road trip! From Austin to Los Angeles and return to Colorado Springs... (West: hotel)

[dorothyconca]

any suggestions? no pets or children...just two middle-aged women (one married, one widowed.) August, 2010...

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by dorothyconca

any suggestions? no pets or children...just two middle-aged women (one married, one widowed.) August, 2010...

The south route (I10) is faster, but really boring. Definitely go the north route (I40). You will be able to go to las vegas, the grand canyon (stay at bright lodge - requires 6 months advance reservations or ride the grand canyon railroad ), santa fe (use priceline to get a killer deal on hotel). Between santa fe to austin there really isnt any place good, but you can priceline a hotel in lubbock and at least get a cheap rate. Each leg is about 8 hours so it makes it easy driving.

Going back the other way Im not really sure, maybe austin, oklahoma city to colorado springs

[eichlerfan]

Originally Posted by Austin97

The south route (I10) is faster, but really boring. Definitely go the north route (I40). You will be able to go to las vegas, the grand canyon (stay at bright lodge - requires 6 months advance reservations or ride the grand canyon railroad ), santa fe (use priceline to get a killer deal on hotel). Between santa fe to austin there really isnt any place good, but you can priceline a hotel in lubbock and at least get a cheap rate. Each leg is about 8 hours so it makes it easy driving.

Going back the other way Im not really sure, maybe austin, oklahoma city to colorado springs

Take some advice from someone who just drove from San Francisco through Palm Springs to Austin on I 10. Don't take the southern route, go more north. While the landscape was really beautiful through much of the drive, there is nothing out there once you leave Palm Springs, and it really gets bad when you hit west TX. There is nothing, but nothing out there other than some beautiful sunrises. I would only suggest I 10 if you are in a hot hurry to get to Austin, otherwise take the much more scenic northern route. Happy driving.

[Mike78613]

Out of this whole trip getting out of TX is going to seem the longest or is it the longest? lol

I agree. Just get on I-10 go 80+ mph and get out of here as fast as your vehicle could / can do.

Note* Turn on your radar detector* and try to stop into fredericksburg and get some sweet, juicy peaches for the long haul out of here (get plenty of napkins) ~~

[RevMen]

On the way back take I-70 through Utah and Colorado. It's a no-brainer. Probably the most scenic stretch of interstate in this fair land.

If you want to skip Denver and cut down to Colorado Springs through the mountains, you have lots of choices for very scenic drives. I recommend that you turn South at Glenwood Springs on highway 82 and go through Aspen over Independence Pass, then take Highway 24 over to Colorado Springs through Manitou Springs. That'll take you past Mt. Sopris, the Maroon Bells, and a bunch of 14'ers that I can't think of now. Independence Pass is a really fun drive, there's probably still snow up there.

In Western Colorado you'll go through Palisade, my home town. It was a peach town when I was growing up but it's switched to wine and there are several great vineyards to stop at if you're into that sort of thing. Also, near Fruita is the Colorado National Monument, which you can drive in a loop for a fairly short but very scenic detail.

Don't drive up I-15 towards Vegas on a Friday afternoon/evening. Don't drive down I-15 towards LA from Vegas on a Sunday. Traffic is miserable and it can sometimes take 8 hours to go that distance.

[motherofthree]

Originally Posted by RevMen

On the way back take I-70 through Utah and Colorado. It's a no-brainer. Probably the most scenic stretch of interstate in this fair land.

If you want to skip Denver and cut down to Colorado Springs through the mountains, you have lots of choices for very scenic drives. I recommend that you turn South at Glenwood Springs on highway 82 and go through Aspen over Independence Pass, then take Highway 24 over to Colorado Springs through Manitou Springs. That'll take you past Mt. Sopris, the Maroon Bells, and a bunch of 14'ers that I can't think of now. Independence Pass is a really fun drive, there's probably still snow up there.

I second this. I used to live in Leadville, CO - on the east side of Independence Pass. You're on top of the world there. Snow there year round. Boom Days in Leadville is the first weekend in August and that's a lot of fun. They have "mining" competitions, bed races, outhouse races - like the good old days.

Drive from Leadville to CO Springs will take you through the famous South Park Basin - which the cartoon is named after.