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04-24-2011, 10:00 PM
| | Fueled by chocolate | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada | | | Where to visit: Utah,Colorado,Wyoming...
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I'm thinking about going on a road trip this summer down around the western U.S. Originally I was figuring on trying to cover Colorado, Utah and Arizona but, the more I look at the map the more I'm wondering about what I should prioritise. I'm pretty sure Colorado and Utah will stay on the "must visit" list but I'm not sure about Arizona (since it's farther south). Arizona would be cool, but it seems to me that Wyoming, South Dakota and New Mexico would also be really cool (I guess I could visit New Mexico if I decide to go to Arizona). Anyway, seeing as some of you have first hand experience with these places I thought I'd try to get some feedback. I'm not looking to party at all on this road trip - I just want to experience some natural beauty. 
Last edited by bass12 : 04-24-2011 at 10:22 PM.
Reason: Fixed for Joe
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04-24-2011, 10:19 PM
|  | no really, smokemeth&hailsatan | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pueblo, CO | | | Since when are we midwest? |
04-24-2011, 10:22 PM
| | Fueled by chocolate | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Gress  Since when are we midwest? | I was actually waiting to be taken to task over that!  What would you consider yourself? I guess when I think "west" I tend to think Nevada and California - but I'm Canadian, so what do I know...
P.S. - I'll edit my original post. |
04-24-2011, 10:26 PM
| | no really, smokemeth&hailsatan | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pueblo, CO | | | Come to think of it I dunno lol. I consider the midwest to be Minnesota, the Dakotas, Illinois, and that area. Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico I call the Rocky mountain states I guess. |
04-24-2011, 10:29 PM
| | no really, smokemeth&hailsatan | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pueblo, CO | | | But if you do come through Colorado, make sure to go off the I25 path. Even though you can see the mountains almost the entire time, they are waaaaay better up close. |
04-24-2011, 10:31 PM
| | Fueled by chocolate | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada | | I definitely intend on "straying from the path".  Any other thoughts/suggestions? |
04-24-2011, 10:33 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Anasleim, CA | | | Get a National Park annual pass and do some park hopping. Utah, in particular, has an incredibly dense concentration of parks (Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, etc). Hell, their state parks (Dead Horse State Park, for example) put a lot of places to shame!
If you head south, the Grand Canyon is hard to beat and you should hit Vegas if you're in the area. If you go north, you'll have Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and the highly underrated Glacier National Park. You'd also be able to hit Mt. Rushmore and Devil's Tower.
Since you're from Canada, I recommend you experience the desert southwest. Start at the Grand Canyon, hit Las Vegas, then Zion, then make your way northeast through Bryce and Capitol Reef to Moab. From there, head north to Yellowstone/Grand Teton, through Glacier which will bring to Waterton National Park, north of the border!
Either way, sounds killer! Have fun!
Last edited by elgecko : 04-24-2011 at 10:37 PM.
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04-24-2011, 10:36 PM
| | no really, smokemeth&hailsatan | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pueblo, CO | | Quote:
Originally Posted by elgecko Get a National Park annual pass and do some park hopping. Utah, in particular, has an incredibly dense concentration of parks (Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, etc). Hell, they're state parks (Dead Horse State Park, for example) put a lot of places to shame! | This if you want to see some real American beauty. Add rocky mountain natn'l park to that list too. Its in Estes Park CO. You'll enjoy the hell out of it. |
04-24-2011, 10:45 PM
|  | The Lowdown Diggler | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by bass12 I'm thinking about going on a road trip this summer down around the western U.S. Originally I was figuring on trying to cover Colorado, Utah and Arizona but, the more I look at the map the more I'm wondering about what I should prioritise. I'm pretty sure Colorado and Utah will stay on the "must visit" list but I'm not sure about Arizona (since it's farther south). Arizona would be cool, but it seems to me that Wyoming, South Dakota and New Mexico would also be really cool (I guess I could visit New Mexico if I decide to go to Arizona). Anyway, seeing as some of you have first hand experience with these places I thought I'd try to get some feedback. I'm not looking to party at all on this road trip - I just want to experience some natural beauty. | It's refreshing to see someone else with a biased sense of geography. I consider everything east of Vegas the east coast. |
04-24-2011, 10:51 PM
| | Fueled by chocolate | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada | | Thanks for the suggestions, elgecko and Joe. I checked out a site on the national parks of the U.S. but nothing on the state parks. I actually drove across the States with my dad when I was a kid, but I have remarkably few memories of the trip (they all seem to involve South Dakota!). Well, I also spent several months traveling through the States in a camper when I was a year old, but I don't remember anything from that trip.  But yeah, there are so many beautiful sights to see in that part of the country, it's really hard to know what to prioritise (I only have about a week in the general area - plus a week of driving across the country to get there and back).
Last edited by bass12 : 04-24-2011 at 10:54 PM.
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04-24-2011, 10:52 PM
| | Fueled by chocolate | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar It's refreshing to see someone else with a biased sense of geography. I consider everything east of Vegas the east coast. |  |
04-24-2011, 10:53 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Anasleim, CA | | | Oh, a week. In that case, I'd start in Moab Utah, hit Canyonlands and Arches, go north to Yellowstone & Grand Teton, then finish up at Glacier. |
04-24-2011, 10:58 PM
| | Fueled by chocolate | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada | | | Thanks for those suggestions - I was checking out some pictures of Yellowstone and Grand Teton but hadn't looked up Glacier. |
04-24-2011, 11:00 PM
|  | I Know Nothing | | Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Columbia River Gorge, WA. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by bass12 Thanks for those suggestions - I was checking out some pictures of Yellowstone and Grand Teton but hadn't looked up Glacier. | All great, but Waterton is killer too. |
04-24-2011, 11:02 PM
| | Fueled by chocolate | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Passinwind All great, but Waterton is killer too. | Which is, if I'm not mistaken, the "Canadian side" of Glacier National Park, is it not?
Last edited by bass12 : 04-24-2011 at 11:05 PM.
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04-24-2011, 11:09 PM
|  | Online | | Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Sunapee, New Hampshire | | | Boulder, Colorado is a great spot. If you like BBQ and microbrews, head up the mountain to Nederland and check out Wild Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery. Great food, great beer, great people, and great atmosphere.
I've been to the Phoenix area in Arizona and then up to Prescott and Sedona. The Grand Canyon is a must see, but the rest of Arizona you can take a pass on. It's nice and all, but all you get in the valley is a concrete jungle of national chain stores/restaurants and strip malls.
Wyoming is cool if you like cowboys and the Wild West. If not, there probably isn't anything must see in that state after Yellowstone Park.
-Mike |
04-24-2011, 11:13 PM
| | I Know Nothing | | Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Columbia River Gorge, WA. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by bass12 Which is, if I'm not mistaken, the "Canadian side" of Glacier National Park, is it not? | Yep, and well worth a look IMHO. |
04-24-2011, 11:22 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado | | | If you are going to Utah go through Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, the Trail Ridge Road Highway is very awesome, and during the summer very beautiful, if you want to live a little more dangerously take Fall River Road instead and you'll pop up at the visitors center (which is on Trail Ridge Road).
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar You know your right hand doesn't count as a 'date' right? :eyebrow: | Bassists Who Drive Manual #94
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04-24-2011, 11:22 PM
| | Fueled by chocolate | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ5150 Boulder, Colorado is a great spot. If you like BBQ and microbrews, head up the mountain to Nederland and check out Wild Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery. Great food, great beer, great people, and great atmosphere.
I've been to the Phoenix area in Arizona and then up to Prescott and Sedona. The Grand Canyon is a must see, but the rest of Arizona you can take a pass on. It's nice and all, but all you get in the valley is a concrete jungle of national chain stores/restaurants and strip malls.
Wyoming is cool if you like cowboys and the Wild West. If not, there probably isn't anything must see in that state after Yellowstone Park.
-Mike | I'm starting to think that I'll be able to get my canyon fix in Utah and maybe skip Arizona altogether. Hmm... | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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), the "midwest" is what I would have intuitively figured was simply "mid":
