Sights to C

Ursangus

I'm trying to get some ideas for my random annual road trip, and I'm running out of directions to drive. I've already done the four cardinal directions, and would like to see if there's anything that fits these criteria:

1. Within 1-3 days round trip driving from Wichita, KS.
2. Scenery is a must. The greener or taller the better.
3. Fairly inexpensive. (Casinos and skiing are a no no.)
4. Out of the way/peaceful.

I'm aiming for something around late May, early June. And no, Wichita has next to nothing as far as sights to see, so don't suggest it.

Elin

I hear the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO is nice. I keep meaning to go but I'm lazy. Also in the area is the Royal Gorge railroad, that is also supposed to be nice, it is a lunch/dinner train with an observation deck as well. And there is other mountain type stuff around, if you're into that. I think there is some gold mining stuff and caves in that general area to boot. The Cave of the Winds, tours and stuff.

tehmarken

I dunno how far Wichita is from the Appalachians, but heading over to West Virginia, Tennesee, North Carolina, Virginia region has some incredibly beautiful mountains. Lots of great hiking, and if you go into Virginia you can take the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. With clear weather, it's fucking gorgeous.

Gafoto

You've probably already seen most of it but Utah has some of the best scenery I've ever seen. I'm a Virginia native and I'm telling you to forget my state, it's that good.

This drive is the best Utah has to offer: http://goo.gl/maps/Abe2

This lets you view (almost) all the National Parks in Utah. There are an absolute shitload of things to see along the way too. Without ever getting out of the car you can see a lot. If you're willing to hike you'll be able to see much more. Here's a sampling of things you can see along the way (first two capture by yours truly).

La Sal Mountains above Moab:


Arches National Park:


Sego Canyon rock art:


Little Wild Horse Canyon:


Capitol Reef National Park:


Zion National Park:


Some more sights, not taken by me:

Calf Creek Falls:


Bryce Canyon:


Those are a kind of random sampling of attractions along the way. I can suggest dozens of natural attractions for you to visit, especially in the Moab area. Don't be discouraged by the fact that the town is a tourist destination. Having a 4WD vehicle opens up a lot more to you, but isn't necessary to have some solitude. I'd be glad to offer more info if you're interested.

By the way, Garden of the Gods is nice, but wont take you more than an hour or two to fully enjoy. It's a highly developed park.

schuss

Yeah, just pick a National Park and go. The ones I've seen have all been astounding (Rocky Mountain, Yosemite, Acadia)

Creidhes

Gafoto wrote: »

You've probably already seen most of it but Utah has some of the best scenery I've ever seen. I'm a Virginia native and I'm telling you to forget my state, it's that good.

This drive is the best Utah has to offer: http://goo.gl/maps/Abe2

As a current Virginian, that looks awesome. Where would one fly into for that drive?

Gafoto

You could fly into Grand Junction but the easiest would probably be flying into Denver. The drive west on I70 from Denver is the most spectacular section of interstate I've been on.

Ursangus

Thanks for the great suggestions, guys. UT might be a little far for me to drive, but the sights definitely seem to be worth it. Flying just isn't an option unless I know someone who's willing to see the sights in town w/ me who has a car. I'm definitely a wanderer, so this seems much to ask.

schuss

Go to Rocky Mountain National Park. It's a 9 hour drive, plus you'll go through Denver and Boulder on the way.

Gafoto

There's quite a bit of stuff to see in Colorado, depending how far you want to drive.

I've never been to Rocky but I hear only good things. There are quite a few other things that might not be as crowded though. Great Sand Dunes National Park:

You could spend a couple days hiking Pikes Peak if you want to stay closer or another 14er (maybe Evans?) if you're willing to drive farther. I would suggest driving out to the San Juans but that's almost in Utah at that point.

Commanche National Grasslands in far southeast CO look pretty interesting. Grasslands don't exactly conjure up anything I would want to see normally but there are some pretty canyons and some Native American rock art. Picture Canyon: