US tour - west & midwest states, 2014

Continuing our summer sagas, last year we toured the southern US states, which my wife documented here.  This year we will be visiting some western and some midwest states.  We finished up our itinerary and reservations over this long weekend, with extra help from the snow.  My wife needs to be picked up from a conference in Denver so that is our starting point.

1. Three days traveling from MD to Denver, CO
2. Rocky Mountain National Park
3. Pike's Peak
4. Great Sand Dunes National Park
5. Mesa Verde National Park
6. Four Corners Monument
7. Petrified Forest National Park
8. Painted Desert
9. Meteor Crater
10. Grand Canyon National Park
11. Zion National Park
12. Bryce Canyon National Park
13. Timpanogos Cave National Monument
14. Fossil Butte National Monument
15. Yellowstone National Park
16. Grand Teton National Park
17. Devil's Tower National Monument
18. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
19. Crazy Horse Memorial
20. Badlands National Park
21. Carhenge
22. Chimney Rock National Monument
23. Golden Spike Tower
24. Pony Express Station, Gothenburg
25. Antique Archeology (American Pickers)
26. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
27. Day's drive home

We covered some of that ground this past spring on our Grand Canyon trip.......you are in for a great trip!!!

Looks like a great trip Doug! If you are around Custer the middle of July, look for a Pod w/Jersey plates!

WOW... That's alot of ground! How many days total?

If you are a beer guy (I am...) then the New Belgium Brewing tour is one of the best I've been on. It's in Ft. Collins though so it could be a stop on the way from Rocky Mountain National. Colorado does have some of the best microbrews in the country.

I can speak to the Pikes Peak area... Since I live nearby! For sure, see Garden of the Gods. Pikes Peak itself is accessible a couple of ways: Car, train and hike. The hike would take all day so I'd suggest the train. Places to eat in the area:

Il Viccino for great wood fired pizza and good beer (you will see a recurring theme here)
Bristol Brewing is right next door to The Blue Star for good beer and either upscale (reservations) or casual (in the bar area) dining.
If you are in the mood for a little something, then Nosh with it's smaller plates and great food is a good downtown destination.
Try Trinity Brewing for possibly the best beer selection in town as well as their own microbrews. Also much better than average pub grub with a twist.

The Sand Dunes area is fun as well, but know that you are WAY out there so going for food, ice or groceries is not your ordinary milk run. Plan on cooking for yourself, and grab groceries before you get there.

Colorado Springs typically gets 300+ days of sunshine so the odds are good. If you want to do the New Belgium tour, make a reservation... it's typically full. They make Fat Tire by the way: One of the better, mass produced brews from Colorado.