tishkb

My husband and I have driven interstate 80 many times and are looking for a more exciting trip east this spring. Looking to stay in quaint B&Bs when possible and hiking some National Parks in Utah and Colorado before hitting the midwest. We are thinking about taking 7-10days to do the trip and would like to limit driving days to 8hrs max with stops. We are both food lovers and prefer good fresh food to roadside greasy spoon. Any and all itinerary tips and hotel and dining recs are welcome.
Happy Trails
tish

Placename

I saw a program on the Lincoln Highway and it always has sounded really interesting. I haven't driven it nor do I really know the route, but there is a great deal of history behind it:

http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/

usroadman

The Lincoln Highway is also a good option for an old road. Most of the Lincoln Highway from Wyoming east became US 30 in the 1920s (and I-80 pretty much parallels US 30) so following 30 today still generally follows the Lincoln Highway. Many states have also re-signed much of the Lincoln Highway's old route so you can follow it even more closely than US 30 if you want to. (From Philadelphia east the Lincoln Highway became US 1 & is now mostly NJ-28, and eventually ended in Times Square.)

I have traveled US 30 also. It's generally 2 lanes through Nebraska & goes through all of the towns, but is still pretty quick (we did Cheyenne to Omaha in a pretty easy 2 days). Iowa & Illinois were mostly 2 lanes, but wide & with shoulders. Crowded in the greater Chicago area though. 4 lanes through Indiana and most of Ohio, ans 2 lanes again through PA.

Since we've talked about US 30 & 50 now, might as well mention US 40 too. From Illinois east it follows the National Road (and eventually the Cumberland Road), championed by Thomas Jefferson to enable people to move way out west (to places like Ohio). In the late 1950s, George Stewart wrote a book about how it the road represented a cross section of America (your library may actually have the book - mine did). 40 now starts just east of SLC. In KS and MO it mostly follows I-70 now, but there are a few detours which make for a very nice change of pace. 2 lanes through IL, but 4 through IN and OH and for the most part not very crowded. 2 lanes again through PA and MD with some very pretty scenery.

boom_boom

How about US 50 (aka I-70) to US 191 to I-40 to I-81 to I-80 with stops/side trips in places such as Moab, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Memphis, Knoxville, Roanoke, Charlotesville, Front Royal, Gettysburg.

starrs

Well, I want to see Fallingwater so I'd make my last stop in that area -
http://www.fallingwater.org/2/visit
6.5 hours from NYC

And then, probably wander around the Amish countryside for a while.

tishkb

Thanks starrs for the advice on Falling Water I just finished browseing the website and I def will but this as our last spot to overnight looks awesome and we are palnning a taking I 70 and or Hwy 40 at this point so it seems that this would make for a great detour!
happy trails : )