4561 miles in 13 days

[wander2039]

Just got back from our trip to Sacramento CA from Kansas City KS. I will say this.. this is a great country if you've never taken a road trip do it. Lots to see even in places there wasn't anything to see! Meet alot of nice folks along the way. Traveled with my wife and 5 year and 20 month boys every little bit of help was appreciated! My wife grew up in Sacramento so alot of friends/family out there, had other family and friends alot the way.

Here's the route we followed:
I70 all the way to I15 (ran over 3k rpms for hours in the mountains sometimes 4.5k was worried about the Escape but it handled it well)
I15 to Highway 50
Highway 50 to Sacramento CA (We survived barely! What a road!)

On the way back:
Highway 99 to Highway 58 (Sacramento to Las Vegas)
Highway 58 to I15 to Las Vegas 2 day stay
From Las Vegas Highway 93 to I40 (I hate I40.. stopped by the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon)
I40 to I35 to KCK

Just put together some stats from the trip for the nerds out there... took our 04 Escape with 130k now
4516 miles total
AVG MPG 22.08 .. lowest was 17 around town, even got 19 in the mountains -highest MPG 28.5! Winslow AZ to Santa Rosa NM even going 75-80mph
AVG Price per galllon $3.80 .. highest was 4.09 in 3 places
Total cost $786.70

Hit about every weather you can think of. Just missed the tornado's in KS, snow in the mountains, rain/sleet about every 2 hours after that and sand storms along I40. Some interesting observations.. alot of air cooled VW's around Denver and up in the mountains, seen more Highway Patrol in AZ than all the other states combined, I've forgotten a few others. I'll try to post some pics have to get them sorted.

 

[Kool1]

Highway 50 in the winter from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe is crazy. The road gets slippery with ice and people drive too fast. My friend was involved in a head-on crash on Highway 50 about 20 years ago. The lady who hit him went through the windshield and lost her eyesight. It truly is a dangerous highway with many blind curves.

 

[wander2039]

Yeah I didn't care for that stretch and will never repeat that part of the route again. People were flying.

 

[JHZR2]

Awesome! Love driving the country. Be sure to post some pics!

 

[crinkles]

Sounds Great. Pictures please!

 

[daves87rs]

Pictures!

 

[Voltmaster]

Screw the picures, I want a used oil analysis!

 

[Nayov]

Originally Posted By: Kool1
Highway 50 in the winter from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe is crazy. The road gets slippery with ice and people drive too fast. My friend was involved in a head-on crash on Highway 50 about 20 years ago. The lady who hit him went through the windshield and lost her eyesight. It truly is a dangerous highway with many blind curves.


Do they salt the road?

 

[Old Mustang Guy]

My brother and I took a 4700 mi trip in 13 days in 1974, some of the same places. We were both just out of college and about to start jobs. We still talk about it with good memories.

 

[wander2039]

Pictures are being a pain since both my wife and I took them with separate phones. Here a few from Highway 50 and I'll work on the others tonight. UOA would be interesting since I changed the oil before I left with Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 and half a quart of Mobil High Mileage 10w30.

When you first get on Highway 50 looking back towards the Rockies:

One of the first climbs if I have my pictures right!

Rain was too close!

Hard to see but a salt lake is on the left side:

Seen lots of windmills during the trip!

Endless road 2

Lake Tahoe

 

[Astro14]

On the other hand, US 50 from Fernley, NV (going through that garden spot of Fallon, NV) through Ely is, without a doubt, the loneliest road in America. I drove from Sacramento to Denver a few years back after getting a car in Sacramento and always wondered what that road was like (after flying over it while based in Fallon)...over 100 miles between towns (including gas...when that sign says next gas, 150 miles...believe it and fill up) but some really spectacular scenery in the Nevada high country. East of Ely, you join I-70 through southern, near Arches National Park, also incredible, then through Grand Junction across Colorado (standard route, but still spectacular).

I've done your route a few times, once in college (CT to CA & Mexico, back through Montana and the upper midwest in winter) and a few times since then on other road trips (including a tour of the US and Canada with my Dad and brother in which we went CT to CO, then NM, AZ, CA, OR, WA, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, MN, WI, IL and back to CT)...

So, on your next trip from KC to SAC...I recommend going I-70, then picking up US 50...you won't regret it...

Edit: re-read your route...so, you went I-15 through SLC? Where did you pick up US 50?

 

[morepwr]

Great road trip! I like taking the less used highways on trips to see more things and much less traffic. Its just so much more interesting than flying down the interstate.

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: Astro14

Edit: re-read your route...so, you went I-15 through SLC? Where did you pick up US 50?


Sorry should of provided more details.. got on 50 via 64 in Holden UT. Sounds like our exact route.

I hate the interstate.. fighting with trucks and left lane campers much too stressful IMO. On our list is to travel 50, 66 and 1 end to end eventually. Next trip will hopefully be with a RV. And we do regret not doing it sooner.

 

[wander2039]

My wife took these pictures on go so not excellent pictures by any means..

First climb on I70 out of Denver..

First rest stop.. yelled at the children and about fell over.. not used to that high altitude! Beautiful up there!

Up to the top!

Snow..

The highway snakes around with the river.. can't remember which one now..

Sunny blue skies after we got in Utah a bit