27 Day Miata Trip - 7000 miles

datsun40146

datsun40146

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OK having owned my Miata for about a year now, made several modifications and raced a bit with the SCCA. I thought it was time for a road trip. I will be updating this thread as I go and as I find free WiFi. We will (as in Dad and I) leave this Thursday morning and will return on the 18th of July. Sleeping in a two man tent and avoiding highways when ever possible. I am posting the main spots were are trying to hit on this trip but I can't for the life of me find a trip optimizer for the route. Also, is there not anything worth seeing in the great plains area? Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska are dead to me. I'm just driving through them. So, if anyone has any cool road suggestions or places to stop please let me know. Here is the basic route and what the stops are.

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Devils Tower, Wyoming
Custer State Park, SD
Needles Highway
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Yellowstone National Park.
Beartooth Highway
Grand Teton National Park
Going-To-The-Sun Rd, Mt
West Glacier, Montana
Mt St Helens, , Washington
Mt Rainier National Park, Ashford, WA
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Leggett, CA (Beginning of the Coast Road)
Yosemite National Park, Ca
Las Vegas, NV
Hoover Dam, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Arches national park Utah
Canyonlands Utah
Moab, Utah
Albuquerque, NM, USA (Family and a much needed shower at this point)
Hoover Al (Again Family)

The general problem I have is finding decent campsites along my route. Also there is nothing on my trip in the middle of the country. On the return leg between Albuquerque and Hoover I got nothing which is exactly the same as the going out leg between Irvington Ky (starting point) and Mount Rushmore. I don't know the western part of the country that well, so if I'm driving right by something that is NOT to be missed or if you want to offer up your couch for a night please let me know.
Pictures to come...shortly of the trusty steed and prep work.

What I need from you guys once I post the map is to let me know where I can and can't ccw with my Ky permit. I know which states honor it as that was easy enough to find. I need a crash course in the state laws I'll be going through and the major do's and don'ts. Thanks!
 
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Again if anyone wished to offer up a couch or a yard so that we may crash more cheaply or in style please let me know before I pass your area. If I'm missing any awesome driving roads, or high points let me know and I'll amend the route. Thanks

Also the above picture is slightly out of date however the link is correct. I am now going through eastern OR in place of western OR.
 
you need to add a stop at Omaha ... the old market district is worth a brake check. Old Chicago and the Spaghetti works both have some fine driver fuel.
you could also divert at that point taking I80 west to get you through the sand hills for a change of scenery before you head north into the Dakotas.
 
For a lot of the west, camping isn't much of a problem. Just pull up a side road...especially in the desert. For the rest, there's a great book called Wheeler's (as I recall) that you can buy at motor home type stores. It lists all campsites.

There's a great road not on your route. Google up the Lolo Pass in Montana/Idaho. It's made for your car.

When you get to Portland, Oregon turn right and follow the coast from about Cannon Beach to Newport. Then head inland through Eugene and over the McKenzie Pass to Bend. Out of Bend drive Century Drive south to the Willamette Pass and then get to to Creator Lake however you choose. Do NOT miss that section of the Oregon coast.

You're going to be really close to Monument Valley and Mesa Verde when you leave Albuquerque. If time is a constraint and I had to choose between them and Vegas/Hoover it would be an easy choice for me.

Sounds like a great trip in a Miata. I've done it...not all at once...several times in motorhomes. I'm looking forward to your reports.

Ed
 
Is this Miata the little sports car, the MX-5 or whatever? I think it's cute, and am seriously thinking of having a heroine in a detective novel that I'm writing drive one.

But you'd better beware of bad roads and savage weather in some places. Pack emergency gear and food, water, axe, etc. A larger 4 WD vehicle would be a better choice, I think, especially if you have bad roads. Your car doesn't have much ground clearance!

Take and post photos!

I agree that some states are just "flyover country." I might prefer to go through a more southern route and up through AZ to OR. If you're going to OR or WA, I'd want to fish for steelhead and other trout and salmon. Get a good guide to snakes. The SW states have some bad ones, and you're camping out. In Washington, you can probably visit some wineries, like Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Be cautious about Indian reservations in New Mexico and AZ. SIG-P-220 is an FBI agent working those. PM him about their gun laws and other tribal issues. NM does have some nice tourist places, but is also a tourist trap. "Indian mocccasins" that you buy may be made in China. Expect high prices. Don't barf if they serve you green chili. You can get the regular kind, but be sure it isn't too full of jalapeno peppers. Those are incendiary-hot.
 
Oh: be careful about guns in national parks. I think concealed handguns are now legal there, IF that state recognizes your carry permit.

But I have no idea if rifles or shotguns are tolerated, and some of those park rangers are really intense, from what I hear. Like, on a power trip...and some are gun haters.

Avoid Illinois, esp. Chicago. Really bad gun laws. Rude people, too, based on my sole experience there.

I see you plan to spend some time in CA. Watch out for their gun laws, too. Be sure what applies to you as a tourist.
 
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datsun40146 said:
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Devils Tower, Wyoming
Custer State Park, SD
Needles Highway
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
- Cody, WY Buffalo Bill Historical Center, awesome gun museum
- Chief Jospeh Highway out of Cody to Beartooth Pass
Yellowstone National Park.
Beartooth Highway (excellent)
Grand Teton National Park
Going-To-The-Sun Rd, Mt (excellent)
West Glacier, Montana
Mt St Helens, , Washington
Mt Rainier National Park, Ashford, WA
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Leggett, CA (Beginning of the Coast Road)
Yosemite National Park, Ca
Las Vegas, NV
Hoover Dam, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
- Consider visiting the north rim, accessed via Kanab, UT, MUCH cooler in summer.
- Zion National Park (not to be missed)
- Bryce Canyon National Park (see Zion)
- Utah Hwy 12 to Torrey, UT (you'll love this road)
Arches national park Utah (excellent)
Canyonlands Utah (this one is mostly offorad, might want to skip it in a Miata)
- Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab (would be a Natl Park anywhere else)
Moab, Utah
Albuquerque, NM, USA (Family and a much needed shower at this point)
Hoover Al (Again Family)
Click to expand...


I've ridden all over the Rockies on two wheels and made a few suggestions above.

You shouldn't have any problem finding primitive campsites in the mountains, in the National Forest areas.

Get a National Park Pass, if your dad is a senior he can get a golden age pass.

Between Vegas and Moab ...

Go through Zion National Park, you have to leave the car at the visitors center and ride the bus into the canyon.

After you go out the east side of Zion, head for Kanab, UT and go south to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It's higher elevation than the south rim, making it cooler. And it's much less crowded and touristy.

From there head for Bryce Canyon NP. Another high elevation park, and will be much cooler. I should mention that in the summer southern Utah experiences "Thermonuclear Sunshine" it gets HOT and will burn you. But many of the best places to see are at high elevation and much cooler.

After Bryce, take Utah Hwy 12 to Torrey, UT. Look this one up, it's a fantastic road. Often rated the #1 motorcycle road in America. You'll love it in your Miata. This road goes through the Escalante Staircase National Monument.

Then it's off to Moab. I would skip Canyonlands as it's mostly offroad with parts far too rough for a sports car. Instead, go to Deadhorse Point State Park, this overlooks Canyonlands and is second only to the Grand Canyon for majestic views. Try to get there at sunset.

Consider staying at KOA campgrounds, at least once every few days, showers, flush toilets, etc. They will give you a catalog with all their locations that will really help in planning a trip.
 
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You have hit upon one of my favorite subjects, how to keep yourself awake traveling across the Great Plains. First off, to traverse Nebraska or the Dakotas, stay the heck of I80 and I90. My favorite routes across Nebraska run through the sandhills on US20 or NE12. Niobrara is very scenic, a favorite dinner destination for long-distance motorcyclists.

South and west of Valentine, out the SW corner of Wm. McKelvey forest is some very scenic ranch country. There are one lane paved ranch roads, and some well-maintained gravel roads. Your Miata should handle them just fine if you are not averse to travel on gravel.

Carhenge, in Alliance, NE is well worth the trip. There are some interesting historic ranch sites all through the sandhills. Ft. Robinson, near Chadron is another interesting stop. You should be able to turn up plenty more if you poke around, as I have not explared Nebraska nearly as fully as I might.

Across South Dakota, my favorite routes are US14, SD34, and SD44 west of Winner. The highway from Murdo down to Valentine can be quite entertaining at speed, narrow pavement with lots of hills and fast sweepers.

If you are willing to take gravel, you might enjoy Bad River Road and Van Meter road, which take you from Ft. Pierre into Midland the back way. Another interesting unpaved route takes you from the SW corner of the Badlands scenic loop, down Sage Creek Road to SD44 near Scenic. From Scenic continue south (this section is paved), to turn west across Cuny Table to Buffalo Gap. This stretch is wide, well-graded, but usually not so recently as to prevent washboarding.

From Buffalo Gap, cross SD79, take 7-11 Road through the eponymous gap, and turn right on Red Valley Road through the back side of Wind Cave NP. Bearing left at the Y will bring you out on SD87; bearing right will put you on the Custer SP Wildlife loop near the buffalo corrals.

Near the Beartooth, I am going to second the recommendation to ride the Chief Joseph highway through the Sunlight Basin. Although the Beartooth is spectacular, the Sunlight Basin is a better driving road, with more opportunities to get out and pass the Winnebagos (or slow Harleys, if you are on two wheels). The locals in Cody consider this route "the good stuff", or at least they did before it got paved and opened to more tourist traffic.

You might also consider working in a trip across the Big Horn Mountains on your way to Cody. US16 from Buffalo to Ten Sleep is the most-traveled. I prefer US14a from Dayton and Ranchester. At Burgess, you can stay with 14a and visit the Medicine Wheel or go down US14 through Shell Canyon, the most scenic route, IMO. All three routes are great driving, with less traffic on the 14s.
 
datsu[RIGHT said:
n40146;136573162]

What I need from you guys once I post the map is to let me know where I can and can't ccw with my Ky permit. I know which states honor it as that was easy enough to find. I need a crash course in the state laws I'll be going through and the major do's and don'ts. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Unload and disassemble through Illinois or don't get caught.
 
Having just gone to Mt Rushmore, a word of advice. Don't take the road up there from Keystone; come from the other direction. Must have been a 2 mile backup when we were there! Also, go early in the morning because it gets crowded real fast. We went right when it opened and no crowds at all. An hour later, it looked like Disney World during Spring Break. Spend maybe 2 hours there and then go over to the Crazy Horse monument. Custer State Park was great for seeing bison, antelope and deer. Needles Highway will be great if you have the suspension to handle the twisties at speed (did I say I have an '07 GT with a MazdaSpeed suspension and shock tower?). Oh yeah, you might take a detour to see the Badlands . Not too far and pretty if the weather's good. Stay on the marked paths, though. Lots of "Look out for rattlesnakes" signs all over the place.
 
Ow, my back.

That's old age and jealousy speaking, really just wanted to wish you happy motoring; looking forward to your updates.

I lived in the Rapid City SD area for 5 years, still my favorite place ever.

Have fun.
 
While you're at Yosemite, it would be a shame to miss Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP, even though it means a little backtracking --- the sequoias are magnificent and awe-inspiring. Then taking Tioga Pass thru Yosemite, take CA Hwy 395 down the east side of the Sierra Nevada, stopping to see Mono Lake and lava domes at Lee Vining, visit The Devil's Postpile near Mammoth Lakes, see ancient bristlecone pines in the White Mountains in Inyo NF south of Bishop (where you must get the obligatory roast turkey sandwich at Schott's (sp?) Bakery), then cut across to Las Vegas through Death Valley (only if your AC's working...) and at least see the highlights (lowlights?)

You can carry what and how is otherwise legal according to state law in National Parks and Monuments -- check any of several websites for current state-by-state info. There may be some little quirks to this --- last I checked, for example, California prohibited concealed handguns in vehicles and elsewhere, and required handguns in vehicles to be unloaded and somehow locked up. However, long guns could be carried in vehicles unconcealed, unlocked, but unloaded. So you could, say, have an unloaded rifle and a loaded magazine close at hand in your car --- not ideal, but better than no gun at all...

I'm envious of you trip... enjoy!
 
Oregon does not recognize any other state CHL's. Oregon, with the exception of a few metropolitan areas, is open carry (must be at least partially visible if you don’t want problems) without any permit. You'll need to check out which cities restrict open carry (Portland restricts open carry of loaded firearms, for example, unless you have a valid Oregon CHL). I can't think of any in Eastern Oregon that have such restrictions, but check it out anyway.

Going through Eastern Oregon can be beautiful, but it does have long empty stretches with towns with services well apart from each other – make sure you have a full tank of gas when you start this stretch.
 
First, stop at Joe Bologna's for good pizza and bread sticks before leaving LexVegas. That is imperative.

Check out Route 66 stuff as you wander through Missouri. As you head out to Seattle area go west of Puget Sound to Bremerton and tour the mothball fleet. Call ahead to see what is there. Two years ago they had four carriers.
 
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