Driving to Arizona (Phoenix) from Washington (Seattle) (Yakima, Wenatchee: motels, home)

[MaikeerinWA]

Curious if anyone has experience with this rather long journey. We now have a second home in Arizona and will be taking a one-way drive in mid-October with our SUV to Phoenix. We will fly back and forth in the future.

At any rate, our main objective is to get there as safely and efficiently as possible, with my wife and I sharing driving duties. To us, safety often means interstates and cell phone coverage, and steering clear of winter conditions to the extent possible. Our road trips are typically 4 hours at most, and this one will be more like 23 hours in duration. So we are a little inexperienced!

The route (from Google Maps) we are leaning to is mostly I-84 and US-93, with waypoints that include Yakima WA; Pendleton and Baker City, OR; Boise and Twin Falls, ID; Ely and Las Vegas, NV; and Kingman AZ. We are toying with the idea of a quick stop at Great Basin NP, but otherwise we are focused on getting to Arizona.

If we go this route, we are thinking of staying one night in Boise and one night in Ely.

Any thoughts/experience with this route? Suggestions for alternatives? We're hoping to be ahead of any mountain pass snow issues at this time of year but will certainly look at forecasts before we leave. I'm studying cell phone coverage maps to see what US-93 is like from that perspective.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by MaikeerinWA

Curious if anyone has experience with this rather long journey. We now have a second home in Arizona and will be taking a one-way drive in mid-October with our SUV to Phoenix. We will fly back and forth in the future.

At any rate, our main objective is to get there as safely and efficiently as possible, with my wife and I sharing driving duties. To us, safety often means interstates and cell phone coverage, and steering clear of winter conditions to the extent possible. Our road trips are typically 4 hours at most, and this one will be more like 23 hours in duration. So we are a little inexperienced!

The route (from Google Maps) we are leaning to is mostly I-84 and US-93, with waypoints that include Yakima WA; Pendleton and Baker City, OR; Boise and Twin Falls, ID; Ely and Las Vegas, NV; and Kingman AZ. We are toying with the idea of a quick stop at Great Basin NP, but otherwise we are focused on getting to Arizona.

If we go this route, we are thinking of staying one night in Boise and one night in Ely.

Any thoughts/experience with this route? Suggestions for alternatives? We're hoping to be ahead of any mountain pass snow issues at this time of year but will certainly look at forecasts before we leave. I'm studying cell phone coverage maps to see what US-93 is like from that perspective.

Ely is an extremely small town, US-93 is no interstate, and cell phone coverage in Nevada is spotty at best. If Interstates and cell phone coverage is important to you, you might want to consider I-15 through Salt Lake City instead.

Personally though, I love driving in Nevada. It's a place where you can still drive for hundreds of miles on two-lane highways, and see just a handful of other cars along the way. If you do drive through Nevada, be sure to keep your gas tank topped off. Gas stations can be over a 150 miles apart.

Also the mountain pass snow and ice is a good possibility, whichever route you take. .

[Arcos]

When my wife and I did the drive to move here a few years ago, we took advantage of a few of the several great national parks along the way. Especially if you are going to go in fall, where the weather will be really nice in the SW.

If time isn’t an issue, why not drive 4-6 hours per day and spend a day exploring the region? Even if you can’t move far from your car, most of these places have plenty to see in very accessible areas.

The Grand Canyon is the obvious one but there are so many more. After which we used I-15, I84, I82, I90, and found it to be very safe (dry, big open roads, etc).

As usual, have your car checked out, make sure you have your spare in good shape, your tire changing gear, etc.

Also make sure to pack extra food and water and enough to keep you warm while you sleep if you get stuck out of cell phone range, unlikely though that may be on the interstate. There are large areas with little cell phone coverage in AZ, off the interstate.

[jacqueg]

I make the trip between Seattle area and Quartzsite twice a year. Usually, via I-5 and I-10. If you want to stick to the interstates and cell phone signals, I think this is the best route.

But I do like the east-of-the-mountains routes as well. When I do this, I often head east from Sacramento to Reno via I-80, then south to I-580, and from there whatever floats your boat. Very scenic. This route is kind of a compromise that avoids the whole southern california tangle. And I find it doesn't take all that much longer.

[pnwguy2]

I have taken this trip numerous times, but from Eastern Washington. So my route of choice is I-82 to I-84. I-84 to I-15 in far northern Utah. I-15 to I-70 at Cove Fort then south on US 89 to Flagstaff, then I-17 into Phoenix.

However another alternative is I-90 to I-82 to I-84 to I-15 all the way to Vegas, then I-11 over to US93 into Phoenix. These routes are workable from Seattle, but many there choose I-5 exiting at the 461 mileage sign to US99 then at Bakersfield Hwy 58 to I-40. I-40 to US 95 to I-10 into Phoenix.

[Sockeye66]

I've made that drive through Nevada twice. There are some long drives between services. Go through Utah, it adds a couple of hours but you'll feel safer.

[StealthRabbit]

Have done Portland to PHX drive many times, often with a moving truck or semi.

I-5 to I-10 is very simple , safe and decent roads, but not as scenic as 385 or 97 2 lane highways

You can take I-210. Through Pasadena, and avoid central LA.

Have done Barstow rte, (I-40) but possible for strong winds. Winds toppled 9 semi trucks in my lane of traffic. I was loaded, so my truck didn't get blown over. That's nice, I hate delays when getting paid by the mile.

If you like old cars (Pierce Arrows) or phonographs... Swing by the Nethercutt museum in Sylmar, CA. Free and fun, especially enjoyable for free organ concerts.

I usually drive it straight through and take a couple naps on the way. I think it's only 22-25 hrs of drive time (in a slow and heavy truck).

It's mostly downhill (south on the map)

Watch for weather in Siskyous, (snow) and avoid those days. Taking the coast route is about 5 hrs slower, and I've encountered freezing fog (I prefer driving in snow, than freezing fog or rain).

Pretty simple trip.
Get in, and head south.
When you drop over the Grapevine and see LA smog, head east. When you see city lights as far as you can see across the desert, you've arrived in PHX.

[MechAndy]

I also thought that going through California would be a good way.

I currently commute between near Sequim and the Bay Area every 4-6 weeks.
836 miles each way and I do it with only stopping for gas in 13 hours using 2-1/2 tanks on my Honda CR-V.

I’ve done the drive from the Bay Area to Arizona a few times when I was younger.

I wouldn’t be a hero and would choose 3 days for the trip probably.

1st day from Washington to near Sacramento.
2nd day from near Sacramento to near or past Bakersfield.
3rd day from near or past Bakersfield to Arizona via Barstow and omitting LA all together.

[azjohnny]

I-5 to I-10 will be the simplest and not that much longer time and distance wise

[509]

Originally Posted by MaikeerinWA

Curious if anyone has experience with this rather long journey. We now have a second home in Arizona and will be taking a one-way drive in mid-October with our SUV to Phoenix. We will fly back and forth in the future.

At any rate, our main objective is to get there as safely and efficiently as possible, with my wife and I sharing driving duties. To us, safety often means interstates and cell phone coverage, and steering clear of winter conditions to the extent possible. Our road trips are typically 4 hours at most, and this one will be more like 23 hours in duration. So we are a little inexperienced!

The route (from Google Maps) we are leaning to is mostly I-84 and US-93, with waypoints that include Yakima WA; Pendleton and Baker City, OR; Boise and Twin Falls, ID; Ely and Las Vegas, NV; and Kingman AZ. We are toying with the idea of a quick stop at Great Basin NP, but otherwise we are focused on getting to Arizona.

If we go this route, we are thinking of staying one night in Boise and one night in Ely.

Any thoughts/experience with this route? Suggestions for alternatives? We're hoping to be ahead of any mountain pass snow issues at this time of year but will certainly look at forecasts before we leave. I'm studying cell phone coverage maps to see what US-93 is like from that perspective.

I drive it every year in the spring and sometimes in the fall but to Benson, Arizona. I tow a trailer. So I look for nice areas outside of campgrounds on public lands where the dogs can run and I don't have to deal with other humans.

Leaving Wenatchee I spend the nights outside of LaGrande Oregon, Jackpot Nevada, Between Ely and Alamo, Nevada, between Lake Mead NRA and just out of Wickenburg. and then the final push to Benson.

My wife when she did the trip in a car stayed in Ontario, Oregon then Ely, Nevada, then around Page, Arizona and then Phoenix. She doesn't like the drive as much as I do. Staying in motels will do that to you.

I would pass on Great Basin National Park, that was just a scam by the local chamber to get people to stop in the area. BUT there are lots of other neat spots in the area.

Which reminds me....you don't want to take 97 out of Ely. Take, I believe Highway 6 and then the 318 cut-off it is faster, lower elevation, but does have some truck traffic on it.

I run a phone amplifier on my cell phone. And even with that there are hours without any cell service.

But 93 is much, much more crowded these days. I first drove the road from Las Vegas to Twin Falls in 1978. Saw ten cars in one whole day of driving. I was much younger then.

There really isn't a good way to get to Arizona other than 93. In winter, I go through California and that is much worse.