Dallas to SF: Northern route or southern? Please advice

[Midwest Michael]

Is there cell phone coverage along this route? My only worry/concern is what happens if my car develops a problem, even as simple as, say, a flat tire, someplace in the middle of nowhere along US-50? How good or bad is the availability of gas and food options between UT/NV border and Carson City along this road?

Here's the thing, if cell phone coverage is the basis of where you are going to go on this trip, then you are practically limited to using only interstate highways. As you get into the rural areas of the west, cell coverage is going to become very spotty.

Of course, people were taking roadtrips for decades before there was even such a thing as a cell phone. If you break down, you'd have to wait for help. Of course, before any trip you should also be making sure your car is in top condition before you leave, by taking it to a trusted mechanic. You should also know how to do basic things, like changing a tire, because even with a cell signal it could take a few hours for a tow truck to reach you in more remote parts of the west.

Google Maps says the road cutting across Yosemite "may be closed seasonally". Will this road be open and in safe driving condition this time of the year?

Tioga Pass, along with several other sierra passes are not plowed in the winter - which closes them typically from Nov-May or so, if you are leaving anytime soon, this should not be an issue at all.

[Kilo Delta]

Thanks for the replies and the advice so far, folks!

OK, so I am getting myself mentally prepared that there will be patchy cell phone coverage on either routes. I will be driving a one year old 2012 Honda Civic and I just got the oil change done, along with which the dealer did something called a "24 point check" where they apparently check all fluid levels and brakes etc. Is that enough or do I need to get something more checked from a mechanic? I am hoping the reliable Honda will take me through the desert without issues :D

Cell phone coverage aside, just from the scenic point of view, which route would be better? The one via Albuquerque-Vegas-Reno or via Grand Junction-US Route 50-Reno?

On the northern route, someone suggested stopping overnight at Raton, Grand Junction and Ely. I was thinking of doing overnight in Raton, Salina UT and Carson City NV, keeping the 4th day relatively short, maybe stopping for an hour or so at Lake Tahoe. Is this do-able or am I stretching myself too far on the first three days?