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Chris Rosenberger
09-14-2008, 1:42 PM
Vacation is comming up soon. We never plan anything, we just go where the mood takes us. In the past we tried to plan vacations & they never worked out. The last planned vacation being in 2001. We never go away for more then 4 or 5 days. In 2001 we decided to go for 2 weeks. We were going to head out on a road trip to some of the western states. Well we happened to leave on September 10th. We all know what happened on the 11th. We were in Missouri on the 11th. We tried to continue, but it was just not fun anymore.

We only have about a week to go this year. I have always wanted to see the Rocky Mountains. I do not mean go to the Rocky Mountains, I just want to see them in person. My question is how far west from Indiana would I have to drive to be able to see them? We may drive across Iowa & into Nebraska.
How much farther would we have to drive to be able to get a good picture of the mountains?

Chris

Jim Becker
09-14-2008, 2:28 PM
Chris, I can't help you with the drive time, but I have to tell you that we just spent our vacation in the Colorado Rockies and it was absolutely wonderful. Highly recommended.

Eddie Watkins
09-14-2008, 3:41 PM
I concur with Jim, itis beautiful there. I'd think you would have to go pretty much across Nebraska and into Wyoming but I have never been in that area. Western Neb is about 1000 feet higher than Eastern Neb accrding to Rand-McNally. Maybe somebody else can be more helpful.

Craig D Peltier
09-14-2008, 3:55 PM
Ive been in the rockies from montana to wyoming an canada. I really like Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Theres 4 arches in the center of town all made from Elk Antlers. There big arches. This center was highlighted in Every Which Way but something with clint eastwood. Its a cool town.
Ive also seen the Grand Tetons , that range was right on the plains.Maybe thats closer? I definately wouldnt say Nebraska though.Could be wrong.I thought I was once but I wasnt.:D

David Freed
09-14-2008, 4:59 PM
A few years back, I would go out west about once a month. To get a picture of snow capped peaks (if it's cold enough), I think the closest would be if you drive on I-25, south through Colorado, there are several places that you can see mountain peaks from the interstate from Fort Collins down to Colorado City. Below that I-25 starts climbing into the mountains. You would have to drive 550 to 600 miles from the Iowa line to get a good pic. I have been on every interstate and many other main roads in the west. There is so many places that it's hard to pick, but one of the most beautiful drives through the mountains is I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction.

Curt Harms
09-14-2008, 5:00 PM
to the Grand Teton-Yellowstone area. I was in that area on and just after Labor Day a few years ago. Not crowded AT ALL. I don't know when significant snow starts, but people at Jackson Hole said they'd seen snow every day of the year including the 4th of July. Of course it didn't last but still. Everyone says if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes and it'll change. In the mountains that seems to be no exaggeration.

Curt

Margaret Turco
09-14-2008, 8:03 PM
Chris,

I live here in Denver and don't get to the mountains often enough! You have to be quite close to I-25 to see the mountains well. If you're coming this far you might as well go another couple of hours and get into the mountains proper. I'm sure you'll have a great visit. My personal favorite tourist areas are Estes Park Rocky Mountain National Park with the elk right in town, Georgetown, and Manitou Springs. The foothills are about 45 minutes more or less west of I-25. I guess it depends on whether or not you have children where you would want to go.

If you don't get any farther than Nebraska on this trip, I have found some interesting places there as well. I went on a road trip in 2005 from south-east Nebraska through the sandhills to Valentine and then on to Mt. Rushmore. There are lots of little towns that have their own claim to fame, like a round barn or historic mill or what-have-you. Just make sure you get off the interstate once in a while and enjoy the trip! I usually find the most unexpected things when I'm lost....

Ken Fitzgerald
09-14-2008, 11:04 PM
Jim....I grew up in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, lived in Central Oregon and now live in Idaho. My advice....each mountain range has it own beauty. If you want to see what I like the best.......Grand Tetons in Wyoming.....Glacier National Park in Montana.....or the Cascades as viewed in Bend Oregon....


But don't go....they'll get into your soul and you will never be the same. I lived as child in the mountains until 1961. Didn't see them again until 1977. My wife had grown tired of me saying "I can't wait to get back to the mountains!" She didn't understand. In 1977 I dropped her and the kids off in Central Oregon in Bend and I left on the road for 5 months. Later that fall I bought her a 4WD SUV because she was going to high center our '72 Chevelle on the back roads in the Cascades she was taking to site see. Less than a year later I got promoted to management and we moved to Chicago. We bought a house in a far southwest suburb and I commuted daily. She was 73 miles from her Mom and Dad. 4 years later after stepping down from management we transferred to Idaho. Now she understands......They get into your soul. You will never be the same. If you have never seen the sun set on a alpine lake at 9,000' elevation.....if you have never heard a bull elk bugle 50 yards away...If you have never seen the setting sun cause aspen leaves look like gold in the fall.......If you have never seen a cow moose and calf grazing....or heard a wolf howl....if you have never seen a bob cat appear in whiteout conditions....and then disappear....you haven't lived in my mind.

Chris Rosenberger
09-15-2008, 12:02 AM
Thanks for all of the replies. All hell broke loose around here after I started this thread. I kind of got side tracked. Ike decided to pay eastern Indiana a visit. We have never had this much wind damage in this area. It is a mess.