Storm-Chaser
New Member
Having driven to the West coast (from locations east of the Mississippi) six times now, as well as several trips to Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, and Vegas (relatives, vacations, and other conventions) - I've driven each of the major Interstate routes to/from the West coast (I-10/I-20/I-40/I-70/I-80/I-90). Of the three primary routes for most here (I-70/I-80/I-90 east of the Rockies), each offers unique features and stop-over points that may be "once-in-a-lifetime" places for many (Mount Evans, YellowStone NP, the Great Salt Lake, Devil's Tower, Glacier NP, Mount St. Helens, to name a few).
Oh, and let's not forget those "must see" stops through Kansas, like the "Worlds Largest Prairie Dog Town", or "World's largest rattlesnake ranch" -which we found were good for, . . . .
. . . . restroom breaks :laugh_ti:
So, save your
money . . . .
But really, this is one trip where if you can get a few extra days off to travel to/from the convention (and can still afford the gas!), you will find it is well worth the time spent - even if you have to ride shotgun with someone to split travel expenses.
Now to the considerations.
First and foremost is the cost - I've found that gas is least expensive in Denver Colorado, Salt Lake City Utah, Cheyenne and Gillette Wyoming, and Rapid City South Dakota. Gas prices begin to climb once you head west beyond these areas. Boise Idaho is one of the last "less-expensive" areas for gas before passing into Oregon and Washington. I'll work-up a thread for tracking gas prices - as variations in the cost of gas from one state to the next can make a difference (ask the guys in California).
Second is the terrain. Those that are towing I would recommend avoid the I-70 route. The elevation passing through Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel is 11,155' with significant grades through the Breckenridge/Vail ski areas west of Denver (6-8 percent grades in some areas). And once you're west of there, you will be dealing with high elevation desert conditions all the way into Idaho, and again through much of eastern Oregon.
I-80 through Wyoming offers the least agressive grades for towing through the eastern and central Rockies. Additionally, much of the relatively flat terrain (with much emphasis on 'relatively') through Wyoming is in the 6000'-to-7500' range, which I found was great for gas mileage. I went 603 miles through Wyoming to the western state border on one tank of gas!
I-90 through Montana, Idaho, and Washington the least-hottest route if you have a vehicle prone to overheating. It is the most scenic route, and the grades and pass elevations are not as agressive/high as the I-70 route west of Denver.
Third are the hazards along the routes. Of the three routes, I would least prefer to breakdown west of Eagle Colorado (I-70). It's hot desert conditions with long distances between exits until you enter the valley that leads north into Salt Lake City (I-15). Gas-up in Aurora Colorado, just south of Denver's International Airport. North of Salt Lake City, there is an ever-present problem with deer-collisions along I-84 going north out of SLC, into southern Idaho. Over the last 15 years the explosion of irrigated desert farming has created a narrow vegetation corridor with water (irrigation canals), along long stretches of this route. This has the effect of drawing deer down from the nearby mountain ranges. I recall some stretches of I-84 in Utah, with more than 1 dead deer per mile of interstate. The I-80 route joins the I-70 route once north of SLC. I've found the I-90 route to be the safest - largely non-desert, cooler, fewer vehicle-animal collisions.
As far as the scenic appeal of the three routes, the I-70 and I-90 offer the most beautiful drives, depending on what you're looking to see. If it is the mountains, while I-70 offers some breath-taking views - especially where the Colorado River parallels I-70 - the extent and amount of winding mountain driving along I-90 dwarfs the short stretch from west of Denver to west of Vail Colorado. Along I-90, the mountane stretchs reach from near Bozeman Montana into Washington (west of Spokane), and then again starting east of Seattle.
If you're looking to see some of the high-desert rock formations, then I-70 west of Vail to I-15 is your route.
The Sturgis motorcycle event is August 4th through 10th. So with the convention being an "early" third weekend in July, we will likely see some of the early large packs of Harleys that will be cruising to Sturgis along I-90. It is quite the site to have a group of 100+ Harleys come cruising-up when you're already running 75-80mph . . . . and blow-by like you're standing still . . . . Not to mention, you can make great time if you can afford to keep-up with the pack . . . !
Oh, and let's not forget those "must see" stops through Kansas, like the "Worlds Largest Prairie Dog Town", or "World's largest rattlesnake ranch" -which we found were good for, . . . .
. . . . restroom breaks :laugh_ti:
So, save your
money . . . .But really, this is one trip where if you can get a few extra days off to travel to/from the convention (and can still afford the gas!), you will find it is well worth the time spent - even if you have to ride shotgun with someone to split travel expenses.
Now to the considerations.
First and foremost is the cost - I've found that gas is least expensive in Denver Colorado, Salt Lake City Utah, Cheyenne and Gillette Wyoming, and Rapid City South Dakota. Gas prices begin to climb once you head west beyond these areas. Boise Idaho is one of the last "less-expensive" areas for gas before passing into Oregon and Washington. I'll work-up a thread for tracking gas prices - as variations in the cost of gas from one state to the next can make a difference (ask the guys in California).
Second is the terrain. Those that are towing I would recommend avoid the I-70 route. The elevation passing through Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel is 11,155' with significant grades through the Breckenridge/Vail ski areas west of Denver (6-8 percent grades in some areas). And once you're west of there, you will be dealing with high elevation desert conditions all the way into Idaho, and again through much of eastern Oregon.
I-80 through Wyoming offers the least agressive grades for towing through the eastern and central Rockies. Additionally, much of the relatively flat terrain (with much emphasis on 'relatively') through Wyoming is in the 6000'-to-7500' range, which I found was great for gas mileage. I went 603 miles through Wyoming to the western state border on one tank of gas!
I-90 through Montana, Idaho, and Washington the least-hottest route if you have a vehicle prone to overheating. It is the most scenic route, and the grades and pass elevations are not as agressive/high as the I-70 route west of Denver.
Third are the hazards along the routes. Of the three routes, I would least prefer to breakdown west of Eagle Colorado (I-70). It's hot desert conditions with long distances between exits until you enter the valley that leads north into Salt Lake City (I-15). Gas-up in Aurora Colorado, just south of Denver's International Airport. North of Salt Lake City, there is an ever-present problem with deer-collisions along I-84 going north out of SLC, into southern Idaho. Over the last 15 years the explosion of irrigated desert farming has created a narrow vegetation corridor with water (irrigation canals), along long stretches of this route. This has the effect of drawing deer down from the nearby mountain ranges. I recall some stretches of I-84 in Utah, with more than 1 dead deer per mile of interstate. The I-80 route joins the I-70 route once north of SLC. I've found the I-90 route to be the safest - largely non-desert, cooler, fewer vehicle-animal collisions.
As far as the scenic appeal of the three routes, the I-70 and I-90 offer the most beautiful drives, depending on what you're looking to see. If it is the mountains, while I-70 offers some breath-taking views - especially where the Colorado River parallels I-70 - the extent and amount of winding mountain driving along I-90 dwarfs the short stretch from west of Denver to west of Vail Colorado. Along I-90, the mountane stretchs reach from near Bozeman Montana into Washington (west of Spokane), and then again starting east of Seattle.
If you're looking to see some of the high-desert rock formations, then I-70 west of Vail to I-15 is your route.
The Sturgis motorcycle event is August 4th through 10th. So with the convention being an "early" third weekend in July, we will likely see some of the early large packs of Harleys that will be cruising to Sturgis along I-90. It is quite the site to have a group of 100+ Harleys come cruising-up when you're already running 75-80mph . . . . and blow-by like you're standing still . . . . Not to mention, you can make great time if you can afford to keep-up with the pack . . . !
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