i-80

in about a month im driving from milwaukee to LA... most of the trip im going to be in the middle of nowhere on i-80 all the way to salt lake city and i was wondering if anyone knows about any small, local diners, road houses or cafes or that are worth stopping by. idk if anyones seen the show feasting on asphalt but im looking for a middle of nowhere restaurant like that

It isn't the greatest food in the world but you could do far worse than the coffee shop at Little America in Wyoming. It is open 24 hrs a day and I have had good roast turkey sandwiches and pie there.

http://www.littleamerica.com/wyoming/coffee_shop.html

Why take I-80 much of the way, when in contrast you'll likely get better weather and for sure better Roadfood overall further south?

Just check the restaurant reviews using the "Restaurants" tab above: Arizona and New Mexico = Very good; I-80 through Wyoming and I-15 and I-80 through Utah = Slim pickings

If you insist on I-80, do a search for the Hamburg Inn #2 in Iowa City, IA, which has been reviewed a number of times recently on this site, as well as for several other places in the Restaurant section along this boring route in IA and NE.

A couple of miles off of I-80 in Salt Lake City... The Red Iguana. Can't recommend this place highly enough...

http://www.rediguana.com/home.html

Here is the website for the previously mentioned Hamburg Inn #2. I was outside of the place, but it was too crowded since we got there right at noon. It sure looked like a great place, though.

http://www.hamburginn.com/

Along I-80 in Iowa, you will find several good family style German influenced restuarants in the Amana Colonies. http://www.amanacolonies.org/restaurants.htm

Maid-Rites in several cities. They are a small regional chain of loose meat hamburgers. http://www.maid-rite.com/newlocations/newlocations.shtml

Keith

Only I-90 would be a worse choice (than I-80) for the list of cross-county winter rides. I second the choice of I-40 as a safer and normally 'warmer' route, and I-10 if things really get bad this winter. I love I-70 as a beautiful ride thru the Rockies, but not in January!
My Wife's son,is transferring next week from Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to Ft. Lewis, Washington. He will be driving his pickup, pulling his car on a tow dolly. With the recent weather problems on the Northern Interstates, he will go from here (Louisville) to Seattle via SoCal (I-44/40)&(I-5) Not the prettiest ride in the country, but the one with the widest margin of safety for him.

Here's what I'm thinking. Stay on the interstate Hwy system this time of year. Snow etc., is cleared fairly well. Take I-80 west on departure, in Julesburg, Co., go I-76 to Denver. Then hop on I-70 hightailing from Denver. In Utah, make a left turn onto I-15. You're on your way.
FOOD, that is after all your question. Pack a big picnic basket, have a well stocked cooler and the ability to prepare a strong cup of coffee.

someone mentioned something about a cooler and being able to make coffee does anyone know what i would need to bring to make coffee in the middle of nowhere and what are some good thing to bring that will last 10 hours in a cooler

Buy coffee along the way...

I agree with Ann, buy your coffee etc., along the way.
I'm particularly partial to Subway shops. 1/2 veggie delight on whole wheat!
I don't know your experience traveling the Rockies and the continental divide in January.
I live in the southern Rockies. Terrific place to call home, we love it! Be self sustaining, pack items which are common sense for a day or so. Most importantly, keep a good eye on the weather conditions ahead. Truck Stops are a great source of weather conditions. I've traveled 41 states atop a motorcycle, ALWAYS relied on truckstop weather info. Have a cup of coffee with the road warriors and learn a lot. The food is usually pretty good also.

Why not hook up with Route 66 along the way? I actually saved about an hour on a recent road trip (Western Kenosha County, WI to Springfield, IL) by blowing off the Mapquest directions and plotting a route back with two state maps. Too bad I didn't have the IL map when I left. You'll need more than two, but they're free if you ask real purty like.

I agree with Big Mich, I've spent too many years trying to negotiate I-80 & I-70 which can become treacherous in the winter time.

My preferred route for the winter months is to follow I-94 to I-55 (or follow old Route 66) to St. Louis where you hit I-44 then to Oklahoma City where you grab I-40 then off to hook up with I-15 into LA. Besides if the weather gets bad in the mid-section, your further south where I-20 & I-10 are easily more accesible.

Personally I'd save the I-80 & 70 trips for the summer.

i know i-80 can be pretty bad in the winter but the roads(unless were in the middle of a snowstorm) are usually pretty clear and part of this trip is that i really enjoy driving through the mts.

o also ive only got one restaurant name from this forum so far but restaurants on other routes to LA such as I-40 is fine because i may end up switching routes, and which route is better food wise cuz ik theres some good food in the south

goodeatsfan, let's be blunt. You barely see any mountains traveling on the I-80 through Wyoming. That's why the Union Pacific picked that route for the first trans-con railroad. The word boring comes to mind.

If you want to enjoy decent mountains on a more northerly route, you need to branch off of I-80 onto the I-76 to Denver and then take I-70 to the I-15 to the I-10 to LA.

However, that increases your chances of lousy weather, but if you don't mind that, you'll get fine scenery (but not as good of food as going though NM and AZ, except for the chance to pig out at Vegas buffets).

Oh, I respectfully disagree that I-80 is boring. I love the heartland and most importantly, I'm a history buff who respects the amazing work done to complete the transcontinental railroad. Interstate 80 basically follows the same route opening the way to the westcoast. Pull off occasionally to appreciate history.
Make the trip an adventure.
Rouxdog wishes you a good journey.

Oh, all right, rouxdog, you've made a good point.

However, I'm a history bluff too, and can't goodeatsfan enjoy the history of the Denver, Rio Grande, and Western Railway, the last railway to pierce the Rockies, along I-70 instead, and enjoy wonderful scenery to boot, as well as saving a few miles driving? He or she will still follow the Union Pacific through Nebraska along I-80.

Originally posted by Voyageur

goodeatsfan, let's be blunt. You barely see any mountains traveling on the I-80 through Wyoming. That's why the Union Pacific picked that route for the first trans-con railroad. The word boring comes to mind.

If you want to enjoy decent mountains on a more northerly route, you need to branch off of I-80 onto the I-76 to Denver and then take I-70 to the I-15 to the I-10 to LA.

i was planning on taking that route but is the food and scenery better in new mexico and arizona then i-80 then in the mts? i also i was planning on stopping in bryce canyon and the hoover dam but if there are any good stops on the way on the other route that you know of i may switch..and i dont meen cities to stop in.

quote:

Originally posted by goodeatsfan

someone mentioned something about a cooler and being able to make coffee does anyone know what i would need to bring to make coffee in the middle of nowhere and what are some good thing to bring that will last 10 hours in a cooler

no more then $20 bucks

quote:

Originally posted by rouxdog

I agree with Ann, buy your coffee etc., along the way.
I'm particularly partial to Subway shops. 1/2 veggie delight on whole wheat!
I don't know your experience traveling the Rockies and the continental divide in January.
I live in the southern Rockies. Terrific place to call home, we love it! Be self sustaining, pack items which are common sense for a day or so. Most importantly, keep a good eye on the weather conditions ahead. Truck Stops are a great source of weather conditions. I've traveled 41 states atop a motorcycle, ALWAYS relied on truckstop weather info. Have a cup of coffee with the road warriors and learn a lot. The food is usually pretty good also.

i think part of it is being able to stop at the local places in the heartland and be able to get the feel of it after living in the city

quote:

Originally posted by goodeatsfan

i think part of it is being able to stop at the local places in the heartland and be able to get the feel of it after living in the city

goodeatsfan......the only thing you'll get a feel of on I-80 is the feel of loneliness.......

Listen to Voyageur

quote:

Originally posted by
goodeatsfan, let's be blunt. You barely see any mountains traveling on the I-80 through Wyoming. That's why the Union Pacific picked that route for the first trans-con railroad. The word boring comes to mind.

If you want to enjoy decent mountains on a more northerly route, you need to branch off of I-80 onto the I-76 to Denver and then take I-70 to the I-15 to the I-10 to LA.

quote:

i was planning on taking that route but is the food and scenery better in new mexico and arizona then i-80 then in the mts? i also i was planning on stopping in bryce canyon and the hoover dam but if there are any good stops on the way on the other route that you know of i may switch..and i dont meen cities to stop in.

IMO, the I-70 has far better mountain scenery than the I-40. From the I-70 and then the I-15, you can easily access numerous national parks and monuments, such as Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, etc. And, as you've noted also Las Vegas and Hoover Dam.

However, using the I-40, an often safer winter route, which along with the quality of food are my major concerns, you'll also see fine scenery, and can easily detour to awesome stops like Santa Fe (see the Restaurants tab above) and the Grand Canyon. Hoover Dam and Las Vegas are easily accessible from I-40 via Kingman, AZ, traveling onward to Southern California via I-15.

As was mentioned by Al-The Mayor-Bowen, I-10 is the safest mid-winter route. IMO, I-40 is the next safest, with significantly better food than I-70 to boot.

Are you returning east later in the year? Then, why not take the southern I-40 route in January and return via Colorado, when the weather may be better?

my plans actually changed im not going till the last week in march.. does that change at all which route i should take or should i still go with I-40 cuz of the food also is i-70 food really that bad cuz im really hoping to drive through some mts but its not the end of the world if i dont.

Big eater,,,,,,,,,,, Does your 4 month postponement mean we're gonna go through this giration AGAIN!!!
????????????

quote:

Originally posted by goodeatsfan

my plans actually changed im not going till the last week in march.. does that change at all which route i should take or should i still go with I-40 cuz of the food also is i-70 food really that bad cuz im really hoping to drive through some mts but its not the end of the world if i dont.

YES! Late March early April, I'd take US 50 through Kansas and Colorado, then head down through the 4 Corners and on to California.
Great food, great scenery.
http://www.route50.com/history.htm

Thanks Bill im probly gonna take that route or I-70 cuz i think thats faster and that i-50 is known as the "lonliest road in america". Does anyone know of ne small restaurants on the way or of ne good scenic places to stop?

It ain't lonely through KS and Co., just beautiful and stomach satisfying-

http://explorekansas.org/cuisine.html
http://www.nps.gov/blca/

does it go through the mts at all?

I wish you well on your trip, goodeatsfan, but you should be looking at a U.S. road atlas, as you pursue this topic. Last I noticed, you could grab a good one at Walmart for under $5.00, which would show the topography of each route, with the elevations of passes given, etc. (Online maps often don't tend to show this info.)

Our fortes here are roadfood suggestions and giving our opinions of the scenery and possible bad weather along routes we've traveled, not looking at maps for you.

your right