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I'm moving to Omaha in a few days, and I still haven't figured out the route I'm going to take out of Los Angeles.
I'd like to do a little sightseeing along the way because I doubt I'll ever get the chance to make this kind of a trip again in my lifetime.
Any ideas?!
Hello and welcome to RTA !
To be able to give meaningful advice we would need to know a bit about your interests and how much time you will allow for the journey. Is there one particular place you would love to see ? Grand canyon? The Rockies? I would certainly advise you look at a good map and do some research into where you would like to go and then fill us in with the details so we can help piece it together. You would also need to check out any current restrictions along the way during this pandemic. What I can say at the moment is, to travel from A to B will take a minimum of 3 days driving with rest stops, but any major sightseeing stops you plan will have to be added to that.
I love quirky roadside attractions (like, "World's Biggest Ball of Twine," etc.) and famous landmarks / restaurants.
I have been to the Grand Canyon quite a few times so I don't think I need to see it again!
I also enjoy adrenaline sports like skydiving, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, ziplining, etc., but I have a feeling that those types of activities are going to be either limited or nonexistent due to COVID.
I have a Fiat 500 and it has a hard time making it up steep hills, so I can't do anything that is too off the beaten path!
The new landlord is expecting me in Omaha around the 9th but it isn't set in stone.
I should have everything ready to go by tomorrow night, or at the very latest, Monday morning (the 5th).
Welcome to RTA!
OK, your most direct route to Omaha from LA would be up I-15 to I-70, to Denver. Then I-76 up to I-80 and across Nebraska. That's a little over 1500 miles, depending on where in the LA area you are departing from, and where in Omaha you are going. That's about 3 to 3-1/2 days just to do the driving. All the interstate grades are limited to 6%, and I've seen little cars like yours flit around the slow-moving trucks on the worst grades on I-70, so you're in good hands.
Along the way -- Zion NP is not far off the path. Just spending time along I-70 in Utah's San Rafael Swell (between Salina UT and Green River UT) is attractive to the eye, anyway, as is the western portion of Colorado. There's Colorado National Monument just outside of Grand Junction.
When we passed through the Glenwood Canyon area in Colorado (another piece of eye-candy), back in July, there were river trips, bicycles to rent, and other activities going on. I'm not sure what their season is, though the bike trail seems gorgeous and probably used for bikes as long as there's no snow.
Donna
You'll need three full days of solid driving to make the trip. That really only leaves you two days for the sights and experiences you'd like to have. Since one of the mottos of this organization is that 'There are no boring places.' my first suggestion is that you keep the driving to a minimum so as to save as much time as possible for other activities.
So, the most direct route would simply be I-10/I-15 up through Las Vegas and into southern Utah, then I-70 east to Denver, I-76 northeast to I-80 just after crossing into Nebraska and I-80 the rest to the way to Omaha. That will leave the most time possible for exploring the sights near that route. And what sights they are.
Just to name a few possibilities... Besides cities such as Las Vegas and Denver, you'll pass near any number of National Parks (NP) and Monuments (NM) including, but not limited to, Mojave National Preserve, Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, Zion NP, Arches NP, Colorado NM, Breckenridge, and the Oregon Trail.
AZBuck