Vancouver (BC) to Las Vegas

[kayden]

hello!

I am new to this forum...just discovered it but have been roadtripping for many years now across Canada and the USA. Of the 31 states that I have been to, 30 of them have been over the road.

Anyways, pretty much the only state in the western USA that I have not been to is Nevada. I will be leaving here with my friend next Monday, the 31st. We have 2-3 days each way to get to and from Las Vegas.

My question is, which way is recommended at this time of year? I have seen some threads about this, but more importantly, we will have a more relaxed time going down than we will coming back up. It looks like we can go the WA-OR-CA-NV route and the WA-OR/ID-UT-AZ/NV route, but which one would be the quickest? We are trying to plan which way we should go down and which way we can go back.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

The interior route (by way of Boise, ID) is perhaps a couple of hours shorter than the 'coastal' route (by way of Sacramento, CA). That's usually not enough to worry about on a 4 day drive, but if it makes a difference to you - then it becomes important. One 'shortcut' you may want to look at on the interior route is using US-93 and NV-318 between Las Vegas and Twin Falls, ID. It would save you another 200 miles and the need to drive through Salt Lake City and its traffic. Most computer-based mapping routines will ignore it because it's not Interstate highway, but it is a nice drive, if a bit lonely - Ely is the Big Town going this way.

AZBuck

[kayden]

excellent! thanks a bunch. I've been to SLC before so it's not a "must see" place, so 200 miles would be a nice shortcut if I don't have to go through there.

It's strange that when you look on a map, the coastal route appears shorter. But I guess it really isn't.

thanks! :)

[PNW Judy]

Yeah, it is faster to do the way AZBuck suggested (or even the longer route via SLC).

I would like to suggest another couple routes for doing home since you haven't seen Nevada yet. You could take AZBuck's route one way and either of these the other way. Personally, I try to avoid backtracking over the same roads whenever possible.

From Vancouver
(1) Go down I-5 to Mt. Shasta, CA, then east on 89/44/395 through Susanville to Reno. There are a couple of different ways that you can make your way from Reno to I-95. Take I-95 across Nevada to Las Vegas. (1333 miles.)
(2) Go down I-5 to Seattle, east on I-90 to Wenatchee, south on I-82 through Yakima and Pasco/Kennewick/Richland to Hermiston, OR. Then east on I-84 to Ontario, OR. From Ontario, go south on 95 through SE Oregon, and through Winnemucca, NV. From here you can either go east and hook up with AZBuck's suggested route (1435 miles), or for west a bit and hook up with I-95 (1354 miles).
(3) Or go down through Central Oregon. You can get there either by going down I-5 to Portland, head east into the Gorge and then go south through Bend. From Bend you can go east a bit and hook up with the route I suggested in #2 or continue south through Klamath Falls. At Klamath Falls, you can veer east and go through Winnemucca or continue south through Reno. (These routes will all be in the 1400-1500 mile range.)

Whew....anyway, there's lots of cool routes. If speed is your main goal, than go via AZBuck's route. If you want to explore parts of Nevada and Oregon that you may not have been to before, go one of the ways I suggested at least one direction.

Since you have been to so many states via roadtrips, I'd love to invite you to hang around and help answer questions posed by other visitors. I bet you would have a lot of good knowledge and experience to share!

[kayden]

Those are 3 great options.

I've done route # 2 before, so it would be familiar; however I did it in June, and I am afraid it will be much colder at this time of year around Yakima/the mountain pass areas of southern WA?

#1 was something I was considering. Have you done that route before? I see that towns are pretty scarce that way, but I have a diesel car so I am not too worried about fuel...just being lonesome! :)

#3 through Bend is kinda what I thought about #2 - doesn't it get cold in the pass or no?

I definitely think I will do one of those choices on the way and AZBuck's route the other way. And I do intend to stick around - this is a great place to share ideas!

[PNW Judy]

I've done route # 2 before, so it would be familiar; however I did it in June, and I am afraid it will be much colder at this time of year around Yakima/the mountain pass areas of southern WA?

Well, if you've done it already, I would say take a new route this trip. I just checked the WA-DOT website for traffic and pass conditions and didn't see any problem with Snoqualmie Pass (I-90) or through Yakima, but the weather can change quickly in the winter.

In fact, we recommend that people check the weather/road reports right before they leave when traveling in the winter to be sure things are OK and adjust their route, if needed.

I suggest you bookmark the state's DOT websites and check them as well. In Washington state, you can also get road conditions via phone by simply calling 511.

Here's the link for Oregon's road conditions. You can also call 511 in Oregon to get info over the phone.

Many states have that feature but, unfortunately, not all of them.

#1 was something I was considering. Have you done that route before? I see that towns are pretty scarce that way, but I have a diesel car so I am not too worried about fuel...just being lonesome! :)

I've done it and I don't have a diesel car. But finding fuel when needed was never a problem. When I'm driving in areas like that, I'll fill even if I still have half-a-tank because of not knowing for sure how long I'll need to drive. Anyway, I usually get just over 400 miles per tank (small tank). If you can go farther than that, and I'm sure you can, you'll be fine. And...well, I like the lonesome!

#3 through Bend is kinda what I thought about #2 - doesn't it get cold in the pass or no?

Yes, it can. So check the sources I gave you.

I definitely think I will do one of those choices on the way and AZBuck's route the other way. And I do intend to stick around - this is a great place to share ideas!

This route has just as much potential to have some snow/ice at this time as year as any of the routes I gave you. I just recently read that the mountains near SLC, especially in the Provo area (if I remember right) and you'll be driving right through there, get the second highest amount of snow annually second only to Mt. Rainier. (this is in the US anyway.)

And even if you went down I-5 and cut across at Bakersfield, you'd have to go through passes in southern Oregon/northern CAlifornia, particularly the Siskiyou Pass.

In other words, no matter what route you take, you will want to check road/weather conditions each morning before you leave to see if you need to make adjustments. But I'm sure you'll be fine. Just use good common sense.

[kayden]

I successfully completed my trip in 8 days...round trip was 5088 km's. Quite a bit of driving but worth it all the way!

I have some tips and experiences to share. Should I post them under the field trip reports, or here?

[Mark Sedenquist]

Go ahead and post 'em in Field Reports and we will back-link the pre-planning threads.

Mark

[PNW Judy]

Looking forward to your field report

[Robert]

Vegas is still on my To-Do List of cities I want to visit in the future. Maybe for the WSOP in 2009.