Traveling I-70 from St. Louis, headed to Las Vegas

[psodd]

Hi everyone,
My wife and I will be moving from W.Va. to Vegas in early October and by studying the maps, think that I-70 is the way to go. Some questions we are concerned with are: Will we run into any icey road conditions in the mountain areas during Oct. Our second question is, will there be any major delays due to construction work being done along I-70 during that time? Any advice that will help make our trip a safe and enjoyable one, would be greatly appreciated!

[Mark Sedenquist]

My wife and I will be moving from W.Va. to Vegas in early October and by studying the maps, think that I-70 is the way to go.

Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum -- Yep, that is the way I would go, UNLESS you driving a rental moving truck....S

ome questions we are concerned with are: Will we run into any icey road conditions in the mountain areas during Oct.

It is possible, but weather in October tends to be just about perfect in all areas of the lower 48 states.

Our second question is, will there be any major delays due to construction work being done along I-70 during that time?

That information is maintained 24/7 by the various Depts of Transporation found along the way. Click here for our list of such resources. I-70 between Denver and I-15 is among the most gorgeous interstate highways in America. Here is an article I wrote about the section that passes through eastern Utah.

Happy Planning!

Mark

[psodd]

Hi Mark,

A big thank you for answering my questions and the resources you included are great! My wife and I have never been farther west than St. Louis and can't wait to see the beauty of the wild west! Thanks again, Jim and Mary

[Mark Sedenquist]

My wife and I have never been farther west than St. Louis and can't wait to see the beauty of the wild west!

Jim and Mary, I know how that feels, the first time I crossed the Mississippi heading east I was almost giddy. You are going to love the west and Las Vegas (our current home town).

Mark

[AshleyDillo]

That stretch of I-70 through Colorado and Utah is AMAZING. That is quite possibly my favorite stretch of interstate in the country. It totally makes up for the flat nothing of I-70 across Kansas. My only tip is that you're going to want to drive as much of the stretch from Denver to I-15 in the daylight. It gets darker a lot sooner up in the mountains, but the scenery is wonderful. I'd suggest stopping in Denver so you can leave early in the morning and then stopping again in Grand Junction as you will want to see the Utah portion of the drive in the daylight too.

When you see the sign about no gas for 100+ miles make sure you stop and fill up and check your tire pressure, oil and other fluids because they mean it. Take advantage of the scenic overlooks--there is one where you can walk out on this rocky ledge that is only about 4 feet wide. I was amazed that there were no guard rails or anything. I could only go out a few hundred feet before my acrophobia paralyzed me and I had to nearly crawl back.

I've been through that route in October and in April and I've hit snow both times. My friend lived in Denver and said that he had a snowball fight up in the mountains on the 4th of July, so it is highly possible you'll hit some of it up in the higher elevations. During April it was 80 degrees in Denver but we hit flurries driving through the Utah portion.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Take advantage of the scenic overlooks--there is one where you can walk out on this rocky ledge that is only about 4 feet wide. I was amazed that there were no guard rails or anything. I could only go out a few hundred feet before my acrophobia paralyzed me and I had to nearly crawl back.

I believe that is on the trail below the Spotted Wolf Overlook. It is a perfect hog-back ridge and one of my favorite views.

I've been through that route in October and in April and I've hit snow both times. My friend lived in Denver and said that he had a snowball fight up in the mountains on the 4th of July, so it is highly possible you'll hit some of it up in the higher elevations. During April it was 80 degrees in Denver but we hit flurries driving through the Utah portion.

Very true! and also, Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum -- most first-time posters start by asking questions -- so your first post is doubly welcome with the additional tips and ideas!

Mark

[AshleyDillo]

I believe that is on the trail below the Spotted Wolf Overlook. It is a perfect hog-back ridge and one of my favorite views.

I'm not sure where it is exactly..it was just one of the scene overlook pull-off in Utah. It could have been heading eastbound--I know we didn't stop at every overlook but after that one I really wish we had! I went back and forth on that stretch of I-70 from I-15 to Denver probably 6 times in one month. I never got tired of it!

Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum -- most first-time posters start by asking questions -- so your first post is doubly welcome with the additional tips and ideas!

Mark

Thank you for the warm welcome! I just kind of jumped in there when I saw discussion of this wonderful piece of interstate. I haven't really even explored the RTA boards until someone linked to it in another online community that I am a part of. I had a solid 2 years of road trip adventures a few years ago when I had a job that had me going all over the country. I got to see some amazing things that I would have made the time to see before and I was paid for doing so. It was the ultimate adventure!

Now I'm back working the typical office job with a max 2-weeks off a year, so I don't quite have the freedom to throw back and take an all-out road trip anymore. Now that I've found this board I can live vicariously through all of the other posters until I can take my next great road trip!

-- Ashley