The "Adventure Trip" Is In The Books

[Bruce K]

So for various reasons it became evident to me that my wife really needed this trip to happen this summer so with some of your advice on place to try and see, we hit the road on about a 2 week whim for some basic planning.

We just got home tonight and here are some basics by the numbers:

21 days
7630 miles
150 hours driven
32.5 mpg
16 states crossed
8 National Parks visited
6 state parks visited
3 fossil dig sites visited (all with really nice results) = 5 boxes of fossils
24 other "sights" seen
8 "Long Lost Friends" visited
400 photos taken
$240.00 won at the Bellagio craps tables

I am sure there is more but I am a bit bleary eyed.

I will post some of the more fun photos and more details after I have had a chance to decompress.....

BK

[gasman]

Yowzaa

That's a whole lotta driving and whole lotta places seen. I'm impressed. I'd need to sleep for a week to decompress.

[Louis]

Bruce, I don't see any bike-related stats in the list. Did you not ride?

[Bruce K]

When? :cool:

My wife does not ride due to pulmonary issues so riding would have been a bit tough as this trip was pretty much for her.

We did volunteer at the Copper Triangle for the Davis Phinney Foundation.

BK

[Bruce K]

Day 1 - MA to Clearview, PA w/stop at Niagara Falls and Presque isle SP
Day 2 - Clearview to Chicago - Navy Pier
Day 3 - Chicago to Luverne, MN - Frank Lloyd Wright home, House on the
Rocks, drove along the Mississippi River
Day 4 - Luverne to Rapid City, SD w/stops at Sioux Falls (saw the falls &
Hormel HQ), The Corn Palace in Mitchell, drove through The Badlands,
visited Wall Drug
Day 5 - drove Needles Highway, Mt. Rushmore, Custer SP (saw elk, buffalo,
wild burros, deer, and pronghorn antelope), Crazy Horse memorial
Day 6 - Deadwood for "Days of '76" cowboy parade and rodeo, dropped by
Sturgis (just before it all got rolling)
Day 7 - Rapid City to Mt. View, WY w/ stop at Devil's Tower, saw a buffalo herd
Day 8 - fossil dig in Kemmerer, WY (found LOTS of fish fossils and plants)
- saw JC Penney "Mother Store"
Kemmerer to Delta, UT w/ stop at Chrysler dealer to repair trunk
latch (poor repair by home dealer)
stopped to see Mormon temple Square and Great Salt Lake
Day 9 - fossil dig in Delta - found lots of trilobytes
Delta, UT to Las Vegas w/ stops to visit wife's cousin
stayed and gambled at The Bellagio (WON!!!)
Day 10 - Las Vegas to Moab, UT w/ stop at The Grand Canyon, plus drove
through Monument Valley and Mexican Hat
Day 11 - Jeep tour of Moab
Moab to Frisco, CO
Day 12 - shopping and relaxing
Copper Triangle Expo - visit friends from DPF
Day 13 - Volunteer for DPF at Copper Triangle
Day 14 - Frisco to Colorado Springs w/ stop at Buffalo Bill Museum and grave
lunch with wife BFF from HS
Day 15 - Pikes Peak highway, Manitou Springs,other events
Day 16 - fossil dig in Flourissant - found lots of plants and bugs
Day 17 - CO Springs to Independence, MO w/ stop at Paint Mines
(can I say how much I HATE driving through Kansas!!!)
Day 18 - Independence to Nashville w/ stop at Metropolis, KY to see
Superman statue, Grand Ole Opry and Opryland hotel
Day 19 - transmission malfunction left car at dealer for most of day - they
gave us a pickup truck to use - saw Country Music Hall of Fame and
Antique Archaeology
- car fixed, drove to Louisville, KY
Day 20 - Louisville to College Station, PA (it's where I ran out of energ
to drive)
Day 21 - College Sta. to home with visit with old friends from SCCA racing

WHEW !!!

I am sure there are more but until I go back over our trip diary, this is as good as it gets.:rolleyes:

BK

[RobJ]

Wow! - I'm tired just reading through the stats. Sounds like a phenomenal trip.

So what vehicle was it that produced 32.5 mpg?

[Birddog]

Wow! - I'm tired just reading through the stats. Sounds like a phenomenal trip.

So what vehicle was it that produced 32.5 mpg?

and two dealer stops............

[Bruce K]

2015 Chrysler 200c AWD - runs on Regular

The trunk match was mechanic incompetence at home dealer

The electronics issue has been ongoing since we got it

Big meeting tomorrow at dealership to discuss "Lemon Law"

BK

[adhumston]

That's awesome you were able to do that... I'm jealous!

I did a similar trip/tour of the Western US a few years back with my gf and her (then) 13 year old son. We had an excellent time and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering something similar. We took two and a half weeks and covered about 5500 miles (from Nebraska).

One piece of advice to those with kids; take away the electronics on all but the most boring stretches of road. The experience is (unfortunately) greatly negated when they're on their phones/tablets/laptops/gaming devices the entire trip.

[Bruce K]

+1 on electronics

Other than phones for photos we turned off everything - even the car radio for a day at a time

BK

[merlinmurph]

Wow, 363 miles/day

This was a good trip for books on tape ;-)

[Bruce K]

Actually 6 days between 580 & 650. :eek:

The others were a little more manageable. :)

I did every mike do my wife could take it all in an enjoy this

BK

[MattTuck]

Bruce, it turns out that you're the original Long Haul Trucker. :banana:


Sounds like an awesome trip. How did you get into fossil hunting?

I have some cool fossils from upstate NY, and always thought that getting more would be fun.

[Bruce K]

The fossil hunting is my wife's thing

She is also a rock hound, gem hunter, and seashell collector

We have now been to Sanibel/Captiva, FL for shells, North Carolina for gems, Wyoming, Utah, and CO for fossils, and Australua for shells, petrified wood, and more fossils

I just tag along. :rolleyes:

BK

[bobswire]

Sounds like a wonderful trip and adventure. Now you can recuperate and plan your next extreme physically draining adventure and you did without having to ride a bike.

[hokoman]

Antique Archaeology - curious about your experience there, was there cool stuff? Since it's on TV, I would think it's changed into a tourist trap with overpriced doodads.

[Bruce K]

While I would love to claim Ironnan status the truth is, with most speed limits in the middle/western parts of the country at 80 mph, you get places a whole lot quicker

There were only 2 days where we drove past dinner time

BK