Speedweek 2011 aka Bonneville to CT

[fk1]

Hi all.
New to this site/forum but not to roadtrips.Done quite a few in various countries (USA,all over europe,uk,australia)

My wife is originally from CT so we go over in the summer to visit the inlaws then go on a trip somewhere.
Past few years have included...New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis, toronto and Niagra Falls etc.Our honeymoon consisted of a wedding in vegas then hiring a mustang and driving from vegas to LA via san bernidino for a car show then following route 66 up to gallop Nm then back to vegas for our flights home.
As my wife is a photographer, it works out well for the pair of us, as we get to see and visit places we've never been, she gets to earn some money (hopefully) selling photos when she gets back to various places and we have fun.

This year, however i really really want to visit Bonneville for at least a few days during Speedweek in august plus she has always wanted to see moab (being into her off road stuff)

the plan is either A.... fly into salt lake city, visit bonneville, go to moab so she can play at off roading, yellowstone, then drive across to CT via various stops along the way and visiting various places and seeing various people

or
B.... fly into boston as per usual, go to the inlaws for a week, then drive from ct to ut via various places along the way, then drive back a different way visiting various places etc

Now technically the way i see it is, if we fly into SLC and hire the car then drop it off in ct or providence airport, then naturally we get stung with the usual one way rental fee, but is this going to be as much difference as the extra fuel/food/supplies and accomodation we would be using?

After speaking to some people it turns out that if you havent already booked a hotel room at bonneville you have no chance of getting one now for speedweek but in honesty, i dont mind sleeping in the car or taking a tent so...

In my job, i often drive 100's of miles a day so the driving doesnt bother me in the slightest (about 1900 in 5 days, and that includes working on site for 12hrs a day...but thats not every week so...)

The plan is to hire a intermid suv (i know from experience this does the job right and is comfy enough) and it will be booked online well beforehand. i know the usual stuff like dont get it ordered/picked up from an airport as you pay more than a smaller location, and various other bits.

Anyone done a trip to bonneville or got any recomendations?
any advice anyone can give me would be great.
Thanks in advance

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

It's about 2500 miles from 'Connecticut' to the Bonneville Salt Flats. Gas for that drive will run three to four hundred dollars, or about the one way drop-off fee on a car rental. Everything else - food, motels, etc. - you'd be paying anyway once you leave your own domicile. So cost-wise it's a wash. BUT you get 5 more days at your destination by flying one way. This is a case where, unless there are a ton of things you want to see and do on the way, I'd fly out and put the miles on somebody else's car on the way back.

AZBuck

[Foy]

fk1,

I have rented SUVs of intermediate size (Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango) from off-airport Rugged Rentals 3 times during ski season. They also offer 4wd pickups. Location within 5-7 minutes of SLC airport with free shuttle service. Good local folks and easy to work with.

Foy