Started planning the general route for this summer's western mountain state road trip. It's gonna be me and my two brothers tooling around w/o "the girls" for two weeks. Here's the basic route, would gladly consider any input on "don't miss" stops along the way - particularly good restaurants, roadhouses, etc., etc.,... we only get to do this every couple of years. I'm in NM, one brother is in NC, and the third is in FL so just getting to a common starting point is usually an issue.... anyway, here it is.

Day 1 Albuquerque, NM to Rangely, CO
Day 2 Rangely, CO to Jackson, WY
Day 3 Grand Teton NP/Yellowstone NP
Day 4 Yellowstone NP to Missoula, MT
Day 5 Missoula, MT to Kennewick, WA
Day 6 Kennewick, WA to Portland OR (Columbia River Gorge)
Day 7 Portland, OR to Crater Lake NP
Day 8 Crater Lake NP to Eureka, CA
Day 9 Eureka, CA to Sacremento, CA
Day 10 Sacremento, CA to Yosemite NP
Day 11 Yosemite NP to Las Vegas, NV
Day 12 Las Vegas, NV to Grand Canyon NP
Day 13 Grand Canyon NP to Show Low, AZ
Day 14 Show Low, AZ to Albuquerque, NM

Am I outta my mind? Longest distance day is Day8 (500 miles), but the rest of the days are no more than 2 tanks of gas. Departing July 21 and returning August 4th. I plan on sleeping under the stars whenever possible, but my youngest brother is one of those "blow dryer types" and will want to take showers and brush his teeth and all... (might as well bring the wife along ya know?) so if there's decent places to bunk down, I'd be glad to hear about those too.

We've actually got 17 days to burn, but I'm going to build in a little slack in case we get taken hostage by a group of wild Amazon women bikers somewhere along the way, like in Las Vegas or something.

 

Day 5. Hwy12 across Idaho from LoLo to Lewiston- Clarkston. 200 mi of heaven!

 

Day One, assume that you take 550 up through Grand Junction I would think that would be hard to do if you were going to stop and see any thing along the way IE Durango, Silverton,Ouray?

Day 2 From Rock Springs to Jackson nothing but open spaces and lopes

Day3 Jackson to YS, lots of traffic

Day 4 Out of West Yellowstone I like US 287 to MT287 Ennis up to Twin Bridges,41 south to Dillon find 278 to 93 north up to Lolo. Stop at Earthquake Lake interesting history, Big Hole Battle Field

Day5 US 12 is just a great road over to Lewiston !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 6 WA 14 is a good road over to the Dalles Watch out for the wind gust that come out of nowhere!
Some where west of there try and find RT 30 and take it over to Troutdale there are 3 Water Falls that are very cool to see. That all I can help you with .
Hope you have fun.

 

Thanks for the inputs, it's what I'm hoping for!

Been to Durango/Silverton/Ouray lotsa times, but want to drag brother #3 through there, kinda just tease him enough to make him want to come out again (have taken #2 there on several rides). Hopefully "the powers that be" will get the issues with the Four Corners Rally worked out this year and we'll make that trip.

Hope you Cali riders can ring in with that leg of the trip.