My girlfriend and I will be driving from Portland Oregon to St. Joseph Michigan (Chicago in title for visibility) and I am looking for suggested stops, camping places, or otherwise.
The places we 'need to be' are below, in the order we plan on stopping. There's some debate on how to get across the lake from Oshkosh (North, South, or ferry across...), any input would be welcome.
Portland -> Yellowstone -> Badlands -> Oshkosh -> St. Joseph
We'll be driving a truck with a mattress in the back, so we'll be 'camping' along the way in the back of the truck. Timeline is ~4 days, departing Portland late day on the 3rd of July, or early on the 4th. We'd like to be in St. Joseph by the 8th at the latest.
I am particularly interested in camping suggestions, hiking suggestions, and 4th of July locations for impressive fireworks and festivities (somewhere near Montana or Wyoming).
Our budget isn't fixed, but I am anticipating gas should be our highest cost. Food and camping should be cheap, so if there's a 'must see' that costs a bit of an entry fee we'd be open to that.
I look forward to your suggestions!
Thanks!