Ohio to Washigton in January?

[imported_Meghan]

Dear travelers,
Could use some expert advice: my boyfriend and I are moving from Columbus to Seattle, and would like to take our time and have a real American roadtrip. However, our lease is up on Jan. 1st, putting us on the road in the dead of winter. Would love some input about the best routes to avoid the weather and still see the country (coastal would be great). No deadlines to meet, other than the date to be out of the apt.! Thanks for the help!

[Robert Schaller]

Since you have plenty of time, and you want to stay warm... I say go south! Make a big loop, go south to New Orleans (either go down through Nashville and Augusta, or go to St Louis and south on the Great River Road), then west via Big Bend National Park to San Diego. Then up through the Owens Valley of California to Reno, west to San Francisco and up the coast all the way to Seattle. This is about double the miles of a direct route, and driving time alone is 8.5 days. Once in the west, you could do a variation on this route and include the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas as well, or some of the other western parks, your choice. Happy planning.