any "no mountain passes" route from portland to chicago? (Pendleton: condo, motel)

[binxtheweimer]

i'm going to be driving from portland to chicago in august and i am looking for the flattest, most boring drive i can find.
even though i have lived here for 7 years now, i never have gotten accustomed to mountain passes and driving through them and enjoying the scenery.
i get vertigo and my head spins when i am up high and looking down the road at the descent.
not good.
when i drove out here from the midwest years ago i took a long, circuitous route from chicago through texas, new mexico, arizona and california and then into oregon. i had relatives in texas and i was able to visit them and it worked out, though i drove twice as many miles as needed. it wasn't too bad, though I-5 had some interesting mountain driving in california.
i'm looking for a faster, shorter route and i have been thinking about I-90 or I-80.
any suggestions?
what i am looking for is a route with the fewest mountain passes, the most boring interstate highways and the flattest, fastest road possible.
thanks for your help.

[PNW-type-gal]

Nope. Not without going out of your way, which leaves the "fastest" out. Just head out I-84 and turn left at Provo, Utah through the Wasatch and into Wyoming and then Nebraska. I-84 doesn't really have any "white knuckle" passages on it, with the exception of Emigrant Pass out of Pendleton - and even then it isn;t that you're looking over a drop-off, it's just that the grade is steep.

[westvillemama]

None at all. I am searching my brain. Nope. Mountains all around no matter which way you go, sorry!

[mikemorrow]

I was laughing when I first saw this post. IMHO I would take 84 to 80. But I think you will be ok if you keep your driving to 4-5 hrs a day. Hiting the motel at 1pm. Plenty of rest time.When you get to the end of Oregon things get pretty friendly for you. Then you will hit Salt lake City and the rockies Stop there! Rest. Next stop make it to Rock Springs Wyoming This well be a short trip, maybe 2-2 1/2 hours. But through that stretch that might be enough for you. Next stop Laramie about 4 hrs. Another 30 mins and you have flat land the rest of the way. If you rest it isnt that bad. I dont know of a better way for you. Good luck

[tablemtn]

One way would be to go over the top of the Rockies by going into British Columbia, and taking a northerly route all the way up the Alaska-Canada Highway, turning off at Highway 77/Highway 7 into the Northwest Territories, then up and around into Alberta, and back south again, heading southeast, and eventually getting back into the US south of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Or, you could potentially go south, through Los Angeles, Texas, and head north along the Mississippi River.

Otherwise, no.

[binxtheweimer]

mikemorrow,

yeah, i know it sounds funny and sometimes i even laugh about it.
for the longest, i never knew what was wrong. i just thought is was psychological.
then i decided to have my eyes checked because i was having physiological problems, caused by the fact that i was constantly readjusting my head and posture to compensate for my vision issue.
after weeks and weeks of testing, they found out that a muscle in one eye does not work in appropriate coordination with the other eye and as a result, it takes a short amount of time for my eyes to readjust, and work together, when i move my head. it is a problem that is particularly pronounced when i look up or down, as opposed to side to side. and especially it is especially tough when i look down and then try to level my vision back..
i forgot how long it takes for my eyes to do their little bit of readjustment, but even that small bit of time causes me all kinds of problems, at times.
in fact, the doc told me that i must have had the condition from the time i was a kid, because he sees adults who develop the problem in adulthood who end up being pretty much incapacitated and unable to really function because their balance is all messed up.
the doc thought that i had simply adjusted to the problem over a lifetime of finessing what could have been a debilitating issue.
so i guess i'm lucky because it really doesn't bother me much at this stage of my life. and in most situations, its easy enough to slow things down to accomodate my little vision problem.
but on a fast descent, where i am trying to take in a lot of different images, it is truly a frightening experience, one that literally makes my head spin.
i do appreciate all of the help, though.

[mikemorrow]

binxtheweimer, I understand that it was not a joke. Thats why I was saying to drive only 4-5 hours max. Other than that, its a long way around them there hills.
I just got here by hwy 20. But it has some hills also. But not as bad as 84. Still there are thoughs Rockies. And unless you go way north or way south there just isnt a smooth way though them.

[StealthRabbit]

(whoops, this was given in westerly direction... reverse for easterly (I-84 to Biggs Jct, then to Baker City, and rejoin I-84 to I-80))

I-80 to I-84, then turn off at Baker City and take central OR Highways through John Day, and then through Fossil, Condon and rejoin I-84 at Biggs Jct. OR.

That is about as flat as I can imagine, you would only have Sherman Pass on I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie, but it is trivial with only a 5 mile (not too steep, and no cliffs) downgrade to Laramie (be sure to enjoy Veedauwaa state park near the top of pass, it is a great place to watch the stars, laying on a warm rock (about the size of a house). You can avoid Sherman Pass by going up through Casper then Medicine Bow to Rawlins, or down through Ft Collins. (a small pass at state line near Tie Sidings).

Can you drive at night? I usually prefer that where the views are poor and to have less traffic, and get better mileage (moist air). It is best to pull off between 4am and 6am for safety (sleepy drivers). You can get motels cheap during the day, but I usually pull into a city park, take a swim and then a nap.

[Leisesturm]

I hate to be the one to say it but maybe the o.p. should be looking for a stunt double to step in when things get vertical. No interstate is without semi-trucks and they definitely keep things interesting on downhill runs. As the o.p. already noted, if you try to go south around the mountains you meet them coming up through Sacramento on I-5. You can't win. The only way to prevail is call in for assistance so that you are not a liability to yourself and nearby vehicles. Even though I have done that trip several times it never gets any easier. I don't advise doing it alone, even if the other driver never gets behind the wheel you need someone else in the vehicle with you to keep you honest... and awake.

H

[Joe_Ryder]

Drive at night so you can't see the altitude. All you see is road and lights.