The wife and I are planning a trip from Alabama to Los Angeles CA. Nice trip, but here's the problem. Wife is afraid of mountains and dislikes the interstates with a passion. We can take the back roads but how do we get there without going over high mountains? Thanks for your suggestions. :dry:
Seriously though, it's kind of hard to get through the southwest without hitting ANY mountains and staying off the interstates. You can generally follow US 80 and US 60 out that way, but you're going to be climbing from the middle of New Mexico to the Arizona border. Elevation in that area tops out at about 7600 feet. Then you will hit some mountains again in California at about 6600 feet before you drop into Los Angeles.
Maybe you can compromise with her? Drop down to Las Cruces, NM and pick up I-10 into LA? It's not really a bad road (except for Phoenix and LA) and the grade is no more than 6%. I-10 swings down below the mountains.
Whatever you decide, have a great trip and take your time. There's LOTS to see out that way!
The only thing wrong with being retired is that you never get a day off!
Just traveled from Houston to LA and back roads are ok....we went from Houston north to Lubbock, then Hobbs, then El Paso and on to LA,,,,,Having lived in Ca it it not very easy to get from AZ to Ca without freeways, TX and NM side roads are fine but AZ and CA just doesn't have the infrastructure. No Mountains on the route we took..
When traveleing in the western US and trying to avoid mountian roads you will need to take the freeways. Everything else will take you over a mountian pass at least once. Some are "interesting" others just boreing. Both I-10 and I-40 are easy drives through the mountians. it isn't too difficult to plan out a route over the flat parts on back roads then join the superslab for the mountians. It can be done.
