Vegas to Chicago in a box truck - Part 2

An old trucker's rule,

Run north in the winter.

The northern states are better prepared to care for the roads. In the south they have a saying, "If God put it there, He'll take it away."

But you're right about the Colorado route. Stay away!

The Route 66 deal is good. I don't know about doing ANY of that kind of driving with a box van though.... I used to travel Route 66 way back when it actually WAS the old Route 66. (Does that date me?)

I think it's Google Maps that has a route 66 tour thing. Do you have a laptop and access throughout your trip?

I've driven I-70 many times in all seasons and since it is such an important route east to west, C-DOT ( Colorado Dept of Transportation ) does a really good job at keeping it open. And almost all radio and TV stations will run traffic reports about I-70 if there are any issues.

In winter it is best to plan the mountain drive during daylight hours ( i.e. 10AM to 4PM ) and just skip the night time and Sunday evenings eastbound into Denver ( too many ski bunnies ). Since you can easily get thru the high points, Vail & Eisenhower tunnel, in less than 3 hours, a daylight trip is easy to plan and execute.

HTH
dd

And, as has been noted, we Northern folk know how to clear roads of snow and treat for ice a lot better than they do on Route #2.

Are you still confused as to which way?!! LOL

One thing for certain, no one is recommending the southern route.

Note to kch50428: I'm a transplanted Yankee. Born and raised in the northeast and now living in the south!

But it's the heavy vehicles that won't chain-up that cause most of the accidents and close the interstate.

Are you in any particular hurry?

Check out the sights along each route and go from there.

Sounds like you might like the southern route, along Rt 66. If you alter your route a bit, you can hit part of Kansas then back to Mo. Then you will have traveled Rt 66 in NM, AZ, TX, OK, KN, MO, IL. You can hit Rt 66 in CA before you leave.

http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Texas/route66TX.htm

Take the northern route and you can stop in and visit with kch50428!

I'm not in a particular hurry. But I am going to be making this drive solo. to be honest I am not looking forward to it at all.

I'd like to be be home in 2 days if possible spending the least amount of money on gas. But since I am going to be alone driving the safest route is a big issue as well.

Knowing my luck I'll get caught in the mountains in a storm where nextel has a big hole in there grid.

Take food, blankets, water, two cell phones, and two gps units and you should be fine!

For those spots on I-70 with no cell phone service. They're only about 100 miles or so in length.

dd

If you go Route 66 around mid-Dec please drive on your side.
I will be driving from Kansas City to Flagstaff via
I-35 and I-40 (old Route 66 sections)on the 16, 17th & 18th of December.
No truck for me though !

Don't forget firewood. He'll need it if it gets cold!

I just drove the reverse of most of your route-- ending in AZ.

Travel Vegas to Alburquerque to Denver to Omaha to Des Moines to Chicago.

Avoid Denever by taking the toll road on the east side of Denver, worth the $$$

It will add another 240+ miles to your back-side. I personally like that route from Denver to LA because there is more to see and do along the way if you have the free time. But you know that cuz you've got a GPSr and POI files, duh.

That toll road is called E-470 ( vs. C-470 which runs from the south of Denver to the Rockies ) and it's a great way to get from I-25 to I-70 just south of the airport ( DIA )
dd

AND - they know how to drive in snow. Another big plus!