I-40 vs I-70

[unccpathfinder]

Alright here comes another poll...

 

I've gotten into this whole deal of I want to at least set foot (or drive through) every state in the US. I am heading eastbound at 0600 next friday. I have driven then entire length of I-40 from Wilmington, NC to Barstow, CA (and another time from CLT) so I've gotten all the I-40 states but I would pick up 5 more states (Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Kentucky) if I take I-70 and it only adds "3 hrs" to the trip according to google.

 

My thing is...I'm doing this my style...like both of my trips previously I have 3 days to make the drive and be there at work Monday morning...The weather looks good on 70 so I'm not too worried about that and I'm going to take the Camry so I should be able to keep it at 10 over and thinking this time I'll actually be able to get there Sat night. When I drove the pathy back out I got a late start and I was driving 4 hours further east of CLT. I'm thinking I can get 20 hours in the 1st day and shoot for 16 the 2nd day or split it 18 and 18 since I know I can do 2 18 hr days back to back.

 

I would really like to get there on Sat night so I can get settled in on Sun morning and make a run down to Spartenburg to get a crash course on Catia v5 from my buddy so I don't look like a complete jackass when I get to the job on Monday since I havent used it in over 2 years.

 

I will have to make a few more stops I believe b/c my dog is riding with me and I don't know what his tolerance for extreme trips is going to be...the most we've done is 2 days back to back of 6 hours of driving

 

and just b/c someone will ask here are the states I've been to thus far:

 

North Carolina

South Carolina

Virginia

Tennessee

Georgia

Alabama

Florida

Mississippi

Louisiana

Arkansas

Oklahoma

Texas

New Mexico

Arizona

Nevada

California

Oregon

Washington

Hawaii

 

I have also been through Pennsylvania and Maryland but I was too young to remember that so I will have to get those again later.

[94extreme]

http://www.epgsoft.com/VisitedStatesMap/

[94extreme]

where are you going and from where are you starting exactly?

[unccpathfinder]

going to uptown charlotte and leaving from cal city

[94extreme]

catch I64 out of STL towards LOU and on to LEX and down I75? you also hit IL and IN that way too.

 

the distance up I70 seems to be almost 200mi longer.. 3h? depends on how fast you drive.

 

but let me tell you about I70 east of Denver. Eastern CO, KS, MS all are FLAT.. lot's of corn and wheat and combines the size you've never seen before.. that's all you'll see for almost 2 days. if the weather is bad, the drive sux even more. now, I24 across SW KY is pretty cool and picturesque but watch your speed. too bad you don't have the time to slow down because you'll be driving right by LBL and that's a pretty cool place to check out.

 

if you would opt for the I64 route, then you'd drive trough So. IL and So. IN which is really nice.. rather empty and picturesque. you'd drive right through downtown LOU and LEX (horse country)(time it so you miss the rush H) and then I75 down to Knox is really a super nice ride. the KY/TN border is very hilly and pretty as hell. lot's of beautiful country there. in the northern 4 exits in TN there are SPs very close to the highway which are great for crash and dash.

[unccpathfinder]

the distance up I70 seems to be almost 200mi longer.. 3h? depends on how fast you drive.

 

I'm going to be doing anywhere from 10-20 over depending on where I'm at...I would really love to get to NC on Sat night...I may get a wild hair and leave thurs night after work to get a jump start but doubt it...unless they let me leave at noon then it's going to be game on.

 

I-40 is a pretty boring drive from CA to TX...it's pretty much the same landscape...my roommate came out and we drove to the Grand Canyon and he woke up like 2 hours later and goes "what the fskc dude? did you stop b/c this looks exactly the same as when I fell asleep" back home I'm used to the landscape changing pretty quickly considering I can drive from mountains (not these CA desert mountains either) to the coast in about 6 hours or so...

 

I've got a few more days left to get packed up and the driving planned...I know 1 stop on I-40 is a pic in Barstow of the sign "Wilmington, NC XXXX"

[unccpathfinder]

Took 40 bc I left 4 hrs late...dan girl but it was worth it...in nashville for the night

[94extreme]

be safe.

[unccpathfinder]

be safe.

 

yea...I was...I shoulda taken 70....that rock slide on 40 fuct me over...ended up in gatlenburg stuck in traffic and back tracking back up 40 to 81 and then some random mountain road to cut back to 26 which then got me back to 40...it was about a 3 hour detour...it SUCKED...my dog pissed in the car right after he just peed and pooped so needless to say I was fit to be tied last Sunday...