Enthusiast II
I have a few weeks of vacation time for this summer, and I just realized that I better do something with it sooner than later. I'm operating under the assumption that things are as open as they are going to be right now, and as COVID numbers go up, things will start shutting down again. I'm hoping to leave in the next week or so.
I need to go to Fairfiled Ca (Bay Area) to check in on my dad for a few days, and I am starting in Galveston TX.
General route plan is to head out I10 to Los Angeles-ish, then head up to the Bay Area on either I5 or 101. The return trip will go out I-80 through Reno to Salt Lake City, then cut south to the western slope. Once I make it to NM, I'm in more familiar lands, so I'll probably just book it back home from there.
I would love to do this on dirt roads as much as possible, but with limited time for both planning and the trip itself, along with a changing landscape of closures, that's not going to happen. I prefer through routes over out and back. I'm hoping to stick with the general highway corridors, but hop off as much as possible/practical to hit the dirt or at least back roads over major highways.
So what are some must sees along that general route? I'm going though a good part of the southwest offroad/overlanding hotspots in Arizona and southern CA, as well as Utah and Colorado, so this is more of a "limit my options" type request since I could easily spend a couple weeks in any one of those areas. I'm trying to avoid the Instagram famous list (sorry Wave, not gonna happen!), and I have no interest in waiting in line for 3 hours to get a picture of my rig on a cliff.
As far as vehicle capability is concerned, I have a 2019 4runner offroad (so rear locker and all the traction control goodies) with a 3"lift & AT tires (stock size), winch, and fairly well stocked with recovery gear. I will be solo, so no spotters available. I've been contemplating installing a front camera for self spotting, but I don't have the time to work that one out right now. The most technical terrain I'd be comfortable with would be something like the trails around Ouray Co (so Alpine loop, Imogene Pass type stuff).
Thanks for any help!
-Chris
pre-winch pic for interest!
I need to go to Fairfiled Ca (Bay Area) to check in on my dad for a few days, and I am starting in Galveston TX.
General route plan is to head out I10 to Los Angeles-ish, then head up to the Bay Area on either I5 or 101. The return trip will go out I-80 through Reno to Salt Lake City, then cut south to the western slope. Once I make it to NM, I'm in more familiar lands, so I'll probably just book it back home from there.
I would love to do this on dirt roads as much as possible, but with limited time for both planning and the trip itself, along with a changing landscape of closures, that's not going to happen. I prefer through routes over out and back. I'm hoping to stick with the general highway corridors, but hop off as much as possible/practical to hit the dirt or at least back roads over major highways.
So what are some must sees along that general route? I'm going though a good part of the southwest offroad/overlanding hotspots in Arizona and southern CA, as well as Utah and Colorado, so this is more of a "limit my options" type request since I could easily spend a couple weeks in any one of those areas. I'm trying to avoid the Instagram famous list (sorry Wave, not gonna happen!), and I have no interest in waiting in line for 3 hours to get a picture of my rig on a cliff.
As far as vehicle capability is concerned, I have a 2019 4runner offroad (so rear locker and all the traction control goodies) with a 3"lift & AT tires (stock size), winch, and fairly well stocked with recovery gear. I will be solo, so no spotters available. I've been contemplating installing a front camera for self spotting, but I don't have the time to work that one out right now. The most technical terrain I'd be comfortable with would be something like the trails around Ouray Co (so Alpine loop, Imogene Pass type stuff).
Thanks for any help!
-Chris
pre-winch pic for interest!
