Draw a rough rectangle anchored in California, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Washington, and you have an idea the route we’ll be taking sometime early next Summer. Sound vague? It is! (Though I prefer the term “flexible”.)
There will be three of us in the vehicle — pilot, navigator, and small dog. I want to keep the miles on any given day reasonably short, stopping at many rest areas to let the small dog sniff things and for photo opportunities I’ve driven through in the past. Unfortunately that means we won’t be able so stay in any one place terribly long.
That rectangle intersects many old friends, and some of the best sights the western United States has to offer. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this trip. Those in the path of our march will be hearing from us as plans solidify.
Road Trip! Wooooo!
I think dogs are good for road trips. I used to power home from Austin in, and be wrung out when I got there. Then I got Crazy dog and was forced to stop often, and – it made the trip so much better and refreshed at end.
Take the 4 or 108 passes to 395 to get to NM, please, and come stay with us in Murphys on the way.
I took the 108 to get to, and the 4 to get back from, a Thanksgiving in Mammoth Lakes years ago.
The drives were notable.
The actual Thanksgiving I’d pay to have expunged from my memory, and pay a lot more to have expunged from the memories of the witnesses.
To have the full 108 experience without destroying the rest of the road trip, I’d have the Mini driven to a pickup point on 395 and then drive the Miata on 108. The underlying fear of mechanical failure will add to the excitement. Really, take my word for it. It could be worse, you could be driving a 35-year-old Volvo. Make sure to load the trunk of the Miata with bricks, to compress the rear suspension so the headlights are aiming high. Then drive 108 after sunset. It will be exciting (unless they’ve ruined the fun by upgrading the road in the years since). Then switch to the Mini and have the Miata delivered back home.
You don’t have to thank me.
I have fond memories of both those roads and I’d enjoy a stopover in that neck of the woods. It fits with the philosophy of not doing too much in one day.
This trip is more about people and places and less about the roads between them; our next step in planning is to pull out a map and put dots on all the must-go places, then draw the optimum lines between them.
Swing thru Spokane on your way thru WA. I’ll put you up and show you around