Quickest route : major Hwy or backroads ?

[davidlaxson]

I'm planning on a trip from San Antonio, Texas to Yellowstone NP and have mapquested the route. 1/2 the time it has me on a major hwy the other 1/2 is on backroads. Any good rule of thumb here ? Is it faster & safer in the long run to just stay on the major hwy vs. the stop and go of little towns ect.

Any input it greatly appreciated

David

[Boondocker]

If it were me, I would do the state highway thing. In the west you dont get hung up in little towns all that much. I think you see a lot more (interstates manage to look the same where ever they are) and you find better dinners. Yes, you will get stuck behind the occasional tractor, on the other hand you will be more likely to enjoy the drive and less likely to arive at your destination in a manic phase.

[lewster]

It depends on what you're looking for.

From my experience of driving an RV from FL to OR and back every summer since 2000, I'll give you these observations.

If the journey is part of the fun (as it should be) then the smaller roads are quite nice. Just don't be in a hurry. You NEVER really see America from the super-slab Interstates.

Plus, you almost always go slower on the secondary roads so safety is probably higher there as well.

I try to take as many secondaries as I can when I travel from FL to Oregon every summer. The best part of the trip is from Albuquerque to Salt Lake City, as there is a fairly direct route that's mostly 2-lane roads......and the scenery is stupendous!!!

Interstates get you there fast, but that's about all they do.

[azflycaster]

MapQuest tries to give you the shortest driving time based on distance and road speeds. Some people like to drive the interstates and others like the backroads. I would suggest you plan your own trip. Pick places along the way that you would like to visit and use that as a guide. I always plan to avoid major cities during the rush hour also.

Have a great trip, Yellowstone is a special place!

[RUSSELL]

I hate interstate highways becouse they go in to big towns and the traffic is a bear especialy if you have not been there before. All you see on the interstate is people rushing to and fro. If you want to see the country take all the side roads you can. It is much slower but the view is better than back end of a 18 wheeler for miles and miles. I try to avoid all interstates.Salt
Lake is a bear exept on Sunday when everyone is in church or sleeping. The people are much more frendly on the side roads than interstae roads.
Regards from Russell in Hot Tucson Az.

[Sugarfoot]

If I'm really pressed for time or want to get up the road I take the interstate highways. Even then, I'm rarely found doing more than 60-65 mph when towing for safety's sake. But I by far prefer the state and county roads. Better scenery, unexpected delights found in the smaller towns, a real slice of Americana. That's what travel is all about, enjoy the ride. Plus, some backroads are suprisingly well-maintained, better than pieces of the interstate in my area.

If you are using a GPS or Nav system to plan shortest routes, be careful where it takes you. When following a supposed "shortest route" a couple of weeks ago, I ended up on an unpaved road called Hell Hole. It's called that for a very good reason. Hell Hole Road decended into deep pit in a dry creek bed. I'm just glad I wasn't towing.

[samb]

Your question was "quickest route...?" That, of course, would be the interstate. Most interesting and relaxing? That would be the back roads. The most important question to ask yourself is are you a destination person or a journey person? And, are you on a tight time schedule? Back roads take about twice as long to travel if you take advantage of what they have to offer.
I am definitely a journey person. I sometimes don't even get to where I was going, but instead end up somewhere else. Another advantage of the back roads is that the slower speeds equal better fuel economy and are easier on the tow vehicle. Just remember to pull over and let faster traffic by when necessary. That's only fair, and takes just a few seconds out of your day.
Sam

[sd90mac]

I prefer the back roads because of the scenery and the places are real, not built to speed and quick stops. I hope on our upcoming adventure of full timing, we get to go by back roads more. I just don't want to hurry.

I guess it depends on how fast you need to get somewhere and if you don't mind some slower traffic.

Marie

[thecatsandi]

I will second the state highways and back roads. Getting there is part of the adventure. If you are jsut trying to get from one place to another then the Interstates are your best bet if they go where you want to go.

[ScottW]

I second all the above. If you are in a hurry, either fly or leave the trailer at home. If you want to travel and enjoy it with a margin of safety...take the back roads and enjoy rural America. Just my 2 cents worth.

[GStephens]

1st---Definitely use the backroads, especially through Colorado or you'll miss EVERYTHING that is Colorado. All you will see of Colorado will be the front range and most of that from a distance.

2nd---Towing a trailer, you shouldn't pull faster than 65 MPH anyway as that is all that ST rated (trailer) tires are rated no matter what the brand. You are not supposed to pull ST trailer tires but 65 MPH.

3rd---As others have posted, enjoy the trip rather than focus on the destination.

GStephens

[JakBluMule]

i also concur that the "blue highways" are the way to go.....and the Interstate system isn't the shortest distance from A to B in this case, anyway. Consider 281 north and work your way over to Abliene, then go north to 287 and stay on that all the way into Wyoming. The only major metro area you'd have to contend with on 287 would be Denver. 287 is a major truck route, though, if that's a consideration.Might I suggest that you base the trailer outside the park (we found a really nice commercial RV park across the mountain from Jackson in Victor, ID and another state park in MT about 30 miles north of Yellowstone...a few miles east of US 89 next to a beautiful lake. no hookups there, though.) and daytrip the park in your truck.

[jcanavera]

Looks like everyone is going the same direction on this thread so far. I'll take the minority view in that my time is limited and for me the focus is getting to my destination and enjoying my time once I'm off the road.

Secondary factors include the ability to cruise at a constant speed which in effect maximizes my fuel economy and finally being able to pull off at gas stops which can better handle a van and a 31' trailer.

Jack

[ScottW]

I'll admit, Jack does have a point about being able to pull off the road for fuel and find a place that can handle a full size crew cab, long bed attached to a 30+ foot trailer....just a thought.
Thanks Jack.

[moosetags]

We prefer the back roads. We see a lot more of the country. There are times that the interstate cannot be avoided for various reasons.

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

....... and finally being able to pull off at gas stops which can better handle a van and a 31' trailer.
Jack

Just a tip for those thinking state highways: look for the farmers CO-OPs. They tend to have more space about the pumps. Also, many of the highways with truck traffic have smaller truck stops.

[overlander63]

If you want to avoid the Interstats altogether, there is an option with many mapping services to avoid Interstates unless no other direct route exists. Try selecting that option, and see what route you are given.

[Cracker]

I love the back roads. My only advice is to be ever mindful of the locals and other commercial traffic. Many of the secondary New England roads will twist and turn and go up and down so much that there's never a place for following traffic to pass. Pull over and stop, when it's safe to do so, and I'll just bet that many of the people who pass will give you a friendly wave!

[slowmover]

The mapping services are poor, especially when I compare them to experience and a little time spent with an (recommended) atlas marketed for truck drivers. Truck routes are highlighted in yellow (and usually mean that the state ensures wide lanes, very good to excellent signage and adequate shoulder prep to keep an 80,000-lb rig from getting stuck.

These non-Interstate roads are often the best route for best time. Draw a straight line from origin to destination at that state or US map with a ruler and examine it to avoid major metro areas, etc. Use the better bridges over major rivers and mountains that the Interstates provide; and avoid anything marked "scenic" (green dots on my 2005 Rand McNally) so as to avoid traffic tie-ups (I have yet to hear of a state that does not make illegal the blocking of traffic; "scenic" routes often have few pullouts to allow other traffic to pass). Those roads one is best counseled by other RV'ers and locals.

Plenty of great roads here in Texas, for example. We avoid I-35 when at all possible. The commercial traffic is heavy, but it is the idiot four-wheelers traveling in packs that are the real danger, towing or not. North-South we like 77, 281, 16, 83. There are a few good E-W routes, but for the most part those Interstates are good (with the exception of I-10 from San Antonio eastward).

Have a look at a truckers atlas (it also publishes clearance heights) next time you are at a bookstore or truck stop; examine a state you are familiar with. Truck drivers assume a planning speed of 50 mph for all miles/time spent driving/fueling/rest areas . . so a few side roads are just the ticket even in cross-continent driving.

And be sure to go to the US DOT map of Road Conditions By State to avoid construction, lane closures etc in your trip planning. Might take me a couple of hours to do a 900-mile trip, but I can keep the time within 15" over that entire stretch with stops every two hours and re-fuel/eat every four. Rested, relaxed and never above 68 mph (with 2-drivers; about 16 hours as I recall; solo). Most importantly, never hit the brakes once except as exiting Interstate to ramp control speed.

RV'ng is still nicest at "300-miles or 3 o'clock".

On the other hand, from a line extending generally NE from Washington, D.C. to Cleveland, all driving is pretty lousy due to sheer numbers. And there are plenty of paved cow paths that MAPQUEST can send you on that you'd never voluntarily run your rig down.