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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 10999
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 Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 10:17 am Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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| borninabus wrote: |
don't miss out on the Mokee Dugway in southeastern Utah.
SR 261, near Mexican Hat  |
Did that recently in a Porsche 912 so you can easily do it in a bus.
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borninabus
Samba R&D Dept.
Joined: May 18, 2006
Posts: 4536
Location: Arizona Highways
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 11:28 am Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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up is better, IMO
up or down, it's slow goings on a dirt road
brakes shouldn't be a concern
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AS350driver
Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2016
Posts: 1340
Location: Tucson
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 11:45 am Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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| seeligdan wrote: |
AS350,
It does sound really good. How long would it take to do ( on Average)? 70 miles of graded road sounds like 2 days easy going with lots of stops. Correct me if I'm wrong. |
You are correct. You could do it in 2 days easily with lots of exploring the side trails, or do it in one long day. It's nice out there at night....the stargazing is incomparable, no light pollution. And if you wanted to expedite things, you could get off the Bradshaw and back on I-10 as there's several graded roads connecting Bradshaw to I-10 to the north.
Check out the pictures that have been posted online...this drive is not like the Sierra Nevadas or Utah or the higher, more lush (touristy) areas of the West.
http://www.in-the-desert.com/bradshawtrail.html
The lure of this drive is the taste of raw, untamed, desolate American West while still being on a graded road. It is unique to be able to go 70 miles in one direction without touching pavement. You can get more than 70 out of the trail and still only cross pavement 2-3 times.
Do you like Ww2 military history?
Last edited by AS350driver on Tue Jun 28, 2016 12:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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grizpdx
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2010
Posts: 128
Location: PNW
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 11:45 am Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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| seeligdan wrote: |
| seeligdan wrote: |
| borninabus wrote: |
don't miss out on the Mokee Dugway in southeastern Utah.
SR 261, near Mexican Hat |
That looks awesome. I've got a Western states taped to the wall with post its. Hadded added that one to the list. |
For Mokee is it best to drive up or down? I've got excellent condition stock brakes but still.... I'll be heading North so I think that's uphill. |
Does not matter. I like coming in from the North... and heading down... because... you don't see it coming. You're just all of sudden saying... WTF... the highway just drops off. Heading at it... you think... WTF... I'm heading at a cliff... I can't see a road heading up anywhere. Odds are... You will drive up and down and set-up camp at Muley Point for a couple days and hit everything in the vicinity. Best spot in the US. IMO.
More important than the Dugway... Muley Point is the dirt road atop Mokee Dugway. The land is BLM so you can camp. Muley Point looks down into the Goosenecks and out at Monument Valley.
I cannot stress enough how great it is there.
Pay the $20 to drive on your own into Monument Valley. It's worth it. Also check out... Valley of the Gods (free and dirt roads), Goosenecks State Park (pay to enter but great view), Mexican Hat (free), House on Fire (2-3 mile hike in), Arches National Monument (pay to enter National Park), Capitol Reef (pay to enter National Park - portions of it - great free camp sites in an area called Capitol Wash... near the Capitol Gorge Road.. and dirt roads leading in at the east end are free), and Valley of the Goblins (pay to enter state park). Look them up on a map and route. All of these are within a couple hundred miles... and routing a way through to hit them all is easy.
I'd advise getting an annual National Parks Pass for $100. Best money you will spend... otherwise it's $20-$30 per park per entry. Camping in the US... National Parks are run federally... and if you plan to see a few... get the annual pass, State Parks are less expensive to enter but is determined state to state, and BLM land is free. Though camping in Nevada scares the shit out of me... it is legal to hunt at night and I've been shot at once. That was enough.
Hole in the Mountain in Hanksville is a great place to stop for gas. Yes. I just said that.
Finally... Sour Dough Saloon in Beatty, Nevada. Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, and countless other automakers send their development teams to Beatty each summer to test drive cars in Death Valley. They rent out the local school and set up quarters in the gym. Which is why Death Valley has some of the smoothest roads anywhere. Anyhow... you can catch some pretty high end cars being test drove... and the crews usually leave parts behind and they hang them on the wall in the Sour Dough. If it's on your route. Stop in. If not. No biggie. Figured I'd put it out there as I know there are a couple of you on this forum that like cars.
Free camping at Muley Point
Sitting on the cliff face at Muley Point... if you climb around... their are ancient wall drawings.
Camping near Capitol Wash -https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/scenicdrive.htm
House on Fire
Last edited by grizpdx on Tue Jun 28, 2016 12:22 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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seeligdan
Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2011
Posts: 74
Location: central france
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 12:09 pm Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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Wow guys, I'm overwhelmed by all the great ideas! What a great community this is. I originally had the idea that after the Treffen I was going to take 3 weeks and end up in NY but there's no way. I barely will scratch the surface of the west in that time. Will make up a route that probably brings me back to the start in Seattle to ship the bus back to Europe. Will have to come back again in 2018. 2017 I'll probably do the "NordKapp" route from Holland up to the northern tip of Norway. Close to 4000 miles round trip.
Keep those ideas coming! Anyone who is in the area, maybe we can meet up for a drive or a beverage.
Here's the bus in Switzerland last summer.
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RustyDC
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2012
Posts: 55
Location: Saratoga Springs, UT
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 9:17 pm Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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| not sure what dates you will be here in the states but if you do make it to Utah we have a big show on September 17th about 20 min south of Salt Lake City. The KCW crew will be in town for it and you could prob cruise back with them and hit Moab then. Utah VW Classic in the events |
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joe cool
Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2006
Posts: 1259
Location: Yolo County CA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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Viking Funeral and others:
Flint Trail was rough but nothing a bus can't handle. I went down not up. Up would be more difficult. There were some switchbacks that required 3 point turns. Going up would involve some rock stacking but doable AS LONG AS THE TRAIL IS NOT WET!!! If it rains you don't have a chance.
There was another spectacular way out that led to Hite Marina.
I did not do Teapot Canyon. I heard that is the hardest. I would have done it if accompanied by another vehicle but I was solo. There is not much to attach a come-along to if you do get stuck on your own.
Stock suspension (plus trans mid-mount) was fine, but I did clearance the front bumper and tailpipe pretty good. I was running Yokohama Geolander 205/70/15. Sticky but no bigger than stock.
Here's a damage pic taken today. Will also add some trail pictures
Awesome trip, I would do it again any day.
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Bala
Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2003
Posts: 2613
Location: Austin, TX
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:47 am Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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| silkvw wrote: |
| If you work your way south, Big Bend State Park in Texas is beautiful, and has high clearance 4 wheel drive roads if you need a challenge. |
What he said!
And if you come through Austin, TX there are plenty of bus people here to hang out with!
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seeligdan
Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2011
Posts: 74
Location: central france
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:55 am Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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| Great! However having lived in this mini country (Holland) for 16 years, I've pretty much forgotten how friggin big the US is. Making my loop from Seattle to Southern Utah and back is 5000 miles. That's a lot in 6 weeks. Was really into coming to Franklins in Austin but not sure I'll go that far but maybe the siren song of the brisket will be too strong to ignore. |
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24736
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 12:47 pm Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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Put Bodie, CA on your list of possibilities.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509
Figure most of a day to explore it all.
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seeligdan
Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2011
Posts: 74
Location: central france
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| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:25 pm Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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| Good idea. My father took me there several time back in the late 60's. |
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seeligdan
Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2011
Posts: 74
Location: central france
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 1:48 am Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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Almost there with my plan. Have decided to spend a few days at Moab doing among other things, a full day rock climbing course. Need to be in town at 7.30 am so looking to camp a few miles out of town. I see there are a lot of BLM sites near Hwy 191:
Grand staff
Drinks canyon
Hal Canyon
Oak grove
Big Bend
Any thoughts on which are good and which to avoid? Any other ideas? |
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williamM
Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2008
Posts: 4333
Location: southwest Arizona
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 2:55 am Post subject: Re: Best drives in the Southwest in a bus |
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Sounds like a great trip 
Only suggestion is
towing insurance
extra gas can- can't believe distances out here with expensive gas.
Quality air cleaner- burned up a 40 hp in dusty conditions
Water-- water water-
camera.
download - google earth and do a flyby of area.
copy of "air cooled rescue" people.
If old broken guy- get discount pass and disabled pass- huge discounts.
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opinion untempered by fact is ignorance.
Don't step in any! |
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