Ya, a lot of squiggly lines. You could probably knock off a couple thousand miles if you would just stay on the interstates.An awful lot of squiggly lines on that map. You sure you're going to enjoy that? lol
Have a great trip Rick, you lucky dog.
Thanks for the feedback. I am running the route west to Washington, then south and back home (I guess counter clock-wise). The route from Hover Dam back was just a direct freeway route due to time consideration. I am hoping to have enough time on the way back to enjoy a little more of Utah and Colorado and your suggestion of the Sand Hills. I have done a route similar to what you have suggested on other trips to to Colorado and I agree it beats the slab. I will see what time allows and how am I feeling at that point and make adjustments on the fly!Hi, Rick;
Awesome looking trip. I hope you don't think I'm being rude by offering a route change suggestion. I ran into a guy at a gas station when I was on a ride last fall, and he said he'd made the trip to Colorado from the Twin Cities between 50 and 60 times. I had told him I was riding to Colorado, and told him it would be I35 down to Des Moines, then I80 over to Colorado. He had a better idea. Let me explain.
Looking at your route, I couldn't tell if you are going clockwise or counterclockwise. So I'll just describe the route from Minnesota to Colorado. Again, I altered my route through this guy's suggestions, and ran it last September. It eliminated a lot of boring and/or urban miles. Maybe some others here are familiar with these roads.
Take I90 across southern Minnesota and across part of South Dakota, to about 45 miles past Mitchell to SD Hwy 45 South (exit 289). Take 45 south to Platte. In Platte, take SD 44 west to SD 49 south. At the intersection with US 18, keep going straight south on SD 183. (It turns into Nebraka 183). Take a right (west) on NE 12 to Valentine. In Valentine, take a left on to 83 (south). In Valentine, take US 20 West for a few blocks to NE 97 south (left). This is the start of the (relatively speaking) fun part. These are the sand hills of Nebraska. We ran this stretch at between 85 to 100 mph for 15 or 20 minutes at a time. No traffic, no animals, no trees, and almost no sign of human life. Stay on 97 into Mullen. Take a right (west) on to NE 2. Take a left (south) on to NE 61, all the way to Ogallala. On the south side of Ogallala, you can hook back up with I80, and continue west. These roads are SO much less boring than the interstate, plus you avoid Des Moines and Omaha. We ran the same route (in reverse, obviously) on the return trip, but in the pitch black of night. My buddy's FJR has extra lighting, and he could really light up the road. We made good time. When I return to ride in Colorado, I WILL take this route again. It really was a great diversion, and broke up both ends of the interstate boredom tremendously.
It was great to be able to stretch the FJR's legs a little on those empty roads in the middle of Nebraska. Personally, I thought it had its' own kind of desolate beauty. Certainly less boring than the interstate. It only added 20 or 30 miles of distance, and depending on the traffic through some of the towns on I35/I80, may have possibly even shortened the time.
Enjoy your trip, Rick. Ride safe and smart, and keep us posted on your progress. (Hope you don't mind the unsolicited suggestions.....)
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