• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Avoiding rt 80/90 to Rally?

Greg_K

New member
My GF and I will be leaving from PA, making a side trip to Wyoming, MI to visit her relatives and then heading to the Rally. Does anyone have some good alternatives to RT 80 and RT 90. Definately want to avoid Chicago - I went through that mess on the way home from the National last year! :banghead

Greg_K
 
My GF and I will be leaving from PA, making a side trip to Wyoming, MI to visit her relatives and then heading to the Rally. Does anyone have some good alternatives to RT 80 and RT 90. Definately want to avoid Chicago - I went through that mess on the way home from the National last year! :banghead

You might want to try the High Speed ferry in Muskegon over to Milwaukee.

If you go further north to Ludington, MI, and take the Badger, Mention BMW and you may get a discount.

Good luck, and see you in Gillette!
 
Coming from the East and heading to Gillette these are the best ways to avoid I 80 and I 90 through Wyoming. (last time I rode I 90 through Wyoming, in 98 or 99, it was dirt, striped for repaving, for 45 miles, my Dad came over same road two days later and entire streach was fresh pavement)

To avoid I 80 take Us 26 From Ogallala, Neb, through Scotsbluff,NB and Torrington,WY to I 25 north. At Douglas turn North on Wyo State 26. This will cross I 90 a few miles East of Gillette.

To avoid I 90 take Alt 14 (Spearfish Canyon) from Spearfish,SD. Follow this to US 85 at Cheyenne Crossing, SD. Follow US 85 to Newcastle, WY. From Newcastle take Wyo 450 East to Wyo 26 then North to I 90.
 
my personal route is going to be NE2 from grand island to chadron, then us385/18 through hot springs and the wind caves national park/Custer state park area.

then us 16 over to gillette.

you might also consider us18 across south dakota.

ian
 
Last edited:
I am going your way

Greg,

I am leaving Omaha on Sunday July 13 and will be taking the "scenic route' including the back way through Ft Rob up to Ardmore SD and then the Black Hills. From there you wind around up to New Castle Wyo and take the back way to Devils Tower. That leaves a little on I-90 to Gillette, but it is Wyo I-90.


The route I will use is Nebr Hwy 92 to Hwy 2. This is the most direct and scenic route across the sandhills. Be sure to fill up at Broken Bow!!!There is a good station at Thedford, but don't chance it. There are 2 stations at Hyannis, but I don't recall the hours. There is no gas, repeat no gas, between Hyannis and Alliance.

I-90 is boring and windy. I-80 gets better past Big Springs. It can also be really windy. Do not take I-80 to Ogallala and then 26 to Scotts Bluff. All Northern Nebr locals know that is the long way. Sounds like a deal, but adds at least 2 hrs to the drive.


I lived in Alliance Nebr for years and have ridden my bicycle ( yes bicycle ) from Lusk Wyo to Omaha. So I kind of have the route memorized.

If you are looking for company contact me.

Fritz
 
fritz - thanks for the NE2 info... i can see that this route is rather desolate and was wondering about the gas situation.

on my way back east i am planning to ride us20 and across iowa on IA44. (well, at least to just west od des moines) how's that for riding?

ian
 
getting around Chicago isn't much of a problem if you take I-90 to exit 21 and follow 80/94 around the city. then follow I-294 and I-290 to get back to I-90
 
Riding Northern Nebraska

For those of you thinking about crossing Nebraska either coming to Gillette or going home to the east, and utilizing Hwy 20 and IA 44 these are my comments.

US Hwy 20 runs Along the northern edge of the sandhills. Sandhills really start at ONeal and run to Hay Springs on 20. The hills are not as spectacular as Hwy 2. but it will feel plenty desolate to most people from the East. When you get back to Nebraska after traveling Wyoming it will feel downright overpopulated.

From the east The Pine Ridge starts about 10 mi east of Chadron . Be sure to fill up in Valentine. Points east of ONeal are usually open and available. Points west are iffy. Basically Nebraska has Hwy 81 that runs from Grand Island to ONeal. Points west are cattle country, points east are farm country. Do not count on gas at Rushville or Hay Springs, unless they have installed a card reader at the coop station since I have last been through.

There is gas at Crawford ( Ft Rob ) always. Chadron always. Do not count on gas at Harrison ( pop 300? on a good day with the wind at its back).

Hwy 20 runs to Sioux City IA. Most Nebraska type people are going to Omaha. So one would need to stay on Hwy 275 and follow the Elkhorn River to Hwy 30. That is the connection to IA Hwy 44. Take 30 East from Fremont over the Missouri at Blair. From there go to Missouri Valley. There is a road along the bluffs going North and one could take a nice paved county Rd to Logan by turning East about 6 mi N or Missouri Valley. Better route for persons wanting to make time is to take HWY 30 to Logan. Then continue through Logan and go North about 3 miles. The Hwy 44 junction is on the right. It is the scenic route. It has curves for about 5 miles ( till you get to my farm !) then it is straight forever ( pretty much). But it is a great road. There is always gas in Iowa. It is civilized.

My farm on IA Hwy 44 8 Mi NE of Logan is in the picture. Hope this answers your questions.

Fritz
 

Attachments

  • P8020098.JPG
    P8020098.JPG
    146.9 KB · Views: 168
fritz - thank you for the info. I plan to head back east at oh-dark-thirty on sunday and get somewhere in east NE that evening.

looks like there are some nice state recreation area all along the missouri.

I hope to be enjoying the sunrise as i ride past your farm. :)

ian
 
If you have to go through Chicago do it early. Weekdays before 6 am wkends before 7am. On my way to West Bend last yr on Sunday, I went through around 6:30am no problem.


Roc
 
Back
Top