I’m planning my very first “fly & drive” car purchase as we speak. Luckily the buyer is someone I’ve known for a while, so despite it being a 90’s car with an engine swap I trust that it will be as-represented. He’s personally taken it on 1,000+ mile road trips without issue, so hopefully my ~2,000 mile journey will be no problem. Also, he’s willing to hold the car for a couple months to allow for planning, warmer weather, and cheaper plane tickets. He’s also agreed to do a little extra preventative maintenance for me ahead of the trip. So… buying the car should be the easy part! In reality, the journey is half the reason I decided to buy the darn thing.
The drive will begin in Denver and end in Connecticut. I have made tentative plans to make overnight stays with friends/family in:
- Kansas City, MO (1 night)
- Chicago, IL (multiple nights)
- Pittsburgh, PA area (1 night)
Chicago is the only non-negotiable stop, I’d have no issue replacing the others with AirBnB’s in the same or other cities. I figured these stop points will limit the drive to 500-600 mi per day, which will hopefully be manageable on my own. The most I’ve done before is ~900 miles in one day, but that was taking turns with another driver going up/down the east coast, with a full week in between drives.
I’m open to suggestions as far as better routes, things worth stopping to see/do along said routes, places or highways to avoid, etc. I have only traveled across the Midwest once in my life, and it was by greyhound bus… so I didn’t get to see/do much of anything along the way. I’m also open to hearing any general multi-day solo road trip suggestions or advice.
Here’s google’s default route: https://goo.gl/maps/hHVfEK3oj4r
The only thing I’m considering changing right off the bat is avoiding I-95 entirely by heading back north, to pickup I-80 to I-84 in PA.: https://goo.gl/maps/BmEbHSPDNUy
If you haven't been there, I'd highly recommend hitting Pike's Peak before heading out towards 70. Go south about an hour or so from Denver, it's a bit west of Colorado Springs. Amazing experience.
Never done a fly and drive but I did recently buy a hilariously (terrifyingly?) cheap Volvo 850 Turbo wagon two hours south of me with the intent of putting 1500+ miles on it in a long weekend up to the Sno*Drift rally. It did fine against all odds, so I'd say you're good to go in that rad little escort.
A couple years ago I did my first legit cross country solo bike trip. Went from Cincinnati up through Minnesota, South Dakota, Idaho, etc. Gorgeous country. I came back from Washington down through SLC and stopped in Denver, then made my way back through Nebraska, Iowa, etc.
Even on a motorcycle, the drive from Denver sucked. If you can handle extra time on the road, take an alternate route north before you head east. Otherwise... burn through to Chicago as quickly as you can. Make sure you have podcasts or an audiobook, because Iowa is no joke.
In KC, search out the BBQ. It's unique to them, and quite good. For that, it's good for one night.
Is there a time gap possibility between KC and Chicago? If so, pick up Route 66 and follow the historic road as much as you can. There are some good small towns on the route. Including Springfield Il, where you can see the Lincoln Presidential Library.
If you end up near central Ohio we have a great couch you can crash on.
Thank you for the suggestions so far!
To give you guys a little more info, I’ll be taking a full week off from work for this. Flying to Denver either Friday or Saturday, buying the car, and hitting the road either the same or the next day (depending on timing & first destination).
The exact number of nights in Chicago is flexible, essentially any leftover time once I plan the drive will be spent in Chicago. I have a good friend who moved there several years ago and I’ve never been out to visit him.
Overall I’ll aim to arrive back home the following Saturday, just in case I get delayed a day somehow.
mtn
MegaDork
2/6/19 2:48 p.m.
alfadriver said:
In KC, search out the BBQ. It's unique to them, and quite good. For that, it's good for one night.
Is there a time gap possibility between KC and Chicago? If so, pick up Route 66 and follow the historic road as much as you can. There are some good small towns on the route. Including Springfield Il, where you can see the Lincoln Presidential Library.
No one has ever used the words "good small town" when referring to Springfield, at least not since before we started putting our governors in jail. And we have been doing that since the 70's. Only place that I've ever had to call the police for my personal protection.
In reply to mtn :
Fair enough, we just spent a night there and very much enjoyed the Lincoln Library before moving farther down R66.
If you are into Roller Coasters, as you drive through The Ohio Turnpike you will be about 10 miles south of The Roller Coaster Capital at Cedar Point Amusement Park.
Just under 5 hours from Chicago and just under 3 hours to Pittsburgh
Edit: closed until May 11th
mtn
MegaDork
2/6/19 2:55 p.m.
alfadriver said:
In reply to mtn :
Fair enough, we just spent a night there and very much enjoyed the Lincoln Library before moving farther down R66.
Funny, I always forget about the Lincoln stuff down there. I take back my nastiness on account of the Lincoln stuff.
After Chicago, head South to take pictures at the Brickyard and then on to Dayton and visit the Air Force Museum. Amazing and free. Then jump south off I-70 and find some nice back roads to enjoy. You could stretch your legs by hiking the gorge at Hocking Hills. Amazing and free. The bonus is that you miss Cleveland. With West Newton not so far out of the way now, you'll have time to stop at Ohiopyle and visit Fallingwater. Then it's pretty boring until...oh jeez 80 and 84? Snoozefest.
In reply to therieldeal :
Rather than leave Denver ASAP, take a drive a few miles west on I-70 to the Buffalo Bill Cody museum. Even if you don’t tour the museum, the view of the city is astounding & you’ll get a taste of the Rockies vs. seeing them from the bottom looking up.
Both Kansas & Nebraska can be boring to drive through - long, flat, mostly straight, and sparsely populated.
Haven't done much exploring in Nebraska yet but when in Iowa I prefer to travel highways and avoid the interstate. A few more hills and curves, far less traffic and for the most part, almost the same pace.
When are you doing this? Keep in mind there are winter traction laws on I70 so you may need either chains or winter tires when they call for it. Right now Pikes Peak is closed above 10K ft for driving. They are redoing the top lodge and parking area and it is snow covered up there. I look at it every day out my front window :)
In reply to bmw88rider :
This will be happening in late April or early May
Cooter
SuperDork
2/6/19 3:59 p.m.
The location in "Chicago" will make a difference on my recommendations. Traffic can make your life miserable.
In reply to Cooter :
Zip in Chicago is 60622 if that helps?
Cooter
SuperDork
2/6/19 4:28 p.m.
Uke Villiage
You have proximity to the expressways as an asset there, at least. And you should find plenty to do in the city wth your friend. Keep in mind that any route to the south such as I-70 will add 100+ miles and two hours to your driving time, at the least. If you want to hit KCMO, I understand, and hitting RT 66 and Springfield, IL are pretty easy along that route. But it is a pretty indirect into the part of Chicago you are headed to. Try your best to not be heading into the city during rush hour. Or at noon. Or most any time in the afternoon. Likewise hitting Indy on the way out. Not that I am Poo Pooing either idea. Just a heads Up.
mtn
MegaDork
2/6/19 4:41 p.m.
Wicker Park/UK Village. That is very nearly my old stomping grounds--I was in Bucktown. I assume your friend will take you around, but a bunch of good stuff out that way. Just walk up and down Milwaukee and you'll find something cool. Let me know if you're looking for something specific in that area and I can probably point you in the right direction.
Restaurants/bars to go to a little north of that area, some actually in it.
- Ipsento coffee. Good coffee. I think they have a few locations now
- Small Cheval. Amazing burger
- The Gallery Cabaret. Old school Lienes dive bar, where you can get a real Leinenkugel and not a nasty lemonade
- Map room - hipsterish bar, but a nice one
- Pequods Pizza. IMHO, the best deep dish pizza
- There will be a ton of good [Chicago style thin crust] pizza places around, but I always went to Johns on Western, just north of Milwaukee and Armitage
- FatPour usually has a good draught selection
- Bangers and Lace is a real nice upscale ENglish pub.
- Goose Island taproom is real close to you
- There is a pinball arcade in Logan Square, can't remember what it is called (Logan Square is Hipster central)
- Paladar is good Cuban food
- For Tacos, I prefer Arturos on Western and Armitage--a real authentic taco. Big Star will be closer to you, it is a "modern" taco that I would call hipsterish--not in a demeaning way, I just don't know what else to call it. Very good, but I prefer a simpler one.
- Stans Donuts is always worth a look. Expensive, but worth it. They aren't the best (I prefer, in this order, Doughnut Vault, Firecakes, and Do-Right), but you'll be closest to Stans
- My wife and I loved Beofhaus (spelling?) on Western, but my cousin went about 6 months ago and told us it wasn't good anymore. May have been just one experience, but we really enjoyed it when we used to go
When you get to Cleveland ? pick up I-90. Direct shot close to Thompson.
Niagara Falls is near Buffalo. There is a nice state park near Rochester. Very scenic. Albany, the state capitol, has some interesting stuff. You could take a cruise on the Hudson.
Avoid going through NYC.
You will miss Pittsburg .
I'm in KC and will gladly point you at good BBQ if you like.
Ahhh. April/May, No worries on the front range for traction laws. Little early of the Hill Climb but the snow at the top of the road will be off.
So tell us about the car and the engine swap. 
