Denver to Davenport - I-76 and I-80 ?? Alternatives????

Busskipper wrote:

Thom02099 wrote:

Busskipper wrote:
Brother is heading out of Denver this week (After the snow) to Davenport last time I was on 76 and 80 swore I would never take that route again - well I haven't and now I need to recommend and alternate route other than Rt 36 through Kansas.

Any help?? I'm Thinking Thom might have a couple good routes?

Thanks In Advance,

Well, if you're lookng for a "mosey" type of route (which I know you like to do, Bill!), then I've got a potential route. I'd suggest taking I-70 east to Byers then getting on US 34 across the Outback, to the junction with US 385, then north to US 34 at Wray. Avoids I-76 completely (which was rough the last time I was EB on it).


Take US 34 east in Nebraska and join up with US 6 west of McCook, then continue on US 34/6 to Hastings. Here, I'd stay on US 6 rather than on US 34, and US 6 to Lincoln.

In Lincoln I'd take SH 2 east across the Missouri River and then either stay on SH 2 (same number in Iowa as Nebraska), or head up to US 34 again to take east. Both end up at the Great River Road, and I'd take that north to Davenport (or take US 61 north)

CAVEAT: I've NOT taken this all the way across, only done portions of it. It is, however, the charted course (except taking US 34 from Loveland all the way across the Outback to Nebraska) that I plan to take on my next trip east to Indiana in June.

I'll send these directions directly to him - this sounds like he will love it.

Thanks,

Hey Bill,

I had fat fingers syndrome and there's a typo. That should read US 36 from Byers, not US 34! The rest is still the same. Presumably you figured out what I meant, just wanted to correct the error! D'oh!

Thom02099 wrote:

Busskipper wrote:
Brother is heading out of Denver this week (After the snow) to Davenport last time I was on 76 and 80 swore I would never take that route again - well I haven't and now I need to recommend and alternate route other than Rt 36 through Kansas.

Any help?? I'm Thinking Thom might have a couple good routes?

Thanks In Advance,

Well, if you're lookng for a "mosey" type of route (which I know you like to do, Bill!), then I've got a potential route. I'd suggest taking I-70 east to Byers then getting on US 34 across the Outback, to the junction with US 385, then north to US 34 at Wray. Avoids I-76 completely (which was rough the last time I was EB on it).


Take US 34 east in Nebraska and join up with US 6 west of McCook, then continue on US 34/6 to Hastings. Here, I'd stay on US 6 rather than on US 34, and US 6 to Lincoln.

In Lincoln I'd take SH 2 east across the Missouri River and then either stay on SH 2 (same number in Iowa as Nebraska), or head up to US 34 again to take east. Both end up at the Great River Road, and I'd take that north to Davenport (or take US 61 north)

CAVEAT: I've NOT taken this all the way across, only done portions of it. It is, however, the charted course (except taking US 34 from Loveland all the way across the Outback to Nebraska) that I plan to take on my next trip east to Indiana in June.

I'll send these directions directly to him - this sounds like he will love it.

Thanks,

Busskipper wrote:
Brother is heading out of Denver this week (After the snow) to Davenport last time I was on 76 and 80 swore I would never take that route again - well I haven't and now I need to recommend and alternate route other than Rt 36 through Kansas.

Any help?? I'm Thinking Thom might have a couple good routes?

Thanks In Advance,

Well, if you're lookng for a "mosey" type of route (which I know you like to do, Bill!), then I've got a potential route. I'd suggest taking I-70 east to Byers then getting on US 34 across the Outback, to the junction with US 385, then north to US 34 at Wray. Avoids I-76 completely (which was rough the last time I was EB on it).

Take US 34 east in Nebraska and join up with US 6 west of McCook, then continue on US 34/6 to Hastings. Here, I'd stay on US 6 rather than on US 34, and US 6 to Lincoln.

In Lincoln I'd take SH 2 east across the Missouri River and then either stay on SH 2 (same number in Iowa as Nebraska), or head up to US 34 again to take east. Both end up at the Great River Road, and I'd take that north to Davenport (or take US 61 north)

CAVEAT: I've NOT taken this all the way across, only done portions of it. It is, however, the charted course (except taking US 34 from Loveland all the way across the Outback to Nebraska) that I plan to take on my next trip east to Indiana in June.

Here are the options according to Google Maps:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Denver,+CO/Davenport,+IA/@39.9376373,-106.8375365,5z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x876b80aa231f17cf:0x118ef4f8278a36d6!2m2!1d-104.990251!2d39.7392358!1m5!1m1!1s0x87e234c5e012a2f1:0xe8ea1f6356581fb0!2m2!1d-90.5776367!2d41.5236437

Being an old anhydrous ammonia hauler from the Eastern plains of CO, Western NE & KS, from the Parker CO area you could make most of the trip on gravel roads. Assuming you like driving on sandpaper. Who knows, you might meet somebody!

4runnerguy wrote:
Parts of US 36 through Kansas are so straight, one could tie a rope around the steering wheel, set the cruise, and forget about the driving! ;)

Rt 36 "One Eye on the road One Finger on the Wheel" just a pleasure vs the I's.

OK, how about US 34 across NE. Definitely not as fast as I-80 as you have to slow for every town. Stop at Pioneer Village for the night, taking some time to see the museum. Never camped there, but the museum does give good insight to life on the plains.

There's also a small CG in McCook right off the highway. Run by the city. No fee, donation requested. Flush toilets, 30/50 amp, showers. Not bad for the price, but only seven sites, three day limit.

Google Maps does show it's only a two hour flight from Denver to Davenport! Just look down at it instead of a ground level view.

"Parts of US 36 through Kansas are so straight..." And boring and the fact that you have to drive through...Kansas... Eventually you will hit the toll road that will not die... I lived there for 15 years and thank the Gods for the past tense daily...

I mean you are going to Davenport. Getting there as fast as possible with as little stress as possible would seem to be the priority. I-80 can be like death race 2000 sometimes with bumper to bumper at 80 miles per hour and half of it OTR trucks and those places where the wind threatens to pick up your vehicle and throw it across a field.

I-70 used to have considerably less traffic, but it was 5 MPH slower for most people. I heard they upped the MPH on it a few years ago so don't know but it was less stressful. It's all boring across 90, 80 or 70. Of course living in western MT is probably coloring my statements.

Parts of US 36 through Kansas are so straight, one could tie a rope around the steering wheel, set the cruise, and forget about the driving! ;)