So here's the story. I'm moving from Montana to South Carolina in a couple of weeks. I'll be driving my '93 Toyota pick-up that has nearly 230,000 miles on it 
. It made it out here last winter from Georgia and has been across Montana several times since, so I'm hoping it's good for at least one taxing adventure. One of my old roommates from college is flying to Denver to meet me and complete the road trip. Has potential to be one of those great adventures we both talk about for the rest of our lives. Here's hoping (and praying)!
Our plan is to leave Denver and head West (yes, West) to Lake Tahoe, where our other roommate from college lives with his wife and half kid (his wife's due in March, I think). We're going to take it slow through Cali, since I've never been there, and see Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks (I majored in parks and recreation in college, and these are of particular interest to me) as well as the Pacific Ocean, which I intend to touch for the first time. We have another friend in Vegas, whose house will be the stop after all of that. From there, we're turning east, perhaps......nay, probably stopping to see the Grand Canyon, and then heading toward Atlanta. From ATL, I'm only a couple of hours south of home, where I'll stay for a few days before heading to Georgetown, SC (the one on the beach) to start my new job.
So, I have a couple of questions for those of you who live on that route or who have traveled it before.
1 - How much snow should I expect to see from Cheyenne, WY, through Salt Lake City and Nevada to Reno on I-80?
2 - I haven't decided on which interstate on which to travel west from Vegas....well Flagstaff after seeing Grand Canyon, I-10 or I-40. I-10 would add some mileage, but I would be sure to stay out of snow. East of El Paso, I'd hit I-20 toward Dallas.
I-40 would be shorter, but I don't know how far south to expect snow through Arizona and New Mexico. 40 goes through Flagstaff and Albuquerque. Either route will eventually bring me to Dallas, where I'll follow I-20 the rest of the way to Georgia. Any input here? I can't decide if seeing Phoenix and El Paso and not having to worry about icy roads is worth the extra mileage.
I had a nightmare of a drive coming out here. I ended up having to drive across the entire state of South Dakota during a blizzard to make it to my pre-service orientation on time. I HATED it. I can put up with a little snow, but less is better, IMO.
Thanks for any input y'all have, fellas.
. It made it out here last winter from Georgia and has been across Montana several times since, so I'm hoping it's good for at least one taxing adventure. One of my old roommates from college is flying to Denver to meet me and complete the road trip. Has potential to be one of those great adventures we both talk about for the rest of our lives. Here's hoping (and praying)!Our plan is to leave Denver and head West (yes, West) to Lake Tahoe, where our other roommate from college lives with his wife and half kid (his wife's due in March, I think). We're going to take it slow through Cali, since I've never been there, and see Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks (I majored in parks and recreation in college, and these are of particular interest to me) as well as the Pacific Ocean, which I intend to touch for the first time. We have another friend in Vegas, whose house will be the stop after all of that. From there, we're turning east, perhaps......nay, probably stopping to see the Grand Canyon, and then heading toward Atlanta. From ATL, I'm only a couple of hours south of home, where I'll stay for a few days before heading to Georgetown, SC (the one on the beach) to start my new job.
So, I have a couple of questions for those of you who live on that route or who have traveled it before.
1 - How much snow should I expect to see from Cheyenne, WY, through Salt Lake City and Nevada to Reno on I-80?
2 - I haven't decided on which interstate on which to travel west from Vegas....well Flagstaff after seeing Grand Canyon, I-10 or I-40. I-10 would add some mileage, but I would be sure to stay out of snow. East of El Paso, I'd hit I-20 toward Dallas.
I-40 would be shorter, but I don't know how far south to expect snow through Arizona and New Mexico. 40 goes through Flagstaff and Albuquerque. Either route will eventually bring me to Dallas, where I'll follow I-20 the rest of the way to Georgia. Any input here? I can't decide if seeing Phoenix and El Paso and not having to worry about icy roads is worth the extra mileage.
I had a nightmare of a drive coming out here. I ended up having to drive across the entire state of South Dakota during a blizzard to make it to my pre-service orientation on time. I HATED it. I can put up with a little snow, but less is better, IMO.
Thanks for any input y'all have, fellas.
Anyway, I'll be well on my way after this trip.
An escort would be fun were it not for all the cold. I don't really need too many more diversions. We're stopping over in Tahoe to ski with a close friend for a day and then in Vegas with another friend. In Cali we're hoping to see Yosemite, Sequoiah, and perhaps Joshua Tree National Parks. We're on a bit of a time line, so we can't add too much more. 
I could play out west for the rest of this year, and I would if I had no responsibilities waiting for me. 
