Road Trip Tips Kansas/Colorado

You guys have been great in the past giving tips on places to see and good places to eat. When we went to Mt. Katahdin Maine we had good tips on things to see and do and the restaurant on the southern border was so good we stopped on the way back down through. Last year going to see my son in Cheyenne we had good tips for things to see along 80 and the sportsman's? restaurant in Nebraska was really good along with the other sites suggested.

We are heading out again to see our son who is now in Alpine Wyoming south of Jackson. We decided to take the southern route 70 through Kansas and colorado then head north through eastern Utah. Only definite thing to see on our way is my wife wants to go to Mesa Verde NP in southern Colorado. Looking for suggestions on things to see and do through Kansas and southern Colorado. We both fish and will hike if it's a worthwhile hike to see something new. I also like to eat! We both like history and things we don't get to see in PA.

You guys are better than the old AAA trip tickets if you remember those.

Sternberg Museum in Hays and Garden of Edan in Lucas

I-70 is 4.5 hours north of Mesa Verde. Better route would be 285 south from Denver, catch the great sand dunes then over Wolf creek pass into Pagosa Springs. Durango is a neat town on the way to Mesa Verde. After that you can head north along the Animas River to Gateway, awesome car musem and fantastic scenery. Grand Junction has the Colorado national monument then north on your way to Alpine.

If you go I-70, over the divide then stop in glennwood springs for the hot springs then visit doc Holliday grave. Nice little hike (or used to be 38 yrs ago)

Eisenhower Museum/Library .... Very interesting. Just off US 70 in Abilene,KS

If you want to see people siting on the ground with a sign that says 'need money for heroin' downtown Lawrence, Kansas is a stop to make...

It looks like our route would take us off 70 near Colorado border onto 40 then 160 through the southern part of the state

Cathedral of the Plains (KS), Garden of the Gods during the week outside of CO Springs

You can exit 70 at Limon then down to Colorado Springs to highway 50 or exit 70 on the west side of Denver and take C-470 south to CO 285. 285 to Buena Vista then 24 south.

Either way is pretty country.

I have been to Mesa Verde. Great place to visit!

A listing of some places to visit in Kansas- https://www.roadsideamerica.com/location/ks

City limits in colby ks has a pretty mean chicken fried steak.

Depending on your route Co has some good places.

there aint no people on 160 east of trinidad. you drive 160 all the way across your going to want to set some traps. la veta pass is gorgeous. you'll end up where tom cat sent you. you could go south at hays. not have to get anywhere near the madhouse that is denver. go see the Sternberg museum yes sir mentioned, its pretty cool. take 183 south to 56 hwy. turn west. fool around in dodge for a day. take 56 west to rt 144 west which turns into hwy 160. drive through the country that produces those big coyote numbers. i hate cities and prefer rural routes myself.

Thanks for the replies. Looking like we are going the southern Colorado route. Plan to fish the Rio Grande, Piedra River, Ucompahgre, See mesa Verde, go to Gunnison National park and fish the Gunnison, heading north and west to Dinosaur park, Fish the green/ Flaming Gorge, then head north to Wyoming hitting the Green river above and below Fontenelle dam, then on to Alpine. Plan to fish the Salt, Snake, Greys and Gros Ventre while there. Probably a day trip to Yellowstone. Son set us up for a whitewater rafting trip on the snake and a drift boat float for my fathers day present. Also prairie dog hunting near Kemmerer. Spent the day loading 22 hornet, 223 and 6mm. Tying flies this evening. Tomorrow have to make 2 dozen pickled eggs and 5 pounds of deer jerky for traveling food. Will probably need a cortisone shot in my tennis/hammering elbow after all of that fishing.

Sounds like an adventure

Can you hit hwy 50 and go through or along royal gourge near canyon city? There is a train and rafting there

The Royal Gorge and the Flaming Gorge are both worth seeing!

160 is my kinda highway.

Gunnison is one of my favorite areas. We spent 10 days in the Pitkin/Gunnison area a few years ago and I'd go back in a heartbeat if there weren't so many other places to go. There's a neat Antler shop in town on the main drag in Gunnison. You can't miss it when driving through.

I know a guy with a house for sale a little east of gunnison and a little west of the royal gorge. rural but a school post office and general store all within walking distance. arkansas river 100 yards from the front door........

In the visitor center of Mesa Verde is a statue of my dad.

Here's a pic of the statue.

That's pretty cool, I will be sure to look for it.

Sounds like my kind of place, but have to wait a few more years for retirement.

Yeah it is. Sweet.
Have fun on your trip