What to see on trip from Vancouver B.C. to Las Vegas...

[vanbusboy]

We are planning to take a road trip from Vancouver B.C. to Las Vegas from March 7th returning March 23rd, 2005
What sights along the route would be worth seeing and not paying too much to see. We want to still have funds to blow in Vegas. Are there good side trips enroute? Are there really nice B&B's? Interesting rock formations, or places that meteors hit? Strange homes? That kind of thing. We would appreciate any help...thanks to all whom reply.

[vangirl]

Hello,

We're planning a road trip from Vancouver BC to Las Vegas. Probably going there sometime this summer, around June 2006. We'd like to know the best route to take, how to break it down (hours of driving, hotel stops, etc.), what to see, etc. I figued the best way to find out is to ask someone who's done it. How was your road trip last year?

Vangirl

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

Unfortunately, vanbusboy has not been active on the forum for a while. So, although I haven't made exactly the trip you'll be making this summer (Every trip is different, after all.), I've driven various parts of it at different times, so let me see if I can offer some basic answers to your questions. You can make the trip from Vancouver to Las Vegas in three comfortable driving days of a little bit less than 8 hours of actual behind-the-wheel time each day. To this you have to add the time needed for gas, food, and rest stops as well as any time you want to spend seeing stuff other than through the windshield.

The most efficient and direct route would take you down BC-99 to the States where you would pick up I-5 to Seattle, I-90 to Ellensburg, the I-82 cutoff to join I-84 down to the Salt Lake City area, and finally take I-15 into Las Vegas, for about 1400 total miles. If you were to take three days, then your overnight stops would be roughly in northeastern Oregon, somewhere in the Pendleton to Baker City region, and around Salt Lake City.

A few of the more enticing things to see along the way would be Mt Ranier National Park in Washington, The Snake River Valley in Idaho, and the Great Salt Lake and Zion National Park in Utah. All of these could add considerably to your transit time to Las Vegas and you'd have to adjust how many days the drive would take and where you'd stop for the night, but they're all worth seeing. And these are just the natural attractions. If there are other things that interest you in particular, just speak up

AZBuck