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Kansas City to Denver

L

Luckies

Guest
For my trip through the USA I'm looking for ideas how to get from Kansas City to Denver without using the I70. And of course where to stop and what to see.

Any advice would be great!
Thank you very much!!

Best regards from cloudy Vienna
Dave
 
My usual route is out US24 to Stockton, then jog north to U.S. 36 at Smith Center, then west to Byers, just east of Denver. Then past around Denver with as little pain as possible.
 
Sounds excellent!!!

Whats wrong with Denver? Too big? Better sleep outside??

:bow
 
Yes, U.S. 36 and U.S 24 are both excellent choices for crossing KS. Way down south, U.S. 160 is excellent, but tis quite aways from KC.
 
Sounds excellent!!!

Whats wrong with Denver? Too big? Better sleep outside??

:bow

Denver is just like most other big cities. Too many cars. Not enough road. Too much congestion. Too many inattentive drivers. Lots of poor pavement. I could go on but this will give you the essence of my opinion.

I was a City Planner / Redevelopment Director / Community Development Director for 32 years. When I retired from the Kansas City metro area I moved to the desert, 53 miles from the nearest town - a whopping big town of 6,000 people in a county bigger than Connecticut with a total population of 9,000 people. That should provide some clues as to why I don't like Denver, or any other large city.
 
Go North to St. Joseph, MO, then go west on US-36.

http://www.ushwy36.com/

Another option leaving Kansas City (if you have the time) on the Kansas side is to take interstate 435 north (find where Interstate 435 and interstate 70 intersect on the Kansas side), go North from there on I-435 to the Highway 5 North exit.
Take highway 5 towards Leavenworth. (watch out for the sport bikes, this is a good twisty road)
At Leavenworth go north on highway 7 up to Atchison, Kansas. This road is somewhat scenic.
You can stay on highway 7 after Atchison all the way to US-36.

After Atchison, wave goodbye to the last curve you will see until you get to Denver! :wave

At Leavenworth you can see a famous US Federal penitentiary. (some of us are more familiar with it than others :whistle)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Penitentiary,_Leavenworth

Atchison, Kansas has some interesting historic homes that offer tours, Bed and Breakfasts, and at the Benedictine abbey a very nice view out across the Missouri River valley.
http://www.atchisonkansas.net/v_attractions.htm
 
KC to Denver

Dave:

Not sure if you're from Austria, or if you've spent much time in the Great Plains of the US, but regardless, you're in for a treat!! Kansas has a lot of natural beauty and interesting things to see/do, so don't be in a hurry to cross it. Soak it in and enjoy the wide open spaces...Big Sky Country...you don't have this kind of open space in Austria!!!

In Kansas City, you have to try some of their famous barbeque. Lots of local choices, stop in for a try! Bring appetite. Here's a link listing 5 of the favorites: http://kansascity.about.com/od/restaurants/tp/BBQTopPicks.htm

Kansas City steaks are pretty famous too!! So, get your "beef fix" in KC!!

If you have an interest in outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, camping, etc. you have to stop at Cabelas just off I-70 and I-435 on the west side of town (it's on the Kansas side of the border, north of I-70). It's a great place for a rest stop, stretch the legs and eat something unusual like buffalo or ostrich. Be ready to spend a couple of hours. http://www.cabelas.com/retail-stores-kansas-city.shtml
"In addition to offering quality outdoor merchandise, the 180,000 sq. ft. showroom is an educational and entertainment attractions, featuring a d?®cor of museum-quality animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats."

If you're interested in American history, check out some of the historic trails. From the Kansas Tourism website, "Historic trails abound in Kansas from cargo and supplies on the Santa Fe Trail, mail on the Pony Express Trail, western settlers on the Oregon and California Trail, explorers on Lewis & Clark trail, to cattle on the Chisholm trail. As the United States expanded, Kansas was in the center of it all." The Santa Fe trail might be the most famous. Hwy 36 follows the Pony Express trail.

Check out some of the Scenic Byways (yes, Kansas has scenic byways): http://ksbyways.org/
The Flint Hills Scenic Byway will have a lot (by Kansas standards) of hills and curves, and is worth the trip.

Interested in checking out an authentic cattle ranch?
http://www.travelks.com/s/index.cfm?aid=288
Trade in your bike for a horse one day!! Work on a cattle drive and finish the day with dinner cooked at a chuckwagon, and spend the night in an authentic bunkhouse!

Many of the counties in Kansas have little historic museums in the county seat. These are often very well furnished with stuff from early Native American to pioneer days. You need to stop at a couple of these for a good view of the great "Westward Expansion" of the mid-late 1800's.

Or, the Kansas Motorcycle Museum! http://ksmotorcyclemuseum.org/
"The Kansas Motorcycle Museum is home to over 100 vintage and rare motorcycles of all various makes and models. It also has numerous motorcycle racing memorabilia, photos, posters, and much, much more!

There's another motorcycle museum, I think it's on Hwy 36, but can't recall exactly where it is, or if it's an official museum, or more of a personal collection. There was a story in ON a couple of years ago about this place. Maybe someone else will know the name and location.

Here's a link to most of the museums in Kansas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Kansas

Interested in some of the old gangs from the West! Dalton Gang Museum in Meade. You ought to see Dodge City, too!! Don't know where you're headed in Colorado, but consider Dodge City to Pueblo, CO, then go west into the Rocky Mountains on Hwy 50. This is an alternate to crossing Colorado on I-70. Hwy 50 offers a lot of scenery. It's a beautiful ride, and will lead you over Monarch Pass, Gunnison, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Durango, CO. This is a "must ride" for any motorcycle enthusiast!

Kansas has lots to offer!! Enjoy your trip across Kansas. You won't be disappointed.
 
This is absolute fantastic Piperjim!! Thank so much for your help!!
I'll have a detailed look on it after my headache is gone.

:thumb:wave
 
Luckies, are you in the States?

Luckies:

Just wondering if you're on your dream trip to the States? I recall you were hoping to hit Kansas City, Colorado, maybe Monument Valley & Grand Canyon?

Be sure to post a trip report, hope you're having a blast!
 
+1 on Hwy 50. I rode from KS to Denver 6 times last summer and never had a bad experience on it. No matter what though, do NOT ride after sunset in KS due to the huge amount of deer on the roads. Shocking really.

Biggest issue for me on a GS were the winds on I-70. Don't underestimate them.

Travel safe!
 
My 2 cents: My 1st 30 were in KS & I vote for Pauls' version & I've done them all many times. I'd divert around Denver to the N for all the right reasons unless I wanted to get to the S of Denver which isn't my favorite place in CO which is a favorite place otherwise.
Having been in Daniel Boone country for 38 yrs I find KS a refreshing place with clean air ,beautiful vistas & lots of space. Don't listen too those that talk about how boring it is. If you want boring try the TX panhandle sideways.
 
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