I-80

I-80 in Nevada
   A brief pause in Reno for fuel and, perhaps, a little gaming prepares you for your 410 mile drive across the northern Nevada desert. There are many places of interest along the way (we describe a few) and the road is good. For a good part of the way, I-80 follows the Truckee and Humboldt Rivers which helps avoid much of the ups and downs over Nevada's many mountain ranges.

I-80 in Utah
   If you thought Nevada is desolate (really, it isn't) Utah can be shocking. In western Utah, I-80 crosses the Great Salt Desert. This part of I-80 can be so mesmerizing that they have posted signs warning you to stay awake and alert. Skirting the southern end of Great Salt Lake you pass the Salt Lake City airport and enter the city, join I-15 for a few miles and a slight detour to the south, then hist off to the east once more.
   As in California, you have a mountain range to cross; these are the Wasatch Mountains. At the top you pass Park City and one of the best ski slopes in the U.S.A., head north to the break-off of I-84 (which would take you to Portland, OR) and then east once more and into Wyoming.

I-80 in Wyoming
   You enter Wyoming at some 6,900 feet elevation. Yes, it seems as though the highway didn't come back down after crossing the Wasatch. You'll stay up in the clouds (sometimes, literally) in Wyoming and even cross the Continental Divide - twice!
   When you get to Green River you might want to take the scenic drive around Flaming Gorge (see our write-up on the Wyoming page). Back on I-80, at about mile post 156 you'll cross the Continental Divide Scenic Trail. Unlike the Appalachian Trail, the western trail is rarely traversed.
   Laramie, scene of many western novels, is where you start the climb to the highest point on I-80 - about 8,670 feet at The Summit just past mile post 323. Now you start your descent to Cheyenne ('only' 6,000 feet) and descend another 1,00 feet crossing into Nebraska. If you have problems with your ears popping when changing elevations, try chewing a stick of gum.

I-80 in Nebraska
   "Daddy, are we there, yet?" If you've got small children in the car you'll probably hear that many times crossing Nebraska. I-80 across  Nevada was over 400 miles as was Wyoming but Nebraska is a whopping 455 miles of mostly straight and boring concrete. At least in Utah they reminded you to stay awake and alert. Here, you're on your own. Fortunately, there are a lot of good hotels near I-80 in Nebraska so, if you're tempted, stop and take a break.

I-80 in Iowa
   Bored? There are some very interesting stops in Iowa. Again, if you have children in the car they (and you?) would probably enjoy the Railswest Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs. Also in Council Bluffs is the Pottawattamie County Jail. Read about it and you'll probably want to see it, too.
  At nearly the other end of I-80 in Iowa is the Amana Colonies administered by the National Park Service. And, finally, in East Davenport is the restored, 1850s era, historic district.

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I-80 in Illinois
   Crossing the Mississippi River is almost like crossing into a different country. Much is divided as "east of the Mississippi" and "west of the Mississippi" but these clichés usually refer to social behavior or physical location. Geographically, the area of the continent occupied by the U.S.A. is also split into east and west.
  If you are eastbound, you've seen that the Great Plains is not 'flat'. It frequently appears that way from the distance because the undulations have been created by erosion. As you travel east of the Mississippi - at least well south of the Great Lakes at first until you get to Ohio, the undulations are foothills of mountain chains - many of them.
  Illinois is a 'between' state. It has the incredible fertility of the Great Plains but mixed with debris from the glaciers of the ice age. The rivers flow more quickly but not as much so as Indiana and Ohio.

I-80 in Indiana
   Indiana is a study in contrasts. Southern Indiana is mainly agricultural. Its rolling hills become the foothills of the Appalachians to the south and east. This southern area is the only part of the state not reached by the mammoth glaciers during the ice age.
  The north, or Lake Area, is mainly flat with small hills of debris left during the melting of the glaciers. This area (through which I-80 is routed) became one of the prime manufacturing areas in the country. At one time it was one of the top ten in the U.S.A. During the last two decades, much of the manufacturing has been moved overseas as manufacturers try to maximize their profits. When you exit the Interstate, you are frequently faced with the evidence of this severe loss of jobs and income - both to the individuals and the community governments.

I-80 in Ohio
   You are entering the Great Lakes Plains region of Ohio - flat, fertile and well populated. As you drive eastward you will see more and more undulations until, soon after you pass the Cleveland area, you will encounter more and more hills - the 'Appalachian Plateau.
   All of your Interstate driving will be on the Ohio Turnpike, one of the best - if not the best - maintained toll road east of the Mississippi River. Typical of turnpikes, exits are few and far between, - great for those who are in a hurry and begrudge all stops. But, if you are the sort that likes to get out and 'smell the roses' once in awhile, we have listed our favorite pauses.

I-80 in Pennsylvania
   As you approach Youngstown, you are greeted with a preview of what you'll see in Pennsylvania: more, and higher, hills morphing into row after row of mountains like giant furrows in a freshly plowed field.
  The highest point on I-80 east of the Mississippi River is near S B Elliott State Park (exit 111) where the pavement barely passes the 2,000 foot elevation mark. What a contract with Wyoming. The lowest point in Pennsylvania is where you cross the Delaware River to enter New Jersey, — 290 feet.

I-80 in New Jersey
   It seems that in the last twenty years people refer to New Jersey as one giant bedroom. Certainly the New York commuters has covered a good part of northeastern New Kersey and Philadelphia has expanded across the Delaware. Northwestern New Jersey, however, has changed little. bordered along the Delaware River with the Delaware Water Gap, frequently cited as one of the eight scenic wonders of the world, its mountains, lakes and streams are more popular than ever and every bit as enjoyable.