Texas to Nebraska trip question

[ebuchanan]

I might eventually have to do a different kind of trip than usual. I am thinking about going to Dallas to Northern California via Nebraska. I have done I80 across a lot of the country. Has anyone ever gone from north Texas on US281 to I80 in Nebraska? I wonder if part of it might be a bit slow in places by what I see on the map book I have. I could do US81 where possible from Texas then take I35 and I135 where US81 is with the freeway. Then I would take I80 West to California. I think the most likely is that I would just take I35 out of Dallas to I135. Then US81 to I80 West. I was on US81 in Nebraska years ago.
Are there any speed traps or bad neighborhoods on these three ideas? Basically I am trying to go home from Dallas via a north south route to Nebraska then get back home on I80 West. In other words I do not want to go home to California via Barstow this time. Also I have not taken two lane roads for several hundreds of miles either. It is a long way from Texas to Nebraska like that.
Thank you!

[kphoger]

I've only done the I-35/I-135/US-81 route (not all at the same time, but all of them within the last few years).  The roads are great, and US-81 is four lanes all the way up to York.  The only thing I'll say is that the speed drops to 55 at several of the small towns/junctions in Nebraska, and that you would do well to heed those speed drops.  Other than that, it's a fine route.

I've never done the US-281 option, but I imagine it would be much slower.

[ebuchanan]

I've only done the I-35/I-135/US-81 route (not all at the same time, but all of them within the last few years).  The roads are great, and US-81 is four lanes all the way up to York.  The only thing I'll say is that the speed drops to 55 at several of the small towns/junctions in Nebraska, and that you would do well to heed those speed drops.  Other than that, it's a fine route.

I've never done the US-281 option, but I imagine it would be much slower.

Thank you! That is probably the way I will go if I do this trip.