Road Trip next week!

[A.J.]

Taking a run out to CA. from IN. next week.
Running out I-80, IN,IL,IA,NE,WY,UT,NV,CA.
Giving myself 3 days out, 3 days in.
Any places you would recommend I stop to site see between here and there that are not far off I-80 and wont take up a lot of time.
I have a total of 10 days this trip.

[bushpilot]

I guess for fun -

Iowa 80 Truckstop - World's Largest Truckstop!

Maybe run i80 out & i40 back...the difference isnt even 50 miles (using indianapolis as the start/end point).

i40 brings you right thru flagstaff, where id overnight and then take a day & a half to drive around Sedona & The Grand Canyon.

[bushpilot]

I'm thinking id rather come in & go out from the southern side....avoid all that traffic from Sacramento into SJC.

the i40 route has got to be flatter than the i80 run - at least from ABQ east.

[Bob86ZZ4]

I'm thinking you're trying to go too far on too little time. I took almost three weeks to do MN to California and that could have easily been longer. Maybe I'm too old. Maybe you should do the I80 truck stop, then on to Yellowstone. Then back home?

[Bob86ZZ4]

Do a northern route on the way back across I90 and see Mount Rushmore and the Badlands.

[Bob86ZZ4]

Don, do you never sleep? You're always posting during the sleeping hours.

[hot rod]

I've done I-70 and I-40 routes. I-70 is really beautiful through Colorado and Utah but be prepared for plenty of grades in the mountains. Plus you get to stop in Las Vegas going that way! You can also cut through Death Valley going into CA. I-40 is much flatter for a big truck, you still hit some pretty high elevations, Flagstaff is 7000', but nothing too bad. Be sure to stop at the meteor crater going that way. I can't help you with CA, went there once, you can keep it. Hated the traffic.

I would agree you are not allowing enough travel days. In my experience towing, I average 55 mph on long hauls, and that takes into account gas stops, reasonable lunch stops, etc., but you gotta keep your butt in the seat and rolling or you won't even average that much. Indy to San Jose is 2300 miles which would be 42 hours driving each way. That makes 14 hour driving days with no extra stops. That's pretty ambitious unless you drive for a living or are 25 and live on energy drinks. Our longest haul towing was Ohio to Las Vegas in 36 hours drive time switching drivers every 4 hours and keeping it on the wood. And that was when we were 30 and lived on mountain dew. That's about the same distance as you are going, and that would be 12 hours a day and like I said, we had it on the wood and no scenic stops.

Good luck and enjoy!

[bushpilot]

Originally Posted by Bob86ZZ4

Don, do you never sleep? You're always posting during the sleeping hours.

Sleep....that must be for retirees