Phoenix-Minneapolis for an Internship

[ASUgirls]

I'm an ASU student who is moving to Minneapolis for the summer for an internship. I'm trying to make it to Minneapolis in 4 or 5 days and would like some ideas for roadside attractions and how to space out the days. We've never driven this far and we'd like to make it fun and exciting! Google maps said it would be about 28 hours and that we could take a few different routes (I-35 or I-80). Is one better than the other? Do any of you know of good places to stop (restaurants, attractions, parks etc)?

Any and all help is appreciated! Thanks!

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

Google maps are wildly optimistic when it comes to long journeys and you have to add in human factors, such as stopping for food, bathroom breaks and stretching the legs, plus the need to fill with gas and get some sleep. Neither do they allow for traffic congestion or road work delays, but the good news is you could cover the ground in 3 full day's on the road, leaving you a little wiggle room.

This is a good site for oddball attractions and you can find a whole bunch of idea's just of the Interstates, here. Which route is best ? Well that would depend on your interests but there are many more options than 2 or 3 preconceived idea's from a mapping program, so I would do a little research. On Google maps you can drop and drag the blue route line with your mouse to play around with possible routes. For scenery I would certainly consider heading through Arizona and through parts of Utah and/or Colorado towards I 70/Denver and to I 80.