[Travels and Travelogues]
Oregon - Nevada - Utah - Arizona - New Mexico - Texas
US 26 - US 97 - US 20 - OR 78 - US 95 - I-80 - I-215 - i-15
I-70 - US 89 - I-40 - US 287 - US 380 - I-35 - I-35E
Most of our trips have been fly/drive -- fly to one location, then drive around one or two states. Now, we offer long-distance driving using interstate highways. Usually, these will be the "I" freeways and the "US" highways. When necessary, we'll use a state highway (designated by the two-letter abbreviation for the state).
This trip started with the fastest way to Oregon and, then, a more leisurely scenic drive from Oregon. The trip was 4,700 miles, included 11 states, and was completed in 15 days with a three-day layover in Oregon.
Instead of listing attractions for many communities, we show local web sites for travelers who want to check out specific types of attractions.
[Miles]
[To] [From]
[00] [29] DALLAS, TX (Pop. 1,185,580). The first anglo-American settler built a single cabin in 1841. By the mid-1870s, Dallas had become a thriving business town and market center. Web site
[29] [30] DENTON, TX (Pop. 80,357). Established in 1857 and is now a blend of agricultural and modern industries. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 487.
[30] [37] GAINESVILLE, TX. (Pop. 15,538). Originally a point on the California Trail, town was established in 1850 near Fort Fitzhugh, an outpost that dated from about 1845. Web site
WELCOME CENTER
[37] [42] ARDMORE, OK (Pop. 23,711). Was the site of a track-side tent city which Santa Fe Railroad officials selected as a permanent townsite in 1887. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 55.
[42] [21] PAULS VALLEY, OK (Pop. 6,256). Web site
[21] [14] PURCELL, OK (Pop. 5,571). Web site
[14] [23] NORMAN, OK (Pop. 95,694). Shortly after it 1899 beginning and with a population of 500, Norman boasted four churches, two newspapers, and 29 businesses. A year later, the University of Oklahoma was established. Web site
[23] [30] OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (Pop. 506,132). Between noon and sundown on April 22, 1889, the unassigned prairie lands of the Oklahoma territory were opened for settlement, and 10,000 land claims surrounding a Santa Fe Railroad station were made. More than 2,000 oil wells are within or adjacent to the city limits--even on the Capitol grounds. Web site
[30] [28] GUTHRIE, OK (Pop. 9,925). As the focal point of the 1889 Oklahoma land rush, the town became a tent city of 15,000 residents by nightfall. Ninety percent of Guthrie's original buildingds remain intact. Web site
[28] [48] PERRY, OK (Pop. 5,230). Born as a tent city of 25,000 in 1893, it was first known for its sooners, gamblers, and ruffians, but Federal marshals soon brought order. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 222.
[48] [42] Oklahoma/Kansas line.
WELCOME CENTER.
REST AREA - Near Exit 19.
[42] [23] WICHITA, KS (Pop. 344,284). Returning from the Southwest to the trading post that he co-estabished near a Wichita Indian village at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers, wagon wheels etched deep ruts into the sod that became the Chisholm Trail. It became the route of millions of Texas cattle bound for Northern railheads during the late 1860s and '70s. Web site
[23] [14] PARK CITY, KS (Pop. 5,814). Web site
REST AREA - North of Exit 19.
[14] [30] NEWTON, KS (Pop. 17,190). Began in 1870 as the site for a new Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway terminal which also is on the Chisholm Trail. In 1872, Russian Mennonites selected the area as their new home, and it is now the largest Mennonite settlement in the United States. Web site
[30] [31] McPHERSON, KS (Pop. 13,770). Most early settlers were farmers lured to the area by the promise of free land. The Santa Fe Trail just south of town is a present-day reminder of the area's early history and heritage. Web site
[31] [3] SALINA, KS (Pop. 45,679). Major trade and distribution center for one of the greatest hard wheat belts in the world. Web site
[3] [65] I-70 junction.
REST AREA - Near Exit 221
REST AREA - Near Exit 184
[65] [27] RUSSELL, KS (Pop. 4,696). Railroad station agents, section hands, and military garrisons were the only inhabitants of Fossil Station until 1871 when a colony of 60 families settled and later changed the name to Russell. Robert Dole was born here in 1923, and this also is the hometown of Alan Specter of Pennsylvania. Web site
[27] [31] HAYS, KS (Pop. 20,013). Fort Fletcher was established here in the early 1860s on the banks of Big Creek on the Smoky Hill Trail because of hostile American Indians who felt their lands were being usurped and whose food staple, the buffalo, was being slaughtered by the intruders. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 135.
[31] [20] WAKEENEY, KS (Pop. 1,924). Web site
[20] [32] QUINTER, KS (Pop. 961). Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 95.
[32] [22] OAKLEY, KS (Pop. 2,173). A busy commercial center. Became the county seat by only one vote over Russell. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 70.
[22] [36] COLBY, KS (Pop. 5,450). Trading and service center for surrounding wheat- and corn-producing area. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 45.
[36] [16] GOODLAND, KS (Pop. 4,948). Boasts an agriculture-based economy with oil and confection sunflower processing plants. Once was known for its rainmaking companies which began to appear in the 1890s. Home of America's first patented helicopter. Web site
Exit 36.
[16] [12] Kansas/Colorado line.
WELCOME CENTER
[12] [17] BURLINGTON, CO (Pop. 3,678). Web site
[17] [56] STRATTON, CO (Pop. 669). Web site
[56] [46] LIMON, CO (Pop. 2,071). Web site
[46] [28] BYERS, CO (Pop. 1,233).
STRASBURG, CO (Pop. 1,402). Nearby the Kansas Pacific Railroad completed laying the tracks that performed a part of a continuous chain of railways connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
REST AREA - Near Exit 310.
[37] [56] DENVER, CO (Pop. 554,636). Denver's start in 1858 led to speculation and over-priced goods, but when wealth started to come from the mines, Denver City and Auraria consolidated in 1860. The character of the city is a combination of Eastern cosmopolitanism and Western pioneer spirit. Web site
[56] [33] FORT COLLINS, CO (Pop. 118,652). After the 1860s conflicts with American Indians ended, the Army garrison abandoned its post leaving its building and its name, Fort Collins. Economy initially supported by commerce along the Overland Trail and nearby farms and ranches. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 269.
[33] [6] Wyoming/Colorado line.
[6] [46] CHEYENNE, WY (Pop. 53,011). Named for the tribe of Plains Indians that once roamed southeastern Wyoming. A Union Pacific Railroad depot was built in 1867 on the site which was situated at the junction of several roads leading to military camps. Web site
SCENIC ROUTE: Exit 323 to Exit 235
REST AREA - Near Exit 329.
[46] [102] LARAMIE, WY (Pop. 27,204). American Indians roamed the Laramie Plains as early as 8000 B.C. Laramie's recorded history began in early 19th century with the arrival of the area's first white man. He was followed by mountain men, trappers, emigrants, soldiers, and explorers, many tracing the old Cherokee Trail. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 228.
[102] [119] RAWLINS, WY (Pop. 8,538). Was a departure point for the Union Pacific Railroad and for miners bound for the gold-rich Black Hills. Nearby mines produced the "Rawlins Red" pigment that was used on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1874. Web site
REST AREA - West of Exit 150.
[119] [13] ROCK SPRINGS, WY (Pop. 18,708). Began as a way station along the Overland Stage Route. Union Pacific Railroad also chose the route because of the area's rich coal deposits that fueled the railroad's locomotives. Web site
[13] [86] GREEN RIVER, WY (Pop. 11,808). Developed as a stop along the Overland Trail in the mid-1800s. Web site
LITTLE AMERICA, WY (Pop. 56). Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 41.
REST AREA - Near Exit 6.[86] [6] EVANSTON, WY (Pop. 11,507). Designated the seat of Uinta County in 1870. Lies in the center of the energy-rich Overthrust Belt. Web site
[6] [30] Utah/Wyoming line.
WELCOME CENTER.
[30] [26] I-84 junction - Exit 120.
REST AREA - West of Exit 103
[26] [22] OGDEN, UT (Pop. 77,226). Mormon pioneers arrived in 1847. The city's importance as a rail center dates from 1869 when the golden spike uniting the nation by rail was driven at Promontory, northwest of Ogden. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 364
[22] [17] BRIGHAM CITY, UT (Pop. 17,411). Began in 1851 as Box Elder but was renamed for Brigham Young in 1856. The Wasatch Range is a towering backdrop for the city. Web site
[17] [38] TREMONTON, UT (Pop. 5,592). Web site
[38] [73] Idaho/Utah line.
REST AREA - Close to state line.REST AREA - Near Exit 228.
[73] [36] BURLEY, ID (Pop. 9,316). Web site
[36] [27] TWIN FALLS, ID (Pop. 34,469). Is in the center of 500,000 acres of prime farmland irrigated by the Snake River. Since the turn of the 20th century, the "Magic Valley" area has been one of the nation's most prolific crop-producing regions. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 173.
[27] [50] HAGERMAN, ID (Pop. 656). Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 129.
[50] [47] MOUNTAIN HOME, ID (Pop. 11,143). Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 64.
[47] [20] BOISE, ID (Pop. 185,787). Founded in 1863 a year after the gold rush reached the Boise Basin. Web site
[20] [26] CALDWELL, ID (Pop. 25,967). Situated on the Boise River, the town was established in the late 19th century beginning as a construction camp for the Oregon Short Line Railroad. Web site
Oregon/Idaho line.
[4] [70] ONTARIO, OR (Pop. 10,995). The area is an agricultural belt along the Snake River. Agate, jasper, fossil, thunderheads, and petrified wood make the region particularly popular with rockhounds. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 340
[70] [41] BAKER CITY, OR (Pop. 9,860). The Baker Valley gave the Oregon Trail pioneers their first glimpse of the promise of the Oregon Territory. Gold was discovered in 1861 in Baker County. Web site
REST AREA - North of Exit 298
REST AREA - South of Exit 265
[41] [51] LA GRANDE (Pop. 12,327). Named in honor of the area's beauty, the town is on the western edge of the Grande Ronde Valley at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Web site
[51] [21] PENDETON, OR (Pop. 16,354). One of the west's prominent rodeos is the Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo begun in 1910. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 182.
REST AREA - West of Exit 164
[71] [52] ARLINGTON, OR (Pop. 524).
[52] [16] THE DALLES, OR (Pop. 12,156). American Indians and later fur traders found this natural break in navigation on the Columbia River a convenient place for trade. Until 1845, when a wagon road was built, emigrants on the Oregon Trail could continue their journey only by floating their wagons down the treacherous Columbia. Web site
REST AREA - West of Exit 84.REST AREA - Near Exit 69.
[16] [5] MOSIER, OR (Pop. 410). Web site
[5] [20] HOOD RIVER, OR (Pop. 5,831). Is one of Oregon's major apple-growing regions and among the world's leading producers of winter pears. Is also the site of local and international windsurfing events. Web site
[20] [5] CASCADE LOCKS, OR (Pop. 1,115). Named for the series of locks built in 1896 on the Columbia River, once the primary artery of transportation in the state. Before the locks were built, travelers had to dock and make a rocky, treacherous portage around the dangerous cascades. Locks were submerged in 1938 by the rising backwaters of the Bonneville Lock and Dam. Web site
[5] [5] BONNEVILLE, OR (Pop. 30). Named for an explorer in the Rocky Mountain country. Web site
[5] [13] Exit 35
[13] [13] CORBETT, OR. Known for its spring run of smelt in the Sandy River.
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[13] [00] PORTLAND, OR (Pop. 529,121). Started in 1844 and was nicknamed Stumptown for the tree stumps that littered the site. Official name was chosen in 1845 from the two founders' hometowns--Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine. Web site
[00] [111] PORTLAND, OR.
[111] [42] MADRAS, OR (Pop. 5,078). Surrounded by high desert terrain and mountain peaks of Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area. Popular for its rockhounding area and for white-water rafting down the Deschuts River. Web site
[42] [103] BEND, OR (Pop. 52,029). Center of the region's activities in the Dschutes National Forest and Cascade Mountains. Web site
HORSE RIDGE SUMMIT (Elev. 4,292).GLASS BUTTES. About 75 miles from Bend (south), rise some 2,000 feet. One of the largest known outcroppings of iridescent obsidian used by American Indiands for spear points and other implements.
[103] [27] RILEY, OR (Pop. 50.
REST AREA - East of US 395 junction
[27] [96] BURNS, OR (Pop. 2,064). Once the unofficial capital of the 19th-century cattle empires that staked claim to the grasslands of the the high desert plateau. Junction of US 20 , which roughly follows the old Central Oregon Emigrant Trail, and US 395 have made the town a transportation hub. Web site
SUMMIT (Elev. 5,087).
[96] [55] BURNS JUNCTION, OR.
PACIFIC TIME
BLUE MOUNTAIN PASS (Elev. 5,293)
[55] [73] McDERMITT, OR (Pop. 269).
[73] [54] WINNEMUCCA, NV (Pop. 7,174). Thousands of pioneer passed through here on their way to California and Oregon.The infamous Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid purportedly celebrated their robbery of the First National Bank by sending the bank president a studio portrait of themselves. Web site
REST AREA - East of Exit 180.GOLCONDA SUMMIT (Elev. 5,154).
REST AREA - Near Exit 216.
REST AREA - East of Exit 180.
[54] [73] BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NV (Pop. 2,871). Named for a nearby mountain range that commemorates an American Indian raid against pioneers in 1857. Discovery of minerals in Copper Canyon in 1870 brought permanent settlers. Web site
[73] [110] ELKO, NV (Pop. 16,708). As the center of Nevada's cattle country, Elko served as a way station for wagon trains during the western migration. Web site
[110] [121] WEST WENDOVER, NV (Pop. 4,721). Web site
MOUNTAIN TIME
GREAT SALT LAKE DESERT. The highway crosses the desert for about 40 miles.
[121] [8] SALT LAKE CITY UTAH (Pop. 191,743). Occupied in 1847 by the Mormons at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. I-80 parallels the southern shoreline of Great Salt Lake for about 26 miles. In the late 1840s, the area's harvest was nearly destroyed by a horde of crickets. A large flock of sea gulls came to the rescue, devouring the crickets, andd salvaging the farmers' crops. In appreciation, the sea gull became Utah's state bird. Web site
[8] [13] I-15 junction.
LEHI, UT (Pop. 19,028). The polygamous practices of the area's Mormons were vigorously prosecuted by the federal government in the 1870s and '80s, and many church members went into hiding. A legend claims that when federal officers ordered a small boy to take them to a polygamist, he led them to a chicken run and pointed to a rooster. Web site
[13] [19] AMERICAN FORK, UT (Pop. 21,941). Lies in the shadow of 11,750-foot Mount Timpanogos and at the northern edge of the largest body of fresh water in the intermountain region. Web site
[19] [47] PROVO, UT (Pop. 105,166). A French-Canadian explored the area in 1825. A colony from Salt Lake City settled in 1849. Brigham Young University was organized in 1877 to supply trained teachers for the public schools. Web site
[47] [59] NEPHI, UT (Pop. 4,733). Web site
[59] [34] FILLMORE, UT (Pop. 2,253). Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 135
[34] [23] I-70 junction.
[23] [62] US 89 junction.
[62] [65] PANGUITCH, UT (Pop. 1,623). Name comes from the Paiute Indian word for "big fish," many of which were caught at nearby Panguitch Lake. Web site
SUMMIT (Elev. 7,910).SUMMIT (Elev. 6,650).
[65] [74] KANAB, UT (Pop. 3,564). Fort Kanab was built in 1864 on the east bank of Kanab Creek for defense against American Indians and as a base for exploration. Indian attacks forced its abandoment in 1866, but a group of Mormon missionaries reoccupied it and founded the present town in 1870. Web site
ARIZONA - 65 mph - Web site
No daylight saving time
[74] [73] PAGE, AZ (Pop. 6,809). Established to provide housing and facilities for work on the Glen Canyon Dam project. Is a center for outfitters who provide trips into the Glen Canyon Recreation Area.Web site
[73] [51] CAMERON, AZ (Pop. 978).
SUMMIT (Elev. 7,282).
[51] [57] FLAGSTAFF, AZ (Pop. 52,894). The name came from the discovery of a lone pine tree which was stripped of its branches and used as a flagstaff during Fourth of July celebrations in 1876. The flagstaff remained and served as a landmark for wagon trains bound for California. Web site
REST AREA - East of Exit 233
[57] [32] WINSLOW, AZ (Pop. 9,520). Named after a president of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. Is an important shipping and trading site. Web site
[32] [49] HOLBROOK, AZ (Pop. 4,917). Founded in 1881 when Atlantic and Pacific Railroad reached this point. Once called "the town too tough for women and churches." Little Colorado River goes through town, and terrain consists of flat plains, rugged hills, and small buttes. Web site
[74] [23] New Mexico/Arizona line
Continue east on I-40
[23] [62] GALLUP, NM (Pop. 20,209). Was a stage stop consisting of a saloon/general store called the Blue Goose. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway pushed into this red rock mesa region in 1881 to use area coal deposits for its engines. Best known a the main trading center for most Navajos. Web site
[62] [78] GRANTS, NM (Pop. 8,806). Navajo rancher's curiosity in 1950 about the odd yellow rock he found on Haystack Mountain about 10 miles west was found to be uranium. Grants was transformed from a farming community to a mining town. The mines were closed during the 1982-83 recession. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 104
[78] [115] ALBUQUERQUE, NM (Pop. 448,607). Once the home of wealthy Spanish families, Albuquerque was abandoned during the Pueblo Rebellion of 1680. Reclaimed by the Spanish in 1692. the land attracted 30 families. By 1790, its population neared 6,000. It became a military town with the establishment of an Army post in 1846. Web site
REST AREA - West of Exit 218.
[115] [57] SANTA ROSA, NM (Pop. 2,744). Surrounded by parcels of land with property lines established by Spanish land grants. Many residents are descendants of those who explored the area in 1540. The town is in a semidesert area with artesian springs and lakes. Web site
REST AREA - Near Exit 300.
[57] [42] TUCUMCARI, NM (Pop. 5,989). Established with the Rock Island Railroad in 1901. Name comes from Tucumcari Mountain, a "lookout point." In the 1920s became the first stop in New Mexico westbound on the new Federal highway, Route 66. Web site
[42] [71] New Mexico/Texas line.
CENTRAL TIME
Continue on I-40
[71] [8] AMARILLO, TX (Pop. 173,627). Capitl of the oil and gas industry of the Texas Panhandle. Has one of the world's largest helium plants and nearby is one of the world's largest carbon-black plants. Web site
[8] [50] US 287 junction
[50] [58] CLARENDON, TX (Pop. 1,974). Web site
[58] [29] CHILDRESS, TX (Pop. 6,778). Named for the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Web site
[29] [27] QUANAH, TX (Pop. 3,022). Web site
[27] [53] VERNON, TX (Pop. 11,660). Originally named Eagle Flats for the birds nesting nearby. Web site
REST AREA - Near Iowa Park
[53] [75] WICHITA FALLS, TX (Pop. 104,197). The five-foot falls was such a rare site that early settlers and surveyors named the town, but the falls were washed away in a flood. In 1987, a 54-foot-high terraced cascade was built downstream from the original waterfall. Web site
REST AREA - Near Henrietta.
[75] [25] DECATUR, TX (Pop. 5,201). Web site
I-35 junction
[25] [29] DENTON, TX (Pop. 80,537). Web site
[29] [00] DALLAS, TX.