others steak claim, the Reuben Sandwich was invented at Omaha’s Blackstone Hotel in 1925 by Reuben Kulakofsky.
Nebraska to Ohio
Hit the Road early and enjoy breakfast in the car to get a jump start on your day.
Des Moine Art Center
About 2 hours past Omaha is the Des Moine Art Center. Admission is Free. We stopped here to see a temporary display by Paper Mache Artist Miguel Martin which we really enjoyed. There’s definitely a wide variety of art in the museum. Ask for a map at the desk to help you find the areas that interest you the most. They told us at the front there are no public restrooms but on the main flower as we came around from the back there were restrooms. I believe they may want to deter those who stop only for a bathroom break.
The museum is open at 10 or 11 in the morning and because it’s a long driving day, I recommend visiting the Sculpture park first if it’s an 11 am opening day. This will give you about an hour in each spot which is enough time to experience both places.
The Sculpture Park is only a short drive from the Art Center and it’s a nice chance for the kids to run around and stretch their legs and take some fun photos.
If you are heading west from Ohio to Omaha there’s a good chance you may not make it to the art museum before closing. Head there first if there is some time. If you don’t arrive in time, you can still enjoy the outdoor sculpture park.
Taco Pizza from Casey’s Gas Station
Now, this may seem a little crazy but grab some taco pizza from Casey’s for a quick road trip meal. Call ahead to Casey’s Gas station (yes gas station), and order a Taco pizza for pick up. You can also buy pizza by the slice on site but the Taco pizza is not usually available by the slice. Being from New York this is not the best pizza ever but it’s probably the best pizza in Iowa. Who doesn’t love tacos? so, of course, you will love taco pizza, and apparently, it’s an Iowa thing.
Also, about 4 hours east of Des Moine Iowa is Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. It’s about 6 hours from Cleveland Ohio. This is a really great hiking spot to stop if your schedule allows it.
Hotels
Hotel Omaha Overnight
Hyatt Place Omaha/Downtown-Old Market is a category 2 hotel so it’s only 8,000 points for a free night. This is a great option. There are also several Hilton and Marriotts if you prefer those brands. Most hotels are rarely reasonable in this small city.
Hotel in Wyoming
We ended our North West National Park Road trip at the Chinook Winds Motel in Wyoming. This mote is much more affordable than hotels closer to the Grand Tetons National Park and It was on our driving route home so it wasn’t far out of the way. We absolutely loved the hotel and enjoyed an evening of fun activities there.
3 Days Itinerary Wyoming to Ohio
If you are looking to keep your driving time down to around 8 hours a day you could stop at Ogallala, NE is a little over 2 hours from Scott’s Bluff National Monument. Then head toward Omaha where you may want to add a stop before heading to Illinois for your second overnight stay. The Hyatt Place East Moline / Quad Cities is a good option for your second overnight.
Omaha
We didn’t spend any time in Omaha but there’s plenty to do for a day or 2. Here are some of the kid-friendly things you can do in Omaha.
- The Pedestrian Suspension Bridge and Omar the troll
- Louis and Clark Landing Park (playground and trails)
- Heartland of America Park and Fountain (opening 2023)
- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Also, about 4 hours east of Des Moine Iowa is Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. This is a really great hiking spot to stop if your schedule allows it.
3 Day Itinerary Hotels
If you prefer to break the trip up into a 3-day itinerary I recommend staying in Paxton, NE at the Best Western PlusOgallala Inn in Ogallala, NE for the first night. Free nights start at 20,000 Best Western Reward Points. While there are other hotels available there is a small section in this area. On your second night stay at the Hyatt East Moline which is only 5,000 points per night.
End of Trip
We frequently stay at the Hyatt Cleveland/Independence because it’s only 5,000 Hyatt points for a free night. We enjoy the free breakfast and it’s usually ready early enough that we can grab it and hit the road. It’s also close enough for us to even drive after school through the evening to get a head start on our vacations. Hyatt hotels have a consistent quality so we don’t mind showing up late at night as we know we will have a clean room and great service.
Midwest Road Trip Itineraries with Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest
This Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest is a great way to get to and from the Midwest to the Northeast via Ohio.
Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Glacier National Park
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Park can easily be a week-long trip. Glacier National Park can be as well. However, If time is limited you can still visit these 3 National Parks in a week. This Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest is a great way to get to or From Grand Tetons National Park to start or finish your Northwest National Parks Road trip. We used this route on our way home because it was a quick way with only 1 overnight and we were able to pass through Nebraska and visit our 50th state. You can Drive Ohio to South or North Dakota on I-90 one way to make a great northern road trip. You can also continue heading West from Glacier to Washington and Oregon to make it a complete Coast to Coast road trip.
Colorado
Denver Colorado is only 3 hours away from Scotts Bluff National History Site. From there you have easy access to the entire state of Colorado and wonderful activities. You can visit a Dude Ranch or any of Colorado’s wonderful National Park Sites. You can visit one of several ski towns (even in summer. I recommend taking Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest on the way to Denver and this I-80 Route home.
Salt Lake City and the Utah Mighty 5
Salt Lake City is also only 7.5 hours away so you can take this route on your way too or from the southwest as well. From Salt Lake City you can continue on to any or all of the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks. You can use this Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest at the start or the end of your trip. For a change of scenery, you can take I-40 from Ohio to Denver through the midwest for one way to/ from the midwest. I recommend I-40 on the way to Denver and Utah as we really enjoyed that particular route and I-80 & I-90 through Midwest is a quick routes because there are fewer stops which is good after a long road trip.
12 Night Itinerary to Utah From Ohio to Denver and Back From Salt Lake City / Nebraska to Ohio
- I-40 from Ohio to Denver through the midwest in 3 Days 3 Nights Including Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas end in Denver
- ST Louis Arch hyatt REgency at 8,0000
- Hyatt Kansas City Airport at 5,000 Points per night
- Hyatt House Denver Lakewood at Belmar at 8,000 points per night
- Denver to Moab for this 7 Day 6 Night Utah Mighty 5 Itinerary
- Stay at Hyatt Moab and Hyatt St George Originally this itinerary was 47,000 points however, Hyatt Moab is increasing in the category so total points for this have increased. estimate another 12,000 points or around 60,000 points for this itinerary.
- 2 Nights Salt Lake City: 7th Day in Utah Drive to Salt Lake City Spending 1-2 nights (2 nights would give you a day in Salt Lake City.
- Hyatt Place OR Hyatt House Salt Lake City 8,000 points per night
- Then 2 days/ 1 night Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest
- Stay at Hyatt Place Omaha at 8,000 Hyatt Points
- If You need a Stay in Ohio at the beginning and end of this itinerary the Hyatt Place Cleveland/ Independence is 5,000 Points per night. and would make this a 13 or 14-night trip
Stay Free on this 12 Night Itinerary
To Stay free on this 12 Night Midwest itinerary you will need approximately 105,000 Hyatt Points or 115,000 Including 2 nights in Ohio at the Start and end of the trip.
You can earn enough Hyatt Points for this itinerary with 2 Hyatt Credit Card bonuses if you and your partner were able to get a new Hyatt credit card and earn the current full sign-on bonus. It requires a fair amount of spending and an easier way is to earn Chase Ultimate reward points and transfer them to Hyatt. The Chase Saphire Prefered Credit card currently has a 60,000 UR sign-on bonus. If you and your partner each earned the sign-on bonus it would be enough to cover this 2-week itinerary.
In addition, most if not all of these hotels include complimentary breakfast which you can often take to-go. This usually keeps our kids happy for the first couple hours each morning and often even longer.
Summary of Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Itinerary I-80 & I-90 through Midwest
There are several ways to get from Wyoming to Ohio., This route was the fastest way to get to Wyoming and the wonderful National Parks there. This Wyoming to Ohio Road Trip Interary I-80 & _90 through the midwest is the best way to get to Yellowstone National Park from the East Coast and back. It’s the perfect start or end to any Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP, or Grand Teton NP itinerary.
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