Road Trip! (NJ / Las Vegas)

 

Hey all, i know this isn't very gps related but i need advice on travelling as im sure many of you have differing opinion. I'm going from Southern NJ to Las Vegas in a mini van. Yes i know it is a long ride...Ive traveled cross continental before and am very familiar with the interstates my 3 options for getting to Vegas are I-40, 70, and 80. All are doable and im not really considered about miles as long as its not more then 200 miles longer etc. I'm looking for some input as to which route is a better way to go about and which route has more attractions and i safer? All input is appreciated- Thanks!

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Nicpfeif12 Garmin Nuvi 5000 =)/ Winnebago 24f Minnie/ PHILLIES 07 NL east champps/ Philidelphia PHILLIES 2008 World Champss/ PHILLIES 09 NL CHAMPS/ 2010 NL EAST CHAMPIONS

All Beautiful

I've traveled all 3 routes, both directions, and there are unique things about each. I-70 is probably the most boring when you hit Kansas -- there are 424 miles of lots of fields -- it is unique in its own way.

On one trip, we took I-40 to Kingman, AZ, and then took 93 up across Hoover Dam to Vegas -- that was a really nice drive. They have since opened the new bridge, which by-passes the dam, though.

Enjoy the trip!

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Garmin Nuvi 1690

I-70

Depending on time of the year I-70 through Colorado can be unpredictable, we ran into a mini blizzard and ice storm on May 3rd one year. Also there are lots of mountain grades, Lincoln tunnel is at 11,000 feet. Makes for nice scenery but of the three routes probably the worst on your gas mileage. Not to scare anyone but there has been deaths from rock slides on that stretch of I-70.

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Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

My preference

My preference after 10-12 coast to coast trips in a custom van would be I-40 !

Routes further North all seem to have heavier traffic !

I agree, I-70 thru Kansas and East. Co. is booooorrrring !

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MrKenFL- "Money can't buy you happiness .. But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery." NUVI 260, Nuvi 1490LMT & Nuvi 2595LMT all with 2014.4 maps !

my suggestion is take two

I would look into taking two routes. One westbound, the other eastbound. You don't state what time of year you are planning as that will make a difference. From now up to early to mid October, any of the routes will do, though there would be some concern about storms in the higher elevations toward the latter part of this window.

The easiest path across the Rockies is on I-40. Great scenery punctuated with wide vistas of nothingness. I-70 is a great ride, at least the western half from Las Vegas to Denver. After Denver until the St. Louis area it's as other have stated, lots of fields. The eastern portion isn't as congested as the eastern half of I-80 until you near Pennsylvania.

I-80 truly touches the "heartland" with the eastern half being busy and congested as you pass many large cities. Between Iowa and California will be miles and miles of open land but again that's a beauty in it's own right.

I would pick up Bobkz's Roadside attractions POI and set it as a tourguide with a couple mile radius. Lots of stuff to see along the road. A copy of Roadside America would keep the co-pilot engaged looking through entries and commenting on things popping up from the POI.

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Illiterate? Write for free help.

follow up

Having nothing better to do this morning while having my coffee, plus I like to play with maps. I fired up Streets & Trips and got the following. Not knowing where you live I picked starting from Clinton, NJ.

It picked as a default route I-80 to I-76 to Denver, to I-15 to Vegas. Miles 2503.7

I forced it to stay on I-80 to Salt Lake to I-15 to Vegas. Miles 2566.3 Kind of surprised me because on the map it looks much longer.

Finally I forced it to use I-40. It routed from Clinton, NJ to Columbus, OH to St. Louis to Oklahoma City to Hwy 93 to Vegas. Miles 2645.6

I favor I-40 myself because I like going through NM and AZ

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Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

A way

Pick up I-81 at Harrisburg. Drive through Virginia to Knoxville TN. Then on I-40, pass through Nashville, Memphis & Little Rock. After Oklahoma City, consider stopping off at a few towns that were located right on Route 66. These are along I-40, all the way to Kingman AZ
There are several good books about old Route 66. I have one by Drew Knowles. Lots of good stuff.

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1490LMT 1450LMT 295w

True, but...

Lube-Guy wrote:

On one trip, we took I-40 to Kingman, AZ, and then took 93 up across Hoover Dam to Vegas -- that was a really nice drive. They have since opened the new bridge, which by-passes the dam, though.

That is true, but you can still visit the dam from the Nevada side. You just can't drive across the road that is on top of the dam itself anymore.

You also can't see the dam from the new highway. They did that on purpose so drivers wouldn't be distracted.

Viewing Dam

Felix Krull wrote:

That is true, but you can still visit the dam from the Nevada side. You just can't drive across the road that is on top of the dam itself anymore.

You also can't see the dam from the new highway. They did that on purpose so drivers wouldn't be distracted.

I thought they did that so they could force tourism into the dam viewing area.... How cynical of me! smile

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Garmin Nuvi 1690

I-70 does get closd sometimes

Don B wrote:

Depending on time of the year I-70 through Colorado can be unpredictable, we ran into a mini blizzard and ice storm on May 3rd one year. Also there are lots of mountain grades, Lincoln tunnel is at 11,000 feet. Makes for nice scenery but of the three routes probably the worst on your gas mileage. Not to scare anyone but there has been deaths from rock slides on that stretch of I-70.

Last March we were returning from SF, and were trying to decide which route to take. We had taken I-40 out there, due to being so early in the year, and wanted to go back a different way. We planned on taking I-80 to Salt Lake City and then drop down to I-70 east. But, while enroute, I-70 was closed in western Colorado due to a blizzard. So, we stayed on I-80 and had a beautiful trip. No closed roads all the way back. You just never know.... smile

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Garmin Nuvi 1690