Do you even remember who was there at this year's convention . . . .
. . . . and on a more positive sober note . . . . !
Having driven to the West coast (from locations east of the Mississippi)
six times now, as well as several trips to Arizona, Colorado, and IdaSHO (relatives and other conventions) - I've driven each of the major routes to the left coast (I-10/I-20/I-40/I-70/I-80/I-90). Of the three primary routes for most here (I-70/I-80/I-90), each offers unique features and stop-over points that may be "once-in-a-lifetime" places for many (Mount Evans, YellowStone NP, Glacier NP, Mount St. Helens, to name a few).
Oh, and let's not forget those "must see" stops through Kansas, like the "Worlds Largest Prairie Dog Town", or "World's largest rattlesnake ranch" - we found they were good for, . . . .
. . . . restroom breaks :laugh_ti:
So save your money . . . .
But really guys, this is one trip where if you can get a few extra days off to travel to/from, you will find it is well worth the time spent - even if you have to ride shotgun with someone to split travel expenses.
Now to the considerations.
First and foremost is the cost - I've found that gas is least expensive in Denver, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne and Gillette Wyoming, and Rapid City South Dakota. Gas prices begin to climb once you head west beyond these areas. As the time comes, I can post a thread with links to gas prices (such as
www.gasbuddy.com), and those driving can begin searching for the least expensive places to gas-n-go.
Second is the terrain. Those that are towing I would recommend avoid the I-70 route. The elevation passing through Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel is 11,155' with significant grades through the Breckenridge/Vail ski areas west of Denver (6-8 percent grades in some areas). And once you're west of there, you will be dealing with high elevation desert conditions all the way into Idaho, and again through much of eastern Oregon. I-80 through Wyoming offers the least agressive grades for towing. I-90 through Montana, Idaho, and Washington the least-hottest route if you have a vehicle prone to overheating.
Third are the hazards along the routes. Of the three routes, I would least prefer to breakdown west of Eagle Colorado (I-70). It's hot desert conditions with long distances between exits until you enter the valley that leads north into Salt Lake City (I-15). North of Salt Lake City, there is an ever-present problem with deer-collisions along I-84 going north out of SLC, into southern Idaho. Over the last 15 years the explosion of irrigated desert farming has created a narrow vegetation corridor with water (irrigation canals), along long stretches of this route. This has the effect of drawing deer down from the nearby mountain ranges. I recall some stretches of I-84 in Utah, with more than 1 dead deer per mile of interstate. The I-80 route joins the I-70 route once north of SLC. I've found the I-90 route to be the safest - largely non-desert, cooler, fewer vehicle-animal collisions.
As far as the scenic appeal of the three routes, the I-70 and I-90 offer the most beautiful drives, depending on what you're looking to see. If it is the mountains, while I-70 offers some breath-taking views - especially where the Colorado River parallels I-70 - the extent and amount of winding mountain driving along I-90 dwarfs the short stretch from west of Denver to west of Vail Colorado. Along I-90, the mountane stretchs reach from near Bozeman Montana into Washington (west of Spokane), and then again starting east of Seattle.
If you're looking to see some of the high-desert rock formations, then I-70 west of Vail to I-15 is your route.
The Sturgis motorcycle event is August 4th through 10th. So with the convention being an "early" third weekend in July, we will likely see some of the early large packs of Harleys that will be cruising to Sturgis along I-90. It is quite the site to have a group of 100+ Harleys come cruising-up when you're already running 75-80mph . . . . and blow-by like you're standing still . . . . Not to mention, you can make great time if you can keep-up with the pack . . . !
how funny is that?
