When do you get tired of farmland on the interstate heading west? About the point you reach the Mississippi River. So while Interstate 80 might go all the way to the east coast, there’s enough traffic, cities, and interchanges to keep you on your toes. But once you're west of Chicago, it gets a bit more monotonous.
So this route picks up at I-80 where it crosses the Mississippi. Do you need a break already? Well, hold on. While the ‘Quad Cities’ (Davenport, Rock Island, Bettendorf and Moline) are great for an overnight stay, at Exit 284, the Iowa 80 truck stop is a spectacle to be seen. Boasting to be the largest truck stop in the world, it has plenty to offer from a food court to a sit down restaurant as well a barber shop and few other convenient offerings for those travelers looking for a quick stop to refuel their vehicle and themselves.
Now, if you’re a national parks fan, the next place to stop is a must for your National Parks Passport Book. Herbert Hoover National Historic Site at West Branch, IA is the perfect on/off spot. And if you’re a history buff and believe what those history books in school taught you about the Great Depression, you might find some enlightening information about the United States 31st President.
So after leaving West Branch, wave hello to the 2019 BMW MOA Rally site in Des Moines as you are passing through before taking the next detour, Marne, IA. Wait, Marne, IA? That’s a little farming community in the middle of nowhere! It might be, but it’s home to the longest operating Triumph motorcycle shop and dealership in the United States, Baxter Cycle. Yes, Baxter Cycle has weathered all the trials and tribulations that Triumph has doled out over the decades and has a very interesting collection of bikes and shop to prove it. If you’re into old motorcycles, this is a must see stop for you.
Now while continuing on I-80 across the Missouri River through Omaha might seem good, if it’s about reducing your traffic exposure and gaining a bit more time, we suggest taking I-680 around the northern side of Omaha. To get around to that side of the metro from I-80, take I-880 in Iowa to I-29 and then south on I-29 to I-680 across the Missouri River, which is our first point about those original pioneer trails.
The bridge at I-680 is called the ‘Mormon Bridge’ for a reason. When the Mormons were headed to Utah, this is where a large number of them crossed the Missouri River. It is also a spot where the Lewis and Clark expedition camped for the night. There’s a little museum there as well as a number of historical markers. So, if you need a break, a great spot to checkout.
Once you made it through Omaha, be ready for the next river crossing, the Platte River. And at the next exit west of the river, is the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum at Ashland, NE. An impressive facility housing a large number of very big aircraft you can get up close and personal with. Next door is Mahoney State Park, a fantastic state park along the Platte River with a lodge, cabins and camping sites.
Now, I-80 follows much of the original Oregon Trail west and runs along the Platte River. You will see many historical markers along the road as well as other trails that cross the Oregon Trail. In this part of Nebraska, there are two great places to check out about life on the prairie and the adventures west.
Just south of I-80 in the town of Minden, NE is Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village. Harold was an eclectic person and made a lot of money with a simple line of products. With his fortune, he bought up stuff from all over the region and moved it to his park and museum in Minden, including entire houses and buildings! If you need a place to stay the night, Pioneer Village has a campground next door.
And in Kearny (Car-Nee), NE, there is the Great Platte River Road Arch and Museum. A structure from the start-up era of the Eisenhower Interstate system, the Arch and Museum were part of an old rest stop that has been converted into a museum about those travels and migrations west. This is a great place to kill an hour or more in the heat of the day to cool off.
Wait, more to see in Nebraska! Ogalala has the Front Street Steakhouse & Crystal Palace Saloon where if you catch the dinner bell at the right time, you can see a wild west frontier reenactment and have a good meal as well. And just a bit further down the interstate is Sidney, NE where Cabela’s got their start outfitting hunters on their way to the prairies for the fall pheasant season. Cabela’s store #1 is right off the interstate, so if you forgot or lost a piece of camp gear, a great spot to find a replacement. And if you decide to go into downtown Sidney, you can see where the first store was located.
Now, as you enter Wyoming, the landscape is going to change quickly. Once you’re past Cheyenne, get ready for the best side trip of this route.
We highly recommend when you get to Laramie, WY to detour off I-80 and take the Snowy Range Scenic By-way. Why? You’ve been squaring off those tires now for at least a thousand miles, right? Time to round them out a bit with a nice road.
Take state highway WY 130 west out of Laramie towards Centennial. Now if Centennial sounds familiar, this is one of the places where the WY BDR route intersects. Just past Centennial, you start to climb quickly. Keep an eye out on the side of the road. There is a good chance you’ll see moose. The road up to Snowy Range Scenic By-Way is curvy and tight and is usually well maintained. On a good clear day, you can see the Snowy Range from Rocky Mountain National Park. But the fun isn’t over yet on this side trip.
If you time this detour right so it’s towards the end of your day, find Saratoga, WY, which is so worthy of an overnight stop. There are a few motels, cabins and B&Bs there as well a city owned campground. Saratoga is well known for its fly fishing and the town’s public hot springs. Those hot springs are so warm, they use it to warm the public swimming pool water next door. And that public swimming pool has showers for those of you in need. In addition, they have two sets of hot spring pools to take a dip in.
The most famous place to visit in Saratoga is the Hotel Wolf. If you can get a room for the night, book it. To check in, see the bartender for your room key. If they don’t have a room, try to book a reservation for dinner. The steaks and prime rib here are some of the best. And if you’re a CJ Box fan and like his Joe Pickett books and the adapted TV series, the Hotel Wolf and the town of Saratoga are some of the inspirations behind the series.
Now, back on I-80, it’ll be a scenic blitz past Sinclar and Rock Springs. But the last stop on I-80 in Wyoming is the Little America Travel Center. Designed in the 1950’s architecture, Little America is a neat oasis on I-80 and worthy of a stop for food and fuel.
Now, from Little America, you have choices to make if you are heading to the 2024 BMW MOA Rally in Oregon.
We highly recommend taking US 30 at this point to catch I-84 through Idaho to get to US 26 through eastern Oregon. First stop, Kemmerer, WY. Home of the first JC Penny’s, which is still open for business today and Fossil Butte National Monument. Fossil Butte is another place to get that coveted National Parks Passport Book stamped and they have some really cool fossils on display at the visitor’s center. In addition, do you need another soak in a hot spring? Lava Hot Springs, ID is the place to stop. We'll publish a route here to see all the details on this connection to I-84.
The big reason we like US 30, it keeps you higher in elevation and cooler for much longer. However, continuing on I-80 west, you’re descending into Salt Lake City, the desert as well as the salt flats to the west. Not a bad ride mind you. But definitely check the weather before committing. And don't forget to wave at the 2016 MOA Rally grounds when passing through Salt Lake City.
If continuing this way, Winnemucca, NV (Exit 178) and Wadsworth, NV (Exit 46) are great places to peel off in Nevada to head towards Redmond, OR. Both of these locations offer a chance to view the Bonneville Salt Flats.
You can find a GPS file for this route in the BMW MOA's Ride with GPS organization account here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45842899
USING RIDE WITH GPS
Ride with GPS is a great way for the MOA to share and distribute maps, GPS routes and turn-by-turn instructions. As with any great service, some best practices in the form of tips and tricks are in order.
- Each route in Ride with GPS is equivalent to a track in the world of Garmin GPS units and BaseCamp software. So for all the routes, make sure you get the entire collection of routes in Ride with GPS.
- Ride with GPS allows you to download many different GPS files types, including GPX, for the BMW Navigator series and other Garmin productsWhen downloading GPX files, only download the "GPX Track" version.
- The "GPX Route" version will leave you at the mercy of the settings on your Garmin GPS, and will take you off the planned route and maybe to unexpected places and road conditions.
- Once you have the "GPX Track" version loaded on your device and want turn-by-turn navigation, convert the "track" on your Garmin GPS to a "trip."
- If you don’t have a dedicated GPS device and use your phone for navigation, Ride with GPS also has a number of file formats to work with various navigation apps for phones.
- Ride with GPS also has its own phone app that will also help guide you! Download now for Apple iOS or Android.