Traveling from Seattle to Vegas with family

[Clover]

Hi,
Anyone have any good suggestions on what route to take when traveling from Seattle area to Las Vegas in late August? We're taking our kids ages 10-15. Thanks in advance-

[Mark Sedenquist]

Anyone have any good suggestions on what route to take when traveling from Seattle area to Las Vegas in late August? We're taking our kids ages 10-15. Thanks in advance-

Wow that sounds like a really cool trip -- so many different routes and so much cool stuff to stop and see! Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! I would need to know how long you have allowed for the trip and whether or not this will be a round trip. In the meantime, here is a great thread for getting ready to do some family road trip planning!

Mark

[Clover]

We are thinking on doing the drive in three days-It just depends on what we decide to do on the way-thanks-

[AZBuck]

This is one of those cases where the fastest route also turns out to be one of the best, even though it looks odd on the map. For you, that's I-82/I-84 cutting across corners of Washington, Oregon and Idaho to join I-15 in northern Utah, and then follow I-15 down to Las Vegas. Highlights of such a trip would include the Columbia River Valley, Oregon Trail museums in Baker, OR, Bruneau Canyon and Bruneau Sand Dunes, the Thousand Springs area of the Snake River, the Great Salt Lake and finally, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. There's certainly enough to do along this route that you can see two completely different sets of attractions on the trip down and the trip back.

AZBuck

[PNW Judy]

The route AZBuck suggested is a good one. I've gone that way myself several times. But I also think driving across Nevada is a wonderful drive. I think you should go there one way and back another way. AZBuck's suggestion is 1255 miles.

Here are two alternate suggestions that are roughly the same miles that you might consider:
1. Down I-5 to Mt. Shasta; 89 and 44 to Reno; 59 to Vegas (1203 miles)
2. I-5 to Portland; 26 to Madras; 97 to Bend; 20 to Burns; 78 to intersection with 95; 95 to Winnemucca, I-80 to Wells, then I-93 to Vegas (1275 miles)

All of these routes can easily be about 425 miles/day over 3 days and make a nice trip. You're going to have less services on my route #2 but there are more than enough gas stations and restaurants along that way so you won't run into trouble. Just fill at about 1/3-1/2 of a tank whenever you come across a gas station and you'll be fine. Don't let yourself get too low.

I really like Drive #1. I think doing that one way and AZBuck's suggestion the other way will make for a fantastic roadtrip!