As someone who's driven across the country that stretch of the midwest that far north has jack shit. Just fly out, the only things notable are Omaha and some stockyard places to eat, that's just about it. Not worth the drive

>>2907397
Kind of agree. I just did that trip a month ago except to Cheyenne instead of Denver.

I was surprised at how large and wealthy Omaha looks. Then I realized that it was SAC headquarters during the Cold War, so the federal government paid for shitloads of high-end infrastructure, then businesses realized what a great place to locate their headquarters it would be. Only problem is a slight risk of being nuked off the map.

>>2907366
Pretty much the only things I can think of offhand, other than getting a good look at Omaha, is that Brownells has its big fulfillment center and headquarters in the middle of Iowa, just off I-80. If you're a gun nut, you can stop in, buy some stuff, and drive on. Not sure if there's anything else to see in the place, but they probably have some we-love-us museum of the company or whatever.

Also, the "Amana Colonies" are off I-80. They were some sort of religious movement. I think they have some restaurants or craft shops or suchlike.

Other than those two things, about all Iowa has is corn and pig farms.

BTW, tank up either in mid-Iowa or in Omaha. Western Iowa has jack shit for gas stations. On my way back to Chicongo I missed tanking in Omaha and nearly ran out of gas searching for a gas station in western Iowa, then the one I found was run by some incredibly scammy Pakistanis who had the pumps trickling out gas so slowly that it literally took me over half an hour to get just a quarter of a tank. The entire time they were trying to pressure me to buy "rewards cards" for the next time I used their station.

Thanks for the info.
I've driven this route a few times before, and was usually pressed for time, so it was a straight shot down I-80 with stops only for gas and bathroom breaks.
For this trip I have enough time that I'm perfectly happy staying off the interstate for most of the trip.
This time around, I want to slow things down and actually see some of the country along the way. I'm considering taking Route 30 all the way to Omaha and spending as much time as possible on the backroads.
I enjoy driving through small towns, randomly circling the local streets, and getting a feel for how people actually live there. I like stopping at local diners, gas stations, small town museums, and other places that you would normally miss when you're rushing down the interstate.

Flying isn't really an option because I have plans in Colorado after the wedding. I also want to have my own vehicle and need to bring some things with me that I can't take on a plane.
I like to find places of interest along the route, save them to Google Maps, and if I happen to be in that area or willing to take a detour, I go explore.
This is why I will be sleeping my truck, it's a lot easier than looking for a hotel room in the middle of nowhere.
And this is why I'm asking for things to do along the way, even if its "not worth the time" detouring off I80.

>>2907414
Given gas, wear and tear, hotel needed etc. Why not just do a cheap frontier, rent a car there and be done with it.

>>2907497
As mentioned, I have plans in Colorado after the wedding. The only hotel I'll be staying in is for the wedding, the rest of the time, I plan on sleeping in my truck.
I'm driving because I can bring a lot of supplies that would be difficult or impossible to fly with. Car camping equipment, CX bike, butane, chairs, food, booze, and other things I already own.
While I do have access to free flights through Southwest, renting a vehicle isn't cheap anymore. For my needs, I would need a pickup truck, and those run around $500 per week. Now that I own a truck, I'd rather just drive my own than fly out and rent one.
Time isn't really a factor for this trip, so I can afford to take my sweet time getting there and back. The additional cost of gas is offset by what I would otherwise spend on a rental vehicle and buying supplies when I arrive.
In the past, I've flown with everything I could cram into checked bags, bought additional items after arriving, and rented a truck for the week. Driving my own truck simply makes more sense for this trip. Yes, I am aware of wear and tear on a personal vehicle. I am a big proponent of renting instead of driving own vehicle, but not for this trip.

Anyway, I am looking for things to do along my route. So far I found:
-the huge truck stop on I80
-Iowa 80 Trucking Museum
-Iowa Gold Star Military Museum
-Iowa Aviation Museum
-Museum of American Speed

I would like to visit at least one of those places, maybe a second one on the return leg.

>>2907558
If you have that much time available, you could take a different route back and see some more stuff. Go a little northwest and see Yellowstone, then drive back through Glacier NP. Maybe even take the northern route and look at the "badlands" in Badlands National Park.

>>2908029
I have been to Yellowstone and Badlands a few times. Each one needs a week, I do not wish to rush through them.
Glacier is completely out of the way, I am making plans to go there with a group of friends this time next year.
My return trip might be rushed. I may want to get back as fast as I can and not have time or the will to make any significant deviations or stops.

I am leaving 3 days before the weeding, so I have those 3 days to creep my way to Denver. If I get to Denver earlier, I will spend the full day exploring Colorado or hanging out with whoever else will be at the wedding.

I am only interested in things alone I-80.

>>2908029
>drive back through Glacier
Come on now, look at a map. That's nowhere near any of this.
>>2907414
Every day you spend meandering around the prairie is one day less enjoying real natural beauty up in the Rockies. Most of those back road towns are dull and dying, but you might still find an occasional diner or bakery with friendly faces inside.

>>2907558
At this point look through your entire route for things that sound cool including things that are nearby the route its worth the few hours of research, check to see if there are already guides online, then put your plans into AI to gauge secret spots and timing since one good small town could take a whole afternoon away and im sure you'd rather spend it there than in some random shitty town that has 0 going on

Garden of the Gods is right outside of Denver and if you don't visit it, shame on you. Stunning is all I can say. Or, go up Pikes Peak.

>>2908148
>look through your entire route for things
thats what ive been doing so far.
>>2908165
some of you have difficulty reading the thread before posting.

>>2908171
Yeah, what we're saying is that you'd be better off visiting two or three towns between Chicago and Denver, max. The rest are only suitable for a lunch break. Unless you like strolling two dozen different tired empty Main Streets for some reason. Copypaste towns all across the map. No doubt you're hoping you cross paths with a delightful blonde farmer's daughter...but these days they are all whoring it up in some urban university, they don't stick around the small towns.

>>2908188
>strolling two dozen different tired empty Main Streets
Yes that's kinda what I wanna do.
You know, explore the country. See things I would normally not see. If it's lame and shitty I just keep driving

>>2908188
I'm listening on the advice for the two or three towns to stop in and what to do and what to see

I live in Omaha and drove to Chicago a couple months back, literally nothing to see.

>>2908165
no, not Denver, Colorado Springs

>>2908705
Denver has Red Rocks.

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Here is what I have planned so far:
There are two museums I would like to visit on my way to Omaha: the I-80 Truck Museum and the Iowa Aviation Museum. To have enough time at both locations, I will need to leave home at around 6:00 AM. That should give me approximately two hours to explore each place.

The second museum closes at 5:00 PM, which would put me somewhere around halfway between Des Moines and Omaha after roughly a 12 hour day.
If I follow this plan, the first part of the trip will require me to make good time on I-80, with little opportunity for exploring smaller towns or taking local roads. However, after the second museum and before finding a place to camp, I can slow things down and take a more leisurely drive toward Omaha.

There is also the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska, which I would really like to visit. Unfortunately, it does not open until 10:00 AM, and spending a couple of hours there would mean not leaving the area until around noon. That would put me significantly behind schedule for getting to Denver, so I will probably save that museum for the return trip.

>>2907366
Go through SD and the badlands, only good part of that stretch

>>2908850
There's the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland. It's also near Omaha, and personally I think it'd be more interesting than the Iowa Aviation Museum.

>>2907366
Best I can think of for this route is the Hoover library in West Branch Iowa and Omaha in general which has some cool sites like the Gerald ford birthplace