Driving Charlotte, NC to Laguna
 

I have to drive NC to Laguna in March. I don't like driving through mountainous areas or by cliffs and such (I'm o.k. if someone else is driving). What would be the best way to go? I prefer interstates. Also, where should we stop to spend a night or two along the way?

Laguna/Holly Springs near Raleigh, NC or Laguna, TX?

Laguna, California.

A night or two along the way? Your trip is 2,700 miles at least, which will take about 40 hours of driving. Realistically, if you'll stop each night, it'll take 4 days. Or do you mean you'll add on additional nights along the way?

As for routing, there are 3 main ways to go:

- I-26 to I-40 to I-24 to I-70 to I-35 to I-80 all the way to Sacramento. That's 2,700 miles. Some hills to cross in NC and TN, and then a bit up and down through Wymoning to Utah, and finally a big downhill from Donner Pass down to Sacramento.

- I-26 to I-40 all the way to the end in Barstow, CA, to CA58 to either CA99 or I-5. Same distance. Not much hills in the west except a downgrade west of Flagstaff, AZ.

- I-85 to I-20 to I-10 to I-5. About 2,850 miles. This route has no hills, and in March least likely to have wintry weather. Just about 2 more hours of driving time, but you'll need to pass through the L.A. metropolitan.

These are almost all interstate routes (except for a stretch of CA58 in option 2). You don't need to worry about cliffs and such. But when going in March, you should worry more about weather than anything.

If its an even choice between I-40 and I-70, take I-70. Between Denver and St George is stunning

I don't recommend taking I-70 in March, and not for the OP that doesn't like mountainous areas.

Pretty sure you'll have to drive through parts of two Mt. ranges unless you take an extreme Southern route.

I-20/I-10 may seem extreme, but it's only 150 miles longer out of a 2,700 mi trip. Which is 6% longer. Over 4 days, you're talking about extra half an hour each day.

Again, I'd pick the route based on weather forecast.

Troll alert - first time posting by OP

Thanks everyone for your help. We will be stopping more than two nights (I am the only driver). I was just wondering if there were "must-sees" that did not involve mountains along the way.

For a trip in March, I would wait until last minute to determine which route to take, based on weather. I also will not make reservations for hotel. Just drive more if you feel fine and weather is good. Stop when you're tired or weather is lousy.

If weather is not an issue, you can probably go about 650 miles each day for the first 2, and then 750-800 for the last two as traffic is lighter and speed limit higher in the west (except when going through L.A. if you decide to take I-20/10).

I 70 through Colorado is not a "scary" road. Weather could be however.

The only mountains I can think of that you'll go over are the Smokies and Blue Ridge an hour and a half out of Charlotte.

I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure they have some much bigger Mts. out West, called the Rockies. Unless, you go South, & miss them both (don't know why you'd want to do that....??) but to each their own.

I-80 is pretty gentle going over the Continental Divide. You gradually go up to over 5,000 ft by the time you hit Cheyenne. After that there are some hills, up and down, but nothing very steep or curvy until just east of SLC, when you go down through a canyon. After that you're in the Salt Lake Basin, mostly flat, some gentle hills in Nevada. The steepest and more treacherous part of the whole trip is the last 40 miles, going down from over 7,000 ft at Donner Pass down to Sacramento at sea level. They count snow by the feet on the west side of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

There are definitely hills on I-70. You climb from about 6,000ft at Golden, CO to over 11,000ft at the Eisenhower Tunnel in about 45 miles. After dropping over 2,000 ft to Silverthorn, you climb all that again for Vail Pass. It's a more scenic route than I-80, but the hills are much higher.

I-40 is already south of the Rockies. Nothing steep and curvy across the Continental Divide. Steepest part is just west of Flagstaff, AZ, when you come down the Arizona divide.

If its a once or twice in a lifetime drive? IMHO

I80- too boring

Even I40 gets shut down in bad weather. One year they detoured me because of a little snow in Flagstaff. They sent me thru the mountains of Arizona in the back door to Pheonix.

I 70 is best unless there is a major storm in the forecast

I meant to write that taking I-40 you miss the mountains out west. You drive south of them if I remember correctly.

>>I meant to write that taking I-40 you miss the mountains out west. You drive south of them if I remember correctly.<<

You go through the Sandias (southern Rockies) just east of Albuquerque; it takes about 30-40 minutes, no cliffs or anything scary IMO. And there are the mountains by Flagstaff, but again there are no cliffs.

Maybe you're thinking of I-10?

Lee Ann

I have driven this route before (I too was the lone driver), and at the time of year we left we did not want mountains (snow/weather problems), nor coastal. So that left us with the route I have noted below. We did not have a bit of problem other than it's not the most scenic route by any means (boring comes to mind).

Depending on where you will be leaving from (in Charlotte) I would suggest:

I77, to I20, to I10. Once inside CA take the I10, to the 60, then the 91, to either the 55, or the I5 (depending on where in Laguna you will be headed).

(OR)

I-85 to I-20 to I-10 (see above for remainder of trip).

Good Luck!