Over the past 3 years, we've limited our trips to
200-300 mile long weekends in the mid-Atlantic region. (We needed to build up a confidence level in all our rebuild/restoration work.) With about 6000 trouble-free miles now logged, I think we're ready to hit-the-road big time and are planning our first long trip for this Spring.

We plan to roam around inside a box generally bordered by Interstates 70, 15, 40 & 25; arriving from flyover country via I-76 at Denver and departing for home via I-40 at Albuquerque. We'll be in the area 3-4 weeks, with the ability to stay longer if we want. Planned stops so far include:

Bryce Canyon
Zion Nat'l. Park
Las Vegas (to recoup trip expenses
Hoover Dam & Lake Mead
Grand Canyon - South Rim
Mesa Verde Nat'l. Park
Durango CO - train trip

There must be tons of lesser-known, Must-See places we should include....and I'm sure there's lots of folks here who could offer suggestions....(We're East Coast flat-landers, so scenary & landscapes impress us.)

Thanks!

Lee
'78-24'/P32/454

Lee, I traveled that country for business a half-century ago, I've lived in some of it, & I've vacationed in all those places except Mesa Verde. Never took the Durango train ride, though I had some hairy experiences flying in & out of there on commercial flights in bad weather.

After Bryce & Zion, I'd add a stop between there & Grand Canyon, at Page, & Glen Canyon Dam. Presuming it's still running, there's a spectacular boat tour up to Rainbow Bridge. I haven't been there for 20 years, but it was much less crowded & commercial than the Vegas/Hoover Dam area.

There's a lot of ooh-ahh country through there for Eastern flatlanders, plus a few white-knuckle roads, & probably a bit of whatever-possessed-us-to-come-here-why-would-anyone-want-to-live-here country as well. I envy you seeing it for the first time. Enjoy.

"Durango train ride..."

You may not be into backpacking/hiking, but one of the world's best and most famous "Hikes": Take the train from Durango to Silverton along the Las Animas River; get off at Needles Creek -about halfway- and follow the creek (East) uphill about 3 hours (climb 3000 ft) to Chicago Basin and tent for the night. The basin is a treeless meadow, a bowl about a mile across with the creek running through it. 12,000+ft Columbine Pass is just above the basin, and clear, clean Needles Creek enters the Basin via a high waterfall on the East wall. Next morning, hike back down and take the train back to Durango or continue on to Silverton. nb: this is a very strenuous walk, esp with camping gear.
Mesa Verde: I'd disconnect the toad at the base entrance and drive it up to the mountain campground - and for sure NOT tow it down.
Separately: If you overnight near Memphis, we recommend Tom Sawyer RV Park on I-40. It is great! Flat, open sites on the bank of the Mississippi (literally) so you are looking at barges, boats, etc. and can fish in the Mighty Missysip right off the bank.

Lee, Anne and I was thru that area the first of October of this year. We attended the hot air ballon festival in Alberquerque, Measa Verde Nation Park, Gunnison National Park, Carlsbad Caverns Nation Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, White Sands National Mounment, and rode the Durango To Silverton RR. Also if in the Crand Canyon, if you have time go to the North rim also and then over to Paige and the dam there. A couple of years ago, we took a raft trip from the Paige area down the Colorado river for 7 days and six night, riding for 180 miles thru canyon to Lake Mead. An awsome sigt to the river and walls from a mile down.
Don not miss Mesa Verde Nat Park and the train ride, well worth the time and effort. We saw a lot of elk and deer on the all day train trip. Very, very nice trip. Do take some the trips at Mesa Verde to see close up some of the cliff dwelling.
Happy Motoring. Sky

Great Suggestions from all - Thanks guys......

Roy: In surfing the web, the Lake Powell/Glen Canyon area looks like a must-see for us. Streets and Trips is telling me to drop down off of I-70 just east of Green River UT and take 191/163/98 into Page...that route also allows a pass through Arches Nat'l. Park enroute. From Page, it looks like a short day's hop to Zion NP to set-up camp, with an extra day's stay for a Bryce Canyon visit....(Are Zion & Bryce different enough to warrant a trip to both?)..Then on to Vegas to test my new investment theories......What-da-ya-think?.......

Gunner: The hiking sounds adventuresome, but at our age & condition, a 3 hr. hike in the San Juan Mountains might as well be a 30 hr. hike across Death Valley - it probably ain't gonna happen.....As an alternative, are you familiar with this?: http://www.soaringcolorado.com/
Looks kinda fun IF seniors w/ mild disabilities are allowed......

sky: The Durango train ride is on-the-list for sure....Also thinking about basing the Barth in Durango, renting a car (bikes only-no toad) and driving Rt. 550 up through Silverton to Ouray CO and back....Would the scenery be different enough from the train to make it worthwhile, or would it be pretty much redundant?.....

We're really looking forward to this! In Travels With Charley, Steinbeck said there's two kinds of trips: trips that you take and trips that take you - this one's the latter!

Hi Lee,

Your itinerary looks like a great trip. While in Durango, renting a car is a good idea for the trip over Red Mountain Pass on the way to Ouray. I strongly recommend to anyone traveling in the area to leave the Barth behind for a trip over Red Mountain Pass. The passes down there do not have guard rails and it is not a drive for a timid driver, even in a car. The scariest thing you will ever see is a Winnebago coming down the hill towards you with Kansas plates on it.

There is an old story about how the town of Telluride got it's name. Telluride is located north of Durango on CO-145 while Ouray (Pronounced Yur-ray, not oooh-ray) and Silverton are on US-550, also north of Durango. As you go over mountain passes like Red Mountain, you'll notice the lack of guard rails between Ouray and Silverton. I haven't been into Telluride in years but it used to be the same way. On some parts of the road, you could look right down into the town, several thousand feet below (good brakes are really nice here), if you went over the edge, it was To Hell You Ride or Telluride. This isn't really where the town got its name but it makes a better story than the truth. It got its name from the mineral mined in the area (Tellurdium?). Telluride is a pretty neat town and a beautiful drive if you have the time. If not, Ouray and Silverton are awesome and the drive, yee-haw!

The road between Silverton and Ouray is the same as described and is not a place for "flat landers" that don't have mountain driving experience. Unless you just want to finish up wearing out the brakes on your RV, I don't recommend taking one on these roads, regardless of the time of year. If you have never been there before, take your time and don't get too caught up in the scenery, this pass can be unforgiving. If your co-pilot is afraid of heights, they might want to recline the seat and close their eyes at times.

As far as taking the train - it is a great trip. If you have the chance for someone to pick you up at the other end and bring you back, you might consider it. Some people have a problem with nausea on the way back while others are just plain bored with the return trip. My uncle used to send his family up on the train and pick them up with his motorhome for the trip back. He lost the brakes in his Grand Villa one time and was not amused.

Bryce & Zion are indeed different. We hit Bryce first. The colors & the hoodoos are spectacular. Zion was anticlimactic & a little disappointing after the wonders of Bryce. But those are subjective assessments. We've run into some who thought the opposite, & I suspect that weather conditions & time-of-day may color one's reaction to the two parks.

The Streets & Trips route is interesting, we've always approached from the other direction. The suggested route covers a lot more scenic possibilities.