Interstate 80

DownTheAvenue wrote:

Marine By Choice wrote:
In Iowa super unleaded is $.30 cheaper than regular!!!

I think that is because super unleaded is ethanol "enhanced" and regular is pure gasoline.

Exactly right. Been that way forever. It IS cheaper, but your mpg will also be less.

Marine By Choice wrote:
In Iowa super unleaded is $.30 cheaper than regular!!!

I think that is because super unleaded is ethanol "enhanced" and regular is pure gasoline.

msmith1199 wrote:

Oh!!! Did not even notice the date. Just popped up and I thought it was something new. I usually don't fall for that!

Trust me it only gets worse as you get older. :B

It was still good information for others that might be contemplating driving that route.

BobGed wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
I did it last year and it's fine. Just remember you are getting into fall so the weather may be an issue. How long before you leave? If it's this week you should be fine, but snows have been known to start in October in the Sierra. I don't have any experience in the Rockies this time of year but I would think snow is possible.

I think trip has been done and the OP is back home safe and sound. ;)

Oh!!! Did not even notice the date. Just popped up and I thought it was something new. I usually don't fall for that!

GHOST1750 wrote: "Getting ready to head (east?) for Illinois on Interstate 80."

What is your most westerly departure point?

The visitor centers (rest areas) along I80 in Wyoming are very nice but busy. You can spend the night there in a pinch if the weather goes bad. Get the free Wyoming Visitor map at the visitor center in Evanston. There's lots of things to see close to the highway. There aren't a lot of big towns from Evanston to Laramie, but its far from being in the middle of nowhere. Fort Bridger was interesting if you/your wife like old (mid 1800's) military encampments.

There's a free/donation RV dump/fill station at the main Visitor Center in Evanston. Nice water. NOP there.

Chum lee

(never mind, date of original post 7-01-15)

msmith1199 wrote:
I did it last year and it's fine. Just remember you are getting into fall so the weather may be an issue. How long before you leave? If it's this week you should be fine, but snows have been known to start in October in the Sierra. I don't have any experience in the Rockies this time of year but I would think snow is possible.

I think trip has been done and the OP is back home safe and sound. ;)

I did it last year and it's fine. Just remember you are getting into fall so the weather may be an issue. How long before you leave? If it's this week you should be fine, but snows have been known to start in October in the Sierra. I don't have any experience in the Rockies this time of year but I would think snow is possible.

I80 was beautiful, roads smooth and no wind to speak of. Would do it again at the right time of year. We returned by I 40.

I drive I80 every 2-3 years as I buy diesel cars and occasionally motorhomes on east coast and drive them to California.
In short IT IS BORING
I stop at Little America for internet connection and 99 cents ice cream cones, but not much more.
In Nebraska there is huge overpass that makes agricultural museum, but it is open on weekends only and I never found the door open.
One time taking wife with me have visited John Deere museum. A bit annoying as the first sign said "turn out here" than 1 mile later next sign says "3 miles and then right" then next sign....
Funny to learn John Deere was a blacksmith and died 50 years before tractor got invented.

From where to where?

I sometimes use I-80 from Des Moines to Chicago, Angola or Toledo if I'll be going through at the right time of day. I use I-40 west into Arizona, east into Tennessee or North Carolina, but those are different destinations than my I-80 destinations.

City and town frequency depends on where you are. 50+ miles in the desrt west and across Wyoming or New Mexico, 20-30 miles apart on the southern plains or through the corn belt, closer than 20 miles east of the Mississippi.

The RV parks I've stayed in along I-80 have been adequate. My wife preferred KOAs and Good Sam affiliates, and they've all been what we expect from a KOA, whether the park was franchised or not.

East from Utah, I-70 becomes a third option, headed ultimately for Baltimore through places like Denver, Kansas City, St Louis, Indianapolis and Columbus. You can join I-70 by following US-50 out of Reno (that is some pretty empty road) or taking I-80 to Salt Lake City and going south to connect. From the west side of the Rockies to the Midwest, I find I-70 the more interesting route, as it crosses the mountains through more scenic places.