[mjohnson]

Tomorrow we (Mrs mjohnson and mjohnson myself) head off on a trip of epic proportions.

Our goal: visit the mjohnson family in Michigan
Our origin: New Mexico
Our time limit: Back in NM for work at 7:30am on 1 Oct.

Our locked-in destinations so far... (starting Los Alamos NM 1200 Wed 19 Sep)
Wed night: Boulder CO (couch surfing with friends)
Thurs night: Bismarck ND (free Holiday Inn Express night thanks to Mrs mjohnson's business travel)
Fri night: Duluth MN (free again thanks to the road warrior)

I'm planning to avoid the interstate as far as possible. We'll do maybe 30 miles tomorrow from the E. side of Loveland Pass to Idaho Springs. I'd like that to be the last for a while.

Any suggestions of not-to-be missed roads in the Boulder-Cheyenne-Sturgis-Bismarck area?

I'm thinking we'll settle for I-25 to Cheyenne (Mrs mjohnson is from Ft Collins/Loveland so we've seen it and done it with the back roads in that area) then up US-85 to Spearfish, SD.

Maybe lesser roads, though paved, will catch our interest. Any suggestions? Two years ago we drove some county roads from Cheyenne to Scottsbluff, NE (and onward to MI) in the '78SC and had a great time.

- We've been towards the Agate Fossil Beds NM and we did the Badlands.

- Staying west and hitting Devils Tower in WY was suggested. I've never been there but she climbed there 15 years ago.

From Spearfish, SD I don't know whether to go East in SD then North to Bismarck or the opposite, north on 85 to the ND border then working diagonally up to Bismarck.

Suggestions?

Good diners/farmer's markets/steak houses/shot-and-a-beer-and-a-burger places?

I'll keep a running update on this thread, hopefully with pictures...

mike