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Old 05-02-2009, 09:03 AM
 
2 posts, read 33,278 times
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I have been searching routes from McKinney,TX to Aurora, CO for two hours and it feels like every website says something different.We are just looking for the quickest, simplest route possible as I will be the only driver and we will be traveling with a 1 1/2 year old which is going to be enough stress for us. Does anyone have any experience with this drive? PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!
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Old 05-02-2009, 09:30 AM
 
Location: San Marcos
345 posts, read 1,560,276 times
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I've been back and forth from the Denver area to Texas (San Antonio, Dallas, and as far south as Harlingen) by just about every route possible. The only one I can think of that I wouldn't suggest for you to take is the one that takes you through the upper northeast corner of New Mexico (Hwy 87). That's a very desolate piece of highway with really nowhere to stop for services if you need anything until you reach Raton or Trinidad. The route taking you up 287 through Limon where you can pick up I70 has plenty of small towns to pass through should you need to stop with a little one. I've also taken the route through Kansas on I70 to intersect with I35 to get to Sulpher Springs. If I recall there's plenty of places to stop along that route too.
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Old 05-02-2009, 10:11 AM
 
Location: Mountain West
557 posts, read 1,664,174 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexaCo Mom View Post
The only one I can think of that I wouldn't suggest for you to take is the one that takes you through the upper northeast corner of New Mexico (Hwy 87). That's a very desolate piece of highway with really nowhere to stop for services if you need anything until you reach Raton or Trinidad.
Hmmm.. that's my VERY favorite route to Colorado if you're coming from Texas. Seems to me to be the shortest route. The road is very good, even though there aren't any towns for an hour or so. Scenery is pretty good too, goes right past a fantastic old volcano in NM.
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Old 05-02-2009, 12:41 PM
 
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I would have to agree with jsherman. I've made the drive more times than I can count and with kids. The route through New Mexico isn't that desolate and it is much more scenic. The 287 route may be a little shorter mileage-wise however, but not that much. Which routes are you looking at jaimelyn ?
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Old 05-02-2009, 01:42 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO
128 posts, read 435,675 times
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I35 to I70 is the longest route but probably the easiest...287 to I70 wouldn't be any worse/better than the 287/87 route.

I drove the 287/87 route through Amarillo/NE NM from Louisiana a few months ago and it was not that bad. I have to disagree that it is desolate. There are a bunch of little towns along the way if you need to stop...every 10-15 miles or so looking at google maps and judging by memory. That can be good or bad depending how you look at it. I wouldn't consider it desolate unless you think towns with ~1000 people don't have services (they do). Just watch your speed as we saw a lot of cops, especially going through the towns. Also it's a very scenic route once you get towards the TX/NM border (I would literally shoot myself if I had to live in the Amarillo area...the two tumbleweeds I got to see were pretty cool, I wasn't sure they were real until I saw them with my own eyes lol).

The only "major" problem I see with the 287/87 route is that the pass going in to CO from NM is a pretty decent altitude change and may bother your child's ears. However, once past that you go back down in altitude a good bit as you head in to Pueblo (check the topo map on google to see altitudes) so even if he/she can't pop their eardrums it shouldn't bother them for toooo long. For this reason I would say you may be better off with the 287 to I70 route...but then you don't get to see Copulin Volcano although that's not enough reason to choose the route over the other two lol.

We drove from Lafayette, LA to Colorado Springs, CO...had to stop in Vernon, TX to visit some of her family. We got a late start out at 5:30PM and didn't get there until 3AM. Then after visiting the next morning we did not leave town until about noon and made it to C.S. by 10PM doing 5MPH over the speed limit most of the way. If you leave early (by 8AM or so) you should be able to reach Aurora within 12-14 hours depending on how your child handles it.
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Old 05-02-2009, 01:53 PM
 
Location: SW Missouri
15,853 posts, read 34,999,650 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaimelyn View Post
I have been searching routes from McKinney,TX to Aurora, CO for two hours and it feels like every website says something different.We are just looking for the quickest, simplest route possible as I will be the only driver and we will be traveling with a 1 1/2 year old which is going to be enough stress for us. Does anyone have any experience with this drive? PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!
I'd take 81 up to Wichita Falls and then go west to Lubbock through Seymour and Benjamin (I don't now the number/name of the highway).

I then head Northwest through Clovis, Fort Sumner and Santa Rosa. Finally, I'd head up through Las Vegas (NM) where you could catch I25, or if you prefer the back roads (like I do) you could make your way North on smaller roads and highways.

In the past I have been on a route very similar to this and it was very nice. I recall that I saw some wild pronghorn antelope and some domesticated bison along the way and bunches of pheasants, which was cool too.

20yrsinBranson
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Old 05-02-2009, 03:16 PM
 
Location: Ned CO @ 8300'
2,075 posts, read 5,101,852 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaimelyn View Post
I have been searching routes from McKinney,TX to Aurora, CO for two hours and it feels like every website says something different.We are just looking for the quickest, simplest route possible as I will be the only driver and we will be traveling with a 1 1/2 year old which is going to be enough stress for us. Does anyone have any experience with this drive? PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!
jaimelyn, I've driven every route many times. The quickest and simplest way is I-35 north to I 70 west. It doesn't get easier than that, less than 13 hours drive time.
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Old 05-02-2009, 05:26 PM
 
Location: San Marcos
345 posts, read 1,560,276 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsherman9901 View Post
Hmmm.. that's my VERY favorite route to Colorado if you're coming from Texas. Seems to me to be the shortest route. The road is very good, even though there aren't any towns for an hour or so. Scenery is pretty good too, goes right past a fantastic old volcano in NM.
I don't disagree that the road is nice (now that they've FINALLY finished working on it) and Capulin volcano is pretty cool to see, but I know that if I had to choose a route to drive solo with a baby I wouldn't choose this one.
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Old 05-02-2009, 05:31 PM
 
Location: San Marcos
345 posts, read 1,560,276 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by edesign View Post
I drove the 287/87 route through Amarillo/NE NM from Louisiana a few months ago and it was not that bad. I have to disagree that it is desolate. There are a bunch of little towns along the way if you need to stop...every 10-15 miles or so looking at google maps and judging by memory.
Yes there are towns along that way, but there's NOTHING in those towns - no gas stations or any other services available. Again, IMO, not a route I would choose driving solo with a baby. Oh, and try to get phone service out there - that's impossible.
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Old 05-02-2009, 05:36 PM
 
Location: Sugar Land, TX
102 posts, read 324,977 times
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I've also made the drive a hundred times, having lived on both ends. I prefer the route most people have mentioned on here.... 287 (I think that's it) from Ft. Worth, through Wichita Falls up to Amarillo, then continuing northwest through Dalhart, Tx, Capulin, NM to Raton, NM, then getting on I25 for the rest of the trip.
Once I cut north from Amarillo (I think somebody mentioned this route) because the highway in NM was under construction.... this took me through the OK panhandle and through SE Colorado.... the road conditions were absolutely horrible... could NOT go more than 50 on the state highways through Oklahoma.
As for the I35 to I70 all interstate route, you'll add a lot of miles to the trip, and it won't be quicker unless you go 100 mph the whole way. Taking the NM route, I can make it from south of Houston to CO springs in about 15 hours, and that's never more than 5 mph over the limit.
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