Trip From Ohio to out West

[Zack]

I am 22 years old and will be graduating college soon with a degree that will more than likely do nothing for me and I am looking to take a trip out west to Colorado or around there. I live in Ohio and want to just take off once I graduate and hit the road for a few weeks and enjoy both the highways but mainly the backroads and the countryside of the US. Any suggestions on neat roads or ways to go and what to bring? Thanks.

[Robert Schaller]

If you want to start in Colorado, try roaming around in the mountains west and south of Denver for awhile. Rocky Mountain National Park is REQUIRED, but then head SW toward the San Juans (the triangle between Montrose, Cortez and Alamosa). You cannot go wrong. Take your camping gear and your fishing tackle (if you are a camping and fishing kinda guy). Then, work your way around to the OTHER corners to see what else the Rocky Mountain State has to offer -- there's a LOT.

If you get tired of it, just move west into southern Utah for a few days and and it'll be a whole new ball game. For both of these states, take your kayak or your mountain bike, and good hiking boots. You might enjoy some whitewater rafting -- you can find outfitters in Colorado (either on the Arkansas River or the San Juan are both good spots), and in Utah (try the area around Moab).