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Originally posted by: billryan
In that scenario, you are looking at $30 taxis, $150 ticket, let's say $120 for two nights in hotels, call it $50 in meals and another $50 in gas at a minimum.
A net savings of under $200. You can make that up in a weekend driving for Uber.
I'm not sure about today's cars, but is a 1000 mile mountain drive the best thing for a new drive train?
If there is snow, don't they require chains in the passes?
I'm prejudiced, because after escaping Long Island winters, I hope never to drive in snow again. Others mileage may vary.
I suppose some will think of it as an adventure.
That plane ticket is the most expensive cheap ticket. You can get one that is non-refundable for half that.
I-70 to I-15 to Las Vegas is less than 800 miles. As to it being a mountain drive, this is still an Interstate highway. Speed limits are typically 65-75 mph over most of the drive. The highest elevation point is at the Eisenhower tunnel, about 60 miles from Golden (west Denver). While you will certainly notice it is an uphill climb, a 5,500-foot increase in elevation over 60 miles is not extreme. From that point on, there will be uphill, downhill and flat stretches of driving. It truly is an amazingly beautiful drive...not just from Denver to Grand Junction, but the drive through Utah also has some spectacular scenery.
Chain laws pertain primarily to commercial vehicles and are only in place when and where needed. Trucks have to have chains with the vehicles at all times in the winter, but the chains don't have to be mounted on the drive tires until the road conditions warrant it. Passenger cars can meet the traction requirements with proper tires or all wheel drive. Again, only required when and where needed. While road conditions can reach a point where chains are required for all vehicles, what they call a Code 16, that is pretty rare. They usually close the highway before it gets that bad.
I had never owned an all wheel drive vehicle before 2013. My first 46 years of driving in Colorado was done in 2 wheel drive vehicles. The first few early cars were rear wheel drive. Those, you needed snow tires for the winter. Then I started getting front wheel drive cars. Huge difference for driving in snow! M&S (mud and snow) rated tires pretty much eliminated the need for separate snow tires in the winter, and they are fairly close to the same rated mileage as regular street tires. In my late teens and early 20's, I went skiing a lot. Monarch and Breckenridge were my favorite areas. The routes to those areas were almost all 2-lane highways. Even back then, CDOT and local agencies did a pretty good job of keeping the roads clear. I never slid off the road, never got stuck, never couldn't get where I was going and back. I have no doubt that winter driving in Colorado is different than it is in some areas in the northeast...
