# Road Trip !



## JoeBimmmer (Dec 30, 2001)

Am planning on a road trip late this week (Thurs. -> Sat.). Ch'ville ,Va to Salt Lake City. Itinerary: CHO - Huntington, WV - St. Louis - KC - Lincoln,NE - Larimie, WY - SLC.

Anyone living along this route got any pointers on latest road conditions, speed traps, mechanical help (hopefully not required), etc. ? ?

JB


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## mjames (Sep 23, 2003)

Have fun! I admire you, I've only had the chance to take mine on one road trip. Went on one recently, nine hours, in fact, to Louisville, KY with the family and couldn't take the E46 because of space issues. Had to drive the ML320 and I really missed all the advantages of my car like steering wheel controls, agility and smaller size, etc. Oh well, I will be able to take the bimmer on the same trip come August. 

On the positive side, I got to come home and see my car squeaky clean in the garage after a week; all those bugs and road grime are a hassle in the summer. :tsk:


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## JoeBimmmer (Dec 30, 2001)

Yeah. it's gonna be a great trip. I'm doing it solo, too (Sort of have to in a Z3). Trip back is gonna be better. I plan on stopping and seeing;

Butte/Helena, MT, open pit mine
Crow Agency, MT (Little Bighorn Battlefield),
Devils Tower Nat'nl Mon. , WY, 
Mt. Rushmore Nat'nl Mon., SD, 
Crazy Horse Monument, SD
Badlands National Park, SD
JB


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## The Roadstergal (Sep 7, 2002)

One thing that will come in handy in Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming is a scanner. I took a Uniden Beartracker on a trip from Chicago to Seattle, and it'll tell you when there's a state trooper within 3 miles. The rest of the time you can nail it (outside of urban areas). It works well with those states in particular because they're broad, flat, and have mostly only state patrol between urban centers.

I don't know if it's still this way, but back when we lived in Nebraska  , they didn't share speeding ticket data with anyone - not insurance, not other states. My dad got two tickets on his Nebraska license, and they don't show up on insurance or on his IL driving record.


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## JoeBimmmer (Dec 30, 2001)

The Roadstergal said:


> One thing that will come in handy in Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming is a scanner.


Definitely got this aspect covered. ICOM R100, Uniden 780 and database of police/fire freqs for every locality along route! Thanks for the tip!


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## fuzyfuzer (May 30, 2004)

When you go through St. Louis watch for cps there everywhere. I am assuming you are going to travel on I-70 through St. Louis you could go on I64/40 it reconects and is a better drive through a more pleasent area. (ever seen national lampoon's vacation) On highway 40 you can ooooh and ahhhh at the Lamborgini-Ferrari-Bentley dealership. Enjoy your drive.


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

Good beer (and I'm not talking "Bud") in St.Louis... Schlafly's... Worth a stop... Their Witbier will soon be in season... :drink: :yummy:

http://www.schlafly.com/


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## JoeBimmmer (Dec 30, 2001)

Salvator said:


> Good beer (and I'm not talking "Bud") in St.Louis... Schlafly's... Worth a stop... Their Witbier will soon be in season... :drink: :yummy:
> 
> http://www.schlafly.com/


That's just about the best tip so far !:yumyum:


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## fuzyfuzer (May 30, 2004)

watch out for the area around there brewery. It isn't the greatest in the city. We make fun of people from Maplewood. if your interested in some good driving you can go on Highway 94.


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

fuzyfuzer said:


> watch out for the area around there brewery. It isn't the greatest in the city. We make fun of people from Maplewood. if your interested in some good driving you can go on Highway 94.


True... The parking lot had it's own rent-a-cop when I was there last, but went there twice (during day light hours :eeps: ) without incident... The food is really good too... Be sure to save room for the Sticky Toffee Pudding... :yumyum:


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## Vapr (May 20, 2004)

JoeBimmmer said:


> Yeah. it's gonna be a great trip. I'm doing it solo, too (Sort of have to in a Z3). Trip back is gonna be better. I plan on stopping and seeing;
> 
> Butte/Helena, MT, open pit mine
> Crow Agency, MT (Little Bighorn Battlefield),
> ...


I can help with South Dakota, grew up in the Black Hills region.

When you stop at Mt. Rushmore, make sure to take the time to drive through the pigtails on Iron Mtn. Road, the tunnels prefectly frame Mt. Rushmore. It is a beutiful drive!

IMHO Crazy Horse isn't worth spending the money or time on. Just a HUGE tourist trap. They have rejected Fed funding on several occasions, mostly because they don't want to open their books.

Make the time and stop by Deadwood. It lost a lot of the original charm when gaming was introduced, but still worthy a look. I am sure that it is a tourist hot spot now, with the HBO series of the same name.

Spearfish via the canyon to Deadwood is also a great drive.

Have fun!

-Todd
'04 Z4 3.0i - Titanium Silver - Black Leather
Prem./Conv./Sport Packages
SMG - Navigation - Xenon - Heated Seats


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## kyfdx (Aug 4, 2003)

I assume you are taking I-64 through Kentucky to Louisville... That whole road has heavy traffic enforcement.


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## dlloyd1975 (Sep 8, 2002)

Salvator said:


> Good beer (and I'm not talking "Bud") in St.Louis... Schlafly's... Worth a stop... Their Witbier will soon be in season... :drink: :yummy:
> 
> http://www.schlafly.com/


I'll second the good beer recommendation there. Plus the tap room is just plain *great*. For barbecue, if you're going through KC, stop here: http://www.gasbbq.net/lc.htm . Sure, it's in the hood. Sure, there are bars on the windows, but the barbecue is so damn good, you really don't care. Other good bbq can be found at http://www.gasbbq.net/ .

70 through St. Louis is much faster and much easier than 64/40. 64/40 turns into stop and go after the MO river and the section through the city is full of potholes. I-70 has been completely rebuilt through the city and is very smooth sailing.

Highway 94 between St. Louis and Jefferson City is great driving. You'll take a bit more time, but it's a great view. It might be better to take 70 west out of the city, 47 south from the Hermann exit, then 94 east to Jeff City. From Jeff City, take 63 north to hook up with I-70 in Columbia (home of the U of MO, my alma matter!).

Hapy driving, and drop a line if you want more info on St. Louis and/or Missouri in general.


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## JoeBimmmer (Dec 30, 2001)

Thanks for all the tips ! I'll try to post some pics later next week.

JB


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## kyyuan (Jul 14, 2002)

While visiting SLC, make sure you spend some time in Park City. The place is beautiful during this time of the year, and it has several award-winning micro-breweries. If you're up to it, check out the alpine slide. It's a blast.

http://www.parkcitymountain.com/summer/menu_01/01_Alpine_Slide/

Ken


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## Desertnate (Mar 11, 2002)

kyfdx said:


> I assume you are taking I-64 through Kentucky to Louisville... That whole road has heavy traffic enforcement.


Ditto for I-64 in Illinois as you get into St Louis. Right now the Illinois State Police are EVERYWHERE...they must be getting a budget cut. :tsk:

At times I begin to wonder if I am driving through the set of the next Blues Brothers movie.

I will also second the recomendation to go through St Louis via I-70 and not I-64/40. The road conditions are bad and the bridges get packed in much heavier. As you come down I-64, take the exit for the Martin Luther King Bridge and then follow the signs for I-70. You cut out a very congested portion of interstate that way, plus it cuts off a mile or two as well. If you are going through at the right time of day, I-70 has an express lane that will speed up progress as well, but be aware that the HP sits in it frequently to make sure you don't take the whole "express" idea too seriously.


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

Before you go, rent and watch the movie "Escape from New York"... The Tap Room at Schlafly's (before it was the tap room) was used in the movie... :wow: :thumbup:

"The following years found the buildings in such disrepair that the makers of the movie Escape From New York felt that filming Kurt Russell stumbling out in front of them would give moviegoers the impression that Snake Pliskin really was walking in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan near the World Trade Center."


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## JoeBimmmer (Dec 30, 2001)

Again thanks for all the tips.


I'm gonna hit the sack so's I can get a early start in the AM.
hope to be in MO by the time I stop.

I'll try to post som pics after I get to SLC.

I'm off !


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## dlloyd1975 (Sep 8, 2002)

Desertnate said:


> Ditto for I-64 in Illinois as you get into St Louis. Right now the Illinois State Police are EVERYWHERE...they must be getting a budget cut. :tsk:
> 
> At times I begin to wonder if I am driving through the set of the next Blues Brothers movie.


Ugh. I found this out the other night on the way back from the Skyview Drive-In in Belleville. At least the were professional about "servicing" me.


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