Road Trip

[bender16v]

I will be leaving either Friday or Saturday to drive from Michigan to Las Vegas for work. I don’t have to be there until Tuesday evening so I want to take a couple of side trips to see some parts of the country that I have never seen before. Unfortunately the trip appears to be pretty boring until I get west of the Continental Divide. I’m planning on the northern route taking I-80 out to SLC then I-15 down and then the southern route of I-40 back to OKC then up. I’ll be watching the weather and may opt for the southern route or I-70 on the way out.

I’ve never been to Wyoming, Utah (outside of SLC), New Mexico, or Arizona (outside of Phoenix) so I’m looking for suggestions for places to see. I’ll be in my little VW Golf diesel which is bad since it’s not 4×4 and sits pretty low but I shouldn’t be limited by fuel range. If things go as planned I’ll have Sunday in Wyoming if there is anything near I-80, and Monday/Tuesday morning in southern Utah. Any suggestions of places to not miss out there (with photography in mind) would be greatly appreciated.

[CauseISaidSo]

In Utah, you really can’t go wrong with any of the parks. Zion, Bryce, Arches, Royal Gorge, etc. I don’t know how close you’ll be to it in Wyoming, but of course Yellowstone is there. While in Vegas, you’ll probably want to see the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. If you come back on I40 East, there’s Meteor Crater near Winslow, AZ and the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest Natl Park not far from there.

If you take I40 to OKC on the way back, gimme a shout. Depending on your schedule and mine, I might be able to meet you there for a beer or two if you’re up for it. Heck, if for some reason you want to see Tulsa, I’d put you up for a night here.

[fluffybunny]

The Grand Tetons were always a good ‘driving’ trip (vs. hiking), may not apply based on road taken.

[Kestrana]

Wyoming is absolutely an incredible place. Just on I-80 there’s some really cool things as far as forts and random sculptures and stuff.

[bender16v]

Thanks everybody. I’m looking forward to the trip but not so much time in the car. CISS, I’ll let you know if I’m heading that way. I won’t be leaving Las Vegas until the 16th or 17th.

[Yugoboy]

Keep us updated. If the budget holds out (at this point it’s negotiable… a thousand either way will be the determining factor) we’re going to be doing some of that trip. Where in MI are you? The return trip will be taking us through the UP, down to Houghton Lake and out at one of the eastern exits through Canada.

[bender16v]

I’m about 20 minutes north of Ann Arbor in SE Michigan, right where there is some crazy guy shooting cars on the expressway now. There have been about 24 shooting so far.
The UP is wonderful but I only seem to get up there in the winter. From Houghton Lake you will probably come down to Flint then over 69 to cross in Port Huron/Sarnia then across 402 to 401. Do you ever visit 1000 Islands? If not try to squeeze that in your trip too. Will it be a summer trip for you? Flint is only about 40 minutes north of me so let me know if you will be in the area.

[Yugoboy]

Will do…
Honestly never been to 1000 Islands, although we’re within a day trip when we go to the Adirondacks.

Maybe we’ll do that sometime. We’re west of there, so we won’t be stopping on that trip.

I’ll keep you apprised of the situation.

[Yoyo]

Tetons were awesome. I recommend dinner in the Mural Room. (Chicken fried bacon on top of coq-au-vin, awesome!) You could skip Rocky Mountains NP and Sand Dunes NP in Colorado. I recommend the Painted Desert, Escalante something, Giant Staircase thingy, whatever in northern AZ and southern UT. Page, AZ has a nice dam. A big problem is there is a large barrier to navigation across the top of AZ. Bring a GND as the skies are really bright. Also a wide angle for the landscapes. I haven’t been to the meteor crater, but I hear that it’s worth the entry fee. The big cross in Groom, TX is free. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom,_Texas There’s plenty of other Americana kitch to be found along I-40 as well.

I’m heading to Las Vegas the week after (Nov. 12-14 plus travel) for FABCON. Anyone looking to hire an engineer?

[bender16v]

Yoyo, that is where I am going as an exhibitor and I have to set up our machines then tear down afterwards. So working the three day show turns into two weeks for me. I don’t know of any companies in NM that are hiring (or any really), but I can ask around. What are you looking for? Machine builder, sales/service, fabrication shop? If you need a ticket let me know. You can register up to November 9 for free here or let me know if you need a ticket. Are you going for the whole time?

[fluffybunny]

If you go by Groom, then Cadillac Ranch and “The Texan” steak house should be on the list.

[chupathingie]

Oh geez, if you go by there, holler. I live 3 miles from Cadillac Ranch. I’ll drag the wife out and we can all go to dinner somewhere.

[fluffybunny]

I live 3 miles from Cadillac Ranch.

So when you say “It’s so flat here I can stand on a beer can and see Toronto”, you ain’t kidding.

/except for that little draw called Palo Duro

[chupathingie]

So when you say “It’s so flat here I can stand on a beer can and see Toronto”, you ain’t kidding.

/except for that little draw called Palo Duro

Oh, actually that’s one of the things to go see here if anyone passes through. It tends to be rather hot in the summer, but it’s dry so it’s not miserable…just carry plenty of water… and the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River (yeah, long name) is never far away if you want to cool off. If you hike out past the end of the park’s road system, there is quite a bit of wildlife to see as well.

[Yoyo]

Yoyo, that is where I am going as an exhibitor and I have to set up our machines then tear down afterwards. So working the three day show turns into two weeks for me. I don’t know of any companies in NM that are hiring (or any really), but I can ask around. What are you looking for? Machine builder, sales/service, fabrication shop? If you need a ticket let me know. You can register up to November 9 for free here or let me know if you need a ticket. Are you going for the whole time?

Woo! What are the odds? Oh, yeah, I meant to say FABTECH.
I’m already registered for the expo hall. I’m skipping all the topical training stuff, cause I’m cheap. I don’t have a room, yet. I plan on driving up from Las Cruces on Saturday to arrive on Sunday, pass out resumes and network for a few days, and head out of town Wednesday afternoon. I’m open to relocation nationwide. I’m looking for anything in engineering: mechanical, design, manufacturing, construction, HVAC, management, whatever. If SEMA wasn’t a full week earlier I would have attended that too.

(I really should to relearn to count cards at blackjack and make gambling my full time job.)

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