Long Beach to Chicago. March 5-8.

[zbenson85]

Hello all, I was looking for route advice on Google, and this site seems to have some great threads and great insight. I am driving in a 2 car-caravan in a 2008 Ford Mustang so i feel as if the southern route via I-40 makes the most sense. Can anyone tell me about the route, if they thing this is the best option, etc? I am just looking to gather information on the drive, so anything you can share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
-Zach

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

You have two routes available to you that only differ by about 100 miles on a total trip of just over 2000 miles, so about 5% - hardly worth mentioning. Neither is inherently 'better' than the other. Since either one would take about 3½ of the 4 days you have available to you, you are not going to have much time to sample the attractions along either route. I'd have to give the edge to the I-15/I-70/I-76/I-80 route in terms of being slightly shorter and slightly more scenic, but not enough to preclude the I-40/I-44/I-55 route. In the end there is one over-riding factor which should drive your choice, and neither I nor anyone else can tell you how that factor, the weather, will break this far in advance. So just wait until a very few days before departure, see what the weather is predicted to be along the two routes, and choose a route then - and only then.

AZBuck

[zbenson85]

I appreciate the info AZ Buck. Since we are driving in a caravan and I know that will slow things down a bit, we have a rough plan for the trip. It is as follows:

Leave Long Beach late Sunday Afternoon to Kingman, AZ.
Monday: Kingman, AZ to Santa Rosa, NM
Tuesday: Santa Rosa, NM to Tulsa, OK.
Wednesday: Tulsa, OK to Springfiled, IL
Thursday: Springfield, IL to Naperville, IL

Weather permitting we are leaning towards I-40. With a Mustang leading and a Corolla following we were thinking if the weather is comparable, the less elevation the better. Any thoughts on this plan? Again, your help is appreciated!

[Midwest Michael]

I think you've got a reasonable plan, as long as the weather cooperates.

Neither a Mustang or Corolla should have any problems at all with the elevation, especially on the interstates, so I don't think that really needs to be a factor. The Mustang, however, is a pretty lousy vehicle in snow and ice (rear wheel drive + high power engine are about the last things you want in winter conditions), so I think that would be an extra reason to keep things very flexible and pick your route based on what the forecasts predict.