best route to colorado from nc

Bumpyroad wrote:

edm3rd wrote:
The Plains are the Plains. IMO, little difference crossing TX,OK,KS,NE,SD, or ND. If not because of scenery, what is your wife's objection to Kansas? Old outstanding warrant?

yep, western Kansas is just as beautiful as western Nebraska or western Oklahoma. ;)
bumpy

Or the eastern half of Colorado. From Oklahoma, I usually go up into Kansas as quickly as possible, going to Colorado. The roads in Kansas are SO much better maintained.

Staying on Interstates, avoiding Kansas, would be I-40 to I-25, then north to Denver. That keeps you in urban areas as much as is possible in the sparsely populated Great Plains, and helps you avoid most of the interesting places along the way that might slow down your travel.

2gypsies wrote:

brirene wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:


I would NOT recommend going on I-80 on the south side of chicago.prolemmaticprolemmatic
bumpy

Although this used to be very problematic, its kind of a misconception these days. The entire route from Indiana through the south metro area has been updated over the past several years and is rarely a problem anymore, unless you choose to go through during early am or late pm on weekdays. Most other times traffic moves pretty well, assuming no construction or accidents.Sunday afternoons can also be difficult heading into Chicago.

LOL!!! Just kidding with you, Brirene.....So...don't take I-80:

- early am
- late pm
- when no construction (ha)
- no accidents (ha)
- Sunday afternoons

Otherwise, I-80 is a breeze. (ha)

forgot, -if there is rain
- if there is fog.
etc.
bumpy

brirene wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:


I would NOT recommend going on I-80 on the south side of chicago.prolemmaticprolemmatic
bumpy

Although this used to be very problematic, its kind of a misconception these days. The entire route from Indiana through the south metro area has been updated over the past several years and is rarely a problem anymore, unless you choose to go through during early am or late pm on weekdays. Most other times traffic moves pretty well, assuming no construction or accidents.Sunday afternoons can also be difficult heading into Chicago.

LOL!!! Just kidding with you, Brirene.....So...don't take I-80:

- early am
- late pm
- when no construction (ha)
- no accidents (ha)
- Sunday afternoons

Otherwise, I-80 is a breeze. (ha)

Bumpyroad wrote:


I would NOT recommend going on I-80 on the south side of chicago.
bumpy

Although this used to be very problematic, its kind of a misconception these days. The entire route from Indiana through the south metro area has been updated over the past several years and is rarely a problem anymore, unless you choose to go through during early am or late pm on weekdays. Most other times traffic moves pretty well, assuming no construction or accidents.Sunday afternoons can also be difficult heading into Chicago.

narcodog wrote:
To bypass KA you could go south on 75 or 85 pick up I10 then go west to New Mexico and north to Denver.

Or you could go north on 75 to Chicago then west on 80 to WY then south to Denver.
I find KA and Neb just as nice as any other states. Now if she has outstanding warrants I understand her reluctance to travel in KA.

75 goes a little bit East whereas 74 and 65 go more directly to Chicago but I would NOT recommend going on I-80 on the south side of chicago.
bumpy

To bypass KA you could go south on 75 or 85 pick up I10 then go west to New Mexico and north to Denver.

Or you could go north on 75 to Chicago then west on 80 to WY then south to Denver.
I find KA and Neb just as nice as any other states. Now if she has outstanding warrants I understand her reluctance to travel in KA.

Danford50 wrote:
My wife made a suggestion that she want to go to Colorado(Denver area) to camp but then she said that she did not want to go thru Kansas so I am looking for some directions THAT WOULD By-pass Kansas I check with MapQuest and all it showed me was going thru Kansas.

Fields are fields, no matter which state they are in, but if you need to miss Kansas, Oklahoma is the logical choice. we have found that once you are on the western side of the Mississippi River the roads other than the Interstates are just as fast and a lot less crowded, sure you have to go through a few towns but IMHO that is the beauty of traveling in the RV.

I suspect if you talk this through a little bit see will understand that that last 600 miles to Denver is a test no matter which state you are in and that the only way to make it pleasant is to make it short as possible. That leads me to the suggestion of taking I-70 to St Louis and then head up to Hannibal to catch Rt 36 across the top of the state to Boulder/Denver, Colorado. Easy drive and as friendly as any we have found across this section of the US.

How ever you decide the biggest decisions are yet to come -- we, as many others, have found that Colorado has just soooo..... Much to offer it will take a life time to see it all.

BOL,

edm3rd wrote:
what is your wife's objection to Kansas? Old outstanding warrant?

Thelma and Louise.

Get out a road atlas and pick your own route via secondary roads if you have the time. There are many ways of getting to Colorado and by taking secondary routes and getting away for interstates you see a lot more and yes, you'd even find some neat things in Kansas. You choose which one YOU want to go. Also, there are many gorgeous areas other than Denver metro...just a suggestion. :)

Avoiding Kansas, whatever the reason may be, I-40 across TN, AR, OK, and TX to Amarillo, then north on US 87 to I-25 at Raton, NM, then north on I-25 to Denver would be the next most direct route.
US 87 is a good highway, some 2 lane but much of it is 4 lane, and little traffic.