Interstate Road Trip Tournament, Round 1, Heat 1.

[Rain Man]

Just a little offseason exercise. There are 80 different Interstate highways in the USA (including Puerto Rico). Which one would be best for a road trip?

I've set the rules as follows:

I'm also including highways in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico that are essentially interstate highways, though they're not called that since they don't cross state boundaries.

It'll be a single-elimination tournament, though some will regain new life in wild-card spots to get the tournament bracket correct.

You get a minimum of 7 days on any highway, regardless of length. However, if the length requires more than 150 miles of travel per day, you'll get extra days until your daily mileage drops below 150 miles.

You may travel in either direction.

You may stop at attractions along the way, but at no point can you be more than 10 miles from the interstate.

You have the budget to stay at any hotel or dine at any restaurant within ten miles of the interstate.

You may spend multiple nights in any location but you cannot drive more than 250 miles in a single day. So you have to budget your driving time.

You may use any criteria you wish to make your vote. You can consider the driving lengths and conditions, scenery, attractions along the way, any outstanding warrants you have in that state, the likelihood of a Christie Brinkley clone waving at your from a Ferrari, or anything else you might wish to consider.

You can pick the time of year.

You can pick the vehicle that you drive. Assume that you're renting any vehicle that you could purchase for $50,000 or less (new or used). It can be different vehicles on different road trips, so you can customize to fit.

I'll post the basics of each route, but I don't see any specific website that provides a good description of the attractions that one would see along the route. You're on your own for that. Of course, you can do a google map view to see what your scenery is.

Ready? Here are the first two competitors:

Option 1 - Interstate 82 - Ellensburg, WA to Hermiston, OR

7 day trip
144 total miles - Average travel of 21 miles per day.
Passes through Yakima, WA, and Kennewick, WA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_82


Option 2 - Alaska A1 - Homer, AK to Alcan Border (with Canada)

7 day trip
620 total miles - Average travel of 89 miles per day.
Passes through Anchorage, AK and adjacent to Wrangell-St. Elias, National Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Route_1

[KurtCobain]

I'm super stoked for this tournament, but since I've rarely ever strayed from the Kansas City area I'll have to Google before I make my decision.

[Megatron96]

Don't think qualifies as it isn't on an interstate, I believe. But it's the one I want to do more than any other right now. Been planning on this trip for years now.

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[Rain Man]

I'm super stoked for this tournament, but since I've rarely ever strayed from the Kansas City area I'll have to Google before I make my decision.

Yeah, I'm debating if I'll actually make an agenda. It's easy to vote for one that sounds sexy, but that may not be the best choice in real life.

I'm intrigued by the Alaska highway because it's really remote. But I just google viewed the scenery, and 600 miles of that could get old. I'm also thinking that I'd have to sleep in my car for part of it, or I'd be spending a couple of days in Tok, Alaska, to rest up.

On I-82, I'd probably do three days in Yakima and three days in Kennewick. Maybe look at the scenery along the Columbia River, which would be nice. But I don't see a whole lot of touristy stuff to fill three days in those towns.

[cdcox]

I'm not a fan of driving. We took a side trip to cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway once. Thirty minutes later I was ready to get back on the interstate. I remember a good drive along hwy 1 along the California coast (not an interstate). I also want to drive US 1 through the Florida Keys some day.

[Coochie liquor]

I hope to never step foot in Alaska. I do really bad in sub 70 degree weather and Alaska seems like a closer version of hell to me than the one they show us with heat and flames. So even though Washington and Oregon probably don’t meet the weather requirements for Coochie Liquor. They seems better than the Alaska option, by an avalanche. Plus, don’t think I’ve ever seen an attractive Eskimo woman. Also I hate driving, and for some reason I get tired quickly when the car is moving so the shorter time in the car per day in option 1 is the final selling point. So.... option 1, final answer.

[cdcox]

Minimum of 7 days? This seems like torture. Maybe there will be places with great stops along the way.

[eDave]

Are we traveling now, or anytime of the year?

[Coochie liquor]

I'm not a fan of driving. We took a side trip to cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway once. Thirty minutes later I was ready to get back on the interstate. I remember a good drive along hwy 1 along the California coast (not an interstate). I also want to drive US 1 through the Florida Keys some day.

US 1 through to Key West is a LONNNNNNG ASSSSSSS DRIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! Hell just US 1 from Miami to Key West is a long drive.

[Rain Man]

Are we traveling now, or anytime of the year?

Good question. You can pick the time of year.

[Rain Man]

Minimum of 7 days? This seems like torture. Maybe there will be places with great stops along the way.

Yep, minimum of 7 days. But per the rules, you can stay in one place multiple days as long as you can do it without driving more than 250 miles in a single day. So on I-82, for instance, you could just spend a week in Ellensburg and then drive straight through to the finish line. Or you could drive 20 miles each day and sample the delights of small towns en route. Or anything in between.

[Rain Man]

US 1 through to Key West is a LONNNNNNG ASSSSSSS DRIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! Hell just US 1 from Miami to Key West is a long drive.

I did that drive once. I mostly looked at the back of a slow-driving RV that I couldn't pass.

[cdcox]

Yep, minimum of 7 days. But per the rules, you can stay in one place multiple days as long as you can do it without driving more than 250 miles in a single day. So on I-82, or instance, you could just spend a week in Ellensburg and then drive straight through to the finish line. Or you could drive 20 miles each day and sample the delights of small towns en route. Or anything in between.

This seems like a traveling salesman problem /computer science.

[cdcox]

I did that drive once. I mostly looked at the back of a slow-driving RV that I couldn't pass.

Scratching that drive off my list.

[Coochie liquor]

I did that drive once. I mostly looked at the back of a slow-driving RV that I couldn't pass.

I know exactly what you’re talking about. Seriously I may have been in a vehicle somewhere behind you....

[Buehler445]

If I was going to do a roadtrip for the sake of the trip I probably wouldn't do an interstate.

There are some neat drives that hit some good spots but I can't think of an interstate one.

[KChiefs1]

Just got back from a road trip to Vegas. Took 44 to the OK turnpike to Dallas & then to Roswell NM & then to Flagstaff AZ & then to Vegas. Stayed 4 days & went north to Grand Junction CO & then to Salina KS & home.

Don’t recommend it for sightseeing but it was a cool trip.

[KurtCobain]

I choose Akaska.

[Bugeater]

I-80 goes from coast to coast and is America's main street. Plus I live about a 1/2 mile away from it so when you come through you can stop by for a beer and a Camero ride.

[KurtCobain]

I-80 goes from coast to coast and is America's main street. Plus I live about a 1/2 mile away from it so when you come through you can stop by for a beer and a Camero ride.

We're not talking about I 80 right now. Also, go read romper room talk radio. You're a star.

[Bugeater]

Aw man, why do I have to be a star at this hour? It's kind of late for that.

[scho63]

What round will feature the Hershey Highway?

[HayWire]

If I was going to do a roadtrip for the sake of the trip I probably wouldn't do an interstate.

There are some neat drives that hit some good spots but I can't think of an interstate one.
This. Not to sidetrack the thread but the best vacation I've ever had involved avoiding interstates. The wife and I filled up the car on a Wednesday morning and just left with no destination. Made some simple rules that made it interesting. No interstates or main roads, no chain restaurants, and if we wanted a snack it had to be fried food from a small town gas station. Seen a bunch of interesting shit and had the best burger in a small cafe that had 3 tables

It was a great stress relief

[luv]

Now this is a poll I can get behind! I love road trips!

Not sure many people want to hit up Washington right now, but that's the one I'd pick. I've just never really had the desire to go to Alaska.

[Perineum Ripper]

Are we driving RVs, a nice SUV, luxury sedan?


What about an old school 60’s big ass station wagon?

[R Clark]

I'm not a fan of driving. We took a side trip to cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway once. Thirty minutes later I was ready to get back on the interstate. I remember a good drive along hwy 1 along the California coast (not an interstate). I also want to drive US 1 through the Florida Keys some day.

I would love to take both those drives as well, I’d think it would be amazing trips damn sure on the bucket list .

[Rain Man]

If I was going to do a roadtrip for the sake of the trip I probably wouldn't do an interstate.

There are some neat drives that hit some good spots but I can't think of an interstate one.

Well, yeah. But interstates are easier to make a poll from.

[Rain Man]

Are we driving RVs, a nice SUV, luxury sedan?


What about an old school 60’s big ass station wagon?


Good question. I've added a clarification to the rules as follows:

You can pick the vehicle that you drive. Assume that you're renting any vehicle that you could purchase for $50,000 or less (new or used). It can be different vehicles on different road trips, so you can customize to fit.

[Bugeater]

Are we driving RVs, a nice SUV, luxury sedan?


What about an old school 60’s big ass station wagon?

Dude...this is chiefsplanet. You're driving a fucking Camero.

[KurtCobain]

Moose's Tooth Pub & Pizzeria right along a1 in Anchorage. Looks phenomenal.

[Frosty]

Yakima and Kennewick - LOL

The only sights of the Columbia River you'll see is a lot of sagebrush. The best part of I-82 is getting off of it

[DaneMcCloud]

I drove 1,684.3 miles from my Los Angeles home to my brother's home in Leawood over the Christmas break. It took 24 hours, 35 minutes taking the Southern Route, which is I-10 West to I-40 West to I-35 North.

We left at 4:30am PST on Friday, December 20th and drove all the way to Amarillo, Texas, where we spent the night in a Spring Hill Suites, surrounded by several steakhouses in the actual parking lot of the hotel. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to try any of them. :(

From there, I drove for about 9 and a half hours to Leawood, KS. I was so amped up from a Monster Energy Drink that I had a 4pm, which I drank because I knew my brothers would want to hang out and drink late into the night that unbeknownst to me, as I'd never had a Monster before, wouldn't be able to sleep for another 12.5 hours.

That part of the trip was fairly uneventful, although my kids, who had never been on a road trip outside of California, absolutely loved every single minutes of it (well, at least the parts in which they were awake!).

I love road trips...

[Rain Man]

Yakima and Kennewick - LOL

The only sights of the Columbia River you'll see is a lot of sagebrush. The best part of I-82 is getting off of it

Okay, you know the area. What's the argument FOR the I-82 road trip? What's the most entertaining way to kill a week between Ellensburg and Hermiston?

[Frosty]

Okay, you know the area. What's the argument FOR the I-82 road trip? What's the most entertaining way to kill a week between Ellensburg and Hermiston?

The only cool part of the road itself is the pass right before dropping into Ellensburg. Coming out of Yakima, you just keep climbing and climbing and then the drop after the pass is very short and steep. I last did it at night and the lights of the whole valley where Ellensburg is just opens up all at once when you go over the pass. It was pretty neat.

Late summer in the Yakima Valley would have a lot of fruit stands along the way. It's a major agricultural area. A lot of wineries (https://www.yakimavalleywinecountry.com/yakima-valley-wineries.asp), too, iirc, if wine tasting is your thing.

They have hydroplane racing (https://waterfollies.com/)on the Columbia in Pasco. You might be able to tour Hanford. My son worked there a couple of summers ago and said it was pretty cool, though he got to see more than the public usually does.

The drive itself sucks, though. Endless sagebrush or fields while going though shithole towns.

[Bugeater]

Moose's Tooth Pub & Pizzeria right along a1 in Anchorage. Looks phenomenal.

Shut down due to Coronavirus

[KurtCobain]

Shut down due to Coronavirus

Right down the street is the Anchorage landfill. I'd be fascinated to see what Alaskan yeah looks like. Yeah, I'd spend a decent amount of time in Anchorage on this trip. And the Walmart has a shower!

[Rain Man]

Right down the street is the Anchorage landfill. I'd be fascinated to see what Alaskan yeah looks like. Yeah, I'd spend a decent amount of time in Anchorage on this trip. And the Walmart has a shower!

Yeah, I'm thinking 2 nights in Homer, 2 nights in Anchorage, 1 night on the road in some place like Gakona or something, and 1 night in Tok before spending the last night on the road to Alcan.

Man, there's not much up there, though. I'd probably pick a camping van as my vehicle and stay in campgrounds along the way. It's a long way between areas of civilization, and in a campground you'd probably see lots of stars. Maybe something like this to fit the budget:
https://www.classicvans.com/camper-vans/985-great-west-classic-supreme.html

[ChiefBlueCFC]

Driving from KC to Seattle in 2004, we drove on I-82 so the Alaska trip would be amazing

[scho63]

My drive from Northern Virginia to Scottsdale was pretty cool for the most part. Lots of different types of topography and scenery.

[frozenchief]

Yeah, I'm thinking 2 nights in Homer, 2 nights in Anchorage, 1 night on the road in some place like Gakona or something, and 1 night in Tok before spending the last night on the road to Alcan.

Man, there's not much up there, though. I'd probably pick a camping van as my vehicle and stay in campgrounds along the way. It's a long way between areas of civilization, and in a campground you'd probably see lots of stars. Maybe something like this to fit the budget:
https://www.classicvans.com/camper-vans/985-great-west-classic-supreme.html

A1 is going to be the only highway you propose where you can see glaciers. You also stand a pretty good chance of seeing Dall sheep as you drive from Portage to Anchorage.

Pretty much every town worth a damn has a brewery or 2 (or more) in this state. Homer has a couple and is well worth spending time. Kenai (pronounced "Key-nigh") has a few. Girdwood is worth a stop on the way up. Seward is gorgeous but out of the way. Outside of Anchorage, there are some good breweries in Palmer.

Moose's Tooth is a good brew pub. The brewery is called Broken Tooth and they have 2 restaurants: Moose's Tooth, a wood-fired pizza place, and Bear Tooth, a Mexican place. Bear Tooth has great bloody marys. The 'Tooth' name comes from a local mountain range where the mountains are named Broken Tooth, Moose's tooth, etc.

There are more places to stay than you would expect, but its really common for people to have a camper or even just a sleeping bag and tent and pull over along the road and sleep. If you did this in the summer it would never really get dark and would be pretty comfortable - 60s.

I've never driven A1 to the end. I drive to Glenallen and then go to Paxson, so I stay on A4. It's a gorgeous drive.

I got pulled over one time for speeding just outside Glenallen. I was going fishing in Paxson with my son and a buddy. I had a pistol down by my knee. Technically a car cannot conceal a weapon, but I did not want to take any chances so I kept my hands on the steering wheel and told the trooper I had a pistol and where it was. He says, "Well, I have a pistol, too. It's on my belt. Tell you what. I won't use mine if you don't use yours." I said, "Sounds good to me." He told me to slow down until I got past Glenallen when the speed limit increased.

[KurtCobain]

Yeah, I'm thinking 2 nights in Homer, 2 nights in Anchorage, 1 night on the road in some place like Gakona or something, and 1 night in Tok before spending the last night on the road to Alcan.

Man, there's not much up there, though. I'd probably pick a camping van as my vehicle and stay in campgrounds along the way. It's a long way between areas of civilization, and in a campground you'd probably see lots of stars. Maybe something like this to fit the budget:
https://www.classicvans.com/camper-vans/985-great-west-classic-supreme.html

This is a huge contender in the overall tournament for me the more I look into it. Not only do you get to see glaciers, but there seems to be alot to do around Tok.

Frosty's Restaurant
Alaska Hwy, Haines Junction, YT Y0B 1L0, Canada
+1 867-634-7070
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yGCtrg1ZZ1x2HLCu7

Guys & Dolls Bistro
Steel St, Haines Junction, YT Y0B 1L0, Canada
+1 867-634-2300
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fARjBc2AmVDTk5x86

Da Ku Cultural Centre
280 Alaska Hwy, Haines Junction, YT Y0B 1L0, Canada
+1 867-634-3300
https://maps.app.goo.gl/P39NwkqPM1KRqbp9A

And I'd stay here,

Glacier View Inn
1016 Alaska Hwy, Haines Junction, YT Y0B 1L0, Canada
+1 867-634-2646
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yyE3TWRgHwMKSkb99

[2112]

My longest drives were:

New Jersey to Lima Ohio: 600 mile trip done in 9 hours straight

Nicest part of the trip is being on route 80 for 320 miles and being able to see every rest area easily. The one who sucks the peniss in Pennsylvania price gouge the gas once you go over the border but it goes down more inland (when I don’t need gas)

St. Louis to Boston:

The Midwest has the greatest rest areas. 700 ft signs you can see from 20 miles away. This wasn’t a straight run, we started on a wed night and got there Saturday morning. The rest areas in ny and Massachusetts are hard to find at night. Lots of mountains and trees.

I took 70 to Columbus and then north to 90 East. Stayed a night in Illinois, one in Columbus and one somewhere on the border of ny and mass

St. Louis to Chicago:

I don’t remember much of this trip. I think it took 4 hours

New Jersey to the white mountains of New Hampshire:

This was a fun trip, 2004 on Columbus Day weekend. I forgot how I went but I remember the moose crossing signs and seeing a black bear that I thought was a dog from far away while taking a leak.

New Jersey to engelwood florida:

Late 80’s my friend had to drive his dads Cadillac down there (he lived down there) and we were promised a first class flight home. Straight run non stop, I think it was 19 hours. Worst driving trip of my life. Never again to Florida.

[eDave]

I-17 (N) to I-40 (turn right) to I-35 (turn left) to I-70 (turn right) is pretty dull.

[ThaVirus]

I'm not a fan of driving. We took a side trip to cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway once. Thirty minutes later I was ready to get back on the interstate. I remember a good drive along hwy 1 along the California coast (not an interstate). I also want to drive US 1 through the Florida Keys some day.

It's crazy, and I'm sure this tournament will highlight it, how we all enjoy different scenery.

Having done probably 99.99% of my driving in Florida, the thought of a Florida road trip, even through the Keys does not sound enticing. It's swamp and then just blue water.

I enjoy the shit out of mountain scenery since we don't have any of that down here. Driving through California was my favorite road trip. Hell, driving through the desert to get to and from Vegas was awesome and that was nothing but tumbleweeds and long slopes.

[Rain Man]

This is a huge contender in the overall tournament for me the more I look into it. Not only do you get to see glaciers, but there seems to be alot to do around Tok.

Frosty's Restaurant
Alaska Hwy, Haines Junction, YT Y0B 1L0, Canada
+1 867-634-7070
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yGCtrg1ZZ1x2HLCu7

Guys & Dolls Bistro
Steel St, Haines Junction, YT Y0B 1L0, Canada
+1 867-634-2300
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fARjBc2AmVDTk5x86

Da Ku Cultural Centre
280 Alaska Hwy, Haines Junction, YT Y0B 1L0, Canada
+1 867-634-3300
https://maps.app.goo.gl/P39NwkqPM1KRqbp9A

And I'd stay here,

Glacier View Inn
1016 Alaska Hwy, Haines Junction, YT Y0B 1L0, Canada
+1 867-634-2646
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yyE3TWRgHwMKSkb99


Those sound awesome, and I hate to break it to you, but this is an American road trip only. Those places are across the border in Canada, which is too dangerous for Americans. (I may be thinking of the Congo instead of Canada, but rules are rules.)

[KurtCobain]

Damnit. Now you're making up rules.

[Rain Man]

Damnit. Now you're making up rules.

One should naturally assume that the road trips are USA only. Road trips are a quintessentially American activity that takes place in America. You never hear about two Belgian guys taking a road trip, or two Burmese guys taking a road trip.

I guess Germans take road trips occasionally, but that's in tanks so it doesn't really count.