Spring break 2016

[TK2]

A group of 20 plus are traveling to Park City Utah from Austin Texas and we are wanting to know best route, food stops and places to visit along the way? Thanks

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Normally, we simply don't give 'best' routes, or even any routes based on little more than origin and destination sites. But in this case, you are pretty severely limited in your options. With twenty people you will presumably be traveling in some sort of caravan of vehicles or a single large bus, and trying to accommodate that many different interests and tastes is impossible. Also, presumably, you all simply want to get to your destination and begin your spring break. First and foremost resign yourselves to the fact that it will take a full two and a half days each way. Forget what mapping software tells you and don't even think about trying to do it in less. You will never, with that many people, leave on time in the morning. Every stop will take twice to three times as long as you budget for it. Each hill you have to climb with that many people and that much luggage and equipment will take twice as long as the software thinks. Etc., etc., etc.

With all that in mind, your route is relatively straightforward, but does require someone to help navigate: US-183 to Brownwood TX; US-84 to Coleman; TX-153/TX-70 to Sweetwater; US-84 to Santa Rosa NM; I-40 to Albuquerque; I-25 to Bernalillo; US-550 to Bloomfield; US-64 to Shiprock; US-491 through southwestern Colorado to Monticello UT; US-191 to Helper; US-6 to Spanish Fork; I-15 through Springville; US-189/US-40 past Jordanelle State Park; and finally UT-248/UT-224 into Park City. I would strongly recommend that you get a good set of paper maps and plan out that route and NOT just rely on GPS to get you there.

Overnight stops that should work for you are Clovis NM and Cortez CO outbound, and
Farmington NM (slightly off route) and Lubbock TX on the homebound leg. Those are fair-sized cities that are more than likely to have enough accommodations for your large group and make for short enough days that late starts and long rest stops can still be included and not put you behind schedule. Also, unless you can affor to spend more than three days on the road, you simply won't have time for scenic stops.

AZBuck