Advice needed on route from Farmington, NM, to Denver (Colorado Springs: hotel, home)

[Bootser]

We'll be driving from Missouri to Farmington, NM, (passing through Texas) to visit family this summer, and plan to drive up to Denver before heading home via Kansas. I hate heights and drop-offs, and get motion sickness pretty bad on twisty roads. What might be the least problematic for me, I think, is to take US 64 E to Walsenburg, Co, then 1-25 North to Denver (this is the route).

I'm still a bit worried, as the road before I get on I-25 looks plenty curvy, and I have no idea how it is regarding mountain passes and areas where you're feeling at the edge of a high cliff. How bad would this road be for me? Will I go over any scary mountain passes? Is there a route that would be less problematic for me?

[NW Crow]

Highway 17 has two 10,000 foot passes. Hwy 160 just before it joins I-25 has two 9,000 foot passes. You might be bothered by the area near the first two based on what you said. The latter two wouldn't worry as much for most. A main alternative may be to take 550 thru low country to Albuquerque to get on I-25. Will you be taking that to get to Farmington? Adds 140 miles to your Denver trip but you can drive faster and worry less.


Taking 64 all the way to I-25 would not be good idea as you'd be in low mountains a lot and the Cimarron fire may block.


Taking 64 further east and coming into Colorado by 285 would skip the mountain passes of Hwy 17. It does involve mountain driving. Might be almost as high as on 17 but not as exposed feeling if I recall correctly. Just driving thru high country trees.


Use google maps / street view and pre -drive sections and see what you can tolerate or want to avoid. I think you probably should take either the 550 or 285 alternative. 550 would be far less scary / distracting and thus probably best for you, imo.

[LHS79]

That should be a nice relaxing and scenic drive until you get to Monument -

Then it will be stop and go for the next 18 miles on I-25.

[Bootser]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Highway 17 has two 10,000 foot passes. Hwy 160 just before it joins I-25 has two 9,000 foot passes. You might be bothered by the area near the first two based on what you said. The latter two wouldn't worry as much for most. A main alternative may be to take 550 thru low country to Albuquerque to get on I-25. Will you be taking that to get to Farmington? Adds 140 miles to your Denver trip but you can drive faster and worry less.


Taking 64 all the way to I-25 would not be good idea as you'd be in low mountains a lot and the Cimarron fire may block.


Taking 64 further east and coming into Colorado by 285 would skip the mountain passes of Hwy 17. It does involve mountain driving. Might be almost as high as on 17 but not as exposed feeling if I recall correctly.


Use google maps / street view and pre -drive sections and see what you can tolerate or want to avoid.

Thank you for the help! If I went to Albuquerque to get on I-25, I would pass through Raton as I go to Colorado. I remember reading something about a scary pass there? I've been reading so much I can't remember exactly what I read about it. Are you familiar with that area?

I have been using Google maps on satellite view like crazy, but it's hard to get a true feel. Found a video of a drive from Anotonito to Chama, and it had sections that looked like they'd be rough for me.

If it would be a dramatic difference in terms of curves and high mountain passes, I would do the route to ABQ and then on to Colorado Springs. I've never been there, so we might just visit there instead of Denver (I'm only good for usually 7 hours drive at the most, but I could stretch past that to get to Colorado Springs and get a hotel), then drive on home via Kansas.

[Bootser]

Originally Posted by LHS79

That should be a nice relaxing and scenic drive until you get to Monument -

Then it will be stop and go for the next 18 miles on I-25.

So, Monument is between Colorado Springs and Denver, right? If we take the longer route through Albuquerque to miss some curvier, high roads, I was thinking we'd skip Denver and just visit Colorado Springs. Maybe (have to see how set my husband was on going to Denver! We've been before, but not to Colorado Springs). So if I don't go on to Denver, I'd miss whatever issues there are on the way to Monument. From Colorado Springs, we could get on I-70 East and head home.

[reed303]

Nothing scary about Raton Pass on I-25. It is Interstate highway designed to be not scary. Maybe the old highway US 87 was.
See StreetView of pass here : https://goo.gl/maps/VzrHTW8dwLw

Also this website may interest you. It shows elevation, and how flat or steep a given route is. Here is I-25 from town of Raton NM to Trinidad CO https://www.flattestroute.com/?from=...mentMode=miles

[NW Crow]

I forgot about Raton pass but Interstate is the easiest, safest your going to get.

[Bootser]

Originally Posted by reed303

Nothing scary about Raton Pass on I-25. It is Interstate highway designed to be not scary. Maybe the old highway US 87 was.
See StreetView of pass here : https://goo.gl/maps/VzrHTW8dwLw

Also this website may interest you. It shows elevation, and how flat or steep a given route is. Here is I-25 from town of Raton NM to Trinidad CO https://www.flattestroute.com/?from=...mentMode=miles

Cool, thank you!

[PcolaFLGuy]

I have an issue with heights and visited out there for the first time a few weeks back. So, I definitely understand where you're coming from. Thankfully, I was the passenger and could close my eyes in certain parts of our trek around southern CO and northern NM.

You're right about Raton. It was not great even as a passenger. But, as they also say. It's definitely an interstate and I didn't feel like we were ever "teetering on the side of a cliff" like I did on one tiny state HWY in NM.

There's a site that will let you put in a starting and ending location and it will take you through all of the Google Street View photos almost like a video of the drive. I find it helpful.

[Gorges]

I definitely have an issue with drop-offs, but Raton has never bothered me. My car struggled a bit with the uphill grade but I don’t feel it was worse than any part of I70 in CO.