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Re: Route Advice / US-54 from NM to KS Posted by blacksheep [Email] (#301) [Profile/Gallery] (more from blacksheep) on Sat, 23 Jul 2022 07:24:56 In Reply to: Re: Route Advice / US-54 from NM to KS, K W, Wed, 20 Jul 2022 22:21:45 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Have you considered a more northerly route? Given the current heat wave, you might look at going by way of I-15 to Cove Fort UT, then picking up I-70 across the Rockies, continuing on to Salina KS, turning south there on I-135 and down to Wichita.
This route is about 150 miles further and, according to Google Maps, an hour and 18 minutes longer. It has significant elevation changes and, in places, some twist and turns. It also has a section of legal 80mph freeway. In fact, it's all freeway, end to end. To be honest, it is not the most fuel efficient route either. So why go north?
Presumably this at least a 2 day trip. The southern route is rather devoid of attractive scenery, unless of course long, dry, dusty desert vistas are your thing. I personally find the profound lack of visual stimulation to be wearing, not to mention the incessant glare of the Southwest sun. Other than Albuquerque there is not much along the way to break up the monotony.
On the other hand, the northern route offers a panoply of changing scenery and habitats, from the Mojave desert, up through the Virgin River narrows, across the red rock country of central Utah, up and into the Rockies, then descending the Front range and continuing on towards Wichita across the Great Plains.
Fuel prices will drop more quickly on the southern route, if that's a primary consideration. Temperatures will rise quickly as well as you head east, so that that may be an issue.
That said, unless time and economy are your overriding factors, I wholeheartedly suggest the northern route to optimize your driving experience.
As always, YMMV.
Safe travels.
Blacksheep
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