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My girlfriend and I are plan on driving a 14'Uhaul truck towing a sedan from Minneapolis to Los Angeles December 26 to Dec 30. We're planning on going down the I-35 S to Des Moines, Kansas City, OK city and then taking the I-40 W through NM, AZ, and CA. Is this a relatively easy drive? (I've never driven in snow) Any suggestions on where to stay and what to see on the way? Any comments are much appreciated.
It won't be bad if the weather is good. If the weather is not so great, I-70 and I-15 can be better choices. If you do take the I-40 route, overnights fall into place roughly around KC or Wichita, and again around Tucumcari or Albuquerque, if you make this a three-day. My choices would be Wichita and Tucumcari!
The Grand Canyon is magical in winter, especially if there has been snow; prices are lower and the crowds are GONE. You can't beat it! Plan some extra time there and an overnight, if you can. If you want a special treat, try a night at the El Tovar Hotel ($$$). If you have to stick to a budget, stay at Maswik Lodge or get a more economical room in Flagstaff (about 80 miles away). Maswik and El Tovar are both lodges within the park, managed by Xanterra, you can find them on the web. Sedona is beautiful in winter also, and is just 25 miles or so south of Flagstaff on SR89A. From there, you can go over Mingus Mountain to Prescott (also on 89A), and connect with US60 north of Wickenburg, to I-10 and on to Los Angeles that way. This is a very scenic route, at least as far as the Wickenburg area. After that, it is Sonoran and Mohave desert.
Other possibilities for stops along the way are Santa Fe, the southern Utah parks, or Las Vegas is not too far off your path either, if the delights of the "entertainment" city sound good. Your PROBLEM is you have so many options (and routes) to choose from!
Thanks for your insight Bob!
I'm leaning more towards just driving a front wheel drive sedan instead of the Uhaul truck. (One-way move with Uhaul is quite expensive) Does anyone think I should invest in some tire chains for my sedan on this trip from Minneapolis to Los Angeles?
You only need them if you need them. It's hard to say. Chances are good that you could gamble and make the trip without them (banking on no major storms at the time you are planning to leave) -- but if things get dicey, they might be hard to come by on the road (since everyone else will be trying to buy them at the same time).
I would make the decision at the last minute after a check of the latest weather reports.
I always suggest carrying chains -- mostly as a preventative measure -- it seems to be nearly as effective as washing your car in the summer -- (it usually rains within 14 hours of the car wash). So carrying chains should keep the chain enforcement areas to a minimum based on that logic.
My friend and i are driving from seattle to san francisco in a few days and the mountain passes are snowy. We are both unfamilar with driving in snow and putting snow tires on a truck or a car for that matter. Any and all suggestions or information would be extreamly valuable!
Thanks!