I am leaving March 3rd for a cross-country adventure from Albany, NY to the West Coast. I've never been out West so any advice would be very helpful!! I will be picking up I-40 in Memphis. From there straight out to Pasadena, California. What are the driving conditions on I-40 like in March? I do have plans to see Sedona, Flagstaff & the Grand Canyon. Being from New York, I'm not sure what to pack for clothes in March out West. Any advice on driving conditions, concerns, places to stay, camp, clothes to pack.. would be very HELPFUL.
thanks, carrie

Hi Carrie. You ask a very good question. I wish I had a good answer!!
I grew up in the South, but I have travelled all over the US. March is a tough month to predict because the weather is changing to dramatically.
In Georgia where I live, we can have 80 degrees one day and two days later be down to freezing.

Also, bear in mind that if you go to the Grand Canyon you will be at an altitude
of over 7,000 feet. Flagstaff is also "high desert". It might be 80 degrees at Hoover dam, but in the morning at the GC it could be below freezing. Usually in that high and dry country, the daily spread between high and low temperatures can be more than 30 degrees -- 20 at night and 55 - 60 degrees in the day time. So I would have a jacket of some sort! Polarfleece is a good thing to wear, I have found, because it is a good insulator, yet light in weight.
Combine it with a wind proof shell of some type and you should be ready.
Please allow enough time to see some of the sights around Flagstaff. Walnut Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, Waputki and Sunset Crater are all in the area near Flagstaff and all are worthwhile attractions.

Bob,
Thank you so much for the advice. Another quick question for you: if I'm traveling from Pasadena to Denver in mid-March{I-15 to I-70) should I have chains for my tires?? Obviously I'm trying to be 110% prepared before I leave? Also any advice for safe campsites in New Mexico, Arizon, Utah, since I'll be traveling with just another girl? Thanks once again,
carrie

Hi Carrie-
I live in Oklahoma and frequently travel I-40 to New Mexico then north to Colorado or I-35 north to Kansas then west on I-70 thru Denver to Vail. We have never bothered with chains and have been lucky so far. If your travel plans are flexible to allow an unexpected overnight stay if road conditions warrant it, that would be the worst case. Both I-70 and I-40 are highly traveled and well maintained and would be closed or dangerous for less than a 24 hour period in most circumstances. If you get chains, have someone show you how to put them on. Since you are traveling with another girl it would be best to be prepared to chain-up without help if needed.
As far as clothes, you'll need anything from shorts and t-shirts to fleece and parkas as weather can be anything from a snow storm to 80 and sunny. Today we expect the high to be 71, two weeks ago we got 10' of snow.

Hi again. The question about snow and chains is one I am not qualified to answer. I do know that most of the time the Interstate routes are kept clear, but big snow storms can be a big problem. The advice from Paige sounds good to me.

When I lived in Ohio, I had snow tires and they took me where I wanted to go. But I am not sure you want to drive long distances on snow tires because they get poor gas milage and wear out quicker. There is at least 25% more friction between a snow tire and the road than there is between a regular tire and the road. Also, if you are stacked up with other luggage, there is no place to pout two extra tires that you could turn to in a snow emergency.
One good feature of I 70 is that the Eisenhower Tunnel goes under what used to be a problem in the winter: Loveland Pass. It is beautiful in the summer, but no place for me when there is snow all over.

As for your campground question, I have not camped in several years in the west. After being rained on extensively in 1983 my wife said she would not spend another night in a tent. So far, she hasn't. But in our younger days, we camped on several vacation trips.
I would say that campgrounds at National Park sites (National Monuments and National Parks) tend to be safer because they are usually checked on by the Rangers. But these spots tend to be more crowded than National Forest sites.

Of the various areas I have been in, Zion NP had a cramped area. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon had a nice place. Bryce Canyon was ok. Mesa Verde has a large area near the park entrance. Unless it has changed, there are prepared pads for tents.
A popular National Forest spot should be ok but I am out of date on those.
Most of the ones I used are high in the mountains and probably not available in March because of the snow cover.
Wish I could help more, but my knowledge of camping areas is dated.

Dear Carrie:
I've lived (and driven) in the West for almost 40 years and I never travel without chains (even though my car has all-weather tires). I've seen snow on some seemingly innocuous passes as late as mid-May, and I have seen travelers stranded because the Highway Patrol would not let them pass without chains. And make sure your chains fit: I remember one frustrated traveler who was stranded for 24 hours because his chains were one link too short.
You may need chains not only for snowy roads. I once pulled onto a very soft shoulder and got out only because I put out my chains; another time my chains helped me make it across a mud slide that had closed the highway.
If you don’t want to hassle with chains, equip your car with all-weather tires; they rate as “snow tires” for most mountain driving conditions but don’t have the obnoxiously high (and noisy) tread of true snow tires. Just make sure they are rated for “snow and mud” (they must be marked with a clearly visible “M + S” on the side walls.
You might also keep in mind that the “Wild” in “Wild West” as often as not refers to our wild weather and driving conditions.

Bob, your camping info has been modified by cutbacks. National parks campgrounds are no longer patrolled by rangers as I found out this summer. The new rules are that if you are having a problem with rowdy partyers you must walk/drive down to the gate to use the payphone to call a ranger. We had a problem in the Grand Canyon Village campsite with two guys who were walking around talking friendly with people in the evening and proudly saying they were Dutch but by 2am they were pelting nearby tents with beercans. I figure the high altidude/dehydration allowed them to consume far more beer than they were able to handle. The Mesa Verda campsite is still very good but I couldn't see camping in March at 6,000 feet.

Once again--THANK YOU ALL for the great advice. To Paige, since you live in Oklahoma, and this is the state I know least about. What would you suggest: Any advice about what i should see passing through on I-40. I definitly don't want ot miss anything along the way!
Thanks,
Carrie

Carrie -
Most of the must see sights are in OKC; Cowboy Hall of Fame is number one. The Omniplex is a hands-on science museum located close to Cowboy Hall of Fame. Also may want to go downtown to see the Oklahoma City National Memorial to be officially opened and dedicated on April 19, 2000, in honor of the 168 people killed in the 1995 bombing. Have lunch or dinner in Bricktown, lots of restaurants to choose from. Route 66, the "Mother Road", from Chicago to Los Angeles, follows I-40 closely from OKC to LA. You might want to take Route 66 from OKC west thru several small towns (see Garth Brooks' home town of Yukon, just west of OKC) out to Clinton and see the Route 66 museum, then re-join I-40. In eastern Oklahoma there are two state parks located just off I-40; Arrowhead and Fountainhead. Both have lodges, cabins and camping - make reservations. Or, in western Oklahoma, there are two state parks (no lodges or cabins) Red Rock Canyon and Roman Nose - I'm not sure what the camping facilities are there. Hope this helps and have a great trip!