Porsche 911 GT3: Grand Tour of Eight U.S. Western States

The "GT" in Porsche GT3 stands for "Grand Touring", not "Garage Toy", so it was time to try mine on a trip I've wanted to do for a long time.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, my car passion was fueled by movies like "The Gumball Rally", "Gone in 60 Seconds", "Cannonball", "Vanishing Point", "The Love Bug", "Smokey and the Bandit", "Duel", and many others.  But it was The Gumball Rally that really fueled me (pun intended): it was a coast-to-coast race of all kinds of cars foreign and domestic, a celebration of the open road. Porsche, Jaguar, Shelby, Chevy, Ferrari, etc. Because of that movie, I have always wanted to do a long-range semi-speedy run across the United States, particularly in a Porsche.

I've taken many road trips in my life, usually with a destination stay in mind. But this time, I wanted it to be mainly about the drive itself. I decided not to do an entire coast-to-coast run (too many straight roads), but one that would take me to some great driving roads I've heard much about: primarily The Beartooth Pass in Montana and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Everything else I could find along the way would be gravy. And I wanted to do it in a car not celebrated for its storage or vacation practicality, but for its pure driving excitement.

So with the gracious agreement of my lovely wife Jill, aka my "co-driver in life", we  made a plan to take the 2018 Porsche GT3 (for my Porschephile friends, it's a "991.2 GT3 6-speed manual"). We devised a route that would end up being much greater than the sum of its parts. Jill was game for the adventure in a small sports car, with the caveat that it should fit a full size piece of luggage for her. It did, plus one for me! 

So here was the basic plan:

Day 1: Danville to Twin Falls, ID. 

Day 2: Twin Falls to Red Lodge, MT via Highway 212 through Yellowstone and the Beartooth Pass. 

Day 3: Red Lodge to Spearfish, MT. Spearfish to Deadwood via the Spearfish Scenic Highway. 

Day 4: Deadwood to the Badlands National Park Scenic Loop. Badlands Loop back to Keystone, SD (location of Mt. Rushmore). 

Day 5: Mt Rushmore National Park. Driving and exploring  Iron Mountain Rd (Hwy 16A), Highway 87 The Needles Highway. To Custer State Park Wildlife tour.

Day 6: Highway 244, Iron Mountain Rd again, Sylvain Lake, Crazy Horse memorial

Day 7: Custer State Park to Windcave National Park, Windcave to Vail, CO.

Day 8: Vail, CO

Day 9: Vail to Aspen via Glenwood Springs and Scenic I-70

Day 10: Aspen Mountain

Day 11: Aspen Maroon Bells

Day 12: Drive Aspen to Park City, UT. (Note: we changed this and went directly home from Aspen)

Day 13: Park City to Danville, CA  

You can stop reading now and just go do this same trip. You can just trust me that you'll see amazing things and drive great roads and meet wonderful people. Eight states. Four National Parks. With that in mind, now maybe you will forgive me for the following very long post, as this 2-week adventure packs a great deal into it. If you're like me and you just like pretty pictures, scroll on down and I trust you won't be disappointed. We weren't. This was an epic road trip that exceeded all expectations. So I'll give you the day-to-day itinerary, and maybe you can pick and choose pieces that work for you.

Day 1: Danville to Twin Falls Idaho

Day 1 was mainly about getting some miles under us. To get across California, across Nevada, and much of Idaho and almost touch Wyoming.  Twin Falls, ID was 660 miles away and Google Maps said it was a 10 hour and 13 minute drive. If you know me, you know what I say to that... "I can beat that". We stopped only briefly to enjoy a few sights along the way, including one of my favorites: Donner Lake as we descend down into Truckee on Highway 80, just before the Nevada border. The even better route takes off before the pass and follows the Yuba River along old Highway 40 and into Donner Lake. But not this time. If you've ever been through Nevada on I-80, you know there isn't much to see past Reno and into places like Winnemucca. But on the plus side, you can make good time.

We reached Idaho Falls in time to visit Shoshone Falls, a spectacular sight along the Snake River, just a few short miles downriver from where Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon on a Jet-powered motorcycle back in the 1970s. For the younger readers: Evel Kneivel was the guy we watched before the X Games, Travis Pastrana, and Ken Block. The car had taken us the 676 miles in 9 hours and 13 minutes. Exactly one hour earlier than expected. Take THAT, Google Maps. I think I deserved a beer. So we stopped into Koto Brewing Company and enjoyed some pub food and a tasty Hazy IPA.

Day 2: Twin Falls to Red Lodge Montana via Highway 212 (Beartooth Scenic Highway)

Day 2 started with an error on my part. The car system said "Check oil level" and when I did, I must have read the gauge wrong, because after I added the required amount, it now told me I was over-filled. Not something you want to do on this high-strung GT3 engine with dry sump oiling and a need for a fairly exact amount of oil. So my morning started out with a panic. What the F did I just do? There isn't a Porsche dealer around and I'm far from my own tools. I tried several local shops, all that said "we don't touch those cars". Someone suggested Jiffy Lube, since all I needed was someone smart enough to figure out how to extract/drain just maybe a half quart of oil without all of it coming out. Turns out that if you drain too much out, you have to start all over and drain it all from three different plugs to make sure you have it right. I met a group of super nice guys at the Twin Falls Jiffy Lube, and they were pretty stoked to see me pull up in the GT3. I guess they don't see many of them up here. The manager, James, took care of us personally and was very kind and professional. He did exactly what I needed with speed and accuracy and nailed the right amount of oil drainage. He had no issues except keeping me from chatting too much with his eager employees who wanted to talk cars. If you're ever in Twin Falls and need a car serviced, I highly recommend James at the Jiffy Lube at 142 Washington ST N!

Relieved that I didn't screw our entire trip, we departed Twin falls on Highway 84 and up to Highway 20, through West Yellowstone and into Yellowstone Park. Much of the Eastern part of Idaho is fairly flat and open, but it starts changing as you approach the border near West Yellowstone.  Again, easy to keep the car at a nice pace out here.  At 100 mph+, the car is planted firmly on the road and feels like 70 mph in most cars. Places like the Island Park area rafters on the Henry's Fork River makes me want to set some time to come here again. 

We did a big Yellowstone trip a few years ago, but the place still blows me away. Coming into the park, we followed the Grand Loop Road along the Madison River and up to Mammoth Hot Springs, stopping along the way to visit great spots for cooling our heels and taking in the grandeur of the place. The paint pots, sapphire pools and hot springs would have to wait for another trip.

From Mammoth Springs (one of the greatest spots in Yellowstone, you could spend hours here), we headed to Tower Junction and out the East end of the park via Highway 212. Our first Bison sighting came here, as a small herd decided to saunter across the road, making us wait and watch in wonder. I was just hoping they didn't decide that the wing on the GT3 looked like a great scratching post. They kinda eyeballed us a bit.

As you leave the park on highway 212, it takes you north and into Montana, and the scenery is spectacular. Everywhere you look.  The road goes higher and higher as you ride into Silver City, MT and Cooke City, MT. Then the road dips south again back into Wyoming after Beartooth Lake. This Beartooth Scenic Highway is beyond my writing skills to describe. Suffice to say that it took every ounce of my being not to stop every mile to take photos. 

This scenic highway is worth your while. Find a reason to drive it someday. Maybe just fly into Bozeman, down into Yellowstone, then back out through Red Lodge to Bozeman again.  Highway 212 winds up and up and higher and higher to a pass at 10,947 feet before you have crossed again into Montana. We caught some rain and hail up here. It was 90 degrees down in Yellowstone Park and up here at the Beartooth Pass Vista it was now 48 degrees.  It's high enough that it creates its own weather, and that is one of the reasons it is closed in Winter. The road is winding, and sharp curves and switchbacks pop out of nowhere. It might have been fun to drive this in a more spirited manner, but the weather told me that wouldn't be too smart.

Just past the summit, as we headed down into the Red Lodge area, the sun came out and it looked as if the heavens themselves had decided it was photo time. That's when I snapped what I'll call the "Advertising photo" for this part of the trip.

The drive down the other side of the mountain into Red Lodge was just as fun. Beautiful views and the weather cleared. Red Lodge is a small and charming ski town and when we got there in the evening, they were preparing for a car show the next morning. My kinda town! 

We stayed at the Pollard Hotel and I ordered the Bison Ravioli and green curry mussels at the Prerogative restaurant and wine bar. Tasty. Jill wasn't as lucky with the Kale Caesar. Not good.

Day 3: Red Lodge to Spearfish and Deadwood

If you were headed back to Bozeman at this point, you could drive on Highway 78 to Absarokee and Nye, a small town I spent time in back in the 90's. Great fishing on the Stillwater River. But our next destination was Spearfish, SD and we stayed on Highway 212 East the whole way. It joins I-90 for a bit, then separates again as it goes through the Crow Agency and cuts a small corner of Wyoming. Eastern Montana is rolling prairie and it was the time of season for harvesting the alfalfa/hay.  I'd never seen so much alfalfa in my life. Turns out Montana likes alfalfa and has more acres planted in alfalfa than any other state. You know what else likes alfalfa? Bugs. Grasshoppers. By the time we reached Spearfish, 5 hours and 8 minutes later, my front end was covered in bugs, reminding me of the old Porsche ad from the 90s "Kills Bugs Fast."

The deserted motel at Crow Agency looked like a place people might go to die, so this was a short stop. Gotta admit, it was eerie. 

Spearfish is a cute town, but just a lunch stop for us. 

Our goal today is to end in Deadwood after driving the Spearfish Scenic Highway, a.k.a. Highway 14A. We enjoyed the drive very much, we were now in the Northern part of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Beautiful area, felt like we were back in the Sierra Nevadas. Waterfalls and wildlife and winding roads. Loved the drive into Deadwood. We stopped in the town of Lead and at a couple roadside souvenir shops and everywhere we stopped on this trip, we met the nicest people! I love traveling by road in this country because you get to know folks along the way who give you hope that the world is full of kind humans. This is biker country, cruisers and adventure bikes, and one of those guys followed me into a souvenir stop and told me he loved my car and gave us all kinds of pointers on places to drive.

We eventually arrived in Deadwood, a town steeped in its own Wild West history. Famous as the place where Wild Bill Hickok was shot inside the Number 10 Saloon (the Saloon is still there). Bill was holding a hand of two-pair: Aces and Eights. To this day, that poker hand is known as the "Dead Man's Hand". Deadwood is a somewhat preserved town full of souvenir shops and places to gamble. Odd combination of Wild West Show and Vegas backstreet. We didn't love the casino vibe that seemed to have taken over the otherwise charming downtown.  

With that said, we had an amazing meal at Jake's Fine Dining. Probably one of the best steak dinners I have ever had, a "Trio of Tenderloins": Bison topped with Foie Gras, Elk with spinach, and Venison with Mushrooms.

Day 4: Deadwood to Keystone via Badlands National Park

After a night in Deadwood, it was time to head out to the Badlands. Our next hotel was in Keystone, not far away, so we would overshoot that area and take a few hour detour out to the Badlands Loop. It was totally worth the extra driving. Met some nice people at the Badlands Trading Post and filled up on some prairie coffee.  Coffee on road trips is almost as important as beer. Almost. Stickers are key as well, to help me remember where I've been (old dude problems).

Badlands has some interesting geology, fully on display in its muti-colored layers. I'm kind of a secret geology/rock geek, so I loved driving through the layers of sandstone, limestone, shale and siltstones lain down by a once-massive shallow ocean and a later river basin, plus the volcanic ash from the Great Basin volcanic period.

Wherever they came from, the rock layers have been made quite dramatic from millions of years of erosion throughout this relatively soft set of sedimentary depositions. Very cool road through here. Lots of places to stop and gawk. You can drive the entire Badlands loop, Highway 240, from where it hits I-90 near the Minuteman Missile site to where it connects again at I-90 in the town of Wall. You can go see the famous Wall Drug store there, which is more of an entire couple blocks of Wall Store merch and buildings. The Badlands Loop of Highway 240 is about 80 miles. You can do it in under 2 hours, but with stops you will want to make, it'll be more than that.

And again, I met some great people here. One was a young college student named Sam, and it turns out he is a budding automotive photographer. We chatted for a while, also met his very nice Mom, and they were on their way to Crescent City, CA to see the Pacific Ocean and enjoy some RVing. Sam was kind enough to send me a bunch of photos of my car, one here below, courtesy of his media alter ego 3x3media. Thanks, Sam!

We left the Badlands Loop and headed to Keystone, the town near Mt. Rushmore. We checked into our new favorite spot, the K Bar S Lodge. If you ever visit Rushmore, stay here. Fantastic staff, great location just outside of the bustling little downtown, and amazing views across a valley and to the profile of Rushmore in the distance.

We arrived in the afternoon with enough time to go visit the Mt. Rushmore Monument. I'm not sure we had any real expectations, but we were kinda blown away. You have to fully understand the engineering and passion that went into this to truly comprehend was an amazing feat this was. The visitor center provides a great look into the origins, construction, and intent behind it. We enjoyed the walk around the base of the mountain, a short one mile or so to see details you might miss from the viewing platform.

Day 5: Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, Custer State Park

Today represented the day I was really looking forward to: to experience some roads that are famous for beauty and curviness. This is the area revered by motorcyclists and the roads are one of the primary reasons the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is held nearby.

Iron Mountain Road, Highway 16A, is a visual masterpiece. If you travel North on it, the multiple rock tunnels are designed to provide framed views of Rushmore as you exit the tunnels. Pretty cool! We travelled south this day, from Keystone to Custer State Park. The road is famous or it's "pigtails" (curly, tight cloverleaf turns) and it's tunnels and switchbacks. I could drive this road all day every day and not get bored. Oddly enough, very few cars on it. Stunning. Down below, you'll see we returned the next day to run it again in the opposite direction. 

The scenic, bucolic feel of this road puts me in the mind of Disney-built attraction. Old-school engineering at its best.

After reaching Custer State Park, we had time to explore the other roads, including Needles Highway (87) and Highway 879 into the town of Custer. Drama everywhere, these roads are carved out of granite with spires, outcroppings and amazing vistas everywhere. Photos don't do it justice. Go drive this road.

Driving South in Highway 89 brought us into the town of Custer, and we found a nice local brewery again, the "Mt. Rushmore Brewing Company and Pounding Fathers Restaurant". We enjoyed the "Rutherford B. Haze" Hazy IPA and the "Buffalo Snot" Stout. Both delicious. I also found a self-wash to get rid of the crusted bug wall on my front grill.

We ended the day with a Wildlife Jeep tour through the Custer State Park wildlife loop and saw herds of hundreds of Buffalo in the distance. Awe inspiring and beautiful, but we didn't get too close.

It was time to check in at our hotel for the next couple nights: the Custer State Game Lodge. Super nice spot, once the "Summer White House" for President Calvin Coolidge. We settled in for the evening and toasted another great day of exploration.

Day 6: Crazy Horse Monument, Sylvan Lake, Wildlife Loop

The goal for this day was to run all those great roads again, in the opposite direction, which we did. We also drove a new section of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway (Hwy 244 and 385) to get to the Crazy Horse Monument.

As we pulled out of our hotel driveway, a lone Bison sauntered right along the road next to us. I was ready to scoot away fast if he turned toward us! After two hours in a Jeep the prior day, watching from 100 yards away, this dude just came to us and scratched himself on the tree outside our lodge.

Again, Iron Mountain Highway in the North direction did not disappoint: views of Rushmore and more crazy twists and tunnels through the green forest. BTW, have I mentioned that I LOVE the 2018 Porsche GT3? It does everything well. Comfortable to drive, stable in all conditions, dramatic and fun at high revs, and planted to the tarmac like it has magnets underneath. And Jill at this point was shocked that after many days in the car, she was still wildly comfortable. Great seats (I have the 18-way adjustable seats, not the sports bucket seats built for track use).

Crazy Horse Monument was next, and just like Rushmore, we were awed by the sheer magnitude of the undertaking. The passion of the original idea man, Henry Standing Bear, and the original sculptor's (Korczak Ziolkowski) reverence for the native people was inspiring. The work continues still, after 75 years, and it may be another century before the vision is complete. Ziolkowski's grandchildren are still part of the organization building this. It was a fantastic tour. 

Needles Highway going east from Highway 89 really gave us even more perspective on the drama of this road. We stopped at Sylvan lake for a walk around this gem in the mountains. Food options weren't so good, so I already had the brewery restaurant in my head again. The Needle Eye near the summit gets a bit of traffic, so we had to stop and wait for some other cars coming the opposite direction. Photo opp!

We stopped in again to the brewery and I really enjoyed the bratwurst made of rattlesnake, rabbit, and pork. I also enjoyed a chat at the gas station with a guy who races Miatas and an old gentleman in a Chevy pickup with more rust than paint. Talk about "patina"! He was a kind and cheerful man and he lamented to me that he can't sneak around town very easily, everyone knows his truck when he comes around!

And on the way back to the Lodge for the night, we ran into a pack of local burros hanging out on the road and being very social.

Day 7: Wind Cave National Park and the Road to Vail, Colorado.

Wind Cave is less than an hour from Custer, and another fun road down Highway 87 and 385. Wind Cave is fascinating.  A 2-hour tour took us along the "Fairgounds" loop underground, up and down hundreds of steps and through indescribable formations.  There are over 165 miles of cave discovered here so far and they think they've only accessed about 10% of it. It's massive, one of the largest in the world. It's beautiful, but it doesn't come through well in photos, so I'll just suggest you visit someday!

Now it was time to make our way to Vail, Colorado. This was to be about 441 miles and 7 hours (we beat that time). The terrain was probably the least interesting of our trip, mainly the several hours through the Southeast corner of Wyoming, near Cheyenne. Lots more hay fields and bugs, and a couple scattered thunderstorms. The Prairie is broad and beautiful, but coffee is a good companion!

We skirted through lots of construction traffic in Fort Collins (avoid if you can) and arrived in Vail in the afternoon and checked into our Condo. After the rustic feel of the last week, Vail and Lionshead Village made me feel pretty "boujee" (as the Millenials would say). I figured that after a long drive I deserved a treat. It had been over 2200 miles at this point and I had eaten plenty of red meat and bratwurst.  So we went to the Montauk Seafood Grill and I ordered the caviar appetizer and champagne, followed by the seared scallops and grits to put myself in the mood for a good night's sleep. It worked.

Day 8: Vail Mountain hiking

We loaded up on coffee and got ready for the Gondola ride up the mountain. Vail is a magical spot with amazing views. There are two Gondolas that run in the Summer. One out of Vail Village and one from Lionshead Village. We hiked around up top and enjoyed the stellar views on a clear day. We ate marginal food at the top and eventually took the other Gondola down into Vail Village, where we just enjoyed a day of no driving. To be honest, I was itching to hit the road again! But we thoroughly enjoyed our time on this fantastic mountain!

Day 9: Vail to Aspen via Scenic I-70, Glenwood Canyon and Glenwood Springs

It's been a long while since I've traveled this road, so I had forgotten how scenic this stretch of I-70 is. Known as the most beautiful stretch of Interstate highway anywhere in the US, it lived up to its billing on this glorious sunny day. We drove the 60 miles along I-70 into Glenwood Springs before turning for Aspen in Hwy 82. 

We stopped in Glenwood Springs to rent E-Bikes and ride along the rushing Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon. It was about a 14 mile round trip to the Shoshone Hydro facility, and we got great views of the canyon, the river, and the many whitewater rafters on the Colorado. Great stop. I was also fascinated by the construction of this epic Interstate Highway we rode under for part of it.

So we head into Aspen, with no expectations whatsoever. We had never been there and we assumed it may be a lot like Vail. But it isn't. It is so much more. Vail is a ski area turned into a huge village. Aspen is an old mining town grown into a ski destination, and then some. Our initial plans at this point in our trip were to go to Moab and Arches National Park, but our daughter had plans to go to Aspen for a work thing, so we decided to spend a couple days here instead. 

And wow are we happy we did. It's a town of absolute excess, let's just get that straight. Homes downtown or near the mountain are $30-40 million. Pricey boutiques are all around downtown. Fantastic restaurants litter the charming streets. It's packed with beautiful people.  Why?  Well, it's the darned mountains! More picturesque than Vail, more extensive than Squaw Valley, greener than Sun Valley and, well, just plain beautiful.  We went to Las Montanas for dinner and loved the fish tacos and shrimp tacos, plus the tamarind/sangria margarita with tajin rim. Bellies full, we settled into our condo for the night and planned the next day.

Day 10 Aspen Mountain

We took the Silver Queen Gondola up to the top of Aspen Mountain and hiked the Richmond Ridge trail. Short hike with breathtaking views. We stumbled upon a quintet of classical musicians playing for the crowd up there at 11,000 feet. Turns out there is a music fest going on this week. It just added to the serenity of the place. And of course, any time I get to spend some extra time with either of my amazing grown daughters, life is good. This was one of those days.

We stopped in for a taste of some local brews at the Aspen Tap. Everything was excellent, particularly the Porter and the Blonde Ale. The "shotski" flight board was a bonus feature.

Day 11:: Aspen hike to "Maroon Bells"

Before we went on this hike, we were told the the "Maroon Bells" mountains are some of the most photographed in the entire United States. They are two of the many "14ers" in Colorado, mountains at least 14,000 feet tall and the subject of mountain climber dreams. Aspen is home to eight 14ers, so that may be one reason we've been so enamored with the views since we showed up. 

We took the shuttle to the trailhead and walked a short 1.5 hour hike around the lake and toward the Maroon Bells twin mountains. The views are indescribable, so I won't try.

After Maroon Bells, we walked around town and got ready for dinner. But our last stop was the John Denver Sanctuary, just a few blocks from our hotel. It sits along the river that runs through town, and is a great oasis and peaceful monument to a talented musician and his work. It was touching walking through the gardens and streams, with his words carved into rocks, and other words of wisdom and thoughts from various thinkers, poets, and dreamers. If it hadn't been a bit wet that evening, it would been a great picnic spot. If you're ever in Aspen, swing by this peaceful spot and contemplate. I know I did, recalling just how fortunate I am in my life so see things like this with people I care about. I'm a car guy, as the blog name states. But I love cars for what they do for my experience as a human. Like bring me here.

Day 12: Lets' Get Home! Aspen to Danville (1099 miles)

We left Aspen with a warm hearts and full bellies. We had a target to get to Park City in about 6 hours, then do another 10 the following day. But about 2 hours in we said: "Hey, let's just get home". So we gassed up, grabbed extra coffee, and set our sights on the full 16 hour drive hime. In the end, we did it in 14 hours and change. 

Our route took us from Aspen to Grand Junction, through beautiful Utah (just north of Moab and Canyonlands) on I-70 and I-15 into Scipio, UT before we turned onto US Highway 50. 

So we turned onto US 50 past Scipio to finish Utah and get across Nevada. US 50 is known as the "Loneliest Highway in America" (It says it right on the freeway signs). And they aren't kidding. This two lane stretch of road goes across the Great Basin from mountain  pass to mountain pass, across high desert and never drops under about 5500 feet in elevation. Typical passes are 7500 feet. You can see a straight road in front of you sometimes for 10 miles. Your elbows never bend. You rarely see other cars.  Even as speeds well into triple digits, the car just sailed along smoothly and steadily, only occasionally finding a trucker or minivan to pass. The small towns we came across, vaguely abandoned, were worthy of photos, so that's all we stopped for, plus gas and more caffeine.

We arrived home at 10:20 pm. One day1099 miles. 14 hours and 17 minutes at an average speed of 78MPH. Longest drive we'd ever done together. And she still loves me! We were both shocked at just how comfortable the 2018 Porsche GT3 was on a long trip, and how trouble free and stable it was. And we love traveling across this beautiful country. So much to see, so many good people to meet.

Our entire trip showed on the counter as over 72 hours of driving over 12 days, covering 3895 miles! And 22 MPG.

Would I do it again? An emphatic yes.  Maybe next week or month. I hear the Aspen trees in Aspen are astounding in late September. Go figure.