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#1
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UT to MN Road trip - Any advice?
I came across an LJ for sale and it turns out I made a verbal deal with the owner, so long it checks out. So, road trip it is and a family one to boot.
The Jeep in question is an 05 LJ with a bunch of custom stuff on it, stretched wheelbase, sporting 40's and a hemi. click here for more pics My wife, daughter and I will be flying to SLC on Sunday 10/21, picking up the LJ in Provo, and then driving back home over the course of the Thanksgiving week. We have never been to that part of the country and we figured it would be a good opportunity. We're thinking of leaving Provo either Monday pm or Tuesday am, and getting to Minneapolis sometime Friday or Saturday. It would be fun to wheel it, but I'll have to be conservative since I won't have any tools or anyone else with me and I don't feel like making the 10pm news. So, we'll stick to some cool tourist things and what we have to figure out is which route to take and what to see. Requirements would be to have motels nearby since camping is out of the question. It would also be fun to meet some fellow Jeep aficionados along the way. One option that came to mind is through Jackson/Tetons/Yellowstone, the other through Moab and CO. I'm all ears regarding suggestion you may have on the "best" route you would take.
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
#2
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If you want to go south to Moab, Colorado there are some cool things to do in Moab and CO, but from Denver you probably want to head north through to Deadwood SD and then back home. The drag from Denver up to 80 and through Nebraska and Iowa is not very exciting to say the least. (From Rapid City across 90 isn't too much better though) The best option would to be to take a test drive south to JV so we can spend a couple of days testing it, then drive back to MN or Provo if it doesn't do so good . |
#3
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I thought about it, however it would add another 1,400 miles to the trip and we won't have any accommodations for the week while in JV.
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
#4
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Mt Rushmore and Custer State Park are close to Deadwood which are worth taking a look at if you havent been there. Deadwood itself is a pretty neat little town.
Apparently there is an old Nuclear Missile site and control center close to Rapid City. We only found out after we were up that way, but I'd like to take a look sometime at that. That time of year you may run into crappy weather on either the northern or southern route, but you should have the vehicle to handle it. Do you still have your red Jeep or is it gone? |
#5
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Great, thanks for the info David. I still have the red Jeep nicely tucked in the garage. I thought about selling it since we don't take it out much, but I am now considering turning it into my DD. Besides, it's not like I put a ton of miles on cars anymore, I work from home.
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
#6
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If you take the southern route, detour about 100 miles south of Moab to Monument Valley. Worth taking a day to detour to there and drive the 14 mile loop through the Valley. That is where most of the Glen Ford produced John Wayne movies were shot. Absolutely gorgeous views.
If you go the northern route I personally would avoid Jackson Hole as it is a overpriced tourist trap with most everyone there being a stuck up snob. My opinion. I would go up 15 through Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Just north of Idaho Falls on the Interstate is a tourist location called Bear World. Well worth a hour or two visit. then go into Yellowstone through the west entrance and on to your planned route. Do not stay in Jackson Hole, or in the Park, or right by the entrances if you want to save a bit of coin. They will gouge your wallet. At the west Yellowstone entrance is a zoo type place for wolves and bears. Neat place and very informative, worth a visit. |
#7
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There are two ski resorts open now if you are up for crappy fall skiing.
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Patrick |
#8
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Thanks Patrick, but no 4-wheeling nor skiing planned, just a cool and uber-scenic tourist trip.
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
#9
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The other two I mentioned are in the town of West Yellowstone, within 1/4 mile of the entrance to the park. They are side by side and share the same parking lot. Can't remember the names.
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#10
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So take the southern route...wheel in Moab, Canyonlands...even do the White Rim Trail....head down to Monument Valley...then to CO....the canyons near Canyon City are cool to drive....head up to the Black Hills in S Dakota...try and stay off the interstate...even though NE is flat you will drive thru small towns and a couple of bluff areas....in SD go thru Custer Park...there are dirt roads and it is cool to see the buffalo herds...lots of little towns in the Hills to see...drive thru Spearfish Canyon and visit Deadwood...Mt Rushmore though a tourist destination is still cool...take a loop thru the Badlands...there is way to sneak into the park without paying the fee...after the badlands there is not much to see...well actually there is a lot to see...for a long way in SD...unless you need to make time to get home...just go north of the interstate and take the 2 lane roads back to MN...enjoy...nice LJ ...
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Ian McCutchon 08 JKU Rubicon 98 TJ |
#11
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I pm'd ya. You welcome to Join us in Moab.
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too many frick'n jeeps, not enough time. |
#12
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After much thinking I think I have the planned route figured out. The old saying holds true "too many places, too little time". Adding that I am also trying to anticipate the weather, makes it for a tough choice.
So, here it is:
I think it is a pretty good route, now let's hope the weather cooperates to make it a fun trip. Joel - Thanks for reaching out, we'll be in touch. Patrick - Thank you for the information, I will keep a close eye on the weather and will not chance anything. All - Thanks for your suggestions.
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
#13
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I was dissapointed with Crazy Horse...though a cool project that is years away from being completed...spend your time either seeing Mt Rushmore but I would recommend Custer State Park....bisons are cool to see and easier to spell than buffaloes.
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Ian McCutchon 08 JKU Rubicon 98 TJ |
#14
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So how did your trip go?
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too many frick'n jeeps, not enough time. |
#15
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It was great, maybe next time it won't be so cold for you.
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
#16
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We flew into Salt Lake City on Sunday where the owner of the Jeep picked us up and we drove straight to his house in Provo to go check out the LJ (minus a pit stop at In-N-Out ).
For those who are curious, here are the main specs: 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 5.7L Hemi/545rfe Automatic Trans Conversion (Dodge Ram 1500) NP231hd T/Case With Heavy Duty Short Shaft Conversion (Dodge front half) Tera CRD60R Front Axle with ARB Air Locker, 4.88 Gears, 35 Spline inner and outer shafts with Warn Premium Hubs Tera CRD60R Rear Axle with 4.88 Gears, Hardened 35 Spline shafts, Detroit Locker and disc brakes with internal E-Brake 4" Teraflex Pro LCG Suspension System 16" Sway Away Remote Res. Triple Rate Coilover Shocks In The Front - 3.5" coils+shocks in the Rear GenRight Full Body Armor High Fender Kit w/3" Fender Flares And Custom Cut Rear Corners For Wheelbase Stretch (109”), Rock Sliders, LED Lights 5-40x13.50R17 GoodYear MTR's on 17x10 Chrome Rims Full PSC Hydro Assist System Warn 9.5TI Winch, Custom Front Bumper, Currie Rear With Spare Lots of custom fab work done. Monday morning we made the transaction and we were on our way. We left from LaVell Edwards stadium in downtown Provo and headed straight for Moab. We arrived there right after lunch and after a quick burger at the Moab Diner, we were off to Arches National Park. What a sight, the landscape is really breathtaking and the weather was cooperating. Although really windy which made it for chilly temperatures, the sky was blue and the sun was out giving some really nice colors on the rocks. After Arches, we proceeded to our hotel for the night and we chose the Red Cliffs Inn which also doubles as a winery, working ranch, and fairly extensive film location. Normally at $220/night, we ended up in a King suite with an extra pull out bed and a small kitchenette, all of this on the banks of the Colorado river and for the incredible price of $79/night, a real no brainer. So, we drove on Hwy 128 for 14 miles which was very cool and arrived at our destination. Highway 128 The Lodge The view from our suite The next day, we headed back towards Moab and visited Dead Horse. The sights are incredible and you quickly realize how small you are. Unfortunately, we did not have time for Canyonlands, so we’ll have to come back. Before heading out, we checked on the weather since we had heard a storm was heading our way. We spoke with some folks who told us we could get to Ouray before the storm, but that we should prepare for an extended stay since a major blizzard was called for and the roads out of there would most likely be closed. Added that we were in a new-to-us vehicle, we chose a “safer” alternative and headed to Glenwood Springs instead. We figured that if the storm were to delay us, we should get a little jump on it so not to lose too much time. So, off we went and about 3.5 hours later we arrived in Glenwood Springs. It is a beautiful small town tucked in a gorgeous canyon, and it is the home of the “Spa of the Rockies”. What a treat to be able to soak in the middle of winter looking at the snow capped mountains surrounding you, especially after a long drive. The very nice size therapy pool is at a constant 104F and the even nicer size main pool (400ftx100ft) is around 90F-93F. The next day, we woke up to the blizzard that was expected. It had snowed all night, it was still snowing, and the visibility was not great. So, after a nice breakfast, we went back to the hot springs for another soaking. Nothing like being in a pool with the snow falling on you. We hit the road around noon and we were not sure where we would spend the night. We caught up to the blizzard and the drive through Vail pass and the Eisenhower tunnel was as crappy as it could get without shutting down the interstate. The LJ performed extremely well, and I was taking it super easy so not to get an unpleasant surprise. Then, after Idaho Springs, all of a sudden the snow was gone, just weird. However, on I-25 past Denver, the winds picked up and the temperatures dropped like crazy. It got a little hairy, so we called it the night and stopped in Cheyenne at a super cheesy Super 8 motel. The bad thing is that we were in Cheyenne, the good thing is that a major truck stop was ? mile down the road. I saw some fluid dripping from the front, investigated a little, and found that the lower radiator hose was leaking a bit. Turned out to be a loose hose clamp, pressure tested the system, all was good and $40 later we were in a hurry to leave Cheyenne for the Black Hills. The good news was that I-25 was open (I-80 was shut down), the bad news was that the winds were 60+mph according to the signs on the freeway and the tipped over big rigs. The drive not only sucked because of the wind, but also from the lack of scenery, that was brutal. While checking my fluids in Cheyenne, I noticed that the power steering was a little on the low side, so I stopped in Wheatland to hit the gas stations for some ATF+4 (truck stop did not have any). No luck in finding some, but I realized that the door straps are not that strong. In a bonehead move, I forgot to park into the wind, opened my door and watched it swing out like a bullet and slam into the front fender. A beauty scratch but no damage except to my ego and the strap. Needless to say that I felt really dumb. We were going to stay at a Holiday Inn or similar and find a place to have Thanksgiving dinner when Marilyn from the Buffalo Rock Lodge emailed me saying they were at home, had no guests, and would love to have us over for Thanksgiving dinner. So, after a phone call to confirm everything, we were looking forward to it. A couple of shots while driving through the hills We drove through Custer and past Crazy Horse, decided not to stop and see it, but rather go to Mount Rushmore instead. To our surprise, the gates were open with a note to enjoy the free visit on Thanksgiving day. So we did, and parked the Jeep right in front of the memorial. As soon as we got out, we were greeted by mountain goats, 3 adults and one baby grazing less than 6 feet from us. It was great, nobody else was around, we literally had the park to ourselves. We then proceeded to the lodge where Art and Marilyn greeted us. It couldn’t have been a better stay, they were wonderful hosts, the food was outstanding, and we could see Mount Rushmore from their back porch while sipping on a cup of coffee. The next morning they made us an incredible breakfast and gave us directions to the Wildlife Loop and the one and only Auto parts store that had ATF+4. So, we packed everything back into the Jeep and headed out. After a couple miles on the loop I was concerned that we would have no encounters, just as we came around a bend and had a pack of bisons hanging out on the road. We slowly made our way through the herd and I have to admit that I was a little nervous, these animals are quite impressive. Just as I was relaxing, we came upon another herd, a really big one. This time, the bisons were quite content staying on the road and they didn’t care that I was there. As a matter of fact, they liked hanging around the Jeep to get some warmth from the engine, yikes! A couple of them had a mean look to them, but we made it through and the next encounter was a group of antelopes. My daughter tried to feed them Cheerios, but they apparently were not fond of it. Nevertheless, they were just hanging out, not really concerned with us. We searched for the burros but never saw them, so we went back to Custer to get the ATF+4 and then be on our way. We were hoping to stop at Bear Country, but it was closed due to the weather so we proceeded onto I-90. The goal was to make it to Chamberlain. The drive through South Dakota was so excruciating that when we got to Chamberlain, I thought maybe we’d got to Mitchell. And when we got there, I thought maybe we’d drive to Sioux Falls. And I figured, since we had driven this far and it was so boring, maybe we’d just drive across the great state of Minnesota. And that's what we did, for no particular reason I just kept driving and we got home very late Friday night. What a trip, we are so glad we did it. Except for the Wyoming and South Dakota drives, my wife is already talking about doing it again next year. She wants to fly to Salt Lake, rent a car, go to Moab and then tour Colorado, hit Denver and fly home. As far as the LJ, it drove like a dream and the Hemi made all the difference in the world through the mountain passes and in heavy winds. We had a few minor hiccups that I will have to address though.
1,737 miles and 5 days... Jeep adventures rule! Gratuitous picture sitting in the driveway and more here
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
#17
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Glad you made it home safe. Sounds like a great time. Come back in late summer to visit Ouray. I promise you will never forget the views.
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Patrick |
#18
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Not a bad trip report...saw no mention of thanks to me to avoid certain areas and see others ..Yeah....there are some boring areas of Wyoming and S Dakota....some of it can be alleviated by getting off the interstate...but the I does allow you to make good time...I always thought Custer Park was cool....I stayed in a campground that was connected to one of the other roads....not the main route...it was gravel and less travelled and you got to see the bison more on them....when I was there it was during the rut....so the males where quite aggressive....my 3 Goldens were in the back of my YJ....no top....no doors....big bison all around....my dogs were very quiet...must have been cool to have Mt Rushmore to yourself....you would never have been able to park your Jeep where you did.
Jeep looks really good....what does Red think of his big brother?.
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Ian McCutchon 08 JKU Rubicon 98 TJ |
#19
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Hehehe... actually I thought of you as I came up on Crazy Horse and remembered your *cough* wise *cough* comments. Custer State Park is very cool and we would love to go back and spend some more time there. If only there was a way to avoid that dreadful drive through SD. Red wishes it had a couple more cylinders.
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
#20
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Sounds like you still had a great time. Again, sorry it did not work out for us. We did end up south east of Phoenix and did a old mining trail that will be closed in 2 weeks so I am glad I got to fit that in. Weather was a bit warmer as well and I got to use my Jeep as a Hummer recovery vehicle during our trip.
Jeep looks great btw. My wife just got a Grand Cherokee with the 5.7L, man that thing has power, must be great in a TJ.
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too many frick'n jeeps, not enough time. |
#21
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That's alright Joel, with the winds we had those days it would have made for some pretty miserable camping. It actually gave us a chance to do the Parks, and it was awesome. Plus, it is good you had a chance to run that trail back home. Perhaps we can hook up another time, I'll make sure and order some warm weather for you AZ boys.
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If you don't have the time to do it right, what makes you think you'll have the time to do it twice? |
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