Flattest Route for PCS move from WA to SC?

Oh man do I need help. My family is traveling on military orders from WA to SC. We have a 1 year old son and a dog with major travel anxiety. We are looking for the quickest and flattest route possible. I've looked up two different possible routes, but I'm really worried about the mountain passes. I know you cannot avoid the mountains and I know the interstates are the best option for us, but what would you suggest? I've been using an app that doesn't give me an option of different routes unless I input a specific city as a 'stop'. It also doesn't tell me interstates I'd use so I'm sorry that I'm listing our stops vs interstates.

Option 1: Spokane, WA-->Billings, MT--> Sioux Falls, SD--> Columbia, MO --> Cookeville, TN --> Columbia, SC

Option 2: Boise, ID-->Cheyenne, WY--> Kansas City, MO--> Nashville, TN--> Columbia, SC

My map is showing two other routes as well. One of those goes through Boise and continues south through Denver to Amarillo then crosses the southern states to Columbia, SC. The other route follows option 1 until Missoula then travels up and around (so we'd continue north through Montana, cross North Dakota, then start to descend through Minnesota, go through Chicago, Cincinnati, Lexington..).

I know some people immediately drive south to California and cross somewhere, but I can't figure out that route without adding a ton of unnecessary time/miles to our trip. I'm so ignorant with all of this stuff. lol...

Thanks! :)

Welcome to RTA!

Having crossed the country many times on both the routes you mentioned, I'd go with Route #1. It's at lower elevations, there are less mountain passes to really worry about, and in many ways, it's a far prettier route.

Your year-old son may not be the worry you expect. I have grandkids and both of my own kids worried about how their children would travel. It turned out to be much easier than expected. And honestly, diapers are easier to deal with than a potty-training-child!

As for your dog, have you talked to a veterinarian? The vet may have some solutions for you. Most dogs are great travelers, but there are always those that aren't.

Once you get the route ironed out, you'll want to space your overnight stops about 500-550 miles apart. That will give you a solid 10 hours a day on the road, with time to stop to change a diaper, check out a scenic viewpoint, etc. Because you are traveling with a dog, you may want to reserve your overnights, as well, to get the pet-friendly hotels.

Are you traveling with a Pack-n-Play? Both of my kids have taken theirs with them, as hotels may or may not have a crib available for the baby.

Believe me, you will get experience and will feel more knowledgeable as you travel more!


Donna

I would recommend following what you've listed as your 1st option - which follows I-90 to Sioux Falls, and then starts a diagonal southeast to SC. I-90 stays at a lower elevation than I-80, which is your second listed option. The other routes you listed either involve more miles and 2 lane roads (via Amarillo) or could involve a lot more tolls and traffic (via Chicago). Going via California adds a lot of miles AND still means a lot of mountains, first down the coastal mountains and then again going over the Rockies in Arizona.

I would say that I would avoid being overly reliant on apps - especially if you're struggling to know what routes you might be using. When you take that approach you could really run into problems if the app or your electronics failed. There's nothing like paper maps to give you a much better big picture look at where you'll be going.

oh perfect thank you! I appreciate your feedback. Ive been overthinking this whole thing for 2 days. We are supposed to leave next Wednesday and decided it was best to go ahead and plan out a route and make hotel reservations since we have the dog. I didn't even think about those driving across country with a potty training little one. Oh man! That would be tough.

We did get medicine for the dog from the Vet and all of his shots that will be needed for the hotels. We will have the pack n play (and I think everything but the kitchen sink..lol). Now just to make the reservations, get the movers here, and finally leave. So excited to experience this trip with my husband this go around. Last time it was my dog, my mother, and myself. We did it in 3 days and I honestly couldn't tell you which route we traveled or anything we saw along the way. Hopefully we'll have the opportunity to take time to stop and take it in.

Thank you again, so much! :)

I'll give you route numbers from Spokane to Columbia, here are 2 alternates:

I-90 to Sioux Falls
I-29 to KC (take the I-435 east bypass)
I-70 to Wentzville
I-64 through STL to Mount Vernon
I-57 to I-24 to Nashville

Option 1:

TN-115 east bypass
I-40 to Asheville
I-26 to Columbia

NOTE: I-40 between the I-81 junction and Asheville has a very winding mountainous stretch, option 2 avoids this BUT will put you through Atlanta which can be a traffic nightmare.

Option 2:

I-24 through Nashville to Chattanooga
I-75 to Atlanta, take the I-285 east bypass
I-20 to Columbia

Either way you go, this is at least a 5 full day drive, it's over 2600 miles. I'd actually recommend you take 5 days and part of a 6th with the following overnights:

Bozeman or Billings
Rapid City (check Ellsworth AFB for lodging)
Council Bluffs (Omaha) (check Offutt AFB for lodging)
Belleville/O'Fallon IL (check Scott AFB for lodging)
Knoxville or Chattanooga

Can I assume you are PCS from Fairchild to Shaw?

If you call the bases about housing, be sure to say the magic phrase PCS orders. You will have priority, and that's as it should be. From what I've been given to understand, most base temporary housing like that is "pet friendly". It is also competitive with the surrounding properties, financially speaking.


Donna (retired military wife)

GLC mentioned the winding mountain section of I-40. The key word here is WINDING! Miles of tight curves with a lot of truck traffic.

I've driven all over this country including the REAL mountains out west and this is my least favorite section of interstate to drive in the nation, especially in the dark or in the rain. I have to drive it four times each year. It resembles a two lane local highway more than it does an interstate. It twists and turns in a serpentine path through some hilly terrain. On your left much of the time is a high concrete barrier, with no shoulder, which makes driving in the left lane unnerving, especially when passing trucks. This is one place on the interstate you definitely want to watch your speed. There are also two tunnels.

I'm not saying to avoid this section. This is a pretty section of highway that runs through the valleys in between the hills. You can't really call these mountains. But you seem to be very concerned about mountain driving and I wanted you to know what this hilly section of interstate was like.

Here is a video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LpkTQSl_Pdo

It can be bypassed at the expense of 60 miles by taking I-40 to I-81 to I-26 to Asheville.