Interstates in the Southwest
 

I'm driving around the US, and I'm trying to figure out how I should travel from Las Vegas to eastern Iowa. The most obvious route is Interstate 70, but this travels through Utah and Colorado, and I'm sort of looking to avoid really mountainous interstate! I'm considering taking I-40 through Arizona and New Mexico and then just coming back north on I-35. I'm wondering if the more southern states will be any less mountainous and/ or will have more agreeable weather for driving. Does anyone here know?

Yeah, I believe the southern states are very travel friendly if you're driving. But if you're going now or in the summer, make sure you have AC!! Arizona and Utah are especially beautiful, and there will likely be thunderstorms (really awesome ones) which can also mean flash floods, so watch out! But where I've travelled the roads are usually flat, stretched, and full of great views. You may run into some mountains depending on the route. I've driven the highways in the SW quite a few times, mostly when I was younger.

Yeah, going through Arizona and New Mexico is much less mountainous. Although it is miles and miles of nothing. :) There are mountains, but it's hardly noticeable. And you get to go into the smog bowl of Albequerque. YAY! (I know, coming from the smog bowl of Las Vegas, it's terrible this time of year).

I drove from Phoenix to Detroit a few years ago, so I vividly remember it. There was a town, I think it was Whiskey that there is an exit for on the highway, and all you see are two or three abandoned falling apart buildings off the freeway. I don't know where this town was, but I hope that wasn't it. If it was, why does it have it's own exit??? :lol:

Thanks for the info. I think I may head thru the more southern states to avoid mountains. According to mapquest, that would be an extra 5 hours. Fortunately I'll have lots of time to head back so I can tailor my trip to when and where the weather is good. I do have AC!

I have been driving through the middle of no where, and I don't know how these people can stand it! I saw exits in Wyoming that I think were just for ranches, not even sorry excuses for towns! I went like 25 miles at time without seeing a gas station of anything like that. I have AAA, but what good does that do if I'm not getting cell phone reception!

The southern stretch does have the signs to tell you next gas station is like 100 miles away. I too had problems with cell phone reception in middle of BFE New Mexico. Everything in the west seems to have long stretches of lonlieness. Although in Nevada when I've been out driving around there always seems to be a ton of people out driving. No town for 100 miles, but lots of peeople. Although I am sure they dissappear as soon as trouble occurs. :lol: