BOS - LA in Dec - Need Advice

[c84bruin]

I am planning to drive my family back to Los Angeles in early December. Current plans are to drive 8 -10 hours/day, stoping in major cities and staying at bigger chain hotels (less safety concerns).
?how many days should a cross-country road trip take? we currently mapped out 7 days (!)
We plan to drive through denver, CO. We will have an AWD SUV. Is this adequate if snow is on the ground?
Currently, or route is Boston - Harrisburg, PA - Cincinatti, OH - Kansas City, MI, - Denver, CO - Grand Canyon, AZ - Las Vegas, NV - Los Angeles, CA.
?Is this a decent route?
Can this trip be shortend?
I look forward to your advice -- "C"

[imported_c84bruin]

I am planning to drive my family back to Los Angeles in
early December. Current plans are to drive 8 -10
hours/day, stoping in major cities and staying at bigger
chain hotels (less safety concerns).

?how many days should a cross-country road trip take? We
currently mapped out 7 days (!)

We plan to drive through denver, CO. We will have an AWD
SUV. Is this adequate if snow is on the ground?

Currently, or route is Boston - Harrisburg, PA -
Cincinatti, OH - Kansas City, MI, - Denver, CO - Grand
Canyon, AZ - Las Vegas, NV - Los Angeles, CA.

?Is this a decent route?

Can this trip be shortend?

I look forward to your advice -- "C"

[Mark Sedenquist]

Road Greetings "C",
Boston to LA in early December is no problem. We have done similar routes in all months of the year. If you were manage to hit an early (blizzard) snowstorm in Denver it wouldn't matter if you were driving a tank... AWD vehicles are fine in most snow storms but if the road is closed--- Denver rarely gets much snow until the end of January.

Staying in large chain motels will not increase or decrease safety issues -- it can lend an air of normalcy, but the best roadtrips are those where the unexpected happens. Grand Canyon in December could be closed due to snow. Seven days is great -- I have made the same trip in about 60 hours -- but I wouldn't recommend that!

If you want the fastest route -- less affected by weather go I-40 or I-10. Both routes are very likely to have bad roads in Texas due to ice -- but the rest of the trip will be realtively trouble-free.

Have fun, traveling in December is a kick!

RW

[imported_c84bruin]

Thanks for the advice. I didn't know that the Grand Canyon is closed in December for snow. Too bad.
If big chain hotels do not decrease safety issues, what should I look out for?
As far as the icy roads, does the state road service usually post signs and warnings, or do you usually find out the hard way?
Thanks again for your prompt and helpful advice.
"C"

[Mark Sedenquist]

The Grand Canyon is not officially closed anytime. The north rim is usually shut by Thanksgiving due to snow. The south rim is subject to closure, but they tend to try and keep the road open.

What are your specific concerns in regards to safety? We have traveled in all states -- awareness of surroundings is essential -- but I sense some other level of concern?

Icy roads -- yep notice is usually given. But in the typical Texas ice storm -- there will be no missing the presence of ice on the roadways.

But if you have been living in Boston -- surely you know about driving in ice?

Mark