LA to Chicago; a Scenic Route, 10 days, one-way...

[KevinsMap]

This trip is kind of an odd one for my wife and I; an opportunity to explore a bit, but limited by the need to attend a convention in Chicago at one end of the trip. It could have been just another business trip, flying across America. In Chicago, it will be - Suit and Tie. Still, we have decided to make the best of it and see a bit more, with a 9-day road-trip in our Jeep RubiconX JKU, and equipped with our entire field kitchen. We will stay in hotels, and day-camp/picnic along the way.

This will be the thread for the trip, and I am asking for your help. Yes, you ;-) if you will. You, in northwestern Colorado (roughly Dinosaur to Steamboat Springs), southeastern Wyoming (east of Rock Springs, south of Casper), and those of you in both the Dakotas, and finally to Minnesota and upper Michigan and all around Lake Superior. The Canada side too; my father was Canadian, raised as a child near Sault Ste. Marie. What should I see? What roads should we travel, paved or otherwise? So many choices...

We cannot do it all. Need I even say it? But once we leave the West I know so well, it will (almost) all be new until we near Chicago. Consider our jumping off point to be Moab, Utah. I can get there in a days drive. I know that area pretty well, but within 100 miles north and east my experience will dwindle. Yours will be invaluable. I thank you in advance, and will do so again by doing my best to make this thread as photogenic as I am able.

Too bad this is not a camping trip, and we should limit ourselves to moderate / light duty off-pavement, but fancy luggage and an unforgiving schedule make it too complicated to do more on this trip. But suggest whatever you will; we are experienced overlanders, traveling independently in North America and Europe, on pavement and waaaay off (and add South America for my wife). We love the truly special places; places to eat, places to stay, vistas to see and to remember. This will be 9 days of "day trips", excursions on and off road, along what will hopefully be a very scenic route.

Beats flying ;-)

We leave Los Angeles on the 26th of September, arriving in Chicago on the 4th of October.

Once again, and with my sincere thanks; Where are we going?

Ps - the trip back? I will have more on that later

Edit Title: Was 9 days, now 10 More soon, because the plans are nearly final. The trip home? Solo, route tbd...

 

[KevinsMap]

Update

I thought I would include here, some of the threads that I have eagerly read so far:

"Upper Peninsula; Marquette to Whitefish Point - Expedition Portal"

"Lake Superior Circle Tour - July 2015 - Expedition Portal"

Very helpful stuff. I will add to this list as I get my trip organized...

 

[Foy]

Couple of ideas

I have yet to take the time to put together a trip report, but in late July we traversed parts of Wyoming you describe. I've also done field work in the western Dakotas and explored parts of western Nebraska.

Wyoming: We ran the 35 miles from Lander to South Pass. First 12 miles paved, latter 23 graded gravel bordering down to good two-track. Most designated as FS 300. Reaches elevations > 9,500', passes by two very nice and sizable alpine lakes (Fiddlers and Louis Lakes), lots of good and long view points. About 3.5 hours in a modern SUV.

After overnighting in a BLM campground at Atlantic City, we ran the Atlantic City-Hudson Road, BLM #2302, from Atlantic City to US 287. About 30 miles with the first few being graded gravel, the middle 15-18 miles two-track, and the remainder out to 287 graded gravel. The middle segment in particular runs some high ground paralleling the Sweetwater River and its tributaries, Rock Creek and Strawberry Creek, though which canyons the Oregon Trail/Mormon Trail ran. Road 2302 stays several hundred to over 1,000' above the stream bottoms, mostly along treeless sagebrush hills at between 7,000 and 8,000' elevation, with 75-100 mile views to the east/southeast. It's "Marlboro Country", for sure. Totally uninhabited. GREAT road to drive, but would definitely stay off of it when wet--long segments were clay surfaced--surely gumbo when wet, and we saw lots of ruts to prove it. About 3-4 hours, particularly if you stop a lot to ooh and ahh about the views of the Wind River Range to your west and the long views to the east. Another segment of the road continues on the east side of US 287 for about 40 miles all the way to Hudson, near Riverton. I'll run that one next time, as it goes through a famous Oregon Trail/Mormon Trail bottleneck which is a very cool canyon.

South Dakota/Wyoming/Nebraska border area: North of Fort Robinson State Park (where you can book overnight accomodations in a 1909 brick barracks building or one of many single family or duplex officers homes), NE 71 runs up to Ardmore, SD. Paved but isolated and a nice drive. Once in SD, turn NW on SD 471 (gravel) through a dozen or more miles of graded gravel through some nice farm/ranch country, coming back to pavement at Provo, SD. Between there and Edgemont a WWII-era ammunition plant known as Igloo (for the look of the structures there) is off to the west, providing an eerie scene. From Edgemont you can cut across the southern portion of the Black Hills. There are large blocks of National Grasslands in all 3 states in the vicinity of the triple-point border.

North Dakota badlands: Close to the ND-MT line, north of US 12 @ Marmarth, ND, and south of I-94 at Medora, ND, are units of National Grasslands with a network of gravel and clay roads along the Little Missouri River. The badlands topography isn't quite as dramatic as Badlands Nat Park in SD, but it's pretty cool. On the north end is Teddy Roosevelt Nat Park, and a high point right on the border, but within the Nat Grasslands, Pretty Butte, holds hundreds of feet of prominence and is where TR killed his first bison. Definitely stay out of there when wet, as some roads are miles and miles of ungraveled clay surface. A field work crew I was a part of got marooned for 5 days near Pretty Butte in the mid 1970s when unseasonable rains lasted for days and our passenger cars and 2WD vans were unable to budge. Not fun, and driving on the roads when they're wet REALLY hacks off the ranchers, who must deal with the ruts for months thereafter.

Nebraska Sandhills: 20,000 square miles of grass-stabilized sand dunes up to 400' high, pockmarked with thousands of pothole lakes and wetlands and bold streams. The Sandhills are unlike anything you'll see anywhere else in the Lower 48 or Canada. They're crossed and cris-crossed with a network of paved and gravel state and county roads.

Enjoy the planning and the trip!

Foy

 

[KevinsMap]

Now in truth, that's simply an awesome first-hand account; some of places I had not even considered (especially the Nebraska Sandhills). My friend, you have delivered the real deal.

Many thanks, and I will keep you posted here on this thread

 

[fortel]

Foy gave you some great info - especially the Sandhills and Fort Robinson. Here is my trip report from June of this year to the area, maybe some of it will be of help. Safe travels.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...-the-Black-Hills-Region?highlight=black+hills

 

[KevinsMap]

More First-Rate stuff...

... Many Thanks, fortel ! I will be looking over your trip report very carefully - great pics too

 

[KevinsMap]

The Route...

This is my scenic route, LA to Chicago:

LA to Tuba City, AZ, mostly via I40 and Flagstaff; a first-day mad dash outa' town thru country I know well, just making time. Staying with the Hopi at the Moenkopi Legacy Inn.

Next, a bit slower (all day to do 6 hours of driving) also through oft-visited country: Tuba City to Grand Junction, CO. via Monument Valley Navaho Tribal Park, Mexican Hat, Moab, and Utah 128. A little time to do a bit of hiking, exploring off tarmac.

3rd day; a long "scenery drive": I70 to US40 and US34, through Winter Park and Estes Park, then after dark down to US87 and US85 to Scottsbluff, NE.

Why? ;-) ? Scottsbluff, western Nebraska. Thank you to those who suggested the Nebraska Sandhills - day 4 will be a our first look at a corner of this region. We will have all day to get to Deadwood, SD, which is less than 4 hours away. So, we will explore the Sandhill Country with what time we have that day... and stay that night at the historic Martin Mason Hotel in Deadwood. http://martinmasonhotel.com

Day 5: the long day. Deadwood to Hibbing, MN (because I won't want to drive any farther ;-), via Little Missouri National Grassland, then I94 to Fargo, ND, MN34, 200, and 6 to US169. Now within range of our major stop on this trip...

Day 6, 7, 8, 9: A few hours of scenic driving will find us at the Clearwater Historic Lodge and Canoe Outfitters, in the Grand Marais of Minnesota. This will be our base camp for exploring the area, our first time here. http://clearwaterhistoriclodge.com

10th and final day: drive to Chicago - back to work...

... but there is still my solo drive home More to come...

AND Thank you all, for the great suggestions. If I have not used yours so far, be sure I will someday soon. They, all of them, were excellent destinations and routes.

 

[subarubobby]

Check out northshorevisitor.com! Lots of good info on MN there.. A few of my favorite spots: Itasca state park, Lost Forty near Wirt MN, Echo trail from Buyck to Ely, and Jay Cooke state park. Hope this helps!

 

[KevinsMap]

Check out northshorevisitor.com! Lots of good info on MN there.. A few of my favorite spots: Itasca state park, Lost Forty near Wirt MN, Echo trail from Buyck to Ely, and Jay Cooke state park. Hope this helps!

I will do. Many thanks!

Updates soon; we leave Friday noonish, 25 September...