Colorado to San Fran

[bigmtnfoot]

Need some thoughts on a roundtrip from Glenwood Springs, Colorado to San Francisco Area in October. Would like to take separate routes to and from - Will have more time on the way out to California and will want a quicker trip back. Would love to car camp with the family as much as possible and see some sites (Lake Tahoe, Great Salt Lake, etc...). Any other ideas on must sees and route?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Need some thoughts on a roundtrip from Glenwood Springs, Colorado to San Francisco Area in October. Would like to take separate routes to and from - Will have more time on the way out to California and will want a quicker trip back. Would love to car camp with the family as much as possible and see some sites (Lake Tahoe, Great Salt Lake, etc...).

October is just about my favorite month of the year for roadtrips. And your destinations are in some of the prime roadtrip areas in the USA. Hmmm. I would be sorely tempted to head east if you can and drive some of those high-elevation passes -- Muddy Pass and Berthoud on US-40 would be on my must-do list. If you did that, you could also pick up Loveland Pass before heading west again...

But, I digress... the more logical route would be US-40 westbound to Craig and then over to Dinosaur National Monument for a night and then south to I-70 and Grand Junction. I-70 between Grand Junction and Salina, Utah is without doubt some of the most beautiful Interstate highway driving in the nation. Be sure to stop at every view point as you go through the San Rafael Swell.

US-50 across Nevada is pretty interesting too. Stop in Ely and take some time to check out Great Basin National Park.
Need we say anything else -- Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe!

[Utahtea]

There is so much to see and do between those two locations. I would be tempted to take Hwy 128 into Moab for a few days. I'd cut across Utah on I-70 because it's a beautiful drive. Hwy 50 across Nevada has a lot of interesting places to see. OR you might drop down from Ely, Nevada to Tonopah and then take Hwy 120 over Tioga Pass (check first to make sure it's still open...it can close in October) and come though Yosemite.

I'd take I-80 home and drop down to see Lake Tahoe and you will drive right by the Great Salt Lake.

If we knew how long you had for the trip, it would help.

Utahtea

[snoopydawg47]

Need some thoughts on a roundtrip from Glenwood Springs, Colorado to San Francisco Area in October. Would like to take separate routes to and from - Will have more time on the way out to California and will want a quicker trip back. Would love to car camp with the family as much as possible and see some sites (Lake Tahoe, Great Salt Lake, etc...). Any other ideas on must sees and route?

That area of the country has so much to offer. You did not say how much time you had so I can only give a list of quick stops that you can add or delete from.
I started in CO and would stop in Bryce Canyon, Zion Natl Park, Yosemite, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Great Salt Lake and then back to CO. Other stops would include the north rim of the grand canyon, Las Vegas, Sedona, Yellowstone, Jackson WY, Cody WY, Deadwood SD Rapid City SD.
Enjoy

[RoadTripper Brad]

Passes, although quite specatacular, can really be bad for an older car, especially high, steep grades. BUT, if you are up to them, great.
Personally, I am the type to run about a 20 mile or so limit to either side of the interstate, unless the route gets me more towards my final destination (i.e. driving east when I really need to go west), for various reasons (limited funds for fuel, limited time, limited time and funds).
However, If I had lots of time and money, I would leave Glenwood Springs south on CO82, and then switching to CO133 at Carbondale. My map shows a "place of interest" on a side road that leads to a small town of Marble (Marble Quaries it says).
THEN, I would head east on CO135 over Kebler Pass (the road shows unpaved on my maps, but maps have lied before) to Crested Butte (and the Crested Butte Natinoal Historic District). I would then rejoin "Civilization at Gunnison on US50. From there I would go West, then getting off of US50 to CO149 at the Curecanti National Recreation Area (Camping spot maybe).
Just past Lake City, there again is a unpaved state highway, CO 110, which I would follow to Silverton. Then south on US550 to Durango for a possible motel stop, depending on how long those dirt roads took.
Then, West on US160 with a visit to Mesa Verde National Park. At cortez I would take US 666 (uh, yeah. No comment.) into Utah.
If in a hurry, take US 191 north to I-70 (yeah, I know, a 1 day side journey). But I would consider taking US 191 south to just past Blanding, where UT95 offers some very interesting spots. First, Natural Bridges National Monument (spur off- UT275). Second, crossing the upper region of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. At Hanksville, head west on UT24 through Capitol Reef National Park, then rejoining I-70 at exit 48 near Sigurd, UT. This would be my time to make some miles dissappear. I-70 west to I-15. North I-15. This is where you need to decide scenic route or fast route. Faster speeds of I-15 to I-80 may help (and there are more services). BUT, US6/50 into Nevada shows as a scenic route. At Ely, Nevada, the highways split. Take US 50 west to Carson City (forget the Alt50 to I80 if you've gone this far. From there take US50 West into California, over the Sierra Nevadas via Lake Tahoe, CA and Placerville. US50 will get you into Downtown Sacremento (grrr... big cities). Merge from US50 to I80 without getting lost, and find yourself on the road to San Francisco.
If you use even bits of this, let me know. I always wonder what happens to my geo-babble once people read it.
Brad M.