Southwest Trip 09

Lovey · 10-07-09, 10:35 PM

I'm gonna give a shot here at a live from the road thread.
Will depend on free wifi whenever it can be had...probably not often.

Left NJ last Thursday. Put in a short 5 hour ride to western PA. Camped for the night.
Friday I put in 14 hours and got to western Iowa. That left me about 9 hours to NE Colorado where I camped for the evening. Picked up a friend flying into Denver on Sunday and we headed to Steamboat Springs to visit a friend from my hometown.

Monday we headed to Moab. Went to Arches on Tuesday and ran a few trails today.
Thursday we head to Canyonlands to do the White Rim Trail til Sat AM.
From there we head to Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly then onto New Mexico to visit Onur
(Beno) for a couple of days.

I'll try to add some more pics as the trip progresses and if I can get online.

Lovey

Lovey · 10-07-09, 10:41 PM

couple more

cruiserhead · 10-08-09, 05:18 AM

Great pics.I`m sure your having a great trip.

David

Lovey · 10-08-09, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiserhead

Great pics.I`m sure your having a great trip.

David

Ya know after I dropped you off I totally forgot to thank you again for making it possible to get the truck ready and getting on my way.

So....thanks so much for letting me have some shop time to prep.

I'll talk to you soon.

ordoman · 10-08-09, 09:14 AM

Awesome! Wish I could've gone.

beno · 10-08-09, 01:14 PM

Great pics Lovey. Can't wait to see you bro next week.

-o-

Lovey · 10-11-09, 08:40 PM

Spent the last few days in Canyonlands NP. White Rim Trail was a blast.
Made it to Monument Valley in time to see the sunset. Campground there was really creepy but the view was pretty awesome. Did the tour of the valley in the am then made tracks to Chinle AZ.

a few pics

Lovey · 10-11-09, 08:49 PM

Sunset and sunrise at Monument Valley...Canyon de Chelly.

Heading to ABQ, then home sometime Wednesday or Thursday.
lots do to and see yet.

ordoman · 10-11-09, 09:20 PM

Amazing!

Lovey · 10-15-09, 06:57 PM

Spent a couple of days in Albuquerque seeing some sights, hanging with Beno for a short bit. Drove around some fire service roads in Jemez. Soaked in a hot spring for a few hours before beginning the long haul home. Dont mind long drives at all, but when your doing it solo you really have to take some precaution. A co-pilot would be very helpful. I was happy to let my bud drive around ABQ the two days we were there.

Hanging in Dayton OH with one last leg to go in the AM. Can't wait to get home. Pretty fried from the road to say the least.

a few last pics from ABQ

cruiserhead · 10-16-09, 05:13 AM

Can`t wait to see the rest of the pics.

David

Lovey · 10-17-09, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiserhead

Can`t wait to see the rest of the pics.

David

Thanks for the hand in getting the RTT off pronto. I may venture out of the house today.
Very fitting that you were the last person I saw and the first upon returning. You should have just came along...NEXT TIME...for sure.

A few stats.....

5353 miles...i drove all but about 200.
367 gallons of fuel.
$958 for said fuel. $2.60 a gal average. A mix of regular and super.
14.5 mpg avg overall...Not bad considering the weight I had on the rig.

cruiserhead · 10-18-09, 07:42 AM

Glad to have helped.

David

roller99fxstb · 10-18-09, 07:58 PM

very cool pics man. I want to see them all with a play by play...

ordoman · 10-21-09, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roller99fxstb

very cool pics man. I want to see them all with a play by play...

We could schedule a slide show at Coal Mine 2010.

Lovey · 10-21-09, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ordoman

We could schedule a slide show at Coal Mine 2010.

Or, you could always join in on the next road trip.

2010 is looking like this so far.

Early June-----South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming. Badlands, Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
other stops in the area as well. This will be another 2 weeker. Early June as possible to avoid some crowds before schools are out for the summer.

A few one weekers in mind for possibly Sept/Oct include: Hatteras NC. some beach running...maybe a trip into Myrtle Beach for some golf during the trip.

Upper Peninsula of Michigan...stop in Cleveland on the way for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

or..spend some time in the Smoky Mountains for a week.
Anything is possible...if gas prices are up the Adironacks in NY State is a fallback.

I wouldn't rule out going back to Moab again either if enough members were into it.
Would spend more time there this time. So much to do there.

ALLINFUN · 11-12-09, 05:36 PM

WOW! Really nice pictures. Been dreaming about MOAB for sometime now. If everything goes according to plan, Brian O and myself will be headed that way in the Spring.
Don

zebrabeefj40 · 11-13-09, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovey

Or, you could always join in on the next road trip.

2010 is looking like this so far.

Early June-----South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming. Badlands, Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
other stops in the area as well. This will be another 2 weeker. Early June as possible to avoid some crowds before schools are out for the summer.

The guys from Hoosier Cruiser have a trip going around the same time frame in the same area. You might consider joining their parade for few days. More details here...

http://forum.ih8mud.com/hoosier-crui...ur-2010-a.html

Nice shots of the southwest. I'd like to make that trip myself.

Nick Jennings

shmukster · 11-15-09, 05:19 PM

Great photos, must have been an awesome trip!!!! Can't wait to see more.

Anyone interested in a Colorado trip in 2010? Been there wheeling and camping most years since 1984, know my way around pretty well and not just the normal touristy stuff. Could do some nice interesting wheeling but nothing too hard to worry about breakage other than normal stuff.

Southwest Colorado is great, trails like Black Bear, Imogene Pass, Engineer and Cinnamon Passes, Ophir Pass, and Stony Pass are the nuts and not far from Moab. The Elk Mountains in Gunnison County (Pearl Pass, Taylor Pass, Schofield, Italian Pass) are awesome, too, and Chaffee County (from Salida west) is really neat. Lots of good camping spots and relatively inexpensive hotels, too.

For the record Denver is about 1600 miles from me here in northeastern PA, whether you take the northern route (I-80) or the I-70 route. From Denver down to the San Juans in SW Colorado is usually a 4 or 5 hour drive depending on traffic and route chosen. The trip I'd have in mind would be about ten days, approximately 4400 miles from my area. You wouldn't need a truck like my 55 to make the trip I have in mind- a well equipped 80 or FJ Cruiser would be ideal. I prefer September- not too hot, kids are back in school, fewer (by far) tourists, and if you're lucky the fall colors in CO will blow you away. Anybody interested? Rich (Ordoman) and I have talked about this in the past. Gary S

Lovey · 11-16-09, 08:48 AM

I would be down for another road trip anytime. A group trip would be pretty cool.

I havent had enough driving yet. Going to Niagara Falls/Buffalo this Sunday for a show then driving back early Monday AM.
Thanks for replys on the pics. Its something else out there. Hope to be living out there sometime in the near future.

As long as I can get days off....Im ready to go anywhere.