Raleigh, NC -> Kansas-> Colorado-> Utah -> Sunyvale trip plan

Hello everyone,
I plan to take a 7-day road trip from Raleigh NC through Kansas-> Colorado-> Utah ->Nevada to Sunyvale, CA. Can anyone advice on what back country roads to take? What are the must see places along the way and how to plan the itenerary?

I plan to see the following things along the way. Is it too ambitious?

Cawker City, Kansas- World's Largest Ball of Twine - Started in 1953, by farmer Frank Stoeber, today's ball is comprised of more than seven million feet of twin length. Aside from the ball itself, Cawker City offers a Twine Walk, twine art and plenty of memorabilia for sale.

Greeley, Colorado- Dress made of Rattlesnakes - This unique dress was made from the skins and rattles of over 50 rattlesnakes, some of over 100 killed by the designer in a few hours on the prairie southwest of Greeley. The Rattlesnake Kate dress is now on display in the new downtown Greeley museum in the old Greeley Tribune building.

The Grand Canyon
hoover dam
rocky mountain national park
garden of the gods, colorado
Arches National Park, utah
el dorado mountains, Nevada

Thanks.

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

You really don't have time to see things on your list as it is, trying to find back country roads to make your trip just won't be possible. Just to drive by the spots you have mentioned is going to be 6 full days on the road, and that will be mainly using Interstate with time only for short breaks to get food, stretch the legs and to fill with gas.

To plan your itinerary you need to look at overnight stops between 500 and 600 miles, which equates to a full day on the road and on the limit of our safe recommendation for a multi day trip, and see how and what you can fit in.

Here's my finalized itenerary-
Can you please make some suggestions of sites not to miss on the way if I havent included them?
All the routes are as shown on google maps.

Day 1- Leave Raleigh, NC. Drive thru Virginia-> West Virginia->Lexington, Kentucky -> Columbus, IN
633 miles, 10 hours 11 mins. Stay over night.

Day 2- Drive up to the Indianapolis motor speed way, visit the hall of fame museum. (1 hr drive, 52 miles north). Spend
Leave Indy-> Illinois-> St.Louis, Missouri -> Topeka, Kansas "the google city" -> Overland park, Kansas. Stay over night.
8 hr, 18 mins . 494 miles

Day 3- Leave Overland Park-> drive thru Prairie grassland country roads in Kansas.
237 miles, 3 hr 47 mins.
Take small deviation of I-70 to reach Lucas, Kansas.
Visit some of
Florence Deeble's Rock Garden, the Garden of Eden created by Samuel P. Dinsmoor, the Grassroots Art Center, and the World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum
what ever's possible in 2 hours.

Continue back on I-70 to reach foot hills of Pikes Peak in the Rocky mountains at Colorado Springs. Stay o/n.
372 miles, 6 hr 30 mins.

Any other routes suggested?


Day 4- Colorado Springs-> drive past Pikes Peak view-> Garden of The Gods, Cave of the winds, Seven Falls.
drive through the Pikes Peak HWY, twin lakes-> take the US 24 to Aspen touching the Independence Pass. Take the bus from Highlands national park (free parking) to Maroon Creek Valley to see marron bells.

back to car and Continue drive onto Salt Lake City, Utah for o/n stay.

Day 5- Drive thru the lower part of Great Salt Lake- the largest endoheric lake in the western hemisphere and 4th largest terminal lake in the world. Drive thru Nevada desert. o/n halt in Reno.

Day 6- Reno,NV -> Sunnyvale , CA

Add 20% to all your drive times. Google doesn't have to stop for fuel, food, or go to the bathroom. It also never gets delayed by traffic or construction, and doesn't have to stop at red lights.

I think you're being very optimistic, to the point of being unrealistic at times.

As GLC mentioned, your times are clearly computer based, and not based in real world travel times. 600 mile driving days aren't impossible, but they just don't leave much time to do a lot of extra sightseeing and exploring.

The one day that simply looks impossible is your Colorado Spring to Salt Lake Day. There just is no way you can see all the things you've listed, take several slow going mountain roads/passes, and drive the 600 miles to Salt Lake City without being on the road for about 18 hours.