Vancouver > Albuquerque (but afraid of mtns!) (work, price)

[slazin]

I usually fly to Albuquerque or Phoenix from Vancouver, as I love the Southwest, and used to live there. I can drive in deserts forever, but I get true panic attacks when I drive on windy mountain roads -- even the I5 over the Siskiyous between CA and OR gets me white-knuckling. It's the edge of freeways where you are barrelling down steep declines, and there's only that metal railing between you and mile-deep chasms, and semis beating down on you from behind , and . . . you get the picture.

I'm thinking of driving to Albuquerque in July, if I can find a way that skirts the highest Rockies passes as much as possible, aside from just heading down to San Diego and then across. Is there a way through eastern OR or WA that would work? Or am I and my phobia condemned to always flying?

[abqsunport]

You might be condemned to flying or taking an extremely long route. Sorry...

[AndyJ]

Originally Posted by slazin

I'm thinking of driving to Albuquerque in July, if I can find a way that skirts the highest Rockies passes as much as possible, aside from just heading down to San Diego and then across. Is there a way through eastern OR or WA that would work? Or am I and my phobia condemned to always flying?

I've driven to Seattle from ABQ several times - eastern parts in WA/OR are relatively flat. However, you must cross the Cascades, then a range whose name escapes me that is just east of Pendleton, OR, and finally the Wasatch Range in Utah (did that in a manual once - yikes). I'm afraid flying would be your best alternative.

[GregW]

You could try driving across the Trans Canada and south through the Great Plains but there would still be the Rocky Mountains to cross. Fly direct to Albuquerque. Besides with current gas prices the airplane may be less expensive.

We love to drive mountain roads and generally find the guardrails impede the view. Our favorites are the 1 1/2 lane dirt roads like NM 152 to Mogollon or the Bear notch road in New Hampshire.

[ABQConvict]

There are some great mountain roads in New Mexico that are unpaved, 1.5 lanes wide, no fence or barrier of any kind and truly fatal drop-offs. Then you hear a diesel Ford F-350 barreling around the bend and one of you has to back the car up to the nearest widening of the road (just a few cubic meters of dirt scooped out of the mountainside at least 200 yards back) and it aint the feller in the F-350.

That's how you find the nice places.

ABQConvict