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Let me be perfectly blunt. Salt Lake City to Chicago is 1,400 miles. That's nearly three full days of driving if you just stick to I-80 and stop only for food, fuel and bathroom breaks for you and your dog. Trying to do this drive "nearly straight through" gives you worse odds of survival than Russian Roulette. Even if you make one overnight stop, you will still be exceeding the legal limits placed on professional long-haul drivers with many years experience. You need to stop at least twice on this journey, get a full eight hours of sleep during each of those stops, and also take occasional short breaks from behind the wheel each day to make this journey safely. If you find a suitable companion to help with the cost and the driving, you still need to budget three days for this trip. Remember, the driving time estimates you get from computer-based mapping routines are pure fantasy. Don't lose your life to a pipe dream.

AZBuck