Road Trip - Los Angeles to Kansas along I40

Longtime lurker here. Just found out a friend is planning a quick jaunt from Los Angeles to Kansas (Very quick - she is planning to try to do it in four days) but she has never done a road trip before or really had an opportunity to explore the states so I thought I'd turn to the wonderful experts here. I've found a few similar threads mostly going from Texas to California and sadly too many of these are taking the 10 to be helpful.

I've checked on freetrip.com for recommendations on a few scenic routes and I've bookmarked these threads to help generate a few possibilites and recommendations for her itinerary(mostly chowhound stuff for restaurants):

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/583670
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/530526
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/605986

And this site which gives great recs on hitting route 66 in KS
http://www.ehow.com/how_2037809_route-sixtysix-kansas.html

Has anyone here done this route? Any suggestions on great stopping points either to see or just cool places to grab lodging? On the way back she will have a pet with her. Looking for any/all advice and Thanks very much in advance.

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Doug_Stallings on Jun 16, 09 at 08:59 AM

I've done this trip many times, though not for many years, so I'm afraid that any places I might have known are probably long gone. The last time I did this drive was when I was in college. Four days actually sounds about right (we used to do it in 3 and would arrive in Bakersfield from southeastern Kansas in the early afternoon on Day 3 with long days of driving). Therefore, I think she would have about 7 hours of driving a day at 70 mph, less speed of course if she really wants to follow Route 66. There are many tourist attractions along the way, including the Grand Canyon, Painted Desert and Petrified Forest, the Big Texan restaurant in Amarillo, etc.

Most Super 8 motels accept pets, or if she wants to spend more money a lot of Marriott Courtyard properties do.
RedRock on Jun 16, 09 at 09:19 AM

If they are going to use 4 days for that short of a road trip the first thing to do is not take I-40. Get off the Interstate altogether. They could go a little further to the North and take US-50 all the way to the KC area sight seeing along the way.
dwooddon on Jun 16, 09 at 11:32 AM

Another alternative would be to go north on I-15 to it's junction with I70 in Utah then east through the Colrado Rockies. I've done both routes and while I like the I-40 route, I much prefer I-70 - the scenery is much more spectacular in Utah and Colorado, at least until Denver.
Mhepburn20 on Jun 16, 09 at 02:15 PM

Thank you for all the tips. I should have specified that it is her goal (however unrealistic) to go there AND Back in four days so most of the stops would be quick food or side of the road fun. Thanks again or all the tips I've already got.

We talked about I70 but there is a potential fear of heights involved and some parts of that route can be terrifying with only guard rail between you and certain doom.
DebitNM on Jun 16, 09 at 03:03 PM

LOL -I have a post on your first chowhound link!! Small world.

I can help with ABQ if that is where you want to stop to eat.

Deb
dfr4848 on Jun 16, 09 at 03:30 PM

M - I'm not too crazy about heights myself, but for the life of me I can't think of anyplace on I70 that has ever made me even slightly nervous much less scared. And we've driven this route many, many times through Colorado. I mention this only because I do agree that I70 is measurably more scenic than I40.
Mhepburn20 on Jun 16, 09 at 03:33 PM

It is very possible I am misremembering as it has been many years but for some reason I thought going through the mountains in colorado had a few "fun" parts. If indeed it isn't then 100% I could see going the I70. I'll start looking into that as well.
dwooddon on Jun 16, 09 at 04:24 PM

I-40 through the Arizona and New Mexico mountains will have the same conditions. Neither I-70 or I-40 should be a cause for concern as long as she observes normal safe driving practices.
dfr4848 on Jun 17, 09 at 08:32 AM

M - there are indeed plenty of roads through the mountains that are more than "fun" and I'd prefer not to take some of those "backroads" again. But much of I70 is along the floor of mountain valleys. Even the approaches to Eisenhower Tunnel are fairly broad and didn't cause me any concern. The trip through Glenwood Canyon is spectacular.
Doug_Stallings on Jun 17, 09 at 08:54 AM

I misunderstood about the length of the trip. I thought it was four days there and four days back. While it is physically possible to do this trip in 4 days total, it's a real stretch. But she'll spend about 15 or more hours a day driving, so I don't think it's really feasible that she will have time to stop off for more than 30 minutes 2 or 3 times along the way. The Grand Canyon is out of the question because that's a 5-hour detour. So are backroads. It's I-40 all the way, and she'll have trouble finding time to even stop to sleep along the way.
RedRock on Jun 17, 09 at 09:19 AM

If she is making the round trip out and back in four days she will have little time to anything but drive. I can only hope its a safe trip.

Mhepburn20 on Jun 18, 09 at 08:58 PM

Thank you all again for the replies. She's going to leave early tomorrow AM taking I70. Thnaks.

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Road Trip - Los Angeles to Kansas along I40

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