LA to Omaha - Anything interesting / quirky along route?

[Furious_Rose]

I'm finally making the move (solo) from Los Angeles to Omaha in a few days, and I haven't exactly planned out the route that I will be driving.

It's a long drive (about 1600 miles), and since I'll never get the opportunity to do this type of road trip again, I thought I'd make the most of it by doing a little sightseeing (nothing too extensive) along the way. Although I have done multiple searches on the internet for this type of information, I'm not really getting the full picture.

I'm especially interested in quirky / offbeat roadside attractions, walking tours, and some adrenaline activities, but I love historical landmarks, too.

I appreciate any input or tips you might have! Thanks in advance, and see you all soon!!

[nebugeater]

When you get into Nebraska GET OFF I80 if you have time.

I would suggest taking Hyw 20 across the N part of the state and take the time to divert through the Badlands (South Dakota Southern edge) area. That drive through the Badlands will be unlike anything you can experience elsewhere to the best of my knowledge.

Something to think about if you get off the interstate. Don't let your gas tank run too low.

[bigredmed1]

Get off i80 and either take Hwy 30 or hwy 2 through the Sandhills. You can see Carhenge and the Crescent lake NWR.

[Taco]

If nature is your thing, you will run through/near several national parks along the way (Joshua Tree, North Rim of Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Bears Ears, Arches, Gunnison, Rocky Mounthain). These can be great detours in any amount of time and if you buy a yearly pass you will get your money's worth. It is hard to picture how empty eastern Utah is, I highly recommend gassing up when possible there. I-70 from the Grand Junction to Denver is maybe the most scenic stretch of interstate in the US.

[edsas]

Hi Rose!

I lived in LA for 11 years and made the round trip between California and Nebraska about 15 times. I have no particular stop I can recommend but I can tell you that my favorite route is north through Salt Lake City and then through Wyoming. Heading through southern Utah and through Colorado is faster, but I personally think that seeing the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah is well worth the added hour or two to the length of the trip. The scenery in Colorado is undeniably spectacular, but consider that Omaha is about a 7 hour drive to Denver. Odds are you will eventually take a vacation to Colorado and see that section of the country, whereas you probably won't go to Wyoming or Northern Utah. Maybe I'm assuming too much, but I personally feel that Northern Utah is a "can't miss."

[Omahacritic]

The options are endless. Taco offers the best. If you end up taking the 70 across Utah, stop at the Rest Areas. As Taco said, there is no parallel of beauty. But definitely ... fill your tank by Green River. It’s over 80 miles between gas stations.
Also, Grand Junction, CO is the place to hang for a day. Go up to Colorado National Monument.

There’s freeways and byways ... you decide. Because there are many ways to go.

Believe it or not ... Taking 40 out of Barstow, through Flagstaff cutting the angle from New Mexico, through Kansas, and up to Salina KS is shorter. Take the route up to Santa Fe, NM ... one or two days to look at galleries. And damn good restaurants.

Or, head north from Gallup, NM to Shiprock, Mesa Verde, Sand Dunes ...

Go Go Go

[Furious_Rose]

I don't know if I will even be moving after all! The weirdest thing happened.

Since I applied for the Omaha apartment online, I thought I'd check the rental company's website to make sure I had downloaded all the necessary paperwork, and I got a shocking surprise.

I was no longer listed as a tenant of the apartment for which I applied!
They had switched me to an entirely different apartment complex, and raised my rent by $100. I wasn't informed about any of this!

I mean, I'm glad I found out before I hit the road, but dear Lord, when were they gonna tell me? When I showed up at the "wrong address?" I was going to leave CA tomorrow morning!!

Moving to Omaha has been my dream for so long, and my heart is breaking right now. It's a classic bait and switch.

[Omahacritic]

Uh Uh. Crock

You know that what you describe is nigh impossible, don’t you?

When trolling, come up with better scenarios.

Best to stay in Reseda.

[Furious_Rose]

The first image shows the alerts I received ONLY when I logged onto the site today; I never received any email notifications.

The second image shows the apartment for which I applied, #08-02, at a rate of $575 per month. This is the rental agreement that was mailed to me as a pdf when I applied and was approved.

The third image shows how they changed my apartment # to 06-02 on Briggs instead of 75th, with a rental rate of $650.

I'm not

[GrandpaaSmucker]

Those are outdated apartments built in the 50s and 60s with no garages or balconies. You leave your car outside for 3 winters in Nebraska and it will start to rust out guaranteed. You don't want to live in those apartments anyways.

[Omahacritic]

I noticed how the 3rd picture says apt 06 02 is “not available”. Pictures 1 & 2 don’t say much.

I’ll just claim to be skeptical and not offer any more judgements.

Good luck to you.