Thanksgiving week: Orange Count(CA) to Denver (CO)

Hi all,

I would like to rent a van and drive from Orange county, ca to denver , CO for the week of thanksgiving. I would like to leave saturday morning and come back saturday to orange county.

Here are my concerns.

1. Weather : Snow, rain, etc.
2. Road conditions: wet , slippery, high, cliffs, mountains.
3. Places to stay: where to stay, where to stop.

There would be 5 kids in the van from ages 16 to 3. My wife and I are excited but worried on how to deal with unexpected weather conditions, how to plan, where to stay if weather is bad.

please advise us. we all planned for the trip and now having second thoughts because we dont know what we would do if weather conditions go bad. We plan to take the straight route which is hwy 15 to hwy 70. Are the roads wide or are they narrow. Are the roads 2 lanes on high mountains with having to worry about on coming traffic. Would driving be enjoyable or stress ful due to high mountains.

Please advise..

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

The route you are reffering to is I 15 and I 70, the 'I' meaning Interstate not highway.
Interstates are multi laned, designed with gradual gradients and curves and to keep the country moving. No one can predict the weather at this stage but keep an eye on the forecasts using such sites as the weather channel. If you were caught in any type of winter storm there are usually safe places to pull off the Interstate while the road crews do their job in clearing the road.

With somewhere in the region of 1000 miles to cover each way, it would mean 2 long day's travelling without weather delay's but with 5 kid's and the chance of disruption you would be better off taking 2.5 to 3 day's perhaps.
For a 2 day trip you would be looking at stopping overnight in between Beaver and Salina UT and 3 days your stops could be around St George/ Cedar city, Grand junction and onto Denver in a little over 4 hours.

I will be leaving on 11/21 for 1 week trip to denver, CO with the wife and 5 kids in a mini van.

I plan to leave around 6am in the morning on 11/21 Friday and plan to drive all day till 5pm. I do not plan to drive in the dark. Considering very few stops for bath room and lunch etc. Where should I stay in the following scenario?

Perfect weather and road conditions:
I plan to take I15 and I70. When do you recommend that I should stop and stay?

Bad weather and road conditions:
I plan to take I15 to Salt lake city, UT. Then I plan to stay there over night and then next day, I plan to take I80 and then I25 into Denver.

What do you think about my plan? I need recommendations for place to stay on I15 and I70 route. What are good motels that offer good quality service at lower price.

Where do you recommend for us to stop for lunch, along the fwy, at a scenic stop where we could eat lunch on I15 and I70?

Which ski resorts do you recommend that are family friendly and easy on the budget. What are the price ranges for ski rentals and ski lifts from low to high etc.
I plan to ski during the entire thanks giving week.

The halfway point between OC and Denver is Richfield, UT. That should be drivable in 11 hours no problem, it's just over 500 miles each leg.

11/21 is Saturday, not Friday, by the way. There appears to be quite a few moderate priced chain hotels in the Richfield/Salina area - ranging from $50 (Rodeway Inn) to $90 (Hampton Inn).

Detouring all the way to Salt Lake City would not really be advised - it would add 200 miles to the trip, and I-80 is not immune to bad weather. In fact, if the weather gets that bad, I think I'd rather deal with I-70 than I-80 in southeastern WY - it's famous for getting VERY windy up there and closing the road due to ice and whiteout conditions. Another option would be I-40 to Albuquerque, then I-25. However, this adds more than 200 miles.

Both detours would probably run you into a 3rd day on the road.

If you plan on going to ski resorts, you may want to rent or buy a set of tire chains.