The Sandpoint, Idaho area is the perfect road trip for families from anywhere in the Northwest, and it’s a great mid-point destination on longer trips. In the far northern part of the state, the Sandpoint area is one of our top recommendations for other road tripping families.

One of the best parts of road tripping is that while you enjoy the journey, you can stop to learn about what’s around you.Instead of just flying over the heartland and looking at the farms that grow food for the world, you can stop, talk to farmers and ranchers and decide what your family needs to do to eat healthier.

One of the keys to pulling off a safe mega-trip like our 47-day road trip is thinking ahead about maintenance. We’ll travel about 10,000 miles this trip (way up from our estimate of 6,000 miles!) and most of that driving is through the mountains pulling the trailer. We want to make sure we’re having a great time, not looking for a repair shop unexpectedly.

When I have done TV or radio appearances about our trip, one of the most common examples of letting kids just entertain themselves comes from this section of our drive. I tell parents frequently that you never know what your kids understand about the world unless you let them tell you in their own words.

We stepped into the shoes of Lewis and Clark for a day to explore the Lolo Trail. Road trip heaven, this journey brings you close to nature with an easy ride on great roads (opt for the Lolo Motorway if you want more adventure) right on the river’s edge.

We started this mega trip with few expectations. While we looked forward to seeing some familiar parts of the country, much of our trip would pass through areas we’d never traveled. The drive to Hamilton, Montana from Sun Valley was, at first glance, nothing more than a beautiful drive. The lesson of the day? Your destination doesn’t matter, it’s all about how you get there and enjoying that journey.

Day 6 of our Rockies or Bust 2010 road trip takes us from West Yellowstone, Montana to Sun Valley, Idaho with plenty of stops along the way. Some intended and some, well, we just had to make the best of them.

We leave Jackson Hole and head to West Yellowstone on day 5 of our Rockies or Bust 2010 mega road trip. Seeing a bear is a huge highlight!

What’s not to like about the 4th of July? Fireworks and watermelon, parades and picnics. This year the Rockies or Bust tour stopped to celebrate Independence Day in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

We’re only mid-way through our quest to drive all Top 10 Scenic Drives in the Northern Rockies — in one trip. 10 drives, 10 states, 10,000 miles. Here’s our best of the best so far.

We didn’t bring our dog on this Rockies or Bust excursion. 47 days in the car is too much for most humans, let alone a dog. But, many families take their pets on shorter trips, so we asked our sponsor, CarHelp.com, for some tips on traveling safely with pets.

Leaving Cody behind, we drive along roughly the same route to Yellowstone that Bill Cody used when he took visitors to the park. Obviously, things are a bit different now. The Pahaska Tepee was a two-day journey back in the day and today it’s less than an hour. A visit to the park that took weeks can now be done in a day of driving.

Cody, Wyoming is known as the “Rodeo Capital of the World” for good reason. It’s named for Bill Cody, otherwise known as Buffalo Bill. Explore the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, his Irma Hotel and other relics of the Old West.

Today we’re traveling on the Circle the Continental Divide Driving Tour. This drive highlights the best of Wyoming — including national parks, museums, rodeos, pioneer trails, Native American tribes, jaw-dropping scenery, and colorful wildlife.