Chicago, IL to Sandpoint, ID in 2 weeks

[Lostmanifesto]

A couple of tips here for that new diesel:

If you're a new diesel owner, pick up a Fuel Advantage card upon your first visit to a Flying J/Pilot Travel Center. It gives you .02 off every gallon of fuel!

Before you embark on your trip, stop in at a good bookstore or at AAA and try to find a copy of "The Next Exit" or a similar book. This book, and its competitive sister books, give listings for what's at every exit off every interstate in the USA (with the exception of most belt loops). Fuel stations that carry diesel are marked as such, though I don't think DEF is marked at this time (or at least it wasn't in the 2010 The Next Exit). It's difficult to use these books when you are traveling by yourself, but you could carry it along and look at it when at a rest area. Restaurants, motels, and fuel stations are listed, plus places like grocery stores, Wal-Mart and Target, etc. We buy a new one every 2 or 3 years - we find it just as invaluable a resource as paper maps!


Donna

Thank you Donna! I have AAA and will grab a copy.

[Lostmanifesto]

I don't see any judgements or opinions about you in Lifeys post, just a response to your question.

"What are your thoughts on people saying they hate the SD drive and they see many long stretches".

The response was pretty much along the lines of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," no judgement or opinion, just sharing her thoughts. She actually asked "what do you see? " which doesn't sound judgemental to me. Please re-read the post carefully and you will see that it was not what you think. The suggestion of reading material was aimed to get more out of the trip for you, the same as we all research National parks etc, she wasn't to know you already had a knowledge of the workings/history of this area.

Misunderstandings can happen on forums or in the 'real world', but you have quickly jumped to your own opinion about someone who gives up a lot of her free time to help other members.

Ok, Let's move past this and keep things nice !

All I want is nice :) moving fwd

[Lostmanifesto]

Well my friends looks like my trip may have made and big change due to some family problems and I may head to salt lake city from Chicago. Any tips on this new route? I was looking at the 80 pretty much the entire way. What I am wondering is when the 80 hits Colorado would it be better to take the 76 down through Denver and then the 70 through Utah into the 15 north or stay on the 80 through Wyoming to SLC? Thoughts?

[DonnaR57]

On the side of the I-80/I-70/I-15/I-80 thought: Just west of Denver you climb into the mountains (a nice test for your diesel's climbing ability), and will go through Vail, Aspen, Glenwood Canyon and into Glenwood Springs. My husband and I love this part of that highway! Then we also love the section of I-70 in Utah between Green River and Salina. There is no fuel for 108 miles in that section, but there's diesel in both of those towns. We particularly like that section eastbound in the early morning hours, but we'll take it at any time! Then jumping up to I-80 at Salt Lake City - I personally haven't done that in years, but hubby used to love that road as a long-haul trucker. The section between Reno and Sacramento is one I've been on and just loved.

Diesel stations that we've used: we usually find a truck stop near Denver when we were towing, then went through to Fruita CO. Exit 26 has a Conoco with diesel. It has an A&W (I think) but next door there's a place called Otto's that does a great breakfast. Then we'd go all the way into Richfield UT on a tank. There's a Flying J there at Exit 40 as well as another station (Shell??) with diesel.


Donna

[glc]

If you need to get to SLC quickly, take I-80 all the way. Out of Elgin, take Randall Rd south, and south of Batavia, turn right on Orchard Rd to I-88. Take that to I-80. You will have a 50 cent exact change toll to get on, then two $1.90 cash tolls on I-88. This will be a 2.5 day drive, suggested overnights are York NE and Rawlins WY.

If you want to see some scenery, you have a few options. You can take I-76 off I-80 toward Denver and pick up I-70. In Utah you can take US-191 and US-6 to SLC or stay on I-70 to Salina, then US-50 to I-15. You would probably want to look at someplace between Vail and Glenwood Springs for the second overnight. Either way, no problem making SLC on the 3rd day.

Any other detours - such as going through Rocky Mountain National Park - would add a 4th day.

[Lostmanifesto]

If you need to get to SLC quickly, take I-80 all the way. Out of Elgin, take Randall Rd south, and south of Batavia, turn right on Orchard Rd to I-88. Take that to I-80. You will have a 50 cent exact change toll to get on, then two $1.90 cash tolls on I-88. This will be a 2.5 day drive, suggested overnights are York NE and Rawlins WY.

If you want to see some scenery, you have a few options. You can take I-76 off I-80 toward Denver and pick up I-70. In Utah you can take US-191 and US-6 to SLC or stay on I-70 to Salina, then US-50 to I-15. You would probably want to look at someplace between Vail and Glenwood Springs for the second overnight. Either way, no problem making SLC on the 3rd day.

Any other detours - such as going through Rocky Mountain National Park - would add a 4th day.

GLC - all good advice. So many variables really. I may end up solo now my SLC partner may be passing now. So I will most likely take your route i80 to i76 through Denver to i70 and hit 191 to visit Moab for a night and shoot some pictures. Then back to the i70 to i15 and home. As of now im thinking of stopping in Lincoln and Denver and Moab and Vegas then home. I have friends in Denver I can see but not sure what to see coming through Iowa and Nebraska. Anything you suggest off the i80 through there you recommend stopping for not too far off the beaten path? Thanks again for all the help.

[Lostmanifesto]

On the side of the I-80/I-70/I-15/I-80 thought: Just west of Denver you climb into the mountains (a nice test for your diesel's climbing ability), and will go through Vail, Aspen, Glenwood Canyon and into Glenwood Springs. My husband and I love this part of that highway! Then we also love the section of I-70 in Utah between Green River and Salina. There is no fuel for 108 miles in that section, but there's diesel in both of those towns. We particularly like that section eastbound in the early morning hours, but we'll take it at any time! Then jumping up to I-80 at Salt Lake City - I personally haven't done that in years, but hubby used to love that road as a long-haul trucker. The section between Reno and Sacramento is one I've been on and just loved.

Diesel stations that we've used: we usually find a truck stop near Denver when we were towing, then went through to Fruita CO. Exit 26 has a Conoco with diesel. It has an A&W (I think) but next door there's a place called Otto's that does a great breakfast. Then we'd go all the way into Richfield UT on a tank. There's a Flying J there at Exit 40 as well as another station (Shell??) with diesel.


Donna

Thanks again Donna my iPad is now loaded with your suggestions marked down.

[glc]

You have your stops very reasonably planned. CHI-DEN is 2 days. DEN to Moab is 6 to 7 hours and Moab to LV is about 7 hours.

Make sure you take UT-128 into Moab instead of US-191. It's Exit 212 off I-70 - old US-6 to UT-128.

Sorry, but I can't personally recommend anything real close to I-80.

Now - something to consider if you want a spectacular scenic drive - leave Moab bright and early, get on I-70 and get off at UT-24, take that to Torrey via Hanksville and Capitol Reef. Then take UT-12 to Bryce Canyon and US-89, take that south to UT-14 and take that to Cedar City for the night. You may have time to take a quick trip through Capitol Reef or Bryce Canyon. I don't know where your final destination is, but it takes less than 3 hours to get from Cedar City to LV.

[Lostmanifesto]

If anyone is curious how my road trip is going please check my journal! http://www.jordanmay.com/category/journal/

[glc]

545 degrees at the Pikes Peak brake checkpoint? Yikes - mine were 82 last time I went down. Gotta love manual transmissions.

It doesn't look like you took 128 into Moab - too bad, unless you have driven it before.