Hey everyone,
My daughter currently lives in Arkansas and got a great job with Microsoft in Bellevue, Washington. That's great news! Except that we have to get her moved there. Microsoft is covering all moving expenses, which is great, but she still has to drive her car, pets and plants over there this month. Eek!
My wife and I are flying over there on Friday of this week, with plans to start driving on Monday or Tuesday. I've been looking at routes, extended weather forecasts and potential pitfalls. It seems that no route will be without challenge. As of right now, I'm leaning toward heading north and going across on I-90 through Montana.
I was initially looking at a more southerly route, taking I-40 west and then going up I-5 through California and Oregon. That apparently adds about 600 miles to the drive and has its own issues. Flagstaff recently had some pretty big pile-ups and I've been reading about icy conditions along much of I-40. The benefits are that once we reach I-5, we can take coastal routes where needed if the passes are bad (namely, Shasta and the Siskiyous). Obviously, this adds even more time to an already long trip.
I've consulted with a friend in Utah that is familiar with driving in Wyoming and other nearby areas, and it seems that I-90 might be a reasonable route, as long as we are prepared for it.
My wife and I will be renting a 4WD SUV for the trip (we need room for all my daughter's pets and plants), but she will be driving her little Kia.
I'm not very familiar with any of the routes. I've traveled portions of each, but never all at once. Some areas I've never been to at all, so I have no idea what to expect, other than what I read on the internet.
Any advice is appreciated. I think we're going to need all the help we can get.
I've driven from Kentucky to Seattle a couple of times as well as from KY to Las Vegas multiple times. The least potentially dangerous route is that southern route. The amount of snow you would see in Flagstaff is typically negligible compared to going through Colorado or Montana. Of course, 600 miles is a lot of miles. My second choice from Arkansas would be to go up through Kansas City and hit 90 across through South Dakota, Montan, and Idaho. It's a beautiful drive, but from Bozeman on is quite mountainous and can get pretty nasty. I would avoid going through Denver and Southern Wyoming. This time of year, just watch the weather and decide from there. If you see major weather coming your way and feel uncomfortable, dont chance it and wait in lower elevations for the weather to change.?ÿ
They're getting snow in Pierre, SD though it's not deep (as of this morning) but I learned during my time up there that I-90 will actually close due to snow...it makes sense but being from Kansas, and now living in Texas, I don't think about highway closures. Something to keep an eye on and be prepared for if you end up going that way.
Good luck!
I know it will be a LOOOOOT longer, but I 30 from Little Rock to DFW, pick up I 20 (not sure how western TX weather is), to I 10, could stay on I 10, but it backs up through PHX, it meet I 8 between PHX & Tucson and gets you to San Diego, there are AZ state routes that could get you back up to I 10 west of PHX, or just risk the backup in PHX and stay on 10 all the way to LA and pick up 5.
Hope this helps, good luck
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This time of year is really tricky due to changing weather patterns.?ÿ I know that the worse black ice I've ever encountered was along the southern routes through New Mexico and Arizona (I-40, I-25, etc.) during the winter and that was on more than one occasion.?ÿ Something about cold at night and warm enough during the day to melt snow sufficiently.?ÿ If its relatively clear weather wise, you could do I-40 then catch I-15 heading north through Utah.?ÿ I've done 15 many times in the winter and its generally maintained well.?ÿ Then depending on the weather, either head west on 80 to 5 thru Reno/Sacramento or head further north to Idaho and then west from there.?ÿ Good luck and travel safe.?ÿ Sometimes the longer route in distance can be shorter in time due to weather challenges.
kinda following you route I 84 from Ogden, through to Boise and along the Columbia River to I 5, but I hear that section of 84 can get nasty.
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I drove I 15 from Vegas to Sandy last April/May it travelled pretty good, but caught some light snow in the higher elevations.
Google Maps gives three possible routes from Ft. Smith (don't know where you'll be). As of now, the road closures Google shows are in Oregon and Washington on I-90. Who knows what it will be like in a week or so.
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Good luck and stay safe. Our trips from NC to KS were about 20 hours, just one overnight stop and in the summertime. Let's hope for clearing weather and warmer than normal temps.
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I'd suggest I-70 to I-84. I've made the trip in December and the only problem I had was a whiteout at Deadman's Pass in Oregon. Unless there is a major snow event, your interstates will typically be fine.
One thing to keep in mind is the distance between support facilities along the major routes through the less-populated regions.?ÿ I remember driving across Wyoming on I-80 one day and saw far more sheep herders than places to spend money.?ÿ Maybe that has improved in the past 44 years and maybe it hasn't.
Another factor is which corner of Arkansas you are starting from.?ÿ Jonesboro might suggest a route very different from Texarkana or Bentonville.?ÿ In Arkansas, triple whatever the map indicates in straight miles per inch to be somewhere close to true driving distance.
My wife's relatives either come up I-25 after cutting across on I-80 (worst road in Merica), they avoid the Denver metroplex, or make the trip up to I-90 and across SD (my preference). Either way you may encounter some awful weather, then you're in Montana and who knows how that will go for weather this time of year. But reduced to 50mph it will still beat the southerly 600miles extra route.?ÿ
Personally I would avoid I-80, but that's my own prejudice.?ÿ
If I interpret the on-line people search correctly it would be NW Arkansas. Google maps wants to go north to I90.
It might be a little late in the planning stage, you couldn't put the plants and pets in someone's care, for the time being, and just fly out ? Not that the PNW airports haven't been in the weather news.?ÿ Then maybe fly the pets and plants later,?ÿ though I'd never heard of anyone flying a plant on a plane.?ÿ
I just checked weather forecasts in all the cities and passes on both the far north route and the southern/western route. Turns out there will be more weather concerns on the southern/western route during the approximate times we'd be driving through there. Flagstaff, Shasta and the Siskiyous look to be pretty nasty during the days we'd be going through them. Conversely, the northern route is showing clear weather, mostly 30's and 40's, for the entire route, as long as we get there by the following Monday. I think I know which way we are going now but will check again on Sunday night.
Thank you for all the great comments. You all had me checking more routes than I had originally looked at. I definitely crossed out I-80 across Wyoming, based on many comments I've received here and otherwise. I was pretty sure the northern route was going to be the one, as long as the weather looked like it would cooperate. It's looking better and better.
I 2nd the north to I90 then across. If you??re convoying together, it??s easier than the Denver - salt lake area. Be prepared, give yourself plenty of room, lay over if you need to, and you??ll be fine.
