2026 Road Trip Plans

[Max Rockatansky]

Too bad all the wreckage on Market Street in Center Hill has mostly been removed.  It was wild seeing how many ruins there was a decade back when I was using CR 48 frequently.

[gonealookin]

I'm planning a road trip for later this year (post-winter snow), and one of the days looks like it will be Logan, UT to Cheyenne.

The direct way brings me east on US 30 to join I-80 west of Green River, and then I-80 the rest of the way across the state.  I've done that I-80 drive before and found it underwhelming except for areas around Laramie.

I'm wondering if anyone has a suggested routing that might be more interesting to drive, keeping it under 10 hours/600 miles for the day (i.e. not driving all the way up to Jackson and Grand Teton N.P.).

[pderocco]

I'm planning a road trip for later this year (post-winter snow), and one of the days looks like it will be Logan, UT to Cheyenne.

The direct way brings me east on US 30 to join I-80 west of Green River, and then I-80 the rest of the way across the state.  I've done that I-80 drive before and found it underwhelming except for areas around Laramie.

I'm wondering if anyone has a suggested routing that might be more interesting to drive, keeping it under 10 hours/600 miles for the day (i.e. not driving all the way up to Jackson and Grand Teton N.P.).

Go south to Heber City by whatever route looks best traffic-wise, then take US-40 across Colorado to CO-34, then find your way up to I-80 in Laramie. I've driven the first two parts of that, and while not spectacular, they're more interesting than I-80.

[gonealookin]

I'm planning a road trip for later this year (post-winter snow), and one of the days looks like it will be Logan, UT to Cheyenne.

The direct way brings me east on US 30 to join I-80 west of Green River, and then I-80 the rest of the way across the state.  I've done that I-80 drive before and found it underwhelming except for areas around Laramie.

I'm wondering if anyone has a suggested routing that might be more interesting to drive, keeping it under 10 hours/600 miles for the day (i.e. not driving all the way up to Jackson and Grand Teton N.P.).

Go south to Heber City by whatever route looks best traffic-wise, then take US-40 across Colorado to CO-34, then find your way up to I-80 in Laramie. I've driven the first two parts of that, and while not spectacular, they're more interesting than I-80.

That's the sort of suggestion I was looking for.  I had the Wyoming map spread in front of me and got so focused on that I didn't think about Colorado.  If there's a good reason to detour a bit to see something worthwhile in the southern half of Wyoming I'm open to that, but nothing on the Wyoming map immediately leapt out at me.

[JayhawkCO]

I'm planning a road trip for later this year (post-winter snow), and one of the days looks like it will be Logan, UT to Cheyenne.

The direct way brings me east on US 30 to join I-80 west of Green River, and then I-80 the rest of the way across the state.  I've done that I-80 drive before and found it underwhelming except for areas around Laramie.

I'm wondering if anyone has a suggested routing that might be more interesting to drive, keeping it under 10 hours/600 miles for the day (i.e. not driving all the way up to Jackson and Grand Teton N.P.).

WYO130 is a spectacular drive. Turn south a little bit past Rawlins, head down through Saratoga and then over the Snowy Range back into Laramie.

[D-Dey65]

Does anyone remember when I mentioned my plan to drive to the Pompano Beach and Snapper Creek Service Plazas on Florida's Turnpike for a photography crusade? Well I just found out the Snapper Creek Service Plaza has a FIRE STATION!

Sure it's a Miami-Dade County station, but so what? How many rest areas or service plazas do you know of that have their own fire stations?

I have to make this rest area part of my photography crusade during the summer! Even if I have to pass up the rest areas and weigh stations along I-95 in Broward and Saint Lucie counties.

[1995hoo]

Our nephew is graduating from high school in late May, so we're using it as a reason to go visit relatives in Florida. We're flying and renting a car and the main thing I'm trying to figure out is a new route between Venice and Pembroke Pines. I'm thinking maybe CR-74 east from Punta Gorda and then down US-27. We've used I-75 many times, as well as US-41, and the travel time via the 74/27 route is not significantly longer per Apple Maps.

[gonealookin]

Our nephew is graduating from high school in late May, so we're using it as a reason to go visit relatives in Florida. We're flying and renting a car and the main thing I'm trying to figure out is a new route between Venice and Pembroke Pines. I'm thinking maybe CR-74 east from Punta Gorda and then down US-27. We've used I-75 many times, as well as US-41, and the travel time via the 74/27 route is not significantly longer per Apple Maps.

I've driven east-west across Florida a few times, between Orlando and the Everglades, and have never found any reason to favor any route over another.  At Lake Okeechobee you're just looking up at a levee all the way.  Nothing wrong with a roadgeek wanting to try something other than an Interstate, but if you find any aspect of it to be worthwhile other than checking off a new route, let me know.

[1995hoo]

Our nephew is graduating from high school in late May, so we're using it as a reason to go visit relatives in Florida. We're flying and renting a car and the main thing I'm trying to figure out is a new route between Venice and Pembroke Pines. I'm thinking maybe CR-74 east from Punta Gorda and then down US-27. We've used I-75 many times, as well as US-41, and the travel time via the 74/27 route is not significantly longer per Apple Maps.

I've driven east-west across Florida a few times, between Orlando and the Everglades, and have never found any reason to favor any route over another.  At Lake Okeechobee you're just looking up at a levee all the way.  Nothing wrong with a roadgeek wanting to try something other than an Interstate, but if you find any aspect of it to be worthwhile other than checking off a new route, let me know.

I doubt it'll be anything special. We've passed through Clewiston and South Bay on a previous trip driving from Fort Myers to Pembroke Pines and it wasn't anything fabulous, but it was a break from going the same way every time, plus there were fewer hyperaggressive drivers compared to the Interstate. And on this trip we are going to Fort Myers first (flying into RSW) and then driving up to Venice to visit a friend before visiting my brother-in-law in Broward County, so I don't really want to turn around and go back through Fort Myers again. The reason the stops worked out that way is because of when our nephew's graduation is (a Saturday), coupled with our having tickets to a Springsteen concert here on the Wednesday night just before he graduates. So it wasn't especially practical to fly into Sarasota and visit our friend in Venice first, even though that's the more logical routing overall.

[Beltway]

Will be making a trip to a high school reunion in Melbourne, Florida. Sometime this summer, dates not yet determined.

Check out the widening projects on I-95, ride the First Coast Expressway, ride the replacement NASA Causeway, check out various roads in Brevard County.

I always tour the Cape when I am there. See if the deep tour is available. Would like the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) Tour, Launch Pad 39A Up‑Close Tour, and Crawlerway / Mobile Launcher Tour.

Haven't been to Orlando since we lived in Florida. Pre-Disney it was completely different -- it was about the size of Roanoke back then. Not really interested in seeing it.

[Henry]

I'm seriously thinking about taking a road trip to Chicago in November to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Cubs' first World Series win after 108 years. Even now, it's the greatest miracle I've ever seen.

[JayhawkCO]

I tentatively have another international trip planned for May/June where I'll visit Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and possibly Afghanistan. I'm not sure how much of my travel will be via road at this point, but almost assuredly a drive from Samarkand, Uzbekistan to Dushanbe, Tajikistan is in the cards. If the political climate is stable enough, I would also travel via road to and from Dushanbe to Kunduz, Afghanistan. We shall see.

So finalizing plans here a bit. If things go to said plan, I'll get mileage in Poland, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Moldova, and Czechia on this trip. I'll also be passing through Canada, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, but not likely to leave the airport for those.

My family is also planning a camping trip in the Tetons this summer, so should get a couple hundred more miles in Wyoming as I don't plan on just going the fastest way either direction since I've done it before.

[Rothman]

I tentatively have another international trip planned for May/June where I'll visit Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and possibly Afghanistan. I'm not sure how much of my travel will be via road at this point, but almost assuredly a drive from Samarkand, Uzbekistan to Dushanbe, Tajikistan is in the cards. If the political climate is stable enough, I would also travel via road to and from Dushanbe to Kunduz, Afghanistan. We shall see.

So finalizing plans here a bit. If things go to said plan, I'll get mileage in Poland, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Moldova, and Czechia on this trip. I'll also be passing through Canada, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, but not likely to leave the airport for those.

My family is also planning a camping trip in the Tetons this summer, so should get a couple hundred more miles in Wyoming as I don't plan on just going the fastest way either direction since I've done it before.

Are you travelling separately from your family or forcing them to endure your route?

[kphoger]

Are you travelling separately from your family or forcing them to endure your route?

Why ever would you assume that the route he'll pick is excruciating?

[Rothman]

Are you travelling separately from your family or forcing them to endure your route?

Why ever would you assume that the route he'll pick is excruciating?

Because non-roadgeeks/non-county clinchers/non-route-clinchers/normal people tend to like to get somewhere in the least amount of time.

[kphoger]

Because non-roadgeeks/non-county clinchers/non-route-clinchers/normal people tend to like to get somewhere in the least amount of time.

I've found that a lot of normies are plenty happy with a route that involves nice scenery, or interesting places to stop and visit, or quirky local places to eat a meal, or avoiding stressful highways or big cities, or any number of things not related to getting somewhere in the shortest amount of time.  They just might not care enough to actually plan such a route themselves.

[Rothman]

Because non-roadgeeks/non-county clinchers/non-route-clinchers/normal people tend to like to get somewhere in the least amount of time.

I've found that a lot of normies are plenty happy with a route that involves nice scenery, or interesting places to stop and visit, or quirky local places to eat a meal, or avoiding stressful highways or big cities, or any number of things not related to getting somewhere in the shortest amount of time.  They just might not care enough to actually plan such a route themselves.

In...Wyoming?

[JayhawkCO]

Oh, I'd be excruciating if need be. My current plan is I-25->US287->WY135 to Riverton and the US26 over to the Tetons. Then coming back, maybe US189->WYO372->1-80->WYO430->CO Moffat County 10A->CO318->US40->CO9->I-70 home.

I've been on every state highway border crossing for CO except WYO430.

[jlam]

Oh, I'd be excruciating if need be. My current plan is I-25->US287->WY135 to Riverton and the US26 over to the Tetons. Then coming back, maybe US189->WYO372->1-80->WYO430->CO Moffat County 10A->CO318->US40->CO9->I-70 home.

Not interested in picking up Hot Springs and Washakie Counties?

[JayhawkCO]

Oh, I'd be excruciating if need be. My current plan is I-25->US287->WY135 to Riverton and the US26 over to the Tetons. Then coming back, maybe US189->WYO372->1-80->WYO430->CO Moffat County 10A->CO318->US40->CO9->I-70 home.

Not interested in picking up Hot Springs and Washakie Counties?

I would, but it doesn't look like there are any routes that don't add 2+ hours. I'll add some, but that might be a tough sell with the wife.

[kphoger]

CO Moffat County 10A

10N ?

[JayhawkCO]

CO Moffat County 10A

10N ?

Yeah. That's it. Did it by memory. Whatever turns off CO318 to meet up with WYO430 at the border on the way to Rock Springs.

[kphoger]

By the way, I see Google Maps has decided that there's now a Utah SR-1364 from the western end of CO-138 to the Clay Basin Camp Road junction.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NPCvK1EZ2iAhC1jU9

:facepalm:

[JayhawkCO]

By the way, I see Google Maps has decided that there's now a Utah SR-1364 from the western end of CO-138 to the Clay Basin Camp Road junction.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NPCvK1EZ2iAhC1jU9

:facepalm:

It's been that way for a while on GMaps. It's just signed as CR22. It's a nice drive up that way; I took it on the way to camp at Flaming Gorge.

[Rothman]

Oh, I'd be excruciating if need be. My current plan is I-25->US287->WY135 to Riverton and the US26 over to the Tetons. Then coming back, maybe US189->WYO372->1-80->WYO430->CO Moffat County 10A->CO318->US40->CO9->I-70 home.

Not interested in picking up Hot Springs and Washakie Counties?

I would, but it doesn't look like there are any routes that don't add 2+ hours. I'll add some, but that might be a tough sell with the wife.

^And there it is. ;D