I really need to get some hands-on, eyes-on research done for SILVER ON THE ROAD, but was stymied because, while I am perfectly capable of traipsing off to a foreign country where I don’t speak the language fluently on my own for a week or two, so long as I can rely on mass transit, the thought of being on the road on my own for a week, in unfamiliar areas…
Look, I can handle new situations, I can read a map, and I can drive, and I can ask strangers for directions as-needed. But having to do all of that, plus taking photographs and doing research? Just thinking about it made me start to stress. Knowing your panic press-points is a good thing, and all part of adulting.
But so’s not letting those press-points stop you.
and so, Research Road Trip Planning Recommences. Kansas City to Colorado Springs, maybe continuing down to Santa Fe….
You in those area? Got a sofa? *g*
I have a guest room in Berthoud (about 40 miles north of Denver)
Alas, we’ll be south of Denver, not north. :-(
The only advice I can give is that I-70 across Kansas is about as exciting as sitting on a chair in the back of a dark closet for 5-6 hours. The two lanes though the small towns (and remnants of small downs that are no more) are far more interesting to drive.
US-40, US-24 (fun fact: US-24’s eastern terminus is actually north, near Holly, Michigan, and is the famous Telegraph Road as it passes south through the Detroit area before turning westward by Toledo), KS-4 are certainly going to give you more color.
Possible route: US-40 KC to Lawrence, US-24 Lawrence to Colby, KS-25 south to US-40 (or US-83 from just east of Colby south to Oakley), then back on US-40 to Limon, Colorado, back to US-24 into Colorado Springs. Alternatively, split off 40 onto CO-94 before you get to Limon, but IIRC, there’s not much on that one (it’s been several years since I was out thataway, so stuff has probably changed).
Granted, for most of that run, it’s primarily agriculture between the towns, so expect lots of wheat fields, rotary irrigation systems, and occasional grain elevators. But unless I’m towing or in a time crunch, I’d rather do that than drive the slab.
I’ve got some folks in Topeka with a possible guest room, but beyond that, no help, sorry.