Road Trip East to West.

[Jeepedo129]

Well, as the title says I'm going West! The Wife, the Baby, and I are going to take a drive from Hartford Ct, to SLC Utah. We're going to drop the jeep off in Utah, so when we come visit we will have a means of transportation. And because I fly for free i can go to moab and what not then fly home.

anyways, This will be the second time I've made the Journey, First time headed west, and I was wondering what are some cool places to stop and see along I-80? When we drove out east, I was under time constraints and really didn't have time to see anything. Don't know if there is anything to see, but I thought I would reach out across the forum and see what people had to say.

We'll be driving my Jeep from Hartford to SLC some time in the late spring, Like May or June. We'll be driving with a 6 month old (at the time), so That may limit options :dunno:

Anyways, I'm open for ideas :cheers:

 

[Cottontail]

As a native Iowan, who grew up just north of I-80 and drove the heck out of it between Des Moines and LaClaire - When you get to Iowa get off I-80 and run highway 30 through all the little towns. It'll take you a little longer, but you'll get to see some pretty land, especially that time of year when the planting is in. Remembering all the pretty land in Iowa will help you make it through Nebraska.

At LeClaire you could stop in and see the original "Antique Archeology" store from the American Pickers show. Maybe Danielle will even be there.

In Illinois you are just 20 minutes south of Chicago on I-80.

You'll go through Toledo. Stop at the Jeep plant and get a picture of your Jeep in front of the big Jeep letters. Maybe a quick run into Detroit and see if the Walter Chrysler Museum is open.

Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland - I thought it was boring, but you might not. Now the Country Music Hall of Fame...that's the deal!!

 

[Jeepedo129]

This is awesome! That is exactly what I'm looking for. I think my wife would Love to go see the "antique Archeology" store, she loves American Pickers. And I would really like to stop by the Jeep plant in Toledo!

How far off is Detroit? It MIGHT be worth stopping by the Chrysler museum.

I like it so far, keep the ideas coming!

 

[Ian Christiansen]

The Chrysler museum is in Auburn Hills, about 90 minutes north of I80 on I75. Look for the big Fiat sign.

 

[seanR]

In Illinois you are just 20 minutes south of Chicago on I-80.

That there is the funniest thing O have heard today!
20 mins, at 2am maybe!
Stay out of Chicago unless you plan on spending two or three days.
Depending on the time of day and the traffic, it might be faster to go way south of Chicago. Check Google traffic.

 

[Jeepedo129]

When we moved out to the east we thought it would be cool to stop a check out Chicago. Lesson learned, while it was neat to see the city, it turned into a 4 hour wait in traffic.

 

[billyjp2]

if you've got the time how about south on 81 through VA and TN, then west on 40 through AR and OK.

 

[Cottontail]

In Illinois you are just 20 minutes south of Chicago on I-80.

That there is the funniest thing I have heard today!
20 mins, at 2am maybe!

I didn't say what part of Chicago - and he didn't say what time he's going through that part of the country!! :looney:

My dad grew up on the south side at 164th and I-94 and I remember that usually taking about 20-30 minutes to get into the city - granted I've not made that drive in years. As we got older we usually just parked at the train station in Harvey and rode the train into town. So chalk that comment up to the memory and time frame of a 12 or 13 year old!!

 

[Rod Knee]

Hobo hot springs, Saratoga Wyoming...

 

[Jeepedo129]

if you've got the time how about south on 81 through VA and TN, then west on 40 through AR and OK.

What down that way? Any good stops there?

 

[Cottontail]

What down that way? Any good stops there?

Smokey Mountains, Nashville, Memphis, Hot Spring AR...4 great stops within about 550 miles or so. All of them along I-40 in about 3 1/2 hour intervals.

 

[FlexdXJ]

DrMoab lives in the SLC area. He can point you to any cool place in Utah.

 

[Jeepedo129]

DrMoab lives in the SLC area. He can point you to any cool place in Utah.

I used to live out in slc. That's the reason I'm drivin te jeep out there, so when we visit family we will have a vehicle to drive. (Plus I'll get to wheel in cool places) :shhh:

 

[ktm racer 419]

I booked it overnight to Chicago from RI, drove through a couple corn filled states and then avoided off the highway once I hit Nebraska. Drove along the Lincoln highway, did some touristy stuff and loved every second of it. If there was a sign with an attraction, I'd follow the sign.

Checked out a few awesome old Museums ran by little old ladies that ask for a $2 donation to get into. Westward/Oregon trail themed, and just some cool small towns along the Lincoln Highway.

Also, I'm surprised I have never stopped there before, but Old Forge PA crowns themselves as "The Pizza Capital of the world" if you are strolling through there around lunch or dinner, its a good place to stop. I ate at Revello's. Its a unique style of Pizza i have never had anywhere else, but it was delicous.

 

[Jeepedo129]

Awesome! Thanks for the tips, that's exactly what in looking for. I'm always down for some good pizza! That's not a bad idea to just follow signs. Probably find some interesting stuff.

 

[katuah]

I'm heading out the "not quite I-40" route for spring break and from what I can tell that route stands to be way more interesting than 80 or 70. Cottontail mentioned some of them - Nashville, Memphis, Hot Springs (which is a little off 40) - there's also Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, the Talimena Scenic Byway, or go more to the north thru Branson.

 

[David_Bricker]

As a native Iowan, who grew up just north of I-80 and drove the heck out of it between Des Moines and LaClaire - When you get to Iowa get off I-80 and run highway 30 through all the little towns. It'll take you a little longer, but you'll get to see some pretty land, especially that time of year when the planting is in. Remembering all the pretty land in Iowa will help you make it through Nebraska.

My father grew up in Iowa before there was such a thing as I-80. Highway 30 was the big highway; Highway 6 was the connector for east-west. He grew up near-ish Cedar Rapids.

Some rather different things to see: Amana, Iowa. Just outside Cedar Rapids - amish-style community, somewhat of of tourist trap, but not terrible. Some nice shops, handcrafted goods, Ox Yoke Inn for family style grub at a decent price. cheese shops, used to be tours of furniture and other factories, not sure if they are there anymore.

Nebraska - Harold Warp Pioneer Village. A few miles south of I-80 in Minden, NB. http://www.pioneervillage.org/ We went there 25 years ago on an east-west road trip. Was going to spend 2 hours; ended up making net 20 miles that day. Neat Americana museum.

You're welcome to spend the night at our house in upstate NY. We're not too near I-80, but just off NY 17 (Future I-86), near Binghamton, NY. That might be a good first night stop from CT. From our house, you can pick up I-80 as you enter Ohio, and it actually may be fewer miles.

David Bricker / SYR

 

[seanR]

Pioneer village has a pipeline directly from China that has more cheap trinkets than you can shake a stick at. Not worth the time.

 

[David_Bricker]

Trinkets notwithstanding, the museum is pretty impressive. Unless, of course, they took all that out in the last 25 years, which I doubt.

Generally speaking, I don't spend a lot of time in the gift shop of museums. But I do understand that it is a substantial portion of operating revenue.

David Bricker / SYR

 

[seanR]

I must have not been to the real museum, What I saw was a tourist trap.
He does have a lot of things in that area.