Moving Trip from NC to CO -- Looking for Scenic Routes!

[dpforman]

Hi all!

My fiance and I are moving out to CO Springs next month from Kernersville, NC. We have a 16' moving truck and our dog, so our options as far as stopping and properly enjoying the trip are limited. We would like to make the most of the drive, though, so we are looking for the best scenic routes to keep the drive interesting. We're perfectly fine with tacking a few hours to an extra day on to our trip -- we have 7 days with the moving truck, and really want to enjoy the trip as much as possible given the circumstances!

Any ideas for scenic routes to take for this trip?

Thanks in advance!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

The best way to attack the planning for such a trip is to first account for the things you need to do, see how long that will take, and then decide what to do with any extra time you may have. So first: the truck. Within the seven days that you will have it, you not only have to make the drive, but pack and unpack as well. So, plan on a day to pack and a day to unload, and no, you don't want to do either of those on days when you plan to drive. So that leaves you five days for the drive.

In a comfortable (and relatively nimble and speedy) sedan with no dog you could make the drive in three days fairly easily. But with a low lumbering truck and a dog, plan on four by the most direct route. That leaves you just a single day that must encompass all detours and stops as well as a little time each day to just get out of the cab, stretch your own legs, and walk and water the dog. So you have at most a single day for sightseeing. That argues strongly for the most direct route and finding both some quick R&R stops as well as maybe a few hours at each of a few major attractions.

The most direct route is I-77 up into West Virginia, I-64 from Beckley WV to St. Louis and then I-70 to Limon CO and finally US-24 to Colorado Springs. Only US-24 is non-Interstate quality, but it is a relatively flat, well-maintained, two lane US highway on the high plains, and the most direct route available. The other option,, just as scenic, would be to take I-40 to Nashville, I-24 to I-57 north, joining I-70 just east of St. Louis and proceeding as previously outlined

Some major attractions along those route where you could easily spend a few hours include Grant's Farm in St. Louis and Truman's home in Independence MO, but there really aren't a lot of national parks or other scenic wonders once you clear the Appalachians until you're approaching the Rockies. So basically, I'd recommend pacing yourselves well and planning on taking four and a half days for the drive, making several short stops each day for you sanity and the dog's happiness, and holding that half day in reserve in case you need it.

If you're just driving the truck and not towing a car, I wouldn't worry a whole lot about where you're going to stop each night. Most motels along the Interstate can easily accommodate such a relatively 'small' truck, even if you have to take up a couple of parking spaces. If, however, you are planning to tow your personal car behind the truck, then you're going to have to do some pre-planning, decide roughly where you're going to stop each night, and call ahead to make sure that you can get reservations at places that will assure you that they have pull-through parking for larger trucks and/or trailers.

AZBuck

[glc]

Of Buck's 2 options, I would take the I-40 to Nashville route to avoid the tolls in WV.

Take I-57 to I-64 to STL. If it's not rush hour, just take I-64 through downtown, it will meet I-70 west of the city in Wentzville.