Cross Country Trip, where should we stop?

[Rocks]

Hey folks,
Our one daughter is getting married and moving to Nevada. Lucky us we get to follow them out there in their car while they drive the moving van. So we'll be driving pretty much straight through there which won't allow us much time to see anything. We will be driving a rental car home and taking a little more time (not much) to check out some things on the way. On the way back we wouldn't mind checking out a few of the sights. According to yahoo directions this is the route we will most likely take:

• Starting in WILLOUGHBY, OH on EUCLID AVE go toward RIVER ST - go 0.1 mi
• Continue on ERIE ST(US-20) - go 0.2 mi
• Turn Left on VINE ST(OH-640) - go 1.0 mi
• Bear Right to take ramp onto OH-2 W - go 5.0 mi
• Merge onto I-90 W - go 14.2 mi
• Take exit #170B/TOLEDO onto I-90 W (Portions toll) - go 28.3 mi
• Merge onto I-80 W (Toll applies) - go 278.4 mi
• Take exit #21/DES MOINES onto I-80 W (Toll applies) - go 169.2 mi
• Take the DAVENPORT exit onto I-80 W - go 179.6 mi
• Merge onto I-35 S - go 13.8 mi
• Take the COUNCIL BLUFFS/OMAHA exit onto I-80 W - go 475.8 mi
• Take Left fork onto I-76 S toward DENVER - go 2.8 mi
• Continue on I-76 W - go 184.3 mi
• Merge onto I-70 W - go 502.5 mi
• Take the LAS VEGAS Left exit onto I-15 S - go 243.4 mi
• Take exit #42/RENO/MARTIN L KING BLVD/PHOENIX/DOWNTOWN LV/PHOENIX/DOWNTOWN LV onto I-515 S toward PHOENIX/US-93 S/DOWNTOWN LV - go 1.3 mi
• Take exit #75A/LAS VEGAS BLVD./CASHMAN FIELD - go 0.2 mi
• Take Right fork onto N LAS VEGAS BLVD(NV-604) - go 0.2 mi
• Turn Right on STEWART AVE
• Arrive at the center of LAS VEGAS, NV

Is there anything you recommend seeing that is not far off this path? Also, is there any areas we need to be more careful due to speed traps or anything else we might not know about?

[maestrovert]

i can highly recommend you check out the "Fab Four Mania" show at the Sahara while you're in town !

[Rocks]

Cool, we might have to check that out. Myself I'd rather have my wisdom teeth drilled with a dull nail then spend even 5 minutes in Vegas. I'm not a big city type, But I wouldn't mind seeing the Grand Canyon again or some of the other sites along the way.

[mistermullens]

I've never been, but the Grand Canyon would be tops on my list. I also hear Yosemite is amazing.

[rghill]

Go back via I-40. See the Route 66 sites, maybe the Grand Canyon. Should be getting nice about this time of year.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by rghill

Go back via I-40. See the Route 66 sites, maybe the Grand Canyon. Should be getting nice about this time of year.

+1, the crowds should be down at the south side of the Grand Canyon. You could turn north off I-40 at Albuquerque and check out the area around Taos, and proceed east from there.

Or, you could hit the north side of Grand Canyon (more remote) then continue from there through southern Utah over to Durango, north to Silverton and Ouray, and then east on US 50 over to Salida.

Yosemite is too far north and west to fool with; concentrate on the north half of Arizona and New Mexico, or the southern half of Utah and Colorado.

Consider car camping. That time of year, you basically choose any location you like. The only drawback is the days aren't crazy long as they are in summer.

[Rocks]

I forgot to mention, we'll be doing this trip right after Thanksgiving. So that will probably effect some of the places we will want to stop at. The route above is the one we will most likely take getting there, coming back will depend on the weather and what we can find interesting on the way that doesn't take us too far off course. We want to get back as fast as we can, but we'd still like to see a few of the sights on the way if we can.

[ccrnnr9]

If the weather isn't bad at the time of your trip I suggest you at least stop in Boulder, CO for a couple hours. Only 25min north of Denver it is more than worth your time. A fun and beautiful city that IMO rivals any in the world. I am biased as I plan to move there in January upon graduation from college. Have fun though! I used to live in Vegas...crazy town!
~Nick

[rghill]

North Rim of Grand Canyon could be closed by Thanksgiving, depending on weather. They can get serious amounts of cold and snow, though usually not that early. Spend some time in Flagstaff, or plan to stop over mealtime. They've got some really great places to eat in the old downtown section. You could check out some of the Native American ruins, like Wupatki in the area. Driving north from Albuquerque through Taos is +1 too.

[getbent]

hey guys, read the map, he's going through Denver!
stop in Idaho Springs for lunch (west of denver) eat at Beau Jeaus pizza... friggin' great
Stop in Glenwood Springs for the night, go to the hot springs pool to relax, stay at the red mountain (cheap and clean) eat at Florindos (italian--> get the veal rollatini)

if you have time, hit moab.. it is gorgeous... the rest... well, it is pretty.... there is a pretty cool historical site where some mormon settlers massacred a bunch of folks... but, you'd need to read up on it first... other than.. have a nice ride.. the trip through the glenwood canyon is worth the trip.. just gorgeous.

[B Valley]

On your way back from Vegas and passing through Arizona, see the London Bridge at Lake Havasu, The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Meteor Crater, and as you're leaving the state, the trading post shops at Painted Cliffs.

[Caffeine Patrol]

Sorry this is so vague, but I remember seeing a classified ad in a recent issue of Goldmine for a record dealer in Council Bluffs. They were advertising that they had some incredible amount of vinyl, so if you're a vinyl lover it might be worth looking at a copy of Goldmine.
This is fairly out of your way, but since you'll be in the middle of the country, I'm going to recommend a side trip to the Garden of Eden in Lucas, KS. It is amazing.
http://www.garden-of-eden-lucas-kansas.com/
I've made the trip twice; pictures don't do it justice, it has to be seen in context.

[Annie D.]

Zion National Park, Canyon de Chile, Knab, Watpuki, Hubbell Trading Post, Window Rock, Taos, Santa Fe, Grand Canyon etc.

[Paul in Colorado]

Originally Posted by getbent

hey guys, read the map, he's going through Denver!
stop in Idaho Springs for lunch (west of denver) eat at Beau Jeaus pizza... friggin' great
Stop in Glenwood Springs for the night, go to the hot springs pool to relax, stay at the red mountain (cheap and clean) eat at Florindos (italian--> get the veal rollatini)

if you have time, hit moab.. it is gorgeous... the rest... well, it is pretty.... there is a pretty cool historical site where some mormon settlers massacred a bunch of folks... but, you'd need to read up on it first... other than.. have a nice ride.. the trip through the glenwood canyon is worth the trip.. just gorgeous.

Everything he said!

[f69tele]

Las Vegas down to Hoover Dam. South to I-40. North on 64 at Williams, AZ to Grand Canyon. 64 to 89, take 89 south to Wupatki Ruins. Circle around to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. 89 to I-40. North at Albuquerque, NM up through Taos and on the I-25. I-25 to Colorado Springs. Take the cog railway up to Pikes Peak. I-25 north to Denver, then I-76 and east to home.

or I-40 to Amarillo, TX to the Big Texas Steakhouse - eat the 72oz. steak, tater and salad and get it free. On to Oklahoma City to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. East to Memphis and Graceland. On to Nashville, then north home.

Just some ideas.


We did some gigs in Wisconsin a few years ago and the next week had to be in California. We packed the sleeping bags and tent and camped all the way to the west coast. First night at the Badlands, SD. Woke up with bison all around the next morning. Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse monument that day and on to Yellowstone Park. Saw part of Yellowstone and made it to some little gambling town in Nevada the next night. The next day on to Yosemite in California, the next day in Salinas, CA. Fast trip, but man the beauty of this country we saw -wow!

Have fun on your trip.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by getbent

hey guys, read the map, he's going through Denver!

On the way out, he plans to be.

Come Thanksgiving, I'd return a more southerly route. Hey, I'd go out west a more southerly route. Yeah, never mind my North Rim suggestions and you will be hard pressed to cover serious miles and also camp; you'll have a lot of darkness to contend with. If yer gonna camp you better be animal proof.

Check out using 44 to drop down to I-40.

Silver City, New Mexico is a cool place.

[Tim Armstrong]

I agree with Boris that in late November, there's always a possibility of bad weather on I-70 in the Rockies. If the weather report is okay, that's a great drive, but if it isn't, you might want to turn south on I-25 at Denver and drive down to Santa Fe (very, very cool place) and Albuquerque, and turn west on I-40 to Flagstaff (another great place, and a side trip down to Sedona and Jerome, Arizona would be very nice! Then take US 93 up to Hoover Dam and then on up to Las Vegas.

Cheers, Tim

[a.miller]

Go to Moab, Utah and see the red rocks (or Zion Nat. Park or Bryce). I lived in Salt Lake for 15 years and I always suggest this whenever it's a possibility. The red rocks and arches are simply stunning.