This years summer vacation

[Copper]

Fly-over becomes drive-over

[Jolly]

Glad it's you driving and not me. That's a long haul....Hope you have a great time!

[Mik]

Did that last summer. NC to NV.

Are you renting something sweet to drive? We rented a Jeep Wagoneer in Hawaii. I’d never buy one but it was a very nice ride.

[George K]

When is all this happening?

[Mik]

Dinner on the deck in Cincinnati?

[bachophile]

Mid to end of July.

Not a luxury car. Just a large sedan type. I like driving but I don’t need fancy. At home I drive a diesel pickup. That’s as fancy as I like

As for Cincinnati, that’s very kind. I mentioned we don’t have any plans although I was aiming to avoid all cities on the way. Just small towns. But as I said, nothing is written in stone. ( well I did make a reservation at the Venetian in Vegas. I know it’s hot there. But the misses wanted to see cirque de soleiil. )
Other things planned are Yosemite. Monument valley Utah. Western Colorado. Oh, and Scott’s bluff Nebraska. When I was in fifth grade I did a report on the state of Nebraska. I wrote to the chamber of commerce in Omaha to get material sent to me. And I cut out a picture of Scott’s bluff as the title picture. So i feel a need to make a pilgrimage.

[LuFins Dad]

When you get to PA, skip the turnpike and take 40 to head east into Western MD. It’s a nice drive through some wonderful Appalachian towns and gorgeous scenery. Then maybe take 81N through the middle of PA and up to Syracuse. It’s a great drive.

[bachophile]

Thanks! All scenic recommendations welcomed. Only the plains will be done by interstate ( fucking spell checker wrote interstellar and I managed to edit that out before posting ) highway. At the two bookends I’d like to stay away from the I’s.

I’ve gone east to west driving many years ago. Along a southern route parallel to I 40. Now it’s going to be a bit more northern to avoid the heat. (Yeah Vegas. I know. That’s the only hot spot I’ll tolerate. Sin city and all that jazz).

[Axtremus]

@bachophile , sent you private message. Have a safe and pleasant trip!

[89th]

You’ll enjoy the evening drives as the sun is behind you… good luck!

[89th]

Scott’s Bluff. Love the pilgrimage reason, school reports stick with you. I still recall my Magellan report from 3rd grade clearly.

Anyway I think Chimney Rock is nearby. If you like golf, on the east end of the state near Souix City is a new course called Landmand.

[LuFins Dad]

Are you looking for specific small towns to stay in?

[LuFins Dad]

If you want to cut south just a little bit, there’s Winchester, VA. It’s an old Appalachian coal town that’s been revitalized. You’ll see a great downtown with some very nice restaurants and likely some excellent B&Bs, and in a 10 minute drive you are in rolling hills farm/orchard country. There’s also an excellent music conservatory in town that might have a summer series, but if not, you ought to be able to find some bluegrass in the area…

[LuFins Dad]

And if you cut anywhere in the SW PA, Western MD, or Winchester areas, I am sure that @Aqua-Letifer and I would be willing to make a drive out to meet you and the the Mrs. Bach.

Oh, and an interesting side note… Between SW PA, through Winchester is about the only place in the US where you will find still running Drive In Theaters…

[Mik]

We have some.

[LuFins Dad]

@Mik said in This years summer vacation:

We have some.

Yeah, but they have all those XXX s over the signs, so I don’t count those.

[Mik]

Nope. Family entertainment.

[taiwan_girl]

@bachophile Sounds like a fun trip!!! Enjoy!!

[bachophile]

I’m not going to bombard you with endless pictures but I’ll post occasionally as we make our way across to the east.

The w/e was spent with family in SF and today was the first real traveling day. So you have the classic pic up Yosemite valley.

Snake ID anyone? Crossed our path while hiking under half dome. It looked like it had a rattler tail, but didn’t seem to me to have the classic viper triangular head so I have no idea what it was.

[George K]

@bachophile said in This years summer vacation:

bombard you with endless pictures

Please do!

We love them!

My travels across the great plains are restricted to two trips with my parents when I was in my late teens - yeah, figure it out.

However, I was awed by the gorgeous barrenness of the plains of North Dakota and Eastern Montana when we rode the Empire Builder. There is so much "there" not there. I kept thinking about the reaction of Lewis and Clark when they saw these endless vistas of...nothing.

Scary, empty, awesome, and in their own way, beautiful.

More pics, please?