Driving x-country

[JScott 20]

As part of our move to Colorado from Massachusetts, Mrs. JScott and I have tentatively mapped out our route. We've planned on how many hours we'll drive each day and where that will put us each night of the trip. So any Geeks in or near the follwing areas can you please give us any feedback you might think will be important for us to know, TIA:

 

- Erie, PA

- Ottawa, IL

- Lincoln, NE

- Denver, CO

 

Again, these were just approximate locations based on hours/miles driven each day and where we'd end up.

[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon 0]

Look kids, Big Ben.

 

Maybe Christy Brinckley will drive by

[phillybear 366]

You should visit the world famous New Jersey turnpike rest stops. The former governor gives it his personal sticky seal of approval.

[shovelheadt 72]

Consider stopping in West Omaha instead of Lincoln. You'll have many more options at the cost of only 30-45 minutes. And notice I said WEST OMAHA. Not North...not South...and East is actually Iowa.

 

West only!

 

Also, depending on when you're driving through...you may be able to hit the College World Series. And if Nebraska makes it through from the regionals, that place will be rocking.

[Toro 3]

You can go visit MDC's girlfriend in the Niagra Falls area.

[30 Fat, Bald & Texan 5]

avoid Nebraska

HTH

[bandwagoneer 0]

- Erie, PA

- Ottawa, IL

- Lincoln, NE

'Alex, I'll take 'What are the 2006 tour stops of any has been 1980's hair band?' for $400.

[Korben Dallas 0]

avoid Nebraska

HTH

FU baldy! Apparently you haven't drive through the searing, dirthole that is your namesake very much.

Give me the Nebraska drive any day.

 

Do you know when you'll be coming through Husker country? I'll look up some cool stuff for you.

 

I'm going to have to disagree with the Omaha/Lincoln assessment made by shovel. Unless your excited about visiting a mall, there is nothing at all in West O, including decent hotels. Either you can get off of 80 and head down 480 to downtown Omaha and stay in one of sevral nice places and hang in the Old Market, or you can continue on to Lincoln, which has several nice hotels off the interstate on 27th street or in downtown. (Cornhusker, etc.) Lincoln has a very nice bar scene. Omaha, not so much.

 

I can tell you that you'll be dazed by the time you finish Iowa, but I can give you the hour by hour rundown of crap to do from the Il to Co stops. I've driven it about 450 times.

[JScott 20]

FU baldy! Apparently you haven't drive through the searing, dirthole that is your namesake very much.

Give me the Nebraska drive any day.

 

Do you know when you'll be coming through Husker country? I'll look up some cool stuff for you.

 

I'm going to have to disagree with the Omaha/Lincoln assessment made by shovel. Unless your excited about visiting a mall, there is nothing at all in West O, including decent hotels. Either you can get off of 80 and head down 480 to downtown Omaha and stay in one of sevral nice places and hang in the Old Market, or you can continue on to Lincoln, which has several nice hotels off the interstate on 27th street or in downtown. (Cornhusker, etc.) Lincoln has a very nice bar scene. Omaha, not so much.

 

I can tell you that you'll be dazed by the time you finish Iowa, but I can give you the hour by hour rundown of crap to do from the Il to Co stops. I've driven it about 450 times.

 

Appreciate the info KD (and your input too shovel)

 

[Ravens 03 0]

I drove across the US and back years ago.

 

Try for:

Grand Canyon

Niagra Falls

Hoover Dam

Vegas

 

GL

[shredhead 21]

Welcome to Colorful Colorado!! I hope you will love it here like we do. If you like any outdoor activities, summer or winter then you picked an awsome place to be. Camping, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Fishing, Water Skiing, Wake Boarding, Snow Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Snowmobiling, Ice Climbing just to name a few.

 

Are you moving to Denver or somewhere else in Colorado?

 

You have several years worth of scenic drives/family vacations in store without ever leaving the state. Black Canyon of the Gunnison, The Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde National Park, Dinasour National Monument, Rocky Mountain National Park, The Royal Gorge, Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, 51 other 14000+ ft. peaks, Pawnee National Grassland, The Olympic Training Center, and many more. When you get tired of that, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Parks are about 8-9 hours away from Denver up in Wyoming. The Black Hills and Badlands National Park in South Dakota are only 6-7 hours away. Arches National Park, Moab, and Lake Powell are in Utah and are all within a days drive.

 

I've been here 36 years now and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. Yeah, like never. I hope you like it.

 

Enjoy!!!

[JScott 20]

Welcome to Colorful Colorado!! I hope you will love it here like we do. If you like any outdoor activities, summer or winter then you picked an awsome place to be. Camping, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Fishing, Water Skiing, Wake Boarding, Snow Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Snowmobiling, Ice Climbing just to name a few.

 

Are you moving to Denver or somewhere else in Colorado?

 

You have several years worth of scenic drives/family vacations in store without ever leaving the state. Black Canyon of the Gunnison, The Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde National Park, Dinasour National Monument, Rocky Mountain National Park, The Royal Gorge, Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, 51 other 14000+ ft. peaks, Pawnee National Grassland, The Olympic Training Center, and many more. When you get tired of that, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Parks are about 8-9 hours away from Denver up in Wyoming. The Black Hills and Badlands National Park in South Dakota are only 6-7 hours away. Arches National Park, Moab, and Lake Powell are in Utah and are all within a days drive.

 

I've been here 36 years now and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. Yeah, like never. I hope you like it.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

Thanks for all the info. Moving to town called Ridgway, about 40 minutes North of Telluride. I've been to a few of the parks already as Mrs. JScott and I have visited her sister in CO a few times and I've also been out to Denver a lot as my sister used to live there and I've gone on a few mtn biking trips with my buds one of which took us to Moab, Lake Powell, Arches...

 

Can't wait

[D'ohmer Simpson 0]

Niagra Falls

This is what I was going to suggest, since it's near Erie (North up I-90) but since he's prolly coming via I-88 it's a bit outa the way.

[mighty_thor 115]

As part of our move to Colorado from Massachusetts, Mrs. JScott and I have tentatively mapped out our route. We've planned on how many hours we'll drive each day and where that will put us each night of the trip. So any Geeks in or near the follwing areas can you please give us any feedback you might think will be important for us to know, TIA:

 

- Erie, PA

- Ottawa, IL

- Lincoln, NE

- Denver, CO

 

Again, these were just approximate locations based on hours/miles driven each day and where we'd end up.

 

Live in Chicago a little ways from Ottawa. There is a nice little state park in Ottawa called "Starved Rock" State Park. There is some indian legend that one tribe trapped another on this rock cliff and they starved to death. I'm sure there are some cheap hotels in the area. Not a bad choice for a stop.

 

I am originally from Boston and lived in San Fran for a year as well. I have moved and driven from Boston to Chicago and from Chicago to San Francisco and back from San Francisco to Chicago. I have made the drive from Boston to Chicago a few times when i was younger. I think you could actually get a little further each day if you wanted to push it. From Boston to Chicago, I have taken two different routes- Route 90 most all of the way which takes you through New York and 90 to Route 80 which takes you through Pennsylvania. The Route 80 way is just a little longer but has much nicer scenery with hilly terrain. 80 and 90 meet up near chicago so you have the option of taking either. Since you have decided on stopping in erie, i guess you are taking the 90 route.

 

If I was you I would try to hit somewhere in the middle of Ohio on the first day. Try for the middle of Iowa on the second day and then try to hit Colorado on the third day. There is not a lot to see on your route. You probably just want to get there as fast as possible. I think you can easily make it a three day ride. I made it from Chicago to San Fran in two and a half days and that is further than Boston to Denver. I pushed it pretty hard but i think your trip is easily done in three days. Once you get into Ohio , its going to be a very dull trip. Not much to see until you get into western nebraska.

[JScott 20]

Live in Chicago a little ways from Ottawa. There is a nice little state park in Ottawa called "Starved Rock" State Park. There is some indian legend that one tribe trapped another on this rock cliff and they starved to death. I'm sure there are some cheap hotels in the area. Not a bad choice for a stop.

 

I am originally from Boston and lived in San Fran for a year as well. I have moved and driven from Boston to Chicago and from Chicago to San Francisco and back from San Francisco to Chicago. I have made the drive from Boston to Chicago a few times when i was younger. I think you could actually get a little further each day if you wanted to push it. From Boston to Chicago, I have taken two different routes- Route 90 most all of the way which takes you through New York and 90 to Route 80 which takes you through Pennsylvania. The Route 80 way is just a little longer but has much nicer scenery with hilly terrain. 80 and 90 meet up near chicago so you have the option of taking either. Since you have decided on stopping in erie, i guess you are taking the 90 route.

 

If I was you I would try to hit somewhere in the middle of Ohio on the first day. Try for the middle of Iowa on the second day and then try to hit Colorado on the third day. There is not a lot to see on your route. You probably just want to get there as fast as possible. I think you can easily make it a three day ride. I made it from Chicago to San Fran in two and a half days and that is further than Boston to Denver. I pushed it pretty hard but i think your trip is easily done in three days. Once you get into Ohio , its going to be a very dull trip. Not much to see until you get into western nebraska.

 

 

Thanks for the feedback mighty_thor, some good stuff here to think about

[STBootleg 0]

I drove across the US and back years ago.

 

Try for:

Grand Canyon

Niagra Falls

Hoover Dam

Vegas

 

GL

 

Clark?