Drive from VAS VEGAS to DENVER
 

Me and my boyfriend are planning our USA trip and are road tripping a lot of it. We have already sorted out the drive from LA to SAN FRAN, but need some tips for the drive from VAGAS to DENVER. We are going via old Route 66 to Flagstaff and are not sure which way from here is best. Can anyone help as we do not know there would be more to see going through Albuquerque & Sant Fe onto the I-25 or through Montrose onto the I-70, heard only little about both.

We have allocated 3 days driving, can anyone suggest the best place to stay over and which route would be the best to see. We are going early July too so it will be peak season.

Any advise would be a great help!

Thanks
Jackie

There is plenty to see along the way, but you have a long ride no matter which way you decide to go. Since you are going in July, it will be very hot in Vegas and many of the places along your route.

If you decide to go through Albuquerque, Vegas to Albuquerque involves about a 10 or 11 hour drive on the interstate (I-40) without stopping along the way at places like Grand Canyon, Painted desert/petrified forest and much more along the way and then it is another 9 or 10 hours from there to Denver without stopping at Santa Fe or any of the other places along that route. So for your three days, pretty much two are taken up with just driving and using 66 would be slower although there isn't much of it left as much of it was replaced by I-40.

A little shorter would be to go north on I-15 from Vegas then east on I-70, Just off I-70 you would be able to spend a day at Arches and Canyonlands NPs which are spectacular. This would mean a day to drive to Moab, UT from Vegas, a day at Arches and/or Canyonlands and a day driving through Colorado to Denver with a stop or two along the way. It will be hot in Arches and Canyonlands, but a lot can be viewed from an air condidioned car, with short trips out for photos.

You haven't given yourself much time to do your trip, but the drive itself is very interesting, no matter which route you take.

You are going through some of the "wonder" lands of the US. It would be too bad not to see them. As much as I love Denver, what are your plans there? Maybe spend a bit longer getting there, and see some things en route.

Hmm interesting..

we really want to see parts of the old route 66 that still exist and different towns along the way. We are travelling from Australia and only have a month, so we are trying to fit everything in we want to see as well as visiting my relatives.

Instead of stopping off at the Grand Canyon, we're going to do a tour on one of the days we are in Vegas so we can drive straight through and make the most of Route 66 & route to Denver. I think we've decided to take the I-25 up from Albuquerque to save time instead of detouring past Montrose. --Any good suggestions to see or a place to stay the night on the I-25 to Denver?

We aren't planing on staying in Denver, just flying straight out.

The only interesting part of 66 that I have found is a small section that goes west from a bit south of Kingman, AZ, over the mountain and through an old gold mining town named Oatman. Oatman is now a tourist "trap" that does wild west shows in the road and has some of the old buildings that sell t shirts, art, leather goods, etc. You can do that part as a day trip from Vegas. The other parts of 66 in the area you will be in are mostly short loops parallel to I 40 and have motels, gas stations, fast food places and IMO very little of the feel of old 66.

Have a safe trip.

I can't emphasize STRONGLY enough that missing stuff like the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and Rocky Mountain NP; in order to see Route 66 -- a highway that was nothing but kitsch even fifty years ago, hasn't existed as a road in 35 years, and is now just a museum piece -- makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. I hate to sound so strong, but the real beauty of Utah beats the fake kitsch of Route 66 by any measure of worth.

Go up I-15 to I-70, seeing as much of the national parks as you can. Yes, you'll hate yourself for giving only three days to see all of this, but you'll hate yourself worse if you instead do I-40 to I-15.

I agree with Paul. I-40 to I-15 has little to offer in regard to scenic beauty, and the road is a major through fare for trucks.

If you want to know about the history of route 66-now known as the "National Trails Highway" in many places, go to the Rt. 66 museum in Victorville, CA. (across from the Amtrak station)
From there you drive the National Trails through Barstow paralleling I-40 through Ludlow all the way out to Exit 115.
Make sure you have a full gas tank when you leave Barstow.
See some National Parks before spending time and gas money on route 66. The east end of historic Route 66 is at the intersection of Jackson Blvd. and Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
Denver is nowhere near the historic route of Rt. 66.

Thanks for all the advise. it might be worth doing a day trip to GCNP & Kingman end of route 66 during our stay in Vegas then take the I -15/I-70

Lots to think about. Much appreciated

Jackie