Jeeping Across America - Wanderings Of The West

NFRs2000NYC

Adventurer
You're route was/is very similar to ours back in 2014.. We didn't have the time or the chance to head into Utah.. But I think if we're give a few more days this year we might spend a bit more time in those states we stop along the way.. Night driving.. Not sure I'm up for that challenge.. thou ask me 25 years ago.. So are you currently still on the road?.. or has this trip passed?.. Asking cause we're planning on doing it again this year (2015) Can't promise the jeep can maintain 75 mph uphill or go to extreme off roads.. But hey this could be a EP thing Have a group meetup by all EP members converging on one point in the middle of the country.

We are already home, back to shoveling snow :D . I prefer driving at night for a number of reasons, mainly no traffic anywhere, and the sun actually tires out your eyes, so it is MUCH easier and less tiring for me personally.

I have more updates, so I'll post up more first thing in the morning, saved the best for last. :D
 

CYK

Adventurer
Jeep looks great. Thanks for sharing. Owned an s2000 a long time ago comptech supercharged and all. Your sign name looks familiar.


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Fragglewhat

New member
Hi my name is Mike, I live in Moab and if you are ever in the area again let me know and I will definitely go wheeling with you. Plus I can show you some "local" only amazing spots. I have an XJ sitting on tons with 40's and a 2 door Rubi on 37's.


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KLT88YJ

Observer
Great pictures and write up! I live on the east coast too! The west is so much different and enjoyable for me and the activities that I like. I was out that way in 2006 and made a lot of the same stops. I've been dying to go back ever since!


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NFRs2000NYC

Adventurer
Hi my name is Mike, I live in Moab and if you are ever in the area again let me know and I will definitely go wheeling with you. Plus I can show you some "local" only amazing spots. I have an XJ sitting on tons with 40's and a 2 door Rubi on 37's.


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Will definitely take you up on that offer Mike!!!

_-Dave
 

NFRs2000NYC

Adventurer
So after we had an enjoyable day hiking and relaxing around arches, it was time to resume our normally scheduled programming and continue with our wheeling/exploring adventures.

We get up nice and early, do a quick gas/food run, and head out. I wanted the wife to wheel a little more, get a little more practice, and she isn't a fan of just bouncing around rocks (wants nice views and such)....plus I wanted to spend the day in Canyonlands and do some exploring there, so I decided we are going to run Potash Road into the shafer switchbacks which drops you in the middle of Canyonlands...so I stick her behind the wheel and away we go.

Now, there are going to be a few lessons to be learned/taught here....

1) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check BLM and National Park websites for the latest closure info. It can save you a lot of stress. Im an idiot and didn't do it, thinking "oh, it's nice and sunny today, everything is awesome everywhere"

2) For those of you traveling with your wife/girlfriend/kids/significant other/parent, etc....PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR ENJOYMENT LEVEL...AS MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU AS THE DRIVER MAY BE HAVING A LOT MORE FUN THAN THEY ARE....more on this in a bit.

Potash road is a really easy ride with very pretty scenery, with only a few minor bumps and a few washouts from the rain a few days prior.

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After a few miles, we arrived at Thelma and Louise point....if you have seen the movie, it's the scene where the car goes flying off a cliff....

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After this, we kept on going until we came upon a sign saying "Entering Canyonlands National Park"...I was all happy, since I knew the switchbacks are coming up shortly....and they did...with a big locked gate with signs that said ROAD CLOSED......

I was annoyed. Minorly at the park, and mostly at myself, and how I can be such an idiot and not check any kind of weather closures, ESPECIALLY after getting shafted on top of "top of the world" with all the ice. Lesson learned I guess.

By this point, the wife was visibly annoyed (all that bouncing around for nothing) and visibly (and audibly :D) pissed. She was so annoyed (and a little nauseous)
that she wanted to walk alongside the jeep for a while because she was getting sick. THis was fine on the top of the world trail, and it was slow going, but here it was annoying. I literally idled for like 3 miles so that she can walk and feel a bit better.

Now, to elaborate on the lesson here, my wife isn't what anyone would call a "jeeper"....she likes the out doors, but like most women, she'd like to spend her time outdoors walking down rodeo drive and not bounce around some canyon without another human soul for 60 miles in any direction....so the fact that she comes along on my crazy adventures means a lot, and I need to respect that, and I need to know when someone is being quietly miserable for your personal amusement....and it didn't sit right. We didn't go away at all in 2014 because of our newborn, so the wife really earned a nice vacation, and for her, this wasn't it. We drove out to the colorado river to have some lunch and so that I could have a think....

Never wander a canyon without my boars head dogs.
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So, I relaxed and thought, and thought and thought....then....

I drove....

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and drove

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and drove some more....

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Until we arrived at our new hotel....

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Gentlemen, sometimes, if you want your trip to stay great, you gotta accommodate those that have slightly different interests....luckily for me, there are worse places to end up. ;)

BTW, the jeeping portion of this trip is NOT over so don't tune out just yet. :D
 

NFRs2000NYC

Adventurer
I won't bore you with too much vegas stuff, since we didn't do what most young folks like to do in vegas, like party, so I'll give you guys the cliffs...

Saw David Copperfield...nothing like he used to be. Boring as hell.

Saw Penn and Teller...awesome show, I was actually IN the show, but that's a whole different story/thread. :D

Ate at the bellagio buffet....unless you absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE crab legs and can put away a lot of them, skip it. Even the best buffets in vegas (bellagio is #1 the last time I checked) is not as good as a nice restaurant. I put away my fill.

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Besides the crab, everything else was mediocre at best, but I may have more discriminating taste buds, this is my opinion only.

A surprise of the stay was Gordon Ramsay's BURGR place in Planet Hollywood. I consider myself to be an expert on burgers, and it has been a long time since I had a literally flawless burger, where every single aspect, bun, lettuce, etc were flawless.

The apps were just ok, but if you are there, just get an "American" with bacon (their bacon is duck bacon, not pork.)

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After a few more days of relaxing, we headed back to Denver to drop my wife off at the airport, and I would continue my journey home....but I do have one more stop to make, which I will post this evening!
 

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