trying to avoid mountains from AZ to IL (Tucson, Show Low: drive, student)

[wit-nit]

5 year old thread, think OP has left yet.

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by rbohm

just about any route you take will have to crossing the mountains. depending on where you are starting your trip in arizona, perhaps the least mountainous route would be to go down I-10 through el paso, and pick up I-20 in texas. that will minimize your exposure to mountain driving.

Yes, this was going to be my suggestion. I have driven from Denver to Chicago via Omaha, Denver to Florida via St. Louis to Birmingham, and Florida to AZ on I-10.

The I-10 route does not have any mountains to cross. I am a seasoned mountain runner across the many summits in the southwest. The most mountainous freeway has got to be I-70 from Denver to Vail.

But I-10 from Tucson to El Paso is relatively flat. There are "mountains within view" of the freeway but it never touches the range. I-10 just rolls along in between the ranges across the flats. Then Texas is relatively flat.

There was a documentary about the nightmarish drive along route 666 - a very mountainous, curvy road in Western New Mexico. The highway stretch going through the Salt River Canyon from Globe to Show Low is very mountainous. But I-10 is not like that at all.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

5 year old thread, think OP has left yet?

Only ONE post back in 2012?

Certainly hope this poor soul made it all the way to Illinois okay!

[rposton]

I also have the same great fear of heights as xenadtonya and am having anxiety attacks when I think of a pending driving trip from IL to Tempe, Arizona. Two years ago we drove from IL thru what sounds as would be the same route as AZgarden. Maybe was because was my first experience with mountains as was my husbands, who was our driver, but the experience, especially thru Flagstaff was terrifying for me. I also do not care about adding extra time and am more concern with having a panic attack while driving down the mountains. a route with no mountains would be great.

[BM4422]

Originally Posted by Goober13

Yes,you can take 1-10 south from Phoenix towards El Paso, go east to I-20.Take I-20 to I-35E in Dallas Ft Worth, which connects to I-35. Take I-35 north all the way to Des Moines, get on I-80 east to Chicago, or wherever you are headed in Illinois. No mountains.

Is this the exact route? Planning a trip from.az to il and want to avoid driving into mountains. Coming from IL to AZ we accidentally got on the route through the rockies then down through flagstaff and it was a stressful, terrifying ride!

[BM4422]

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[BM4422]

Is this the exact route? Planning a trip from.az to il and want to avoid driving into mountains. Coming from IL to AZ we accidentally got on the route through the rockies then down through flagstaff and it was a stressful, terrifying ride!

[KO Stradivarius]

Pretty much. I took that I-35 to I-20 to I-10 route from OK City to avoid the Rockies when driving a Ryder truck with a car trailer. I was coming from Michigan planning to go I-44 to I-40, but climbing the hills in Missouri convinced me that I did not want to take on the Continental Divide in that rig. So, I diverted south from OK City and it worked out. But it's about 270 miles longer per Google Maps (about 4 hrs or so).

[BM4422]

Do you.drive through any mountains on this route?

Originally Posted by BMI

Tows? You gotta be be kiddin

Anyway, answer is .....I-10 to Las Cruces then US 70 over to Alamogordo, north on US 54
north past Carrizozo, and meet up with I -40 near Santa Rosa, then head
east on I-40 to Oklahoma City, continue east east/NE on I -44 to St.Louis, cross the mighty
Mississippi then you're in Illinois, no problem.

[corydon]

Originally Posted by bm4422

do you.drive through any mountains on this route?

yes.