Welcome to RTA! You must be so excited to have your husband home soon. Thank you for being a military wife -- I know from experience, it can be difficult. Thank your husband for his service.

It would be impossible to predict what could be the worst route in March, here in Nov. If it were me, I'd set a tentative route and then, make the final decision right before you leave as to what route you can take. Have some alternatives as well, where you could divert along the way. Carry a laptop or some other Internet-ready device so you can check road conditions along the way too.

If it were me, there would be two routes to look at:

I-40 straight across from California to Tennessee, then up I-81 through VA, PA, turning off to NY where needed.

I-80 straight across the country from California. The only "bummer" to this route is that you would find some of the interstate is toll road. My husband and I are "shun-pikers": people who will usually avoid long stretches of toll road. YMMV.

If you've got 14 days to make the drive, you could plan on 7 days at 400 miles per day and have time to stop places to see something if you like. Lots to see along either route!

I-40: Grand Canyon - Petrified Forest NP - Albuquerque has some beautiful museums and rich Native American and Mexican Heritage - Amarillo's Cadillac Ranch - Graceland in Memphis (and other jazz heritage) - country music capital of Nashville - swing down to Great Smoky Mountains if the weather is "right" -

I-81: if the weather is right, all or parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway or Skyline Drive could be open - Hershey PA with its chocolate factory is not far - Gettysburg is open year-round.

I-80: Salt Flats - Mormon heritage in Salt Lake City - Wyoming (Yellowstone would probably be mostly still closed at that point) - much more! (It's been awhile since I've traveled this route, but I-40/81 is still fresh in my mind from our trip back east this past summer.)


Donna