Road recommendations?

[v35322]

Like realjd, I'm planning a road trip across several of the forum regions.

This summer, I'll be driving from Colorado Springs, CO to Azusa, CA. The two possible routes, it seems, are I-70 / I-15 or I-25 / I-40. Does anyone have anything to recommend one route over the other?

[Quillz]

The alignment of I-15 between Barstow and Las Vegas is notoriously crowded, especially during weekends and holidays. But on the other hand, it's probably more direct than taking I-70 and I-40.

Also, do you want to "just get there" or are you planning to make some stops along the way? If so, you might consider the National Trails Highway, which parallels large portions of I-15 and I-40 in California and passes along some historic places, as it used to be part of US-66.

[realjd]

I've always liked the drive along I-70 west of Denver. Just don't try to do it on a Friday afternoon during the winter!

[Alex]

Interstate 70 through Utah is one of the most beautiful stretches of freeway in the country. If you want scenery, that is the way to go.

[v35322]

Based on what I've seen, it looks like the I-70/I-15 route would be about an hour shorter, although I'd be going over the Fourth of July weekend, so ...

Is this a trip that can be done in one day? The times I've seen, depending on various calculations, are anywhere from 15 to 17 hours, but I don't know if that's accurate.

[r-dub]

I've done Colorado Springs to Vegas via 70 and 15 a few times, and it's taken me just under 15 hours to get there. And that's being ... well ... "excessive" on the gas pedal at times.

General rule of thumb from my California friends is to plan for about 24 hours in the car to get there from here. If that's doable for you, then yes, technically, you can make it in a day.

[agentsteel53]

Is this a trip that can be done in one day? The times I've seen, depending on various calculations, are anywhere from 15 to 17 hours, but I don't know if that's accurate.

it can be, but I wouldn't recommend it because there is so much to see.  I once did a similar trip, but with much more of an emphasis on scenery - going essentially Raton NM, Walsenburg CO, Monarch Pass, various state routes to Arches, then I-70 to UT-24 to UT-12 to UT-9 and it was about 22 hours later that I got some sleep briefly in Hurricane, UT and got ready for sunrise at Virgin River Gorge (which is not to be missed on I-15)

I'd say take two days and plenty of two-lane roads.

[thenetwork]

For me, it would be a toss up.  If you take the "southern route", you can pretty much follow old Route 66 all the way to Azuza.  If the "northern route", then you've got a lot of the old US 6 & 50 alignments in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah.  But there seems to be a lot more changes in scenery via the northern route.

[Interstate Trav]

Like realjd, I'm planning a road trip across several of the forum regions.

This summer, I'll be driving from Colorado Springs, CO to Azusa, CA. The two possible routes, it seems, are I-70 / I-15 or I-25 / I-40. Does anyone have anything to recommend one route over the other?

I personally would say the I-70 to I-15.  more exciting cities, and more scenery, I-70 west of Denver is a beautiful drive, and I-15 driving into Las Vegas is a really cool sight, (if you can drive into Las Vegas at night).  but the 15 south of Las Vegas will be very crowded especially on a holiday weekend.

[agentsteel53]

south of Vegas, you may consider US-95, which is significantly less traveled.  Take that to 40?  of course, you'll run into 15 again at Barstow; kinda hard to avoid the Cajon Pass.

[Quillz]

Another way to go is US-95 south to Blythe, where you head west onto I-10 and then eventually west on CA-210/I-210, which passes right through Azusa.