Joelleinitaly04

I'm driving by myself from Iowa to southern California and I was looking forward to it until I remembered a trip I took with my late husband to Colorado. And I have a terrifying memory of the winding mountain road. Now we went to Durango to take the excursion train trip so maybe that is where the road was scary. So someone please tell me what that highway 76 through the mountains is like. Any and all reassurance is welcome.

fmpden

First, explain why you would even be on Hwy 76 driving from Iowa to southern CA. You have no need to be even close to that road.

Joelleinitaly04

Taking 80 to 76 to 70 to 15. Seems like the quickest route. It's how the bus goes. Anyway not changing the route - I want to stop at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in utah.

Gretchen

I also ask why you would be going anywhere near Durango. Get on i70 and go through Colorado.
Have you looked at a map? Just wondering.

Joelleinitaly04

I never said I was going through durango. Yes I've looked at a map. Geesh thanks for the help. Arizona people are much nicer. Have nice day.

Joelleinitaly04

Well maybe the roads aren't scary but if everyone in Colorado is like you, maybe I should worry about going through that state.

DebitNM

This is a small look see, may not help you much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST1VX9Hzrlk

I know the road you are talking about near Durango; it does intimidate a lot of folks who aren't used to mountain driving.

Not sure about 76, as we have a home near Durango.

Good Luck and you will enjoy Best Friends. Do you have to make reservations to visit there; I seem to recall seeing that somewhere or talking to a friend who volunteers there.

sheri_lp

I wished Dog Town was still on TV - I loved that show!

fmpden

....Taking 80 to 76 to 70 to 15 ....

Do you mean Interstate 76 that connects I-80 to I-70? If that is the road you worried about then you have no worries since I-76 doesn't come anywhere near the mountains. There are some rolling hills around Sterling but it is pretty flat. You need to look at the map. There are no mountains in eastern Colorado. There is a difference between I-76 and Hwy 76.

And then I-70 through Colorado is pretty straight and some areas are pretty flat as it follows river valleys. You will have no problems other than a little boring.

qwovadis

Have done it not bad actually better than the route from

Big Sur along the coast to Moro Bay has more switchbacks

Do spend a day or 2 to adjust to altitude in Durango first

for best experience... but relax no worries,have fun,

Gretchen

I worry if you can't discriminate between an interstate and a winding mountain road.

starrs

"Please Reassure me..."

You'll be fine. Your route is interstate through Colorado. You'll have no problems.

No winding mountains roads unless you choose to get off the interstate and take a smaller road through the mountains.

Enjoy your trip - Best Friends, the Grand Canyon and Cameron Trading Post

FrankS

76 through eastern Colorado is a mostly flat uninteresting piece of real estate that will make your travels through Nebraska seem memorable

70 is through mountains on interstate. If your car isnt prone to overheat, you are fine

Enjoy the trip

fmpden

I agree with Gretchen. It does help for both us and you to know where you are going. I have a feeling the comments removed were from JoellinItaly04. She thought the locals were unfriendly before with their comments so now she is sure that we are. That OK, she probably was not going to spend much money in Colorado anyway.

starrs

Sorry. I'm with joelle on this one. She told us her route. She shared the Durango road story as an example of what she DIDN'T want to experience on this solo drive. The last time she drove in CO, she was with her husband. This time she's doing the driving. All she was asking was for reassurance that she's not experience scary (to her) mountain driving on her route.

According to google maps, the route from Des Moines to LA is -
8. Slight left to stay on I-80 W (signs for Interstate 80 W/Omaha)
Entering Nebraska
353 mi
9. Continue onto I-76 W
Entering Colorado
187 mi
10. Merge onto I-70 W
Entering Utah
501 mi
11. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for I-15 S/Las Vegas and merge onto I-15 S
Passing through Arizona, Nevada
Entering California

Just like she said - "Taking 80 to 76 to 70 to 15."


"I agree with Gretchen. It does help for both us and you to know where you are going"
Joelle told us that in her OP.

" I have a feeling the comments removed were from JoellinItaly04"
I think a spammer is busy today - not Joelle asking for snarky comments to be removed.

She asked a simple question. I don't understand why she got so many bizarre responses.

FrankS

starrs,
The simple mistakes
'Hwy 76' vs Interstate
'through the mountains' vs through the plains
didnt really yield 'bizarre' responses, maybe poorly worded ones

starrs

Read the thread again, FrankS. Joelle was clear re her route. People didn't take the time to read what she said or just wanted to be picky. Some people call an interstate a road or a highway or an expressway.

"'Hwy 76' vs Interstate"
It was clear from her OP the route she was taking.
All the following "corrections" were either mean or bizarre.

fmpden

.....It was clear from her OP the route she was taking.....

Are you kidding??? Clear only if a mind reader. Back it down, Starrs, you are the one who is not bothering to read the OP and then tried to add stuff that wasn't there. She was not clear on her route, not even close. And there is more than one way to go from Iowa to CA.

The original posting said -- twice -- ...."tell me what that highway 76 through the mountains is like" ..... There is a State Hwy 76 in the mountains in southern Colorado. I asked her why she would be even close to that road. Then she comes back with -- "Taking 80 to 76 to 70 to 15" which clears up her route. And it is not unreasonable to assume or ask someone to look at a map so that they know there are no mountains in eastern Colorado. The answers received were very reasonable given the original question.

starrs

" Then she comes back with -- "Taking 80 to 76 to 70 to 15" which clears up her route."

Exactly. Within 15 minutes of being asked for clarification. Less than an hour after she started the thread there were no doubts re her route. So why all the stuff AFTER that point? There was no reason or point to it.

janisj

I don't see the controversy. There was nothing ornery written except by the OP herself.

There are two -- count them, 2 - pretty innocuous posts (maybe Gretchen didn't need to ask if she had looked at a map - but it wasn't nasty) before she comes back w/:

>>Geesh thanks for the help. Arizona people are much nicer. Have nice day.>but if everyone in Colorado is like you, maybe I should worry about going through that state.slightly rude response after that.

I've read through the full thread twice and I honestly don't get why you are chewing on this. I didn't see the deleted posts -- but whatever they said, they were after the OP got upset.