The vastness of the United States frontier has made road trips a classic piece of Americana. It is the ultimate way to the explore the states. But that said, there are so many routes to take. In celebration of a new decade and the 50th birthday of our Avion, we are sharing 20 road trips—from half day excursions to multi-day epic quests—that you should add to your bucket list.
Andrews Glacier Trail is a 9.3-mile in-out hike in the Bear Lake Area of Rocky Mountain National Park. It is one of a series of iconic hikes sprouting from the core Glacier Gorge loop. The hike itself is considered so minor among the group that, in a list of 17 Bear Lake Corridor Trails, it isn't even listed. But, that's part of the reason we chose the trail. Because when everything is as awe inspiring as Rocky Mountain National Park, the popular trails are clogged with traffic and the lesser trails—only lesser in the most relative of senses—are practically empty.
Rocky Mountains National Park’s Old Fall River Road traverses 11 scenic miles from the valley floor to alpine heights. Built back in 1920, this road was early visitors automobile introduction to Rock Mountain National Park. Since its creation, the paved Trail Ridge Road has become the parks main thoroughfare. Yet, Old Fall River Road remains a scenic back road through the park, bypassing much of the congestion and chaos of the popular paved alternative.
The Rimrocker Trail is an off-road and OHV route from Montrose, Colorado to Moab, Utah. The trail traverses terrain from pine and aspen forests to rolling hills of sage and cactus. The road condition varies from regularly graded gravel to rutted dirt roads and one high water crossing. The trail winds through federal and private land so be conscious of signs along the road when selecting a campsite or taking side adventures on other trails.
There are many ways to explore Mesa Verde, be it by car, hiking trail, or guided tour. Like many National Parks, Mesa Verde boasts a dramatic scenic route with numerous vista pullouts and interpretive displays. Even visitors with severely limited time can enjoy a quick taste of the park by driving the Mesa Top Loop to wet their appetite for a longer visit. Hiking trails across the park highlight not only the remarkable structures in the park but the beautiful landscape.
I got elevation sickness. And it’s not as if I only did one thing wrong. So let me walk you through all the ridiculous mistakes I made so that, maybe, you can avoid the same fate.
Some people have the roof space on their vehicle to have a rack to carry kayaks. Aside from our roof being prohibitively tall, we also intend to mount solar panels on the roof. So, if we want to travel with our equipment to explore the water, we need something small enough to fit inside our rig.
Were you aware that the cinema classic, Cannibal: The Musical, like Fargo, is based on true events? Indeed, a quick trip to Grand Junction in Colorado Territory will reveal a schpadoinkle display on the ill fated journey of Alfred Packer.
The Holy Grail is in Grand Junction, Colorado. It sits in a plexiglass case case in the Museum of the West. At least, they thought it was the Holy Grail. In 1910 when the Chalice of Antioch was first discovered, it toured the world as the Holy Grail. It competed for attention at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It took over thirty years before anyone noticed that the piece was from the 4th or 5th century. To add insult to injury, the spoil sports at the Walters Art Museum question whether the artifact even warrants the title of chalice as it is more likely an ornate lamp.
While driving through one of the most scenic highways in America (a stretch of highway 70 through White River National Forest) we discovered that we would be driving past Doc Holiday's Grave in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Apparently, he came to Glenwood Springs for treatment before succumbing to consumption. We had just come through Tombstone, AZ a few months before, so we considered this an appropriate stop. While the hike to the graveyard was only half a mile, the elevation had us huffing and puffing. But we were rewarded, not only with the monument to Doc Holiday, but a spectacular view.