Austin to Portland, Or Jan 2018

Hey there. I have made the trip from Texas to Portland by car at least 5 times, and I am once again moving back to OR from TX. This time, I would love to hear suggestions from others on routes. I usually go from dallas through OKC, Denver, SLC, Boise, and across Western Oregon. This time, I am considering driving west to the Grand Canyon (never been) and then up through Utah, Nevada or Cali.

It will be just me and my dog in 2017 Jetta - no trailer. Time isn’t really an issue but I’d like to do it in 4-5 days max. (I usually drive it in 2 days or less, which is a killer and I’m not as young as I used to be). Anyway, I’d like to take time to see historical or natural landmarks. I can’t afford pricey hotels, but I am pretty good at finding cheap ways to lodge on trips.

Any recommendations would be awesome!

Thanks

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

Saying that making this trip in 2 days is a killer is not a metaphorical statement - it's homicidally dangerous, every bit as much so as driving drunk. You are incredibly lucky that you have not hurt yourself or anyone else and you certainly shouldn't make the mistake that thinking just because you haven't yet hurt anyone that those previous trips were safe - anymore than someone who drives home drunk is being "Safe" because they didn't cause a crash along the way. Any attempt to justify what you did is no different than a drunk justifying how they can someone safely operate a 2 ton machine while impaired.

I point this out because when you say you want to do this in 4-5 days max, you are already looking at pretty much the bare minimum of time that you can cover this distance safely, if you include the Grand Canyon. That's already a 2400 mile trip, and 600 miles a day is very much the top end of how much you should drive in a single day - that's the maximum limit that professional drivers are allowed to cover in a day because of safety laws. Throw in the relatively high chance of seeing some snow or ice that would additionally slow you down, and you'd have a pretty small amount of time just to see the Grand Canyon, and it would be difficult to include much else - and safely cover the miles - with 4-5 days max.

Certainly, there are plenty of other things you could stop and see and do - Zion and Bryce Canyons would be right along your way if you took the direct route from the Grand Canyon to Portland. There are several other parks you could consider if you wanted to continue onto California and then head north - but the key to all of this is time, and you'll need more than 4-5 days if you'd like to see more than the Grand Canyon.

Try, (may take five days or more like suggested here)

- I35 South to SA,
- I10 all the way to Phoenix
- Phoenix to Las Vegas US93 or all the way up to I84 in Ideho but this time of year may not be good idea
- I84 to Portland

or - Hang around LV for couple nights
- Las Vegas to Reno US95
- Reno NV to Mt. Shasta CA or Sacramento CA
- to Portland OR via I5

Enjoy... It's fun trip anytime of year... Food is great along the way as well..

Note that driving at night won't be fun after dark on there roads so may consider pulling over after sunset...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jm98

Note that driving at night won't be fun after dark on there roads so may consider pulling over after sunset...

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Thanks! The last time I drove up, friends were with me and we did the Vegas/Reno route. Forgot all about that one! I remember we got a little lost in the foothills/mountains in N Ca.

I’m going to prob skip the Grand Canyon. Def going to Phoenix and then either over to LA or up to Vegas. Haven’t really decided.


Thanks for all the tips!