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Date:         Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:50:53 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Interstates are boring
Comments: To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To:  <BBB159EF-F179-432D-84F0-3EA271473C56@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

---- OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net> wrote: > US40 from Lymon,CO to Empire,CO is actually I70 & goes right though > Denver which, unless you have a reason to go right through Denver, > needs to be avoided.

you need to reread my post. I said I go north using U.S. and state highways. I do not use the section of U.S. 40 through SE Colorado including I-70. I agree that the Poudre River Canyon is one of the nicest sections around, and have driven that road stretch frequently. It hooks up to U.S. 40 somewhere north of Rocky Mountain National Park, and U.S. 40 from there on is just pure heaven, with almost no traffic.

mcneely

> > If you want to stay north of Den' when coming from the East head for > FortCollins & take CO14 up the PoudreRiverCanyon ~ this Canyon is so > "Gorge-ious" that you may just > > choose to stay there for the rest of your vacation ~ I have been told > that there is a population of Moose in PoudreRiver headwaters area ~ > but if you have elsewhere West to > > go, CO14 eventually ties into US40 about 25mi East of SteamboatSprings > so it can be all US40 on West from there almost all the way to > SaltLakeCity. > > South of Denver US50 is an absolutely fine choice which will take you > through Pueblo,CO up the ArknsasRiverCanyon ~ which includes > TheRoyalGorge ~ to Salida, over

Every time I have tried that route (maybe 3 times) traffic has been horrendous. The Royal Gorge is just another big Six Flags type place, and traffic is terrible. I stay away. Too bad a beautiful natural resource has been so treated.

Further west, around Black Canyon of the Gunnison, U.S. 50 is fine, and is wonderful through Nevada (but Interstate 70 intervenes across Utah). > > MonarchPass to Gunnison & on to Montrose where you need to choose to > go No. to GrandJunction, where you get funneled back onto I70 or take > US550 So. to Ridgway, then > > CO62 West to CO145, then NW which will take you to Utah & US191 up to > Moab ~ the whole drive beautiful. There is a "ShortCut" West out of > Montrose, CO90, to CO145 but > > I'm not sure if it is paved or dirt. I'm pretty sure that I drove that > road years ago but being that I am a DirtRoadKindOfGuy & that most > ColoradoDirtRoads are smooth enough > > to allow 70mph driving if one chooses I don't remember & it may have > changed since then ~ CO90 looks like Dirt on GoogleEarth. > > Way South is CO160 West out of Walsenburg,CO to Alamosa, on over > WolfCreekPass to PagosaSprings, Durango, Cortez & then either US491- > US191 up to Moab or stay > > on 160 SW to The4Corners, @ which point I would suggest that you turn > around & head back a few miles to CO41 NW to Utah162 to Bluff, UT then > on to MexicanHat where a > > short side trip will put you on the overlook of the SanJuanRiver > GooseNecks, then on to the MonumentValleyArea, back to 160 & > eventually to US89-US180 to TheGrandCanyon > > ~ yet another all beautiful drive with lots to see.

These sound like some really nice recommendations.

> > Me & one of my Westys have done most all of the above at least once > in the past 33yrs. > > > ORR ~ DeanB > > > On 27 Aug , 2012, at 8:16 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote: > > > We almost always avoid interstate highways. On our recent near 6k > > mile trip from Oklahoma to Washington and around about in the NW and > > Rocky Mountain area, we spent most of the driving time on U.S. > > highways and state highways. We did take the interstates to get > > from Oklahoma to Spokane, but left them almost altogether after that. > > > > My neighbor recently remarked to me that his driving style depended > > on whether he was traveling or going somewhere. Traveling, he > > avoids interstates and drives at 55 mph or slower. Going somewhere, > > he drives 75 mph on interstates. > > > > I noticed your mention of U.S. 50 across Colorado. While scenic, > > because of the extreme traffic load, it is also slow and dangerous. > > If my goal is to enjoy getting across Colorado, I go north and take > > several different state and U.S. highways, including U.S. 40 through > > the mountains. Again, slow but not because of a high traffic load, > > just curvy and scenic. The stretch west of the divide is just > > sublime. > > > > mcneely > > > > ---- Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM> wrote: > >> In my travels across North America, I've often found that US routes > >> (and equivalent routes in Canada) are more scenic, and interesting > >> than the Interstates (and equivalent high speed limited access > >> highways in Canada). Sometimes the destination is the goal. > >> Sometimes its the drive to the destination that is the entertainment. > >> > >> In no particular order, here are some of my favorites: > >> > >> US Route 302 (New Hampshire. Crawford Notch. Near to Mt Washington, > >> a beautiful scenic drive. > >> > >> US Route 163 (southern Utah). Monument valley. Scene of many an > >> early western. > >> > >> US Route 50 (Colorado) Monarch Pass, and separately in eastern > >> Colorado, along side the Arkansas River (if you have to cross the > >> Great Plains this is a fairly pleasant way to do it.) > >> > >> (not US 209) Millersburg Ferry, (Pennsylvania). This ferry connects > >> US 15/11 with the town of Millersburg (where US 209 begins/ends). > >> The ferry is a stern paddleboat free navigating ferry across the > >> Susquehanna River (which is maybe 4 feet deep here). The US 15/11 > >> side of the ferry is in the Ferryboat Campground, which is > >> otherwise unexceptional (noise from US 15/11 is unfortunately > >> rather obtrusive in the campground.) > >> > >> US Route 30 (Pennsylvania) Breezewood to Gettysburg. A reminder of > >> what highways used to be like in the US. > >> > >> US Route 33 (Virginia) George Washington National Forest (Dry River > >> District). A narrow shady valley with simply magnificently tall > >> trees (beware deer at dusk). A place that I always have to roll > >> down my windows and just breath in the beneficial aromas. > >> > >> US Route 250 (Virginia) Across Shenandoah Mountain in George > >> Washington National Forest. A series of twisty roads not all alike. > >> > >> US Route 2 (Montana) The southern edge of Glacier National Park. > >> > >> US Route 101 (California) The northern section from Eureka to the > >> Oregon line. Magnificent coastal views, and big trees on the inland > >> side. > >> > >> US Route 666 (old name, now it is US 491) Shiprock NM. > >> > >> US Route 70 (Arkansas) Hot Springs. A reminder of old time resorts. > > > > -- > > David McNeely >

-- David McNeely


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