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jammies · 12-28-2009, 01:09 PM

Montana route is faster by quite a bit, and I've driven them both. I suppose the coastal route is more scenic, but coming down off the high Utah plateau onto the desert is the best single experience.

I would suggest going south by one, and coming back on the other. I wouldn't worry too much about getting stuck in the desert, just plan it so you aren't going thru it in the middle of the day. If I was in no big hurry, I'd stop in Idaho the first day, south Utah somewhere near Beaver on the 2nd, and Vegas on the third, getting to California on the 4th. It's about 23-26 hours of driving all the way from Calgary to LA, so breaking it up into about 5-8 hour segments is best.

If you are thinking of driving all the way through, just make sure you have at least 2 drivers that can eat up big miles without resting. I've done it where I ended up doing 16 of the 20 hours it takes to get to Vegas because the other "drivers" didn't realize how tired you get just sitting in the passenger seat for mile after mile. If you haven't been on a long car-trip like that before, be aware that not everyone can hack it and that an unexpected stop overnight is better than falling asleep at the wheel.

12-28-2009, 01:09 PM	#3
jammies Basement Chicken Choker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In a land without pants, or war, or want. But mostly we care about the pants. Exp:	Montana route is faster by quite a bit, and I've driven them both. I suppose the coastal route is more scenic, but coming down off the high Utah plateau onto the desert is the best single experience. I would suggest going south by one, and coming back on the other. I wouldn't worry too much about getting stuck in the desert, just plan it so you aren't going thru it in the middle of the day. If I was in no big hurry, I'd stop in Idaho the first day, south Utah somewhere near Beaver on the 2nd, and Vegas on the third, getting to California on the 4th. It's about 23-26 hours of driving all the way from Calgary to LA, so breaking it up into about 5-8 hour segments is best. If you are thinking of driving all the way through, just make sure you have at least 2 drivers that can eat up big miles without resting. I've done it where I ended up doing 16 of the 20 hours it takes to get to Vegas because the other "drivers" didn't realize how tired you get just sitting in the passenger seat for mile after mile. If you haven't been on a long car-trip like that before, be aware that not everyone can hack it and that an unexpected stop overnight is better than falling asleep at the wheel. __________________ Better educated sadness than oblivious joy.