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■ Northwest Trip
0 Alien Trip
0 Ski Trip
O Southeast Trip
0 Southwest Trip Jon Frank/DN |
Ski the slopes
On this trip, you’ll spend most of
your transportation days on skis.
,§qre, .you’ll, drive more than 10 hours
to the slopes. But once you’re there,
you’ve got five days of powdered
slopes to conquer.
Day One: Roll out of bed before
the sun comes up and load everything
into the car. Strap your skis or snow
boards tathe roof and go.
On the way to the slopes, stop at a
front-range grocery store for dis
count lift tickets and a sack lunch.
(Buying anything at the resort is
expensive.)
A resort close to Denver such as
Loveland Basin or Keystone may be
your best bet for best drive time, cost
and fun on the first day.
At the end of the day find your
self some lodging - anywhere with a
hot tub is preferable - and relax. The
nightlife possibilities are wide open.
Days Two through Six: The
heart of the trip will be spent on the
slopes, but the extras are all up to
you.
Some of the larger resorts such as
Winter Park and Breckenridge have
entire mountains devoted to expert
slopes and entire towns devoted to
grub and souvenirs.
If you venture deep into the
mountains, you will come to love the
mountain passes with roads hardly
wide enough for one car, endless
drops and breathtaking views. For the
first time in your life, a speed limit of
30 mph will seem excessive.
At; night, .Denver offers plenty of
entertainmentoptions. Beer tasting is
popular in Colorado, and many bars
specialize in brewing their own beer.
As for skiing, hit a different
resort every day or stay at the same
one. Consider taking a day or two off
in the middle to sleep in and recover
and your body will thank you.
Remember: You’re on vacation,
so have fun but avoid amountainside
rendezvous with those killer
Colorado trees.
Day Seven: If you’re a die-hard,
you’ll spend one last morning on the
slopes before heading home. Others
might go shopping for the commem
orative spring break T-shirt or cap.
Just make sure someone in the
group is awake enough to drive back.
The following Daily Nebraskan staff members con
tributed their seven-day road trip stories:
Josh Funk, Erin Gibson, Joshua Gillin,
Lane Hickenbottom and Jeff Randall.
■■ ■«.-....—
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Survey the Southeast’s Smokies
This trip requires a deep love of
country and blues music, southern
accents and camping. A warm tent
and a tolerance for bears helps, too.
Day One: Drive about 14 hours
toward Memphis, Tenn., where Beale
Street beckons. Stop by for the best of
soul food and some original blues.
Day Two: Commemorate the
immortal Hunka Burnin’ Love at
Graceland - the tackiest, most conta
gious place in the United States. Fall
in love again with Elvis and buy a few
compact discs for a sing-along. Head
to Nashville, Tenn., by noon.
Once in the Country Music capi
tal, pay the $5 parking fee to view die
amazon Opryland Hotel. Inside its
several glass domes, you’ll find
waterfalls, rivers, boat trips, a south
ern mansion and breathtaking gar
dens. There is no comparison.
That night, grab a good dinner
near the beautiful Vanderbilt
University campus and walk it off
before catching a show at the Grand
Ole Opry. Get a little sad when they
mention Grandpa Jones died Feb. 19.
Day Three: Get up early and
drive through Falls Creek Falls State
Park, which contains the highest
waterfall east of the Rocky
Mountains. Lock the food in the car.
Avoid the bears.
Continue east past Dollywood,
Dolly Parton’s theme park, and into
the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park - the
park. Go hi
trails. Get a
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the road wi
tour in St. Louis. Drivers: No tasting.
By the time you get home that
night, you will hate your car so much
that you will have forgotten enjoying
the trip
But wait a week, and it will all
come back to you.
For those obsessed with “The X
Files” and the Time-Life “Mysteries
of the Unknown” book series, most
vacations might seem earthly dull.
But the alien-obsessed with
money and a spring break to spare
could enjoy a legendary road trip to
the now-closed Area 51.
It may not see much action nowa
days, but it’s like a little piece of con
spiracy history ripe for the picking.
Besides, rural Nevada is a worl<|
all its own.
Day One: Driving through snow
capped Colorado in the earliest days
can be dangerous, but the
Watch for aliens. . '* r f v?
=•- Day fwe: Now that Area 51
(actually, Nellis Air Force Range) is
lipposedly abandoned, there won’t
be any major activity in the area. But
you can still climb White Sides
Mountain and get a good look at both
mm
nave
the your way home. If you
drive fast, you will have time to stop
at theGrafidCany on for ait hour
so. Stop for sleep when you’re t
tired to see the road, wherever fl
maybe.
Day Seven: It’s home-stretci
time, After you make it through th<
jagged landscape of Colorado,
Nebraska will seem flatter and dulle
than ever. But still, it’s home and not
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