Driving from Chicago to Denver (Vail: movers, safe, moving to)

[mk5650]

Hello all,

My boyfriend and I are taking a road trip leaving from the Chicago area this Thursday and going to Denver for the week. I was wondering if anyone has made this drive and could tell me how safe it is? Are there any roads I should take extra caution on? How are the roads in Colorado when it rains? ( it's not as awful as LA roads in the rain.. right?) Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[ironlady]

We've done that drive. It's pretty unmemorable. And long. You're driving mostly across plains, except for a lovely bit in Iowa, which is rolling hills. No, Colorado roads aren't as bad as LA roads. LA roads are bad because since it rains so little, the oil just builds up and makes it slick when the rain finally comes down.

[mk5650]

Originally Posted by ironlady

We've done that drive. It's pretty unmemorable. And long. You're driving mostly across plains, except for a lovely bit in Iowa, which is rolling hills. No, Colorado roads aren't as bad as LA roads. LA roads are bad because since it rains so little, the oil just builds up and makes it slick when the rain finally comes down.

Thank you for the tips! Yeah we were not quite expecting an eventful drive haha, hoping to make the full 15 hours with minimal stops. Just wanted to make sure it was a safe trip since we've never driven there. Did you drive at all through the night?

[sunsprit]

It's 1,000 miles of pretty much flat and open countryside.

Important that you check the road conditions immediately ahead and the forecasts; this is still the time of the year for spring snowstorms. Icy conditions can form very quickly if snow falls, melts, then refreezes. Slushy conditions present hydro planing opportunities.

Use your resources to stay tuned to conditions; better to stop sooner and get reasonable accommodations if conditions ahead warrant than pressing onwards into adverse travels.

Of course, with the variability of this time of the year, you may have pleasant driving for the trip. The key is to be prepared for the chance that it may not be so.

[mk5650]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

It's 1,000 miles of pretty much flat and open countryside.

Important that you check the road conditions immediately ahead and the forecasts; this is still the time of the year for spring snowstorms. Icy conditions can form very quickly if snow falls, melts, then refreezes. Slushy conditions present hydro planing opportunities.

Use your resources to stay tuned to conditions; better to stop sooner and get reasonable accommodations if conditions ahead warrant than pressing onwards into adverse travels.

Of course, with the variability of this time of the year, you may have pleasant driving for the trip. The key is to be prepared for the chance that it may not be so.

Wow, I had no idea ice could still be a concern during this time, thank you much for letting me know! And it's comforting to know that in case of inclement weather, the terrain is relatively flat the whole way so the level of danger is slightly better. But I'll definitely keep a close eye on the weather!

[IJEJB12&2]

My husband & I have done this trip twice, moving to & from CO. It's l-o-n-g & boring overall. Going we drove until about 1am (got a late start thanks to the movers being late) and stopped in Omaha then finished the drive to Vail the next day. Coming back we drove straight through. As others have said, it's largely an unimpressive drive. Roads in the Denver area are fine, really no different than Chicago. The mountains can be a bit tricky if it snows, but if you're not heading into the High Country you should be fine. Basically just use the same common sense going out there that you would here. Have fun & enjoy Denver! It's a nice town! Head up into the mountains if you get a chance. There's some really beautiful scenery to see along I-70 once you get out of Denver proper. We usually saw mountain goats grazing on the side of the highway.

[bluescreen73]

I've driven the I-80 route west from Des Moines a handful of times. The roads will be fine. As others have said you'll encounter rolling hills in Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska, but after that the drive will be mostly flat. Once you get past North Platte, NE, the population thins out and the exits are further apart from each other.

Be prepared because the National Weather Service is calling for a slight chance of snow Thursday, and if the forecast holds up you may hit snow starting at Des Moines and encounter it on and off all the way into Denver. It'll be a quick turnaround, though, because they're calling for 60s to near 70 all through the weekend.

[mk5650]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

I've driven the I-80 route west from Des Moines a handful of times. The roads will be fine. As others have said you'll encounter rolling hills in Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska, but after that the drive will be mostly flat. Once you get past North Platte, NE, the population thins out and the exits are further apart from each other.

Be prepared because the National Weather Service is calling for a slight chance of snow Thursday, and if the forecast holds up you may hit snow starting at Des Moines and encounter it on and off all the way into Denver. It'll be a quick turnaround, though, because they're calling for 60s to near 70 all through the weekend.

Thank you for the tip about the weather! We should be getting into DesMoines around midnight or very early Friday morning though so hopefully we catch the end of it[=

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by mk5650

Thank you for the tip about the weather! We should be getting into DesMoines around midnight or very early Friday morning though so hopefully we catch the end of it[=

The forecast didn't hold up. The rain/snow is supposed to move through here tomorrow night and taper off Thursday Morning. It'll probably be rainy when you get to Des Moines but should improve after that.

[synapse]

It's dull. It's pretty amusing when you enter Colorado and there's this sign that says, "Welcome to Colorful Colorado!" with a picture of mountains on it - and all you see is flat plains in every direction, as far as you can see.

Keep an eye on the weather, but if you stick to interstates and/or state highways, you should be fine, even if it's raining.