"Must do roads" Between DFW and Vegas?

[Rocket_Cowboy]

Kind of a follow-up to the airline security thread ... I think this latest ordeal has finally crossed my pain threshold. As a result, I'm looking at just jumping on the bike and riding out to my business meetings in Las Vegas next week.

So ... being a little time constrained ... I've got 2 days to get out there, 2.5 days to get home ... are there any "must do" roads that I need to try and work in on this trip? I *could* just jump up on I-40 ... from my house to the hotel is only 1,212 miles ... easily a day trip. But ... I've already done that stretch of I-40 once this summer on the bike, so interested in alternate routes. Worst case, with a little more time on the way home, I might just run through southern Utah and Colorado on the way home and avoid I-40 completely ... like I did back in 2003. But, are there other roads I need to try and hit?

[bobcat]

In southern Utah try 12, 24, and 95, between Panguitch and Blanding. Amazing scenery. High speeds. Very little traffic.

In eastern Arizona, US 191 between Clifton and Alpine. Apparently one of the best moto roads in the country. :rider:

[Tourmeister]

Hwy 9 through Zion National Park, then up US 89 to Hwy 12 and check out Bryce Canyon. Run 12 East to 24 and then hit Hwy 95 at Hanksville an go South to Hwy 261. Drop down Mokee Dugway (few miles of hard packed gravel) and hit US 163. Run over to US 191 and head South to US 160. Run 160 East to US 64 and run that East to Taos. South out of Taos on Hwy 68 to Hwy 518 and run it South to Las Vegas, then Hwy 104 East to Tucumcari and finally back to I-40. Pretty much every bit of that ride will be awesome.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

I've done UT12 and 24 ... back in 2003 when I went out and hit southern Utah and Colorado for the first time. Instead of taking I-40 out to Utah, I ended up running US-380 over to US-60 to enter Arizona, then up to I-40 for a short stint from Winslow over to Flatstaff and then up 98. Want to say I took that up into Utah until I picked up 12, and rode that all the way to Torrey.

I might do something similar for the trip home. Not sure I'll have enough time to venture north up to 12 on the way out there.

Scott ... is it 163 that goes through Mexican Hat? Some of that sounds like my return home when I hit 4 Corners, but I ended up taking 160 all the way east to I-25, then down into Arizona and over on 87 I think all the way to Amarillo and 287.

[Tourmeister]

Yup... 163 runs through Mexican Hat.

Hwy 264 between Gallup and US 160 looks like it would be fun. You could run 89-Alt between Bitter Springs and Kanab North up through the Kaibab National Forest (fun!), then through Zion over to I-15 and down into Vegas.

[3D02]

Hwy 264 between Gallup and US 160 looks like it would be fun.

I've been on part of it. Last trip up to Panguitch I took 87 north from Winslow to Second Mesa (straight and WFO), then on over to Moenkopi via 264. A lot more exciting than crossing the rez going up 89.