Let’s presume you parachuted into Waterton Lakes, with your car and a loved one or two who share your high tolerance for auto touring.Your objective is to tour the length of U.S. 89 in a couple of weeks. Here’s one way to make the best use of your time.

First, a disclaimer: It is hereby acknowledged that few folks will actually spend two weeks straight touring U.S. 89. Still, if you find yourself in one section of the highway or another with a few days to kill, you might start by following the portion of this itinerary that strikes your fancy. One other note: If you’re touring significant lengths of U.S. 89 in the spring, go from south to north and follow spring’s arrival as you traverse the latitudes. Reverse the order in the fall. So, here goes:

Day 1: You’ve got a reservation at the Prince of Wales Hotel or one of the inns at Waterton Lakes. You spend the day auto touring or taking one of any number of day hikes in the area, finishing the day by watching the sunset over dinner. If you’ve got a golfer or two in the bunch, you golf in the morning and tour the Akamina Parkway.

Day 2: After an early breakfast, you head south out of Waterton and pick up U.S. 89 at the U.S. border. You drive into Glacier at the Many Glacier entrance and wander the area, lunching at the Many Glacier Hotel. Spend the rest of the afternoon in the Many Glacier area hiking or boating. Before dinner time, head out of Many Glacier and south on U.S. 89 to St. Mary, where you’ve got room reservations, either inside or outside the park. Enjoy dinner and drive up the Going-to-the-Sun Road a few miles to the overlook of Wild Goose Island to watch the sunset.

Day 3: You’ll spend the day on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Take one of the day hikes along the way or just linger at the stops along the highway to make a full day of it. Spend the night at West Glacier.

Day 4: Take U.S. 2 around the southern edge of Glacier National Park, or, if you didn’t get enough yesterday, retrace your route over Going-to-the-Sun Road. Either route takes you back to U.S. 89. Take the highway to Great Falls, stopping along the way as you desire. Once in Great Falls, visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center or the C.M. Russell Museum complex. Or, see them both. Enjoy a relaxed dinner and a stroll along the Missouri River before turning in.

Day 5: Spend the day meandering down U.S. 89 to your evening destination, Gardiner, Wyoming. Stop anywhere that looks interesting, planning your day to have dinner in Livingston. Or, arrive near Yellowstone early enough to make a half-day stop at Chico Hot Springs. You’ve got reservations either in Gardiner or inside Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs.

Days 6 and 7: Follow the two-day Yellowstone itinerary found in Chapter 3.

Day 8: You leave Yellowstone and head south toward Jackson Hole, stopping at the turnouts as the Tetons come into view. Take the auto tour of the Teton area described in Chapter 4 and spend the night in Jackson or Teton Village.

Day 9: Choose a day hike in the Tetons or take the day to relax by checking out Jackson’s shops and restaurants. Take the chairlift to the top of Storm King Mountain or take a raft trip down the Snake River.

Day 10: This is a drive day as you make your way to Salt Lake City. It’s about six hours without stopping, so you’ve got time to stop in Star Valley, Bear Lake or Logan on your way. Or, get to Salt Lake early enough for a tour of Temple Square or dinner and dancing, or maybe an outdoor concert in one of the nearby canyons.

Day 11: Follow U.S. 89 to Bryce Canyon National Park and spend the afternoon touring the overlooks along the park road. Spend the night in the park or at Ruby’s Inn.

Day 12: Backtrack to U.S. 89 from Bryce and head to Zion National Park, where you’ll spend the day touring or hiking. Stay in the park or at Springdale.

Day 13: This another bit of a grind as you drive through the southern Utah and northern Arizona deserts to the Grand Canyon South Rim. Spend the night at the canyon’s edge or at Grand Canyon Village.

Day 14: Spend the day wandering the South Rim, taking a day hike or just wandering along the rim. Watch the sunset from a rim overlook and watch the canyon’s colors deepen and change.

Well, you haven’t seen everything but you’ve seen the highlights. Now, take a week off to recover from your vacation.