Trip to the west...attractions?

[97tbird]

this is an immense help guys. Thanks so much.
wifey and i are both checking this thread daily, so keep the suggestions coming.
have seen pigeon forge/gatlinburg already, thx though.

 

[TallPaul]

Of the three states you list that I have been to, here are my favorite places:

Utah:
Arches Nat. Park
Moki Dugway (Hwy 261 north of Mexican Hat. Gravel 10% grades for 2.2 miles with switchbacks. I took a 27' motorhome up it. Spectacular scenery and drive.

Colorado:
Great Sand Dunes (be sure to climb the dunes. Up to 700 some feet high.)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Trail Ridge Road (over 12,000 feet for some 10 or more miles) in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Mesa Verde National Park.

Arizona:
Canyon de Chelly
Grand Canyon (but was too crowded)

 

[TallPaul]

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[Pat in Kentuckiana]

Outside of BITOG, my online life includes moderator-in-chief of the online forum for American Road magazine. It's geared to discuss America's two-lane highways and what to see & do along their shoulders. We've got a lot of well versed roadies who'd be glad to offer up some suggestions. If you (or anyone reading this) would like to sign up, just head to: Road Trippin', and I'll get your membership going.

 

[tom slick]

Colorado National Monument is a really easy drive and not that far out of the way if you are heading through Grand Junction.

 

[oilyriser]

Yellowstone. If you enjoy the smell of changing your own oil, this place will be even more attractive.

 

[97tbird]

we've decided to leave yellowstone for a different trip. too little time to see it effectively and everything else on this particular trip. thanks

 

[moribundman]

You need at least three days for Yellowstone.

 

[Drew99GT]

Colorado's high country is very limited until about early May because of snow-pack; a lot of the really cool alpine drives/passes like Trail Ridge Road are covered by about 15 feet of snow at the moment. ie, they're closed.

Sooooooo, I'd for sure check out the Royal Gorge. Downtown Denver is pretty sweet. If you've never been in the mountains, maybe drive up I-70 west of Denver into Summit county, then south over Tennessee or Fremont pass an head down towards Canyon City to the Royal Gorge. There is some cool things to see in CO Spgs. like Garden of the Gods, The Air Force Academy, my house (come see my oil shrine). You could do that route and head back east towards CO Spgs. for another day, then head south to the Royal Gorge.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Yellowstone. If you enjoy the smell of changing your own oil, this place will be even more attractive.
You mean, do Yellowstone if you enjoy the smell of changing you own REAR END DOPE.

Royal Gorge is very nice and easy to get to, but I'll take the Black Canyon first. Yes Colo Nat Monument is a must if you are passing through that way anyway. Get the Annual Nat Park Pass and hit as many parks, monuments, historic sites as you can. I prefer downtown Colorado Springs to Denver.

Now if you are going through in the summer there are a lot of fun roads, like Rollins Pass and Tincup Pass that I took back about 30 years ago, or for an exciting paved pass, try Independence Pass into Aspen. Colorado is like a little Switzerland. I love it.

 

[Drew99GT]

Tincup pass; in a rental sedan? Better get the damage waiver. Oh, and videotape it for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Tincup pass; in a rental sedan? Better get the damage waiver. Oh, and videotape it for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh that's right, a rental sedan. Well get an SUV instead. Still tear it up. I took a '77 F150 over it and that truck was tough. Highway geared driving uphill at enough speed to keep from stalling over large cobbles, like 8+ inch, turned all my stuff in the bed over and shook the curtains off their hooks. (Cap on back was my home for the trip.)

Rollins would work if still the same, is old RR grade and one trestle built off side of cliff makes you a cliff hugger as it must be 1000 feet down to the tiny pine trees below.

 

[Drew99GT]

Rollins is pretty gnarly these days as well. Getting a rental SUV and touring all the off highway CO passes would be a blast!

 

[1sttruck]

Gotta throw a rock into the great meteorite crater in AZ. The Grand Canyon is traditional.

Spend at least one night in the desert somewhere, and go outside and look at the sky.

Venice Beach and Beverly Hills is fun.

I395 on the east side of the Sierras is nice as you pass Death Valley on the other side.

Highway 1 is beautiful. San Simeon for ideas on your next vacation cottage.

Lassen/Shasta area is pretty.

The Redwoods are pretty impressive. I like the Roosevelt Grove.

Crater Lake in OR.

Columbia River Gorge between WA and OR is nice.

Mt Evans in CO has the highest auto road in the US, over 14k feet. Aspen was fun but it's been awhile since I've been there, and I hear it's pretty expensive now.

Yosemite is pretty but the valley is like DisneyLand.

Rocky Mountain National Park in CO.

The WA coast is beautiful, and almost desreted for long stretches.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Rollins is pretty gnarly these days as well. Getting a rental SUV and touring all the off highway CO passes would be a blast!


We won't evem suggest Scofield Pass.

Alternative to Mt. Evans is Pikes Peak auto highway (also over 14,000 feet), or take the train up, or hike up.

Oh yes, in the general vicinity of Mt Evans is St. Mary's Glacier, was nice in '75 when I went there. Maybe it's melted off by now?

 

[Tosh]

Three places you don't want to miss in L.A.: A view from Mulholland Drive, a long stroll around Venice Beach, and a long visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum (save some time for the overflow in the parking garage). Petersen is actually more of an American culture museum than just cars, and you need time to just linger around the exhibits and soak them in.

Are you a nature person or a city person, T-Bird?