[dmlandis]

Will be driving cross country delivering car from Maryland to Northern California (June). Route has already been planned for stops in Roanoke, VA, Asheville, NC, Nashville and Memphis, TN", then on to Fort Smith, Arkansas. What is best route from Fort Smith to Denver - via Oklahoma City and Amarillo; via northern Oklahoma (possible stop in Guymon), or cut up through Tulsa and stay night in Salina, KS and then west on I70

I plan to take two days and want a reasonably scenic but not too slow route.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by dmlandis

Will be driving cross country delivering car from Maryland to Northern California (June). Route has already been planned for stops in Roanoke, VA, Asheville, NC, Nashville and Memphis, TN", then on to Fort Smith, Arkansas. What is best route from Fort Smith to Denver - via Oklahoma City and Amarillo; via northern Oklahoma (possible stop in Guymon), or cut up through Tulsa and stay night in Salina, KS and then west on I70

I plan to take two days and want a reasonably scenic but not too slow route.

I don't think going through Kansas would be reasonably scenic.

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I don't think going through Kansas would be reasonably scenic.

Not at all. Going I-40 through Amarillo isn't particularly scenic until around Dumas on US 87; it also offers some "Americana" and history via old US 66.

Once past Dumas and Dalhart the terrain changes a lot, and passes by Capulin National Monument near Clayton, NM on the way to Raton and then Trinidad, CO.

OP: Downtown Fort Smith is quite interesting, very "grown up" for a city its size, worth a stop.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

Not at all. Going I-40 through Amarillo isn't particularly scenic until around Dumas on US 87; it also offers some "Americana" and history via old US 66.

Once past Dumas and Dalhart the terrain changes a lot, and passes by Capulin National Monument near Clayton, NM on the way to Raton and then Trinidad, CO.

OP: Downtown Fort Smith is quite interesting, very "grown up" for a city its size, worth a stop.

Actually the Canyon country from Amarillo to Dumas is quite interesting. Then you get back up on the caprock and that's interesting if you've never seen it before. That's probably also quicker than any other route since it angles up to I-25.

And the Kansas route you have to take three different turnpikes (maybe four if you use the Creek turnpike to bypass Tulsa).

I don't think the Guymon way is worth it. It's probably shorter but you have to go through so many little towns and you probably need to use the Kilpatrick Turnpike for a few miles to get to NW Highway without actually going through OKC.

Scenery wise, I don't think any route is significantly better than any other route.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by dmlandis

Will be driving cross country delivering car from Maryland to Northern California (June). Route has already been planned for stops in Roanoke, VA, Asheville, NC, Nashville and Memphis, TN", then on to Fort Smith, Arkansas. What is best route from Fort Smith to Denver - via Oklahoma City and Amarillo; via northern Oklahoma (possible stop in Guymon), or cut up through Tulsa and stay night in Salina, KS and then west on I70

I plan to take two days and want a reasonably scenic but not too slow route.

I would avoid Guymon. It's almost as boring as Kansas. Stay below the Mason-Dixon as much as possible when you get into Oklahoma.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

Stay below the Mason-Dixon as much as possible when you get into Oklahoma.

Where did you take American History/Geography?

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

Where did you take American History/Geography?

Norman. Forever-ago. Our teacher in grammar school always taught us Oklahoma was part of the Old Southwest.

I'm just trying to help our friend avoid the feedlots of Guymon. That part of Oklahoma generally is not considered "scenic" in the positive sense. I guess beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder! *moo-moo* *oink-oink*

Depending on what map one chooses to utilize, the more historical map or the more ingrained perceivable cultural map, one may be below or above the Mason-Dixon line in Guymon/Panhandle all at the same time regardless of his knowledge of the Oklahoma/Indian territories.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

Norman. Forever-ago. Our teacher in grammar school always taught us Oklahoma was part of the Old Southwest.

I'm just trying to help our friend avoid the feedlots of Guymon. That part of Oklahoma generally is not considered "scenic" in the positive sense. I guess beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder! *moo-moo* *oink-oink*

Depending on what map one chooses to utilize, the more historical map or the more ingrained perceivable cultural map, one may be below or above the Mason-Dixon line in Guymon/Panhandle all at the same time regardless of his knowledge of the Oklahoma/Indian territories.

Yep, Guymon could be above or below the "Mason-Dixon" line according to popular culture. This despite the fact that Oklahoma has absolutely nothing to do with the actual "Mason-Dixon" line.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by eddie gein

Yep, Guymon could be above or below the "Mason-Dixon" line according to popular culture. This despite the fact that Oklahoma has absolutely nothing to do with the actual "Mason-Dixon" line.

That's right.

[phil74501]

Originally Posted by dmlandis

Will be driving cross country delivering car from Maryland to Northern California (June). Route has already been planned for stops in Roanoke, VA, Asheville, NC, Nashville and Memphis, TN", then on to Fort Smith, Arkansas. What is best route from Fort Smith to Denver - via Oklahoma City and Amarillo; via northern Oklahoma (possible stop in Guymon), or cut up through Tulsa and stay night in Salina, KS and then west on I70

I plan to take two days and want a reasonably scenic but not too slow route.

Kansas/Oklahoma panhandle are anything but scenic...unless you consider wheat as scenic.



If you're going to do the OKC to Amarillo trip, keep going west. About 45 miles or so west of Amarillo you'll drop down onto the New Mexico plain. The terrain and scenery will change quite dramatically. Keep going down I-40. Just west of Santa Rosa NM turn north on highway 84 to Las Vegas NM. There you'll intercept I-25 coming north out of Albuquerque. That will take you to Raton and Trinidad...which was mentioned earlier in the thread. It is quite scenic in that area. I-25 will go north on the front side of the Rockies all the way to Denver.



If you want to take the Tulsa/Salina route, go west on I-40 from Fort Smith, and turn north on highway 351. That highway will run north until it becomes the Muskogee Turnpike. That will take you northwest until you hit the southeast suburbs of Tulsa...Broken Arrow to be exact. If you go that way, look for a place in Osage County, which is northwest of Tulsa, called Woolaroc. It's Frank Phillips, of Phillips 66 fame, old ranch. Buffalo herd, museum, hiking trails, etc etc. Worth the stop if you're into that kinda stuff. If you take highway 412 west from Tulsa, it will eventually run into I-35 coming north out of OKC and take you into Kansas. Northwest of Wichita there's a cosmodrome in Hutchison KS. Bout the only reason why I would go to Kansas.



It's just me, but in areas that I don't know that well, I prefer to stay on an interstate as much as possible. If I was you, I'd go the OKC/Amarillo/Santa Rosa NM route. One thing I will warn you about. I make the I-40 trip to Flagstaff frequently. Once you get past the OK/Texas border, there is nothing until you get to Amarillo. Once you get past Amarillo, there's nothing until you get to Tucumari NM...which is maybe 5,000 people. If you get out there, and break down, it can be awhile before someone gets to you. Gas/food/restroom stops can also be a ways away. Plan those out really well.