Richmond, VA to Denver, CO - Plan my drive

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Ok Dopers, this may be a tall order, but sometimes I am pleasantly suprised by what is accomplished in these hallowed halls.

I am leaving July 19 from Richmond, VA. I am driving to Denver and need to be there by midday on July 22. I will be alone.

Mapquest says it is about a 28 hour drive.

So tell me, what route should I take? And is there anything going on along the way worth seeing? Maybe a baseball game? Concert? Art exhibit of note? I am pretty open to suggestions.

So, if you know of anything between here and there going on during these dates, lay it on me!

Thanks in advance Dopers!

2

Aw crap, all my suggestions are for I-80 (not that I had that many, but still). I see that you’ll probably be taking I-70.

3

Well I am flexiblw within reason. I dont mind driving 10+ hours a day, or taking a route that may add 10 hours to my drive!

4

I feel sorry for you. Once you get west of the Appalachians, that drive is a snoozer. Especially Kansas and eastern Colorado. If you haven’t done it before, best to drive it in the dark (seriously). Bring books on tape/CD.

5

Yeah, what Lamar said about driving in the dark. We’re planning to drive from central WI to Denver soon, and our usual plan for this route (driving straight through, two drivers) is to leave early in the morning so as to hit Nebraska at dusk. Then floor it until morning, maybe with a quick snooze break, so you can spend your AM looking at the Rockies during that loooong, slow descent down 76 . . .

6

I’ve done the drive from the east coast a few times and Kansas actually excites me. It’s like you’re driving along and the grassy plains seem to rise up on the horizon and you know you’re gettin’ somewhere out west. Of course an hour later you’re ready for it to be over, but it’s nice for a while.

One time coming back east I took 36 through Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri. That was pretty neat as it’s basically a two lane road going through all these little towns. You definitely have to be in a small-town America kind of mood for it, though. When you get to Missouri you can stop off in Hannibal and check out all the Mark Twain stuff before you cross the Mississippi.

Another time a friend of mine and I took I81 to I40. 40 goes through Tennesee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle, then you can take 64 up to Raton, NM, then pick up I25 N along the front range up to Denver. It’s quite a longer drive that way, though.

DeLorme gives me a pretty straightforward I64 to I70 route which looks pretty sound. I remember that two lane stretch of 64 between Charleston and Beckley on my way from CO to my folks’ place in Warrenton, VA. It’s a hilly windy roller coaster through the mountains. I did it at night, and had 3 days worth of travel flotsam (empty tape cases, tapes, coffee cups, fast food bags) practically flying back and forth across the cab of my PU truck. What a mess. I was ready for the interstate proper to begin again.

Anyway, have fun and drive safely!

7

By the way, I am damned sick and tired of hearing people bitch about the drive through the Plains states. Yes, we know we’re flat and boring. No, we didn’t design this part of the earth to be this way, simply to annoy those of you who are trying to get to the other side of the country. We like it here. It’s easy to plow. It’s easy to see when an angry band of Pawnee are coming to attack our wagons.

I allege it’s worth the effort to get off the road and look for cool and/or amusing things to do. I’m glad the author of the OP is willing.

Sometimes rest areas will have tapes/CDs you can rent which narrate the drive. You turn them in at the last rest area before you cross the border. In fact, that relates to some other advice–if you’re feeling like you’re ready for a break from driving, ask at a rest stop what they recommend.

8

Sorry, but flat and boring, when you’re driving through it, is flat and boring. It would be cool if every once in a while an angry band of Pawnees would try to chase down your car. Maybe you could suggest that to the state authorities. It would be so much better than Willa Cather’s house or Johnny Carson’s hometown.

I’ll give you Carhenge, though.

9

Too bad you’re only going as far as Denver. Judging from pictures in the Smithsonian Magazine and elswhere, much of I-70 between Silverthorne & Grand Junction is absolutly beautiful.
I-70 at Hanging Lake Tunnel traffic cam
I-70 construction in Glenwood Canyon

10

Oh, if you’re into covered bridges, there’s a few in western Indiana off of 70.

11

Depending on how adventurous you want to be, there’s a couple of covered bridges in West Virginia off US 250 and in Pennsylvania between 270 & 70.

12

I work for a trucking company. Just for shits and grins I ran your route through their mapping system:


Miles Dir   Highway       Destination              TotTim TotMi
------------------------------------------------------------------

  190  W    I64        VA/WV STATE LINE            3:03    190

  184  W    I64        WV/KY STATE LINE            6:01    374

  197  W    I64        KY/IN STATE LINE            9:15    571

  122  W    I64        IN/IL STATE LINE           11:22    693

  133  W    I64        IL/MO STATE LINE           13:41    826

    0  W    I64        NE OF ST LOUIS,MO          13:42    826

  259  W    I70        MO/KS STATE LINE           17:45   1085

  429  W    I70        KS/CO STATE LINE           24:25   1514

  158  W    I70        S OF AURORA                26:51   1672

   15  W    I70        DENVER,CO                  27:10   1687