Summer Route

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 05/21/2018 at 11:57 • Filed to: None

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Leaving in a couple of weeks. Should be fun. With side trips, it will likely be closer to 3,000 miles, which is about normal for our summer driving vacations.

After this trip, my States I Have Been To map will look like this. I’ve still got some work to do.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:10

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You should highlight the ones you’re going to cover with your route in a different color.

Also, somehow missing New Hampshire despite getting every state around it...

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:10

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Our summer trip

HammerheadFistpunch > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:17

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Thats pretty good. you’re missing some good ones though. what website did you do that with? I’d like to see mine mapped out.

PartyPooper2012 > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:18

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This is an awesome route. Wife and I were up there last summer. Did Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah and Nevada. Some states we hit more than once, but was really an awesome week. Drove that rental into the ground. It definitely needed an oil change after us.

We still need to hit up a lot of states, but there are also many countries we would like to visit so we’re drinking from a firehose with that many places to visit

ttyymmnn > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 05/21/2018 at 12:20

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The website doesn’t let me do that. Perhaps another one does.

It’s entirely possible that I’ve been in NH, I just don’t remember. I would have been very young.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:22

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Did you road trip up there or fly to Maine? If you drove to Maine from, say, Boston (like I did), you passed through NH.

Of the states with coastline, NH has the least.

ttyymmnn > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/21/2018 at 12:22

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The drive on I-64 across the Appalachians from WV to VA is stunning. It’s not heavily traveled, so few cars and beautiful scenery. I-81 is nice, too, and you’ll enjoy the drive through the VA piedmont. Richmond to Norfolk is a major snooze, though. Watch for cops.

ttyymmnn > HammerheadFistpunch 05/21/2018 at 12:23

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https://www.amcharts.com/visited_states/#

ttyymmnn > PartyPooper2012 05/21/2018 at 12:23

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I always try to do loops if possible. I hate coming home on the same road I left on.

ttyymmnn > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 05/21/2018 at 12:25

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I likely have been in NH, I just don’t remember. I know I went to ME in about 1974, but we flew from Chicago to Bangor.

HammerheadFistpunch > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:26

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my map isn’t very impressive

been meaning to get up to Oregon and Maine areas.

facw > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:27

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My summer route involves one of these:

Followed by one of these:

Then a couple of these:

Two of these:

And finally one of these:

Probably there will be some taxis or other ground transportation mixed in somewhere.

ttyymmnn > HammerheadFistpunch 05/21/2018 at 12:28

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You’ve got AK and HI. That’s saying something.

HammerheadFistpunch > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:29

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headed back to Alaska this fall actually. Stoked! I was 13 last time I was there, about the same for Hawaii.

ttyymmnn > facw 05/21/2018 at 12:29

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One of these days.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:33

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My workaround would be to use a SVG file, like this one , and edit the fills on it.

Programs like Inkscape can edit the fills and export as PNG.

Additionally, since they’re XML files, you can simply edit them by hand in any text editor. Apparently it’s supposed to be human-readable as well.

user314 > HammerheadFistpunch 05/21/2018 at 12:35

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Mine is even more paltry:

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:35

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So, I don’t want to be a huge Debbie Downer, but for those miles, you’re wasting a ton of them on area that really looks very similar. Unless you really need/want to hit NE and KS, you should consider shifting your route further west, possibly by a lot. See the Grand Canyon, see Flagstaff, see a bunch of the National Parks in UT, snag ID and MT when you go the Yellowstone. Might add a thousand miles, but it’ll probably add that many more smiles.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:36

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Haha yeah the wife will be driving through VA cause she doesn’t have a lead foot like I do. But we will be switching right before the marrimak memorial tunel and bridge cause she hats driving on bridges over water

PartyPooper2012 > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 12:38

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That’s how we usually do it. We were in Utah - Salt lake city. We drove out to Bonneville salt flats. Looked at the map. It said Nevada was 14 minutes away. We said. Hey. Let’s go gamble. We drove in. Casinos did not look anything like Las Vegas. It was a Thursday and it was 10 am. We said screw it. Let’s just drive and see what we see. Got a full tank of gas and hit it.

Found a national park with the most amazing caves ever. Tours of course. I wouldn’t go into a random cave. But it was incredible. Lehman caves. Google some images..

We then wanted to see some fancy pants pine tree that only grows there. We asked a park ranger about it. It was some miles away. Then a 7 mile treck on foot. We asked if there were rattle snakes. It was confirmed that there were. We looked at out flip flops for foot wear and decided not to try that.

But we did end up driving around in a huge loop through Nevada to get back to Utah (where we had a hotel)

ttyymmnn > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 05/21/2018 at 12:52

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I’ll go translate that and get back to you.

/not a tech guy

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > user314 05/21/2018 at 12:54

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That’s kind of impressive

ttyymmnn > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 05/21/2018 at 12:54

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We’ve done the Grand Canyon, and the whole canyon land trip will be a separate vacation. I am well aware that OK, KS and NE are going to be quite boring. But those are purely “get there” days. And, as boring as they may be, it is all part of the US and I want our boys to see it. If they ever look up from their phones.....

ttyymmnn > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/21/2018 at 12:57

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That’s a relatively new bridge tunnel. In the old days, you had to go all the way down I-64 through Newport News. Traffic can be a real nightmare, and has been for 40 years. That’s a nice crossing, though. I grew up in Norfolk back in the late 70s-80s. I miss that part of the country very much. I miss being about all the water and the ships.

ttyymmnn > PartyPooper2012 05/21/2018 at 12:58

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I wish my wife and I had done more traveling like that in the years before we had kids. Now, I’m looking forward to them moving out so we can take more driving vacations without any particular planned route.

PartyPooper2012 > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 13:02

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We aren’t planning on having kids so it’s a bit different. I don’t know your kids situation, but can’t you just drag them out with you?

smobgirl > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 13:03

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If you guys are interested in a fun mine tour, I love taking people to the Mollie Kathleen near Cripple Creek (west of CO Springs). If you go, the visitors center across the street is worth a stop as well.

ttyymmnn > PartyPooper2012 05/21/2018 at 13:05

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Oh, it’s a family trip. What you lose with kids, though, at least in our case, is the flexibility to just go where the wind blows you. Generally, my boys have become good travelers, and I think they enjoy seeing the different parts of the country. We’ve taken them to the east coast (NC beaches, Norfolk, DC), the Midwest (St. Louis, Chicago), the west coast (San Diego, Grand Canyon), and many points in between those destinations. I’m a driving fool. It’s in my family’s genes. On most of these trips, I drive every inch. Not because I don’t trust my wife, but just because I don’t like sitting and doing nothing. I like to have the wheel in my hand.

ttyymmnn > smobgirl 05/21/2018 at 13:07

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We plan on driving up Pike’s Peak (I really have no idea what that entails, but somebody here suggested it), and then we have to drive on to Amarillo. So we probably won’t have time for much more. But thanks for the tip, and that goes on the list of things to do on another trip.

PartyPooper2012 > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 13:11

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i’m the same way. I need to have a purpose. Also I don’t really like how my wife drives - same way I drive, but it’s different when you have control vs giving it to someone else.

If the boys are good travelers, go wherever you wish. What’s the worst case scenario? They need a bathroom break from time to time? Have some snacks and water in the car. Good to go for years. Mileage may vary.

My all time favorite thing to do with the wife is go somewhere random and not a tourist trap.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > HammerheadFistpunch 05/21/2018 at 13:17

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Yours is unimpressive? No that’s mine lol

smobgirl > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 13:23

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That entails paying a toll and sitting in a line of traffic going really slow :) Hopefully you’re there on a weekday. Look for pika at the top. (And have jackets or sweatshirts ready!)

They have donuts in the shop on the summit which aren’t the best donuts but you should still eat some. Also I’m sad the cog railway won’t be running because it’s pretty neat.

ttyymmnn > PartyPooper2012 05/21/2018 at 13:23

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We definitely like to stay off the beaten path. The thing about traveling with kids, though, is that you need a destination. They need to have something to look forward to, and they need to have something to do when they get there. I’d be perfectly happy finding a lake lodge somewhere, sitting on the porch, and staring at the lake. Boys, not so much.

ttyymmnn > smobgirl 05/21/2018 at 13:25

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We’ll be there on a Tuesday, and doing the Peak first thing in the morning.

ttyymmnn > user314 05/21/2018 at 13:27

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Gotta start somewhere. You’re in my old stomping grounds. I grew up (or at least spent my formative years) in Norfolk.

PartyPooper2012 > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 13:41

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hahaha. it’s an adventure. It’s being a discoverer and finding new cool things.

Ask them to help you find cool destinations.

Alternatively, there is a website - https://www.atlasobscura.com/ Tells you all sorts of cool stuff at the place where you are or near by. Not that the kids need more internet time, but it is a cool thing to use when looking for random cool things.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 13:45

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Basically, instead of using tiny squares of color, the entire thing is drawn by math ( hiss )

Makes it really easy to edit on a per-shape basis

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 14:14

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If you shift about 30 miles, you’ll be right where me and another Oppo track day a lot. Do you have an idea when you’ll be in southern Nebraska? There’s usually something going on at the track.

CTSenVy > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 14:25

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Looks like you are cutting thru Neligh Nebraska, I think they still have a working drive in movie. If it works for your schedule.

http://www.nelighdriveintheater.com/mhome.html

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > facw 05/21/2018 at 15:11

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You’re actually flying Brussels Airlines? Here’s hoping you get one of the Belgian Icons. Rackham and Magritte are my personal favourites.

Also, those Italo AGVs are pretty cool.

facw > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 05/21/2018 at 15:14

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Yep, Brussels had by far the best prices for my connecting flights through Europe, so hopefully it works out well. Only issue I have is an excessively early departure time, but I can manage that for one day.

I’ll keep an eye open for those special planes.

Derpwagon > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 15:15

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everything north of Dallas on your eastern leg looks like a waste of time.

ttyymmnn > CTSenVy 05/21/2018 at 16:24

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Actually, we are. Though I might swing through Norfolk, NE for the simple reason that I grew up in Norfolk, VA and it would be fun to take a picture with the sign. We’ll be leaving KS in the morning, though, and will be passing through NE during the day. We bunk for the night in Mitchell, SD.

ttyymmnn > Derpwagon 05/21/2018 at 16:25

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Those are two days of “just getting there.” No real sightseeing, just eating up miles.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 16:27

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Nice! Here’s ours. Meet you Amarillo? =)

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/21/2018 at 16:31

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We’ve driven a bit of that route. Five years ago we did Austin-San Diego-Grand Canyon (North Rim)-Austin. Driving through the desert was a lot of fun.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 16:45

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This place is pretty great if you’re looking for something to do in OKC - https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/

The Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is really cool, but a little way off your route.

And Turner Falls near Davis is a fun spot (been many years since I’ve been there).

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 16:46

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I can’t wait...

smobgirl > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 16:46

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Also random, I can’t quite tell on the map but you aren’t going through Vermillion, SD are you? There’s a musical instrument museum there that one of my students talks about. I think it’s slightly east of your route though. Have fun at the Corn Palace at least :)

Elumerere > PartyPooper2012 05/21/2018 at 16:58

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Ha, we stopped in that same town just across the stateline from Bonneville. Weird town.

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/21/2018 at 17:00

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We passed through OKC last summer and visited the Murrah Federal Building memorial. Heading northward are driving days, so not sure if we’ll have much time to stop. Thanks for the tip, though.

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/21/2018 at 17:02

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See: Amboy Road.

When I asked Google for a route from SD to Williams, AZ, it gave me three. The route we took, through Twenty-nine Palms, was the middle route, and it took us through not just the desert, but the fucking desert. It was both equal parts scary and exciting, but I’m glad we went that way. It was a real experience.

ttyymmnn > smobgirl 05/21/2018 at 17:05

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That is not far out of our way, and may just be a perfect stop. We’ve got three brass players and one woodwind in our family. Thanks!!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 17:05

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Sure thing. Our only really long driving days are Amarillo to Flagstaff at the beginning, and then Denver to middle Missouri at the end.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 17:07

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Yeah, that looks pretty much like nothing out there!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 18:34

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My next trip will be some quality time in one of these. Still trying to pull something together with the family. It’s looking like mountain biking in Butte, a tour of Lewis and Clark Caverns, then Craters of the moon in Idaho.

ttyymmnn > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/21/2018 at 18:35

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Sounds like fun.

f86sabre > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 18:43

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You must visit. Don’t forget to visit Prairie Dog Town.

ttyymmnn > f86sabre 05/21/2018 at 18:49

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That is already on the itinerary. And we are going to make sure the boys watch CE3K before we go. Is the spaceport still there?

f86sabre > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 18:58

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Not sure about the space port, but prairie dog town is real and worth it. The Sitting Bull monument is also worth the time and an interesting counterpoint to Rushmore.

CTSenVy > ttyymmnn 05/21/2018 at 19:25

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When I was little my family lived in Norfolk Ne. Don’t be surprised when the locals pronounce it Norfork or even it’s original name North Fork. Also the Granary on 13th street used to have pretty good food (It’s been about 15 years since I ate there so my memory maybe fuzzy with nostalgia on that).

PartyPooper2012 > Elumerere 05/22/2018 at 06:48

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Weird indeed. We didn’t hang around too long. Didn’t really see anything worth stopping for. Got gas and got going.

Derpwagon > ttyymmnn 05/22/2018 at 09:32

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so it is a waste of time?

ttyymmnn > Derpwagon 05/22/2018 at 09:33

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No, because I’m driving on roads I’ve never driven on, through states I’ve never visited.

Derpwagon > ttyymmnn 05/22/2018 at 09:46

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i get that but i promise there’s pretty much nothing to see that route. oklahoma sucks, tell my aunt and uncle in Wichita I said hi, nebraska sucks, that part of south dakota is pretty boring. enjoy the 4827432973209643 wall drug signs once you turn onto the interstate again. wall drug sucks but the bumper stickers are free.

it’s gonna be a boring ass drive until you hit the badlands.

ttyymmnn > Derpwagon 05/22/2018 at 10:08

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it’s gonna be a boring ass drive until you hit the badlands.

It wouldn’t be the first one I’ve made. I’m going in with my eyes wide open.

Derpwagon > ttyymmnn 05/22/2018 at 10:30

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they’ll be 3/4 closed from boredom by the time you hit anything interesting :P

ttyymmnn > Derpwagon 05/22/2018 at 10:42

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That’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Elumerere > PartyPooper2012 05/22/2018 at 10:57

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We stayed the night, as it was a long day of driving (came through from Telluride, CO, through a hail storm in my then new-to-me car). But yes, lots of electric scooters (those for the fat people, not for street racing), and gambling addicts. And the worst food we had ever in a Casino.

PartyPooper2012 > Elumerere 05/22/2018 at 11:18

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8 hours is a bit much. If you add traffic and things you want to stop for, your day is all gone.

We did Jackson hole Wy to Salt lake city the day before. The next day went to Bonneville salt flats and the rest of the loop around nevada. Saw lots of little museums along the way tho. We didn’t have the A-B mentality. See a brown historic sign. Stop there/go to it.

Elumerere > PartyPooper2012 05/22/2018 at 11:36

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We had the same mentality, but had to rush out of the Rockies as a snow storm was approaching. We did two/three loops through Utah, Nevada and the Mojave. Just for giggles.