Just finished mapping out the 2010 road trip on AAA

[Rustycat]

I have to give highest recommendations to AAA online trip planning.
Here's a pic of my Sept 2010 road trip.

[Eccentric]

that looks like an epic journey- going solo, or with your girl (or guy friends)?

[Rustycat]

Actually, it's a road trip with my wife as a retirement trip gift for her (and me). She's walking away for 36 years of Federal bureaucracy and I retired a couple of years prior from the private sector. We both like roadtrips, so off we go. Last year we did one that was about half as long down to Yosemite.

[Finnegan]

Unless you want to swing through Vegas twice do yourself a favor and go from Utah through Nevada on 50 to to Reno (or Reno using 50 across Nevada to get to Utah--not sure which direction you're coming/going).

From Utah to Ely hit Great Basin National Park and do the Lehman Cave Tour. After Great Basin, it's about an hour and a half to Ely, where you can stay at the Hotel Nevada. (We stayed in the John Schnider room, which you can ask for, it's a blast. Lunchboxes, guitars, and all kinds of Dukes of Hazzard stuff.) Plenty of nice n cheap motels in Ely as well, but the Hotel is, if I recall, around 40-50/night. Highway 50 offers little to no traffic, huge vistas and wide open spaces, fun roads to drive, and the Shoe Tree! Here are more photos of Baker NV (Great Basin), the caves, and the Shoe Tree which start on page 3 (middle) through page 5. PM me if you want more details/info.

My wife and I have down this trip twice, and it's been worth it both times. (On our way to Moab, Arches, Canyonlands, etc.) Vegas is nice to pass through once, but the road less traveled is often more fun!

[bhoch]

Looks like a GREAT trip! Hope you have a great time and congrats to your wife on her retirement!

[buddrinker]

Just curious but why don't you go up the Oregon coast? instead of hiway 5. Its very romantic and a great scenic drive.

[Rick F.]

Rusty,

Looks great! I'm glad to see that you've got Bryce Canyon on the itinerary--I thought it was one of the most spectacular places I've ever seen:



Also, if you can fit it in, a trip to Antelope Canyon is quite impressive, too:


Regardless of where you end up going, take pictures!

Rick F.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by Rick F.

Rusty,

Looks great! I'm glad to see that you've got Bryce Canyon on the itinerary--I thought it was one of the most spectacular places I've ever seen:

Also, if you can fit it in, a trip to Antelope Canyon is quite impressive, too:

Regardless of where you end up going, take pictures!

Rick F.

Oh noes, Rick, now Skelekitty and I will just have to make another Southwest trip to see these two places!

Good suggestions. I think another trek across 50 into Utah may be in order soon!

[zKnuds3712]

Originally Posted by Rick F.

Rusty,

Looks great! I'm glad to see that you've got Bryce Canyon on the itinerary--I thought it was one of the most spectacular places I've ever seen:



Also, if you can fit it in, a trip to Antelope Canyon is quite impressive, too:


Regardless of where you end up going, take pictures!

Rick F.

These pictures are wonderful, too bad i live on the wrong side of the US

[onebluemcm]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Unless you want to swing through Vegas twice do yourself a favor and go from Utah through Nevada on 50 to to Reno (or Reno using 50 across Nevada to get to Utah--not sure which direction you're coming/going).

From Utah to Ely hit Great Basin National Park and do the Lehman Cave Tour. After Great Basin, it's about an hour and a half to Ely, where you can stay at the Hotel Nevada. (We stayed in the John Schnider room, which you can ask for, it's a blast. Lunchboxes, guitars, and all kinds of Dukes of Hazzard stuff.) Plenty of nice n cheap motels in Ely as well, but the Hotel is, if I recall, around 40-50/night. Highway 50 offers little to no traffic, huge vistas and wide open spaces, fun roads to drive, and the Shoe Tree! Here are more photos of Baker NV (Great Basin), the caves, and the Shoe Tree which start on page 3 (middle) through page 5. PM me if you want more details/info.

My wife and I have down this trip twice, and it's been worth it both times. (On our way to Moab, Arches, Canyonlands, etc.) Vegas is nice to pass through once, but the road less traveled is often more fun!

Route 50 and Great Basin are highly recommended. We drove this exact route from Filmore UT to Reno. There are lots of passes with flat valleys inbetween - one of the coolest things we witnessed was coming across one of the valleys, heading to the next pass miles up ahead and two F-16s came from behind us, were flying fast and low and across from our left rear to front right and then over the ridge up ahead. They were really cooking and it was just something to see. And Great Basin is something you just do not expect out there - it seemed like we went up and up for ever before getting up to the top of that area.

And one last thing - you really, really shoud look at adding in the lost coast part of California - it's below Eugene, a strecth of coast that not even the PCH goes through. It is paved all the way out, but what an amazing place. The tide pools out there were amazing and you drop something like 4000 feet to sea level in just 2 miles I think, it's one the the least known but best places along the coast to see. We saw tons of seals and there was no better place to see a sun set. We went out to the Shelter Cove area and spent a day out there.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by onebluemcm

Route 50 and Great Basin are highly recommended. We drove this exact route from Filmore UT to Reno. There are lots of passes with flat valleys inbetween - one of the coolest things we witnessed was coming across one of the valleys, heading to the next pass miles up ahead and two F-16s came from behind us, were flying fast and low and across from our left rear to front right and then over the ridge up ahead. They were really cooking and it was just something to see. And Great Basin is something you just do not expect out there - it seemed like we went up and up for ever before getting up to the top of that area.

And one last thing - you really, really shoud look at adding in the lost coast part of California - it's below Eugene, a strecth of coast that not even the PCH goes through. It is paved all the way out, but what an amazing place. The tide pools out there were amazing and you drop something like 4000 feet to sea level in just 2 miles I think, it's one the the least known but best places along the coast to see. We saw tons of seals and there was no better place to see a sun set. We went out to the Shelter Cove area and spent a day out there.

Hmmm...I think you may have meant below Eureka not below Eugene? Is it this Shelter Cove? <-Link-> It's off 101 just south of Eureka CA. Wow, another place to visit!

I'm glad you concur on Great Basin and 50. The wide open spaces are, well, so wide open! It's really wide open out there, and easy to envision what America looked like before cities, towns, shopping malls, etc. We didn't see any jet fighters, but we did get caught in some rain showers. You'd see them coming off in the distance, and the way the sun and clouds and impending rain all joined up was just awe inspiring!

[Rustycat]

Finnegan, I'll definitely check out your route recommendation. I'm not back tracking through Vegas, spending the night in Mesquite (as it stands now), but I'll check out Great Basin Hwy 50 route.
Thanks for the recommendations.

[Rustycat]

Rick, Bryce is upper most on our list and we are spending a couple of nights in Tropic to have easy access to Bryce. Great pics. Do you remember the names of the places you
posted pictures of?

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Rustycat

Rick, Bryce is upper most on our list and we are spending a couple of nights in Tropic to have easy access to Bryce. Great pics. Do you remember the names of the places you
posted pictures of?

'Cat,

The first picture is of Bryce Canyon, taken from the Queen's Garden Trail. A great combination is to start on the Navajo Loop Trail and switch to the Queen's Garden Trail. The total is 4.9 miles, I believe. (Take water!) There are uncountable beautiful sights along the way.

The second picture is Antelope Canyon. It's a long, narrow "slot canyon," with stunning views all the way through it. It's on Indian land, and you can only see it by a guided tour (which is easy to arrange).

Rick F.