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Roadtrip 2011


midnightcaller
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I'm planning a road trip from Seattle to South Dakota, going to see the Bad Lands of South Dakota,then goingto/want to go south through tornado alley,then Im going on to Dayton Ohio,and I might come back on route 66

 

dose any body have any Ideas on sights to see or things to do any suggestions? Is route 66 to far out of the way? or would it be fun to goback home through Canada?

 

thanks

Midnightcaller

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I'm planning a road trip from Seattle to South Dakota, going to see the Bad Lands of South Dakota,then goingto/want to go south through tornado alley,then Im going on to Dayton Ohio,and I might come back on route 66

 

dose any body have any Ideas on sights to see or things to do any suggestions? Is route 66 to far out of the way? or would it be fun to goback home through Canada?

 

thanks

Midnightcaller

 

Last summer I traveled eastbound from the Puget Sound through Montana to Chicago, and on the return trip I came back via South Dakota. I can probably give you some suggestions on that route

 

However, we all look for different things. I follow the old two lane auto trails, and get my kicks "discovering" a forgotten hotel or garage sign, maybe an old bridge, or a little changed original dirt section of an old road. My objective is to get close to the authentic, and that means as close as I can to the smells, sights, sounds, and experiences of those traveling the roads a hundred years ago.

 

A place is better for me if I am among the first to recognize its historic importance, or to describe its significance. A conversation with a local or a visit to a local watering hole trumps a tourist site almost any time for me.

 

So I suppose the first question is what are you looking for? And maybe the second is what time of year.

 

As to the question of taking Route 66 on the way back......that depends on the answer to the question above. Route 66 is (in my view) sort of like a treasure hunt where you see how many celebrated sites you can visit. You can be certain you won't be the first at any site but you will have something in common with the other 10,000 who have stopped there sometime in the past 5 years. That can be genuine fun.

 

You might return via the Lincoln Highway. It has the advantage that not every site has been exploited, it runs through some amazing country with terrific history, and it is very well mapped in modern times so you know when you are on the real thing.

 

You can follow the Yellowstone Trail and the National Parks Highway on much of your eastward trip, so I won't suggest either on the way back. The Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean is another choice coming back, and would bring you back via Colorado.

 

Before I add to this "stream of consciousness" any more, share a little of what makes for a good auto trip for you.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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I won't even attempt a comment on the eastbound portion of your trip since I know darned near nothing about it. Besides, you've caught KtSotR's attention and he will definitely be able to help you there. I'll start with direct answers to two of your questions.

 

"Is route 66 to far out of the way?"

Nothing is too far out of the way if you have the time and the inclination. The western terminus of Sixty-Six is indeed pretty far south of Seattle but it would set you up for a nice drive along the Pacific coast.

 

"or would it be fun to goback home through Canada?"

I bet it would though I don't exactly know why. I also don't know what sort of roads you would find. An attraction for me would be going through Calgary which I've long wanted to do although I'm not entirely sure why that is either.

 

I live near Dayton, Ohio, so might be able to offer some pointers there but, since that appears to be a destination for you, I'm guessing you have your own contacts in the area.

 

Two of the coast to coast named auto trails, the National Old Trails Road and the Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway, passed through Dayton so you might want to consider incorporating one or the other into your route home. Much of the eastern part of the NOTR morphed into US-40 while much of the western part became US-66 so you could actually get in quite a few US-66 miles by following the NOTR. The junction is in Santa Fe, NM. Or you could pick up US-66 in St Louis after following the NOTR there or, of course, head to Chicago and follow the full length of US-66. Although the earliest alignment of the PP-OO passed through Dayton, it was subsequently moved north a bit and became, for the most part, US-36 through these parts. It intersects US-66 at Springfield, IL, which is just about the closest Sixty-Six gets to Dayton.

 

KtSotR mentioned the Lincoln Highway which is a sterling idea. It runs several miles north of Dayton so you might be tempted to shorten the path by angling northwest to meet it. But an option I personally like better is heading straight north on another named auto trail that went through Dayton, the Dixie Highway. Start at the intersection of the Dixie and NOTR in downtown Dayton, cross the National Road in Vandalia, and connect with the Lincoln Highway in Beaverdam. Old roads and history everywhere.

 

You didn't identify time constraints, which is often the first thing mentioned, so I'm thinking you're not concerned with time. None of these are weekend or week long drives. Some aren't even month long drives. I'll look for your feedback and, as KtSotR said, "share a little of what makes for a good auto trip for you".

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