Next Tuesday-ish I leave my winter home for a 3000ish mile drive back to my summer home. I've got a stop in Denver to visit my snowboard builder and a stop in Raleigh to visit my race team. So those two points on my route are certain. Normally(damn you covid) I've got a copilot and we aim for a museum or amusement park or friend's couch etc. Anything near the route that's worth a stop or a detour?
I don't know how time constrained you are but you could catch Route 66 in St. Louis and run it to Albuquerque then go up to Denver. There are a lot of interesting things to see in that. I did it from Tulsa to Joliet one time driving back from Texas. I had an extra day or two in the trip but it was really nice.
Legal brothel in Vegas? Grand Canyon? Arches national park was amazing, as well as the drive up pikes peak.
I assume you're going from left to right - if you have the time and haven't done it yet, US-50 to Salt Lake rather than I-80?
Oh, an New River Gorge in WV is probably pretty close to your route and the newest National Park in the US.
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) :
No legal brothels in Vegas...
In reply to BoxheadTim :
Huh. So they finally did away with it? Or was it somewhere else in nevada, just not vegas?
I honestly only know about it because of morning talk radio....
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) :
They're only legal in specific counties in NV, usually outside the big metro areas. Brothels aren't legal in Clark County (Las Vegas) but there are some in the adjacent counties. Same with the Reno/Carson City area.
In reply to BoxheadTim :
Wow. Learned something new today!
The National Corvette Museum is in Bowling Green Kentucky, you'll pass close to that before driving through my town (Lexington).
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:Legal drive up pikes peak.
I've done all the parks in UT but that sounds like a winner in my book.
In Reply to BoxheadTim:
50 is the "nation's lonliest road" or some such? I should do that. New River Gorge would be really cool too.
On that specific route, Bonneville Salt Flats.
99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer!
Nothing specific, but Atlas Obscura is my go-to for weird, off-the-beaten-path sort of things to do.
2 slight detours gets you to Springfield MO and Hutchinson KS.
Springfield has the massive Bass Pro Shop that has a ginormous aquarium in it, probably the best I've seen. They also have some great food at Churchill's, a small Motorsports musuem, a gun museum and a huge stuffed animal display. It was a lot of fun when we went.
The Cosmosphere is probably the best space themed tourist spot around. They also have an entire sr71 blackbird in the main atrium as you walk in. Hutchinson has little else but I can recommend a good Japanese steakhouse we went to there
I think you're not far off from Duncan Imports in Christiansburg VA, if you're into old obscure JDM stuff: Duncan Imports & Classics
Dad and I did the Loneliest Road In America a while back. It was a helluva lot of fun. There's a mountain just outside of Ely where the land management people blew the top off and exposed the rock. You can go digging around for natural garnets.
https://www.blm.gov/visit/garnet-hill
https://www.whereverwriter.com/all-that-glitters-isnt-garnet-hunting-for-gems-at-garnet-hill/
I've got nothing to add, but if you run into any trouble in Utah just reach out.
buzzboy said:In Reply to BoxheadTim:
50 is the "nation's lonliest road" or some such? I should do that. New River Gorge would be really cool too.
Yes, that's the Nevada stretch of US50 - IIRC some magazine called it that a while back, and now they even have signs up.
If you do like the desert (which I do), it's a great drive.
alfadriver said:On that specific route, Bonneville Salt Flats.
Keep in mind that around this time of the year it's still "get stuck in the salt and pay $$$$$$ for the tow" season.
Snorkel in Utah. Seriously, Bonneville Seabase. At 3ppm the salt level is ocean like and tropical fish have been stocked. Another Pikes Peak vote.
When you get home, have an apple ugly for me. This ol'Avon boy misses living on the island.
Swing a little south in the middle of your route and check out the cypress swamp at the southern tip of Illinois.
I would be tempted to do Nashville and something in the Smoky Mountains this time of year, before the crowds. Just move the route down to I-40 in TN and NC. And a short detour near Aspen CO to see the Maroon Bells.
BoxheadTim said:buzzboy said:In Reply to BoxheadTim:
50 is the "nation's lonliest road" or some such? I should do that. New River Gorge would be really cool too.
Yes, that's the Nevada stretch of US50 - IIRC some magazine called it that a while back, and now they even have signs up.
If you do like the desert (which I do), it's a great drive.
Time Magazine. AAA said something about not traveling it unless you were confident of your survival skills, had enough extra gas to fill your tank once, and enough water to last each passenger three days.
You can get a Loneliest Road in America "survival guide" which you can get stamped at various locations in each town along the way. Then you can mail that off to the state of Nevada and get a "I survived" certificate, lapel pin, and bumper sticker.
Dip down to Nashville and visit the Lane Motor Muesem?
BoxheadTim said:alfadriver said:On that specific route, Bonneville Salt Flats.
Keep in mind that around this time of the year it's still "get stuck in the salt and pay $$$$$$ for the tow" season.
Taking the drive out to the edge of the salt is still worth it. It's only a couple of miles off the exit.
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