Vancouver > Albuquerque (but afraid of mtns!) (Phoenix: to live, safe)

[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?

[Tesaje]

I84 to SLC doesn't have high passes. I80 to Cheyenne is relatively flat without high passes, then I25 south is more or less on the prairie. Not exactly the shortest route. Freeways tend to be much gentler roads with nice wide shoulders than the regular highways. But then that's why the semis favor them too.

[mamh]

You can also take I-15 straight south from Salt lake city to I-40 below las vegas and is flat across to New Mexico..Look at the map and go threw vegas on the east side to boulder city and out to 40 that way.
Have a safe trip.

[slazin]

I really appreciate the suggestions -- thanks very much!