I am from NM and was stationed for 4 yrs near Baltimore. Basically I had a northern route and a southern route I used quarterly to get home. I-70/25 and I-40/81 both had attractions and negatives but very little difference in time. The I-40/81 route is a little more rural in the east but both routes have big cities and long stretches without any towns. Attractions are different for every one and in those days I was all for honky tonks. Today I look for fishing spots. I still enjoy hooking up and I was always an advocate for catch and release. Lots of good angling in Arkansas and Tennessee. Had a few good catches in St Louis, Indianapolis, and Columbus too. :)