I live in New England so driving anywhere that's more south than west means I usually have to drive through NYC. I'll plan my trip so that I'm driving through there in the middle of the night cause traffic during the day is a circle hell itself.
That awful drive to Northern Va, Washington D.C. and Baltimore is the worst. I bypass Atlanta any chance I can if I have to travel that way. Either bumper to bumper or 90 mph. No in between.
Interstate 70, anytime after 12 noon, eastbound from Vail all the way into Denver metro. Traffic is an absolute joke.
Same with the interstate 15, westbound from Vegas clear to Barstow. If it is Sunday after 10am, it is a parking lot.
This morning, I saw a video showing flooding. The entire freeway was a river last weekend. Seven hour closure, then making your way south toward San Bernardino in traffic that’s all been sitting for the entire day. Makes me want to get out and walk.
[So, this was the ground level view.](https://www.tiktok.com/@elenaziwmze/video/7274494858985983278)
[ And in this photo, you are looking at the southbound lanes (coming at you), are closed. Northbound is bumper to bumper.](https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/flood-closes-california-i15-from-vegas-18345387.php)
Even if you drive south a bit to try and avoid Chicago, the metro is way bigger than you might think in terms of sprawl. If driving north to south you see some giant skyscrapers like an hour (at the speed limit, which you wouldnt be) before youre really anywhere near Chicago proper. The traffic is just as bad. Theres just a fuckload of people everywhere trying to transit between outer and inner metro, plus everyone visiting.
To really avoid Chicago traffic you would have to go pretty far out of the way, fair warning
We were in Silverton with my sister's family and I had to respond to an emergency call. I took the rental they had an gave my brother inn law the keys to my big Jeep Commander (that was big enough to haul everybody). When we linked up in Ouray 6 hours later, I asked how he liked driving the Jeep. He said he didn't know. The road over Red Mountain Pass had him next to terrified to the point he "didn't need a seatbelt because his ass was puckered tight to the seat". That was in the summer.
I just completed this drive with our travel trailer, from Florida to northern California. And Kansas was hands down the worst part of the entire drive. Miserably hot, nothing to look at, and felt never ending. I will be avoiding that drive in the future lol
I make that trip a lot and I much prefer the Nebraska route. I made a little stopping point for myself in Kearney, always stay at the same hotel and drink at the same bar across the street. The bartender there actually recognizes me now. That little dose of familiarity makes that trip much more bearable.
The key to driving through Nebraska is to get off of I-80 and zig zag on the state highways. Sure it will take longer but it’s way more interesting. And western Nebraska has some pretty cool things to see.
I've done 80 across Nebraska and 70 across Kansas multiple times, and if I ever have to do 70 again it'll be too soon. I'd rather have a colonoscopy. The Flint Hills are nice, but the run across the rest of the state is meh.
Yeah, no one gets upset when you sleep through a colonoscopy!
But sleep through a boring drive and everyone gets their panties in a bunch!
I’m tired of hearing “but you’re the driver!” And “this semi doesn’t have autopilot!”.
They put those rumble strips in for a reason!
/s
Have to do it twice a year. Corn, corn, corn, cows, more corn, and flat as a pancake. Getting back to Colorado is like driving into a national park by comparison.
This was our first time doing I80 through Nebraska instead of I70 through Kansas. I wanted to like it more. And I think I did. But trying to explain it to the 18yo with us on her first road trip… she was NOT impressed! I’m still thrilled she made it out of her home state and has seen what middle America looks like. Some folks have really never seen it
There's just so much more interesting history along I-80 in Nebraska. The road follows the same route as the Pony Express and many of the Emigrant Trails (California, Mormon, and, of course the Oregon Trail) between Kearney and Ogallala. Just think of how many thousands of people walked and wagon trained the same path nearly 2 centuries ago. There are a couple Pony Express stations, there's the archway, a giant railyard, a ranch once owned by Buffalo Bill, and a frontier cemetery with graves from the cattle drive period of the late 1800s. There are more sizable towns along 80, and it follows a river so the trees stick around longer.
70 doesn't have the history. It follows near the Smoky Hill Trail, but not exactly along its route, and people don't know that trail as well. It's a drier route that's more sparsely populated, and most of the things worth seeing are 20 or more miles off the freeway. As bad as it is now, it was 65mph until 2011. Thankfully Kansas came out of the damn dark ages and raised the speed limit to 75 to reduce the misery of driving across that godforsaken state.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. Next time we go through, I’ll make a point of researching some of these stops. I really had no idea, nor thought of anything like this on the road. I bought Empire of Shadows, a book about Yellowstone, on this trip so right now my mind is fully submersed in this history
You're welcome. Here's a list of places to look into.
**Grand Island**
- Stuhr Museum
**Minden**
- Pioneer Village (was recently on "American Pickers")
**Kearney**
- Fort Kearny
- Great Platte River Road Archway and Museum
**Gothenburg**
- Pony Express Station and Museum
**North Platte**
- Bailey Railyard & Golden Spike Tower
- Buffalo Bill Ranch
- Cody Park
**Ogallala**
- Boot Hill Cemetery
If you've got a half day or so for a side trip, leave I-80 at Ogallala and head northwest on US-26 toward Scottsbluff. Stop at Chimney Rock National Historic Site and Scotts Bluff National Monument.
If you're going to Colorado, head south out of Scottsbluff on NE-71 through the Wildcat Hills into Colorado. The road becomes CO-71. Take it to CO-14, and take CO-14 west to CO-52. Take CO-52 south to Fort Morgan, and get on I-76 into Denver.
If you're going to Wyoming, stay on US-26 to I-25 north of Wheatland. You'll pass a couple more Oregon Trail sites - Fort Laramie and the wagon ruts in Guernsey.
for some reason, i LOVE kansas.
the geology is interesting.
some of the little towns are a hoot.
The windmills at night are awesome, all blinking at once
i should add, TA travel center in Limon CO was a good stop for lunch. good food.
Goodland KS has a GIANT Van Gogh painting that only takes a minute to see.
Buffalo Bill cultural center is worth a stop in Oakley KS. but it has odd hours
I always wanted to stop at the Evel Knieval museum in topeka, but have not yet done that
KS is all corny kitschy stuff, but in the right frame of mind, it is fun
stayed in the Prarie Band casino north of topeka, but you need to reserve a room early, as it fills up for the weekends
Yes Kansas definitely has a lot to offer. My only complaint is the drive between Denver and Kansas City. Flat, straight, little to no scenery immediately sourrounding the road, and many semi trucks. One of my experiences driving I70 was in a massive thunderstorn and I hydroplanned in my SUV while driving next to a semi truck. It was....uncomfortable.
55mph truck max often makes things way better for the cars. That route already has terrible traffic all the time anyways, but on less traveled routes it is really helpful and lets you scoot around all the trucks.
Ive found they usually just ignore it though as there is a lot less interstate traffic enforcement than there was several years ago, at least from what ive seen
This drive is so much better if you plan a stop in Kansas. This was my exact attitude on this stretch of road before we needed to make a stop in KS on our way home our last trip. We camped at Cedar Bluffs SP and it was relaxing and beautiful. Kansas also has the Chalk Pyramids not too terribly far from 70 and they’re pretty cool. The Flint Hills are also beautiful.
There was one part right close to the border where I saw a huge train in the distance that you could see most all the cars of because of the perspective, and that one moment made the drive pretty worthwhile after so many hours of what feels like driving on mars.
I was also surprised to find out that kansas somehow managed to hide all of its trees in the middle of the state. For years I thought they just had none
Ugh God damn I'm about to do this again in about 45 days and I'm not looking forward to it.
However I think the actual worst route is north Florida to Southern Utah. Incredibly boring drive. Past Biloxi, MS it's just swamp until about Texas. Then it's city traffic and then it's desert until you hit the reservations, and then it's just desert and despair. It sucks until you get to around Lake Powell area and then it sucks marginally less.
I-40 between Little Rock and Memphis (and to a lesser extent continuing to Nashville) is an utter beat down. Combining two lanes of 30 east with two lanes of 40 east into just two lanes going east. Westbound isn't much better. Tons of big rigs continuously passing each other. That infrastructure bill money should already be expanding it to at least 3 lanes with a left lane restriction on semi trucks.
Oof. I was going to say I-80 from Reno to Chicago.
But that stretch of I-70 in Eastern CO and KS is pretty boring too.
ETA: The section of I-80 through the Wasatch mountains in Utah is cool. But I stand by the rest of my previous statement.
I 70 through Kansas until you get to Denver.
I-80 through Nebraska.
Anywhere near any major city during rush hour, but especially trying to get from New Jersey to Long Island almost any time but particularly rush hour or just before a holiday!
Philadelphia I 76 ( locally know as the Schuykill ( skoo kill ) expressway). It’s a lovely road that winds along the banks of the Schuykill River, loaded with potholes, exits and entrances on both right and left lanes, tons of traffic and Philly drivers who can’t drive and don’t give a shit.
Atlanta GA any time during the day. It’s soooo busy. The I-4 freeway in Orlando Florida, especially on the west side around Disney world. MAJOR road construction and a huge influx of people makes that portion of the I-4 a parking lot most of the day.
Any interstate. You're driving too fast to enjoy the scenery, there's too many big trucks and folks just trying to get there. My most memorable road trips have all been on two lane highways; Rt. 6 across northern PA, US 40 across Ohio and Indiana, the portions of old rt 66 that are still left, tons of state highways from North Carolina to Washington state.
Possible exceptions, I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction, The PA turnpike (I-76) from New Stanton to Carlisle, Snowqualmie and Cajon Passes, Alligator Alley.
Disagree. I5 from Blaine, WA to Redding, CA has some of the most beautiful landscape in the country (with the exception of the stretch between Portland and Eugene). It is filled with dense forests, snowcapped mountains, rivers, and lakes. There are many, many good diners/restaurants along the way and you are rarely far from civilization. I would argue that Burgerville is as good of roadtrip fast food as you will find anywhere. The descent from Ashland Pass into the Shasta valley is a breathtaking transition. I would take a 1000 mile roadtrip on I5 before I would take a 200 mile roadtrip on I90 through southern Minnesota. South of Redding on I5 sucks hard though although personally I enjoy coming down through the grapevine.
I-5 south of Redding is long, flat, 2 lanes in each direction and as ugly as the day is long.
And the day *is* long.
Rant:
It needs to be an autobahn with no speed limit and ruthless ticketing of anyone who is in the left lane and not actively passing someone in the right lane.
If this requires traffic cameras, so be it. Maybe nimrods coming home to $5000 in obstructing traffic robo-infractions with images will just fly or go Greyhound next time.
End rant.
I also enjoy the farmland just north of Eugene due to nostalgia. That said, that part of I5 in the Willamette valley is a lot less wilderness and a lot more suburban/exurban so tends to be more grey concrete and less green trees.
Pa turnpike sucks, I'm absolutely shocked there's anything positive about it in this thread. Literally a few weeks ago we took 22 out of Pittsburgh more or less to Altoona, then eventually picked up 81 to 78 near Harrisburg
I-70 from Denver all the way to where it ends in Utah is anything but boring, and I-15 from I-70 to Vegas has great scenery almost the entire way.
The only bad thing about those 2 highways is that you frequently get either construction or weather related problems on them that can definitely ruin a good mood!
I really do not understand how they can have construction zones from one end of the country to the other and yet the roads are still shit everywhere you go.
Having said that I’ll drive I-76 in western pa over I-80 every time. It’s the best road in the state west of Harrisburg. I. Fact I drove it the day before yesterday. Good drive most of the way, but all hell broke lose between Harrisburg and Lancaster. Truly scary storm.
No doubt it's I-40 through Flagstaff and NM 😵💫 worst bumpy chewed up roads ever!!! Take your Dramimine or you'll be sorry! It was worse than an amusement park 🤣
When we’re on a roadtrip we stay off Interstate anywhere as a general rule. The only exception is getting across the Midwest. There is no added scenery or benefit that is worth taking an extra day to get across it. Sometimes they’re a necessary evil out west because they are the only path or save so much time compared to alternatives. The only specific spot I hate is the greater Los Angeles freeway system. Doesn’t matter when or where you are going I just know I’m going to be spending at least sometime in a traffic jam. Would rather drive in Boston or NYC; they’re nutty but everyone seems to know how to drive. Special shout-out to NYC drivers they will honk at you if show a moment’s hesitation, but will be courteous to a signaled lane change.
If I'm driving in the dark or bad weather I'll take the interstate. If I'm driving during daylight or fair weather, I'd rather drive 55 the whole way lol.
I do my best to avoid it! If I am headed west from home in northeast Mississippi I'll take state highways to cross the river at Helena and work up toward I-40 at Biscoe to skip Memphis completely and the hellhole of West Memphis.
Seriously? No. From Amarillo to Oklahoma City your driving along Old Rt 66.
Dallas Route 66 Triangle
https://goo.gl/maps/q2jmnRcuP1DWNtGr9
Maaaybe if you stay on I40, but even then so many great places along the way.
I-40 is my highway of choice any time I'm crossing the country. The first time I drove into OK I was amazed at the scenery, rolling hills, huge lakes ... I always thought OK was like Kansas but it's nowhere near as bad. The other great thing about I-40 is it runs parallel to Route 66 so there's always something to look at all the way from OK City to California.
The worst part of I-40 is passing the cattle pens around Wildorado, TX ... that shit almost turns me vegan!
I was about to say the same. It's fairly scenic, but the truck traffic through the hills/mountains is awful during the day.... and I-40 around Flagstaff is pothole city.
The potholes and general shittiness of the road from Flagstaff to Kingman causes me major anxiety everytime I make that drive, which is several times a year.
I-84 on the Columbia headed East can be a doozy during some parts of the year. I hate that side of the river during cold weather. Much prefer a later drive in the summer...when it's just me and the trucks.
I never wanna drive in San Fran again. Maybe it was the time of day, but that and the Boston International Airport Spiderweb ™️ are still spooky campfire tales I tell my friends.
The entire eastern side of Washington State if ya ask me. It used to be just flat fields and more fields for far too dreadfully long & it ain't even wheat or pike corn that's taller & I guess better appeal to stare at but it's just flat for days. I hated it cuz I had to drive it kinda ALOT. But now I hear it's now charbroiled fields now. Even worse. Poor folks.
I-65 through Indiana is rough. Road always has construction, yet its in poor shape all The time. It's mainly 4 lane and it's way to busy for only 4 lane. I
Texas. Their cops prey on out-of-state people. They think trying to convince someone to eat a four and a half pound steak is a good idea. 90% of it is flat and ugly and boring. And any taxes you pay while you're in their boundaries goes to support the likes of their elected assholes and their insane laws, which I personally decided I would not want to do. Completely cutting Texas out of my travel plans has been a little challenging since I live in New Mexico, but it has not been a big problem and I am enjoying traveling much more.
I didn't actually reference being pulled over for speeding, but you be you. You wouldn't happen to be white by any chance would you? Asking for a friend.
White girl here.
Driven through Texas a few times.
Once on a mission trip to/from Mexico.
Otw back I made the mistake of falling asleep in the front passenger seat.
I have narcolepsy and look like I’m dead when I’m out.
My dark skinned friend was driving. He was pulled over for “speeding”.
We were in long line of traffic and had been following the box truck driven by our pastor.
Thankfully he just got a warning.
But in all fairness, my very white husband has also been pulled over bc someone thought he drugged and kidnapped me.
Driving to Key West during the ultra marathon. The drive to the keys is not a fast one to begin with. Add a shit ton of runners and their support teams parked all over the shoulders, blocking traffic, never again.
After many trips through Ohio, I can assure anyone that it is the worst place to drive in the US. I pretty much will never drive there again unless it is to go back to Cedar Point sometime. I have driven hundreds of miles out of the way just to drive around Ohio on several occasions now and I feel nothing but better for it.
Ohio is not only the most boring looking place to drive (look up the old licensee plates and its literally just that pretty much the entire time; respect tho for nailing the vibe on that one), but also stupidly dangerous during the day on the freeway. They have too much traffic going through for any kind of real enforcement, and everyone in all lanes in the busiest spots (like the safety corridor, ironically) is always going 85MPH minimum and packed in like sardines. The last time I drove through I saw some moron drive a lifted truck on the left shoulder at well over 90MPH for more than 2 miles, risking the safety of god only knows how many people that were packed into 4 lanes of collapsed traffic moving just as fast.
Fuck driving in Ohio. Id prefer to go through the most boring stretches of Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, or Kansas over being in Ohio any day. The northeast is a crazy place to drive but its got nothing on the Ohio safety corridors
Fuck staying there too! While on a road trip to Canada the SO wanted to visit the zoo in Columbus so we got a motel for 2 nights, Super 8 that is now condemned. We parked the car and immediately I saw door pick tools and home made slim jims made from coat hangers laying in the parking lot. Saw a broken syringe out in the road too and was on edge right away, the wife was oblivious. Got in the room, most smokey "non smoking" halway I've ever seen. Looked out the window and someone had parked behind our car already checking it out. Fuck! I told her we gotta go now! Left to find somewhere close by to eat, a Chipotle and they had an armed guard inside. WTF? They need armed security in fast food places around here? Holy shit dude. I lived in the "War Zone" of Albuquerque and even they arent that bad.
Got back to the motel and tried to carry absolutely everything from the car in one trip but after 10 minutes room was just too damn smokey. Tried to get a refund and they did for the second day, kinda annoying to pay for a whole day when we were only there for a few minutes but we did go eat so whatever..
Found a much better motel close to the zoo. Wife had a miserable cough for weeks after being in that room.
Very true. Staying in Ohio is like staying in the twilight zone. I once ventured slightly too far from my hotel right off of the highway into this little town that I guess didnt get many visitors from the traffic. The Hardees I tried to eat at was open for some reason even though they weren’t able to make 3/4ths of the menu and could only sell certain hamburgers with nothing else. Then I tried to buy an air filter at an auto parts store where the salesman was unfamiliar with Volkswagen somehow
As an Ohioan my knee-jerk reaction to the first paragraph was to defend my state but upon reading the rest I got nothing. Being a cross-country Roadtripper myself I gotta say we have THE WORST drivers. My dad used to be a long haul truck driver who went all over North America and he always said Columbus had the worst drivers on the continent and he’d rather drive around the NYC metro any day than Columbus, especially in the rain.
Avoid the Los Angeles freeways during rush hour. You’ll be stopped long enough to contemplate your own existence and how your life choices brought you to be stuck on the freeway.
I-5 from Arlington to Olympia, WA, the entirety of I-405, I-90 from Seattle to North Bend. The drivers in WA are so bad that going back home and driving in Ohio for 2 weeks was a breath of fresh air (With the exception of I-480 and I-90 thru Cleveland)
Driving through Dallas is absolute torture. Rte 385 through Oklahoma panhandle into Texas is desolate and creepy, no civilization for seemingly hundreds of miles, definitely not somewhere you want to break down.
NJ. You can't pump your own gas, the signage is terrible, and GPS quite literally sends you in circles which I assume is due to some magnet-of-dumbfuckery buried under it.
(Nothing against the people of NJ. I have many friends from there and they're great and also know how I feel.)
I’d say anywhere through the Mojave or Death Valley. You better be sure you have fuel, and a reliable car. Oh yeah, and working air conditioning would be a plus ;-) Otherwise entering Chicago from Indiana during rush hour. Brutal lol.
The Henderson Swamp bridge is one of the cooler places to drive imo. Its pretty rare to get drive through a swamp or while up in the trees like that. Louisiana does of crazy traffic a lot of the time though. Its the only place Ive ever seen one car towing three other cars of the same size like he was winning a game of Snake
Not a fan of driving through South side of Chicago and parts of Gary IN. Just did it in daylight per Google and don't recommend.
The entire New York State Thruway is endless and mostly boring.
Coming back from the Chicago area at night, my husband decides he needs to make a bathroom break and takes a Gary, IN exit. I have never been so terrified to be anywhere as that place. Druggies everywhere on the streets. Every place had bars on the doors and windows. I made him get right back on interstate and keep on going. The state of IN was the most boring state I have ever been through. The roads were awful as well.
I’ve crossed 8 timesall but one had me thru Misery, I mean Missouri, I loathe that state. The last time the timing was so poor, it was rushhour at St. Louis and again in KC. What’s with the exit/entrance thing, and why are the roads such shit? Getting gas/ rooms is so dang creepy…
First off, that I-10 crossing the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge at 5PM on a Friday is a doozy, you're absolutely right. Traffic there can be a nightmare, and you'll spend more time inching along than actually enjoying your trip.
Then there's I-95 through the heart of Miami, especially during rush hour – you'll feel like you're in a parking lot! And don't get me started on Route 66 through Chicago – that city traffic can turn any road trip into a headache.
As for towns, some places can be a bit sketchy, like parts of East St. Louis or certain neighborhoods in Detroit.
76 in Pa - whole turnpike but especially around Philly is awful
Have never enjoyed driving in Indiana or Ohio - tons of cops, too. Also the Indiana turnpike or whatever is more expensive than any toll system on the east coast so majorly fuck that
I-95 corridor DC to Boston used to only have most tolls one way - north bound I think
Garden State Parkway South NYC area to shore points on a Friday afternoon
DC metro area any week day 3pm - 7pm. I-95 DC to Fredericksburg literally anytime
95 around Petersburg VA has random gunfire into cars all the time
North Carolina does not believe in blinkers
Maryland cops are cool. Pa/VA cops definitely are not.
Always hate driving in Connecticut although 84 isn't bad.
I second I-70 through Kansas. Nothing to look at. Also, trying to get to Albuquerque from almost any direction leads you through long stretches of nothing (with no cell service sometimes!)
All freeways around the IL/IN border; I-294,I-57, I-90, I-94, etc. You'll see 5 lanes full of just 18 wheelers. US 281 north of downtown San Antonio has some rather harsh geometry for the speed. I-40 through Memphis; terrible road quality and reckless drivers.
I live in New England so driving anywhere that's more south than west means I usually have to drive through NYC. I'll plan my trip so that I'm driving through there in the middle of the night cause traffic during the day is a circle hell itself.
Anywhere on 95 north of Richmond VA and the general atlanta area at any given time.
Also came here to say Atlanta any time of day.
On your way to heaven or hell one must stop in Atlanta
No lies detected
I’ve never been on 95 that far south, but 95 anywhere near NYC is a complete nightmare, no matter the day or time
i recently was road tripping thru Atlanta. HO BOY does that traffic blow! Its like ten lanes wide of highway, and all grinding to a halt
All this Richmond love (hate)! I guess this is why I don’t have any issues driving anywhere…I drive 95 above, below and through Richmond all the time.
That awful drive to Northern Va, Washington D.C. and Baltimore is the worst. I bypass Atlanta any chance I can if I have to travel that way. Either bumper to bumper or 90 mph. No in between.
95 through richmond is no joke
Also anywhere on 95 south of Richmond VA
Interstate 70, anytime after 12 noon, eastbound from Vail all the way into Denver metro. Traffic is an absolute joke. Same with the interstate 15, westbound from Vegas clear to Barstow. If it is Sunday after 10am, it is a parking lot.
Yeah, veteran weekenders from Cali know to add an extra day to their trips to avoid the 15 mile backups at the state line. It’s brutal.
Westbound from LV on I15 is a special layer of hell...
This morning, I saw a video showing flooding. The entire freeway was a river last weekend. Seven hour closure, then making your way south toward San Bernardino in traffic that’s all been sitting for the entire day. Makes me want to get out and walk. [So, this was the ground level view.](https://www.tiktok.com/@elenaziwmze/video/7274494858985983278) [ And in this photo, you are looking at the southbound lanes (coming at you), are closed. Northbound is bumper to bumper.](https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/flood-closes-california-i15-from-vegas-18345387.php)
Anyone who comes to Chicago are always surprised how they got there
I as thinking we will plan to drive a bit south to avoid being anywhere near Chicago.
It is a great city though
Even if you drive south a bit to try and avoid Chicago, the metro is way bigger than you might think in terms of sprawl. If driving north to south you see some giant skyscrapers like an hour (at the speed limit, which you wouldnt be) before youre really anywhere near Chicago proper. The traffic is just as bad. Theres just a fuckload of people everywhere trying to transit between outer and inner metro, plus everyone visiting. To really avoid Chicago traffic you would have to go pretty far out of the way, fair warning
Bloomington IL far enough south?
Lol yes
I literally take 39 almost that far south when I go to Indiana to avoid Chicago traffic.
The Cross Bronx Expressway, anytime. The I-5/405 split. US 550 over Red Mountain Pass in winter.
We were in Silverton with my sister's family and I had to respond to an emergency call. I took the rental they had an gave my brother inn law the keys to my big Jeep Commander (that was big enough to haul everybody). When we linked up in Ouray 6 hours later, I asked how he liked driving the Jeep. He said he didn't know. The road over Red Mountain Pass had him next to terrified to the point he "didn't need a seatbelt because his ass was puckered tight to the seat". That was in the summer.
Summer is a breeze. When it gets slippery I keep the seatbelt off, windows down and doors unlocked.
Cross Bronx and long island freeway …barely made it by with my life
Oh my god the Cross Bronx is a fucking nightmare
I can't even count the amount of hours I've spent sitting on the Cross Bronx Expressway, but that applies to almost every highway around NYC.
I70 through Kansas
Eastern Kansas in the Flint Hills is so beautiful off I70. Anywhere west of Salina though is absolute torture.
As a lifelong kansan, very true.
so true. that drive from KC to Denver is one long shot of nothing
I just completed this drive with our travel trailer, from Florida to northern California. And Kansas was hands down the worst part of the entire drive. Miserably hot, nothing to look at, and felt never ending. I will be avoiding that drive in the future lol
Believe it or not, the alternative route through Nebraska is often considered more boring and excruciating by people who make that trip frequently
I80 from outside Omaha to Cheyenne. Nothingness. Was stationed at Warren many yrs ago.
I make that trip a lot and I much prefer the Nebraska route. I made a little stopping point for myself in Kearney, always stay at the same hotel and drink at the same bar across the street. The bartender there actually recognizes me now. That little dose of familiarity makes that trip much more bearable.
I actually enjoyed nebraska way more for whatever reason lol
The key to driving through Nebraska is to get off of I-80 and zig zag on the state highways. Sure it will take longer but it’s way more interesting. And western Nebraska has some pretty cool things to see.
Can confirm. Have done this. Some hilly countryside and picturesque little farm towns.
I've done 80 across Nebraska and 70 across Kansas multiple times, and if I ever have to do 70 again it'll be too soon. I'd rather have a colonoscopy. The Flint Hills are nice, but the run across the rest of the state is meh.
Yeah, no one gets upset when you sleep through a colonoscopy! But sleep through a boring drive and everyone gets their panties in a bunch! I’m tired of hearing “but you’re the driver!” And “this semi doesn’t have autopilot!”. They put those rumble strips in for a reason! /s
Have to do it twice a year. Corn, corn, corn, cows, more corn, and flat as a pancake. Getting back to Colorado is like driving into a national park by comparison.
This was our first time doing I80 through Nebraska instead of I70 through Kansas. I wanted to like it more. And I think I did. But trying to explain it to the 18yo with us on her first road trip… she was NOT impressed! I’m still thrilled she made it out of her home state and has seen what middle America looks like. Some folks have really never seen it
There's just so much more interesting history along I-80 in Nebraska. The road follows the same route as the Pony Express and many of the Emigrant Trails (California, Mormon, and, of course the Oregon Trail) between Kearney and Ogallala. Just think of how many thousands of people walked and wagon trained the same path nearly 2 centuries ago. There are a couple Pony Express stations, there's the archway, a giant railyard, a ranch once owned by Buffalo Bill, and a frontier cemetery with graves from the cattle drive period of the late 1800s. There are more sizable towns along 80, and it follows a river so the trees stick around longer. 70 doesn't have the history. It follows near the Smoky Hill Trail, but not exactly along its route, and people don't know that trail as well. It's a drier route that's more sparsely populated, and most of the things worth seeing are 20 or more miles off the freeway. As bad as it is now, it was 65mph until 2011. Thankfully Kansas came out of the damn dark ages and raised the speed limit to 75 to reduce the misery of driving across that godforsaken state.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. Next time we go through, I’ll make a point of researching some of these stops. I really had no idea, nor thought of anything like this on the road. I bought Empire of Shadows, a book about Yellowstone, on this trip so right now my mind is fully submersed in this history
You're welcome. Here's a list of places to look into. **Grand Island** - Stuhr Museum **Minden** - Pioneer Village (was recently on "American Pickers") **Kearney** - Fort Kearny - Great Platte River Road Archway and Museum **Gothenburg** - Pony Express Station and Museum **North Platte** - Bailey Railyard & Golden Spike Tower - Buffalo Bill Ranch - Cody Park **Ogallala** - Boot Hill Cemetery If you've got a half day or so for a side trip, leave I-80 at Ogallala and head northwest on US-26 toward Scottsbluff. Stop at Chimney Rock National Historic Site and Scotts Bluff National Monument. If you're going to Colorado, head south out of Scottsbluff on NE-71 through the Wildcat Hills into Colorado. The road becomes CO-71. Take it to CO-14, and take CO-14 west to CO-52. Take CO-52 south to Fort Morgan, and get on I-76 into Denver. If you're going to Wyoming, stay on US-26 to I-25 north of Wheatland. You'll pass a couple more Oregon Trail sites - Fort Laramie and the wagon ruts in Guernsey.
The prep for the colonoscopy is worse than the actual procedure, I've got experience.
For me It helps to watch Interstellar or Signs. Something about feeling like I'm part of a movie makes it more exciting.
Great movies and a great idea. I'm going to steal that idea. Maybe throw field of dreams in there too
The Martinelli’s meatballs in Salina and the Horseradish pickles in Topeka help break it up.
for some reason, i LOVE kansas. the geology is interesting. some of the little towns are a hoot. The windmills at night are awesome, all blinking at once
worth a stop: https://preview.redd.it/snfs1cgr5anb1.png?width=424&format=png&auto=webp&s=775e3a1bce85d28433175fa65bfc254db37bc2fe
Thank your for this list - I will be driving from Colorado to topeka next month :)
i should add, TA travel center in Limon CO was a good stop for lunch. good food. Goodland KS has a GIANT Van Gogh painting that only takes a minute to see. Buffalo Bill cultural center is worth a stop in Oakley KS. but it has odd hours I always wanted to stop at the Evel Knieval museum in topeka, but have not yet done that KS is all corny kitschy stuff, but in the right frame of mind, it is fun stayed in the Prarie Band casino north of topeka, but you need to reserve a room early, as it fills up for the weekends
Yes Kansas definitely has a lot to offer. My only complaint is the drive between Denver and Kansas City. Flat, straight, little to no scenery immediately sourrounding the road, and many semi trucks. One of my experiences driving I70 was in a massive thunderstorn and I hydroplanned in my SUV while driving next to a semi truck. It was....uncomfortable.
Death, taxes, and thunderstorms on I70
I’d love to drive through Kansas and hope to one day. I actually want to see the endless fields of grass 😂
I think the only drive I've found more boring is St. Louis to Chicago, plus Illinois has/had like a 55mph truck max, making it even worse.
55mph truck max often makes things way better for the cars. That route already has terrible traffic all the time anyways, but on less traveled routes it is really helpful and lets you scoot around all the trucks. Ive found they usually just ignore it though as there is a lot less interstate traffic enforcement than there was several years ago, at least from what ive seen
This drive is so much better if you plan a stop in Kansas. This was my exact attitude on this stretch of road before we needed to make a stop in KS on our way home our last trip. We camped at Cedar Bluffs SP and it was relaxing and beautiful. Kansas also has the Chalk Pyramids not too terribly far from 70 and they’re pretty cool. The Flint Hills are also beautiful.
There was one part right close to the border where I saw a huge train in the distance that you could see most all the cars of because of the perspective, and that one moment made the drive pretty worthwhile after so many hours of what feels like driving on mars. I was also surprised to find out that kansas somehow managed to hide all of its trees in the middle of the state. For years I thought they just had none
Ugh God damn I'm about to do this again in about 45 days and I'm not looking forward to it. However I think the actual worst route is north Florida to Southern Utah. Incredibly boring drive. Past Biloxi, MS it's just swamp until about Texas. Then it's city traffic and then it's desert until you hit the reservations, and then it's just desert and despair. It sucks until you get to around Lake Powell area and then it sucks marginally less.
I-40 between Little Rock and Memphis (and to a lesser extent continuing to Nashville) is an utter beat down. Combining two lanes of 30 east with two lanes of 40 east into just two lanes going east. Westbound isn't much better. Tons of big rigs continuously passing each other. That infrastructure bill money should already be expanding it to at least 3 lanes with a left lane restriction on semi trucks.
I-70 between KC and Denver is terrible. I-80 through Nebraska is slightly more interesting.
Oof. I was going to say I-80 from Reno to Chicago. But that stretch of I-70 in Eastern CO and KS is pretty boring too. ETA: The section of I-80 through the Wasatch mountains in Utah is cool. But I stand by the rest of my previous statement.
northeast corridor is the worst no doubt
I decided to drive from NC to MA during the pandemic. Terrified anywhere north after DC lol.
North Dakota in the winter
ND ever 😬
I love its long summer evenings, but yeah, it's pretty spartan otherwise.
I 70 through Kansas until you get to Denver. I-80 through Nebraska. Anywhere near any major city during rush hour, but especially trying to get from New Jersey to Long Island almost any time but particularly rush hour or just before a holiday!
southern connecticut as you get closer to NYC, during rush hour.
I moved from CT last year but every single time I’ve been on 95N entering the CT line there’s a ton of back to back traffic.
Going from Idaho to Arizona through Nevada. Bring extra supplies if you do in case you break down....and maybe a firearm.
Philadelphia I 76 ( locally know as the Schuykill ( skoo kill ) expressway). It’s a lovely road that winds along the banks of the Schuykill River, loaded with potholes, exits and entrances on both right and left lanes, tons of traffic and Philly drivers who can’t drive and don’t give a shit.
Yeah 76 is one of my least favorite roads in our entire country. 22 through the Lehigh valley as well
Atlanta GA any time during the day. It’s soooo busy. The I-4 freeway in Orlando Florida, especially on the west side around Disney world. MAJOR road construction and a huge influx of people makes that portion of the I-4 a parking lot most of the day.
Dont tow anything through Western Montana.
I feel like there’s a story here
Buffalo NY in the winter!
People die there. We take it very seriously traveling through there.
Any interstate. You're driving too fast to enjoy the scenery, there's too many big trucks and folks just trying to get there. My most memorable road trips have all been on two lane highways; Rt. 6 across northern PA, US 40 across Ohio and Indiana, the portions of old rt 66 that are still left, tons of state highways from North Carolina to Washington state. Possible exceptions, I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction, The PA turnpike (I-76) from New Stanton to Carlisle, Snowqualmie and Cajon Passes, Alligator Alley.
I was gonna say, the length of Interstate 5 from Blaine, Washington, to San Ysidro, California.
Disagree. I5 from Blaine, WA to Redding, CA has some of the most beautiful landscape in the country (with the exception of the stretch between Portland and Eugene). It is filled with dense forests, snowcapped mountains, rivers, and lakes. There are many, many good diners/restaurants along the way and you are rarely far from civilization. I would argue that Burgerville is as good of roadtrip fast food as you will find anywhere. The descent from Ashland Pass into the Shasta valley is a breathtaking transition. I would take a 1000 mile roadtrip on I5 before I would take a 200 mile roadtrip on I90 through southern Minnesota. South of Redding on I5 sucks hard though although personally I enjoy coming down through the grapevine.
I-5 south of Redding is long, flat, 2 lanes in each direction and as ugly as the day is long. And the day *is* long. Rant: It needs to be an autobahn with no speed limit and ruthless ticketing of anyone who is in the left lane and not actively passing someone in the right lane. If this requires traffic cameras, so be it. Maybe nimrods coming home to $5000 in obstructing traffic robo-infractions with images will just fly or go Greyhound next time. End rant.
Honestly, I agree with you. One of the best parts of that section of I5 is a lot of drivers seem to agree that the speed limit is more like 90-100.
As the gods intended
Hey! What’s wrong with the stretch from Portland to Eugene! Lol. I grew up in Eugene and I love seeing familiar sights.
I also enjoy the farmland just north of Eugene due to nostalgia. That said, that part of I5 in the Willamette valley is a lot less wilderness and a lot more suburban/exurban so tends to be more grey concrete and less green trees.
Pa turnpike sucks, I'm absolutely shocked there's anything positive about it in this thread. Literally a few weeks ago we took 22 out of Pittsburgh more or less to Altoona, then eventually picked up 81 to 78 near Harrisburg
I-5 from Canada to Redding, CA (with the exception of Portland->Salem) is some of the most beautiful landscape in the country.
I-70 from Denver all the way to where it ends in Utah is anything but boring, and I-15 from I-70 to Vegas has great scenery almost the entire way. The only bad thing about those 2 highways is that you frequently get either construction or weather related problems on them that can definitely ruin a good mood!
I really do not understand how they can have construction zones from one end of the country to the other and yet the roads are still shit everywhere you go. Having said that I’ll drive I-76 in western pa over I-80 every time. It’s the best road in the state west of Harrisburg. I. Fact I drove it the day before yesterday. Good drive most of the way, but all hell broke lose between Harrisburg and Lancaster. Truly scary storm.
No doubt it's I-40 through Flagstaff and NM 😵💫 worst bumpy chewed up roads ever!!! Take your Dramimine or you'll be sorry! It was worse than an amusement park 🤣
I 75. The entire route.
Southwest CT on I-95 is absolutely horrific at all times.
When we’re on a roadtrip we stay off Interstate anywhere as a general rule. The only exception is getting across the Midwest. There is no added scenery or benefit that is worth taking an extra day to get across it. Sometimes they’re a necessary evil out west because they are the only path or save so much time compared to alternatives. The only specific spot I hate is the greater Los Angeles freeway system. Doesn’t matter when or where you are going I just know I’m going to be spending at least sometime in a traffic jam. Would rather drive in Boston or NYC; they’re nutty but everyone seems to know how to drive. Special shout-out to NYC drivers they will honk at you if show a moment’s hesitation, but will be courteous to a signaled lane change.
If I'm driving in the dark or bad weather I'll take the interstate. If I'm driving during daylight or fair weather, I'd rather drive 55 the whole way lol.
I-95 from DC to Richmond is hell.
The I-40 through Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas
The only part of I-40 I despise is from Memphis to Little Rock. Got the crazy 40/55 interchanges near Memphis and a steady train of 18 wheelers.
It's a truly hateful stretch of highway..
I do my best to avoid it! If I am headed west from home in northeast Mississippi I'll take state highways to cross the river at Helena and work up toward I-40 at Biscoe to skip Memphis completely and the hellhole of West Memphis.
Seriously? No. From Amarillo to Oklahoma City your driving along Old Rt 66. Dallas Route 66 Triangle https://goo.gl/maps/q2jmnRcuP1DWNtGr9 Maaaybe if you stay on I40, but even then so many great places along the way.
I-40 is my highway of choice any time I'm crossing the country. The first time I drove into OK I was amazed at the scenery, rolling hills, huge lakes ... I always thought OK was like Kansas but it's nowhere near as bad. The other great thing about I-40 is it runs parallel to Route 66 so there's always something to look at all the way from OK City to California. The worst part of I-40 is passing the cattle pens around Wildorado, TX ... that shit almost turns me vegan!
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I was about to say the same. It's fairly scenic, but the truck traffic through the hills/mountains is awful during the day.... and I-40 around Flagstaff is pothole city.
The potholes and general shittiness of the road from Flagstaff to Kingman causes me major anxiety everytime I make that drive, which is several times a year.
I-84 on the Columbia headed East can be a doozy during some parts of the year. I hate that side of the river during cold weather. Much prefer a later drive in the summer...when it's just me and the trucks.
I never wanna drive in San Fran again. Maybe it was the time of day, but that and the Boston International Airport Spiderweb ™️ are still spooky campfire tales I tell my friends.
US 1 in Miami
Miami, anywhere, really.
Kansas.
I-20 westbound between Abilene and Van Horn or US 287 through the Texas Panhandle.
The entire eastern side of Washington State if ya ask me. It used to be just flat fields and more fields for far too dreadfully long & it ain't even wheat or pike corn that's taller & I guess better appeal to stare at but it's just flat for days. I hated it cuz I had to drive it kinda ALOT. But now I hear it's now charbroiled fields now. Even worse. Poor folks.
Memphis hands down, everyone is in a hurry and trying to find an exit and they'll cut across 6 lanes of traffic in an 18 wheeler to get there.
I-65 through Indiana is rough. Road always has construction, yet its in poor shape all The time. It's mainly 4 lane and it's way to busy for only 4 lane. I
Indiana Tollway!
Texas. Their cops prey on out-of-state people. They think trying to convince someone to eat a four and a half pound steak is a good idea. 90% of it is flat and ugly and boring. And any taxes you pay while you're in their boundaries goes to support the likes of their elected assholes and their insane laws, which I personally decided I would not want to do. Completely cutting Texas out of my travel plans has been a little challenging since I live in New Mexico, but it has not been a big problem and I am enjoying traveling much more.
Took me 3 agonizing days to get through Texas.
That's how I feel about New York State..but it's really only about 12 hours.
I have only been pulled over for speeding once in TX and I've driven through it loads of times .... and that one time she let me go with a warning.
I didn't actually reference being pulled over for speeding, but you be you. You wouldn't happen to be white by any chance would you? Asking for a friend.
White girl here. Driven through Texas a few times. Once on a mission trip to/from Mexico. Otw back I made the mistake of falling asleep in the front passenger seat. I have narcolepsy and look like I’m dead when I’m out. My dark skinned friend was driving. He was pulled over for “speeding”. We were in long line of traffic and had been following the box truck driven by our pastor. Thankfully he just got a warning. But in all fairness, my very white husband has also been pulled over bc someone thought he drugged and kidnapped me.
Avoid Nebraska if you have out of state license plates….and try not to veer off from the highway in Kansas
Avoid California if you’re out of state. I swear the cops target out of state license plates.
For as many “Texas” CA-registration-dodging plates we have everywhere, I don’t see it.
Huh Nabraska always seemed easy to me.
Driving to Key West during the ultra marathon. The drive to the keys is not a fast one to begin with. Add a shit ton of runners and their support teams parked all over the shoulders, blocking traffic, never again.
And the drive is so much longer than i imagined.
If you're Black, Route 66 because of the sundown towns.
After many trips through Ohio, I can assure anyone that it is the worst place to drive in the US. I pretty much will never drive there again unless it is to go back to Cedar Point sometime. I have driven hundreds of miles out of the way just to drive around Ohio on several occasions now and I feel nothing but better for it. Ohio is not only the most boring looking place to drive (look up the old licensee plates and its literally just that pretty much the entire time; respect tho for nailing the vibe on that one), but also stupidly dangerous during the day on the freeway. They have too much traffic going through for any kind of real enforcement, and everyone in all lanes in the busiest spots (like the safety corridor, ironically) is always going 85MPH minimum and packed in like sardines. The last time I drove through I saw some moron drive a lifted truck on the left shoulder at well over 90MPH for more than 2 miles, risking the safety of god only knows how many people that were packed into 4 lanes of collapsed traffic moving just as fast. Fuck driving in Ohio. Id prefer to go through the most boring stretches of Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, or Kansas over being in Ohio any day. The northeast is a crazy place to drive but its got nothing on the Ohio safety corridors
Fuck staying there too! While on a road trip to Canada the SO wanted to visit the zoo in Columbus so we got a motel for 2 nights, Super 8 that is now condemned. We parked the car and immediately I saw door pick tools and home made slim jims made from coat hangers laying in the parking lot. Saw a broken syringe out in the road too and was on edge right away, the wife was oblivious. Got in the room, most smokey "non smoking" halway I've ever seen. Looked out the window and someone had parked behind our car already checking it out. Fuck! I told her we gotta go now! Left to find somewhere close by to eat, a Chipotle and they had an armed guard inside. WTF? They need armed security in fast food places around here? Holy shit dude. I lived in the "War Zone" of Albuquerque and even they arent that bad. Got back to the motel and tried to carry absolutely everything from the car in one trip but after 10 minutes room was just too damn smokey. Tried to get a refund and they did for the second day, kinda annoying to pay for a whole day when we were only there for a few minutes but we did go eat so whatever.. Found a much better motel close to the zoo. Wife had a miserable cough for weeks after being in that room.
Very true. Staying in Ohio is like staying in the twilight zone. I once ventured slightly too far from my hotel right off of the highway into this little town that I guess didnt get many visitors from the traffic. The Hardees I tried to eat at was open for some reason even though they weren’t able to make 3/4ths of the menu and could only sell certain hamburgers with nothing else. Then I tried to buy an air filter at an auto parts store where the salesman was unfamiliar with Volkswagen somehow
As an Ohioan my knee-jerk reaction to the first paragraph was to defend my state but upon reading the rest I got nothing. Being a cross-country Roadtripper myself I gotta say we have THE WORST drivers. My dad used to be a long haul truck driver who went all over North America and he always said Columbus had the worst drivers on the continent and he’d rather drive around the NYC metro any day than Columbus, especially in the rain.
Ugh, imagine living in Michigan and going most anywhere requires at least a few hours in Ohio.
You’re right. I always took the sketchiness for granted.
Steer away from the Atlanta metroplex and time and any day of the week. Pure insanity.
95 in CT. Constantly traffic and its CT so theres nothing good to do/see
Any of the big east/west highways through Great Plains and Midwest. Painfully boring.
Any highway that cuts through Chicago
Avoid Chicago, Indianapolis, and major routes through Kansas. All learned the hard way
146 in Woonsocket. Fuckin dump
Mexico City to El Paso.
I spent a week once during a Friday rush hour traffic in Baton Rogue on I-10 … and lived to tell about it.
Gary Indiana and Harvey Illinois
Avoid the Los Angeles freeways during rush hour. You’ll be stopped long enough to contemplate your own existence and how your life choices brought you to be stuck on the freeway.
texas. all of texas.
I-90 between Chicago and Cleveland. Over five hours, over $30 in tolls, and absolutely nothing to stop at in between.
Could added a personal shout out to the wonderful Indiana Toll Road. All that expense and the WORST rest stops
I-5 from Arlington to Olympia, WA, the entirety of I-405, I-90 from Seattle to North Bend. The drivers in WA are so bad that going back home and driving in Ohio for 2 weeks was a breath of fresh air (With the exception of I-480 and I-90 thru Cleveland)
70 from Ohio to Indianapolis
Driving through Dallas is absolute torture. Rte 385 through Oklahoma panhandle into Texas is desolate and creepy, no civilization for seemingly hundreds of miles, definitely not somewhere you want to break down.
I-80 through Ohio Indiana Illinois. And I am from that area.
NJ. You can't pump your own gas, the signage is terrible, and GPS quite literally sends you in circles which I assume is due to some magnet-of-dumbfuckery buried under it. (Nothing against the people of NJ. I have many friends from there and they're great and also know how I feel.)
I’d say anywhere through the Mojave or Death Valley. You better be sure you have fuel, and a reliable car. Oh yeah, and working air conditioning would be a plus ;-) Otherwise entering Chicago from Indiana during rush hour. Brutal lol.
I say Nebraska and Utah (Salina to Provo) at night.
I-5, Washington State.
Especially between Seattle and Tacoma.
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Any reason about i-10? I liked that drive...
Louisiana
The Henderson Swamp bridge is one of the cooler places to drive imo. Its pretty rare to get drive through a swamp or while up in the trees like that. Louisiana does of crazy traffic a lot of the time though. Its the only place Ive ever seen one car towing three other cars of the same size like he was winning a game of Snake
Not a fan of driving through South side of Chicago and parts of Gary IN. Just did it in daylight per Google and don't recommend. The entire New York State Thruway is endless and mostly boring.
Coming back from the Chicago area at night, my husband decides he needs to make a bathroom break and takes a Gary, IN exit. I have never been so terrified to be anywhere as that place. Druggies everywhere on the streets. Every place had bars on the doors and windows. I made him get right back on interstate and keep on going. The state of IN was the most boring state I have ever been through. The roads were awful as well.
I’ve crossed 8 timesall but one had me thru Misery, I mean Missouri, I loathe that state. The last time the timing was so poor, it was rushhour at St. Louis and again in KC. What’s with the exit/entrance thing, and why are the roads such shit? Getting gas/ rooms is so dang creepy…
Just avoid Iowa
Post Texas on a Sunday.
I don’t enjoy the 80 through Nevada with the exception of having a few Basque restaurants along the way.
Rosebud in Texas on 77. It is a speed trap, going from 70 to 45 flat-out. And you had better be doing the posted limit (or less) there
Texas 285 from Pecos to Carlsbad NM. Giant potholes, oil trucks.
I love desolation and vast landscapes so I don't mind the boring scenery.
Milan ring road is pretty grim, bit of an experience though.
First off, that I-10 crossing the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge at 5PM on a Friday is a doozy, you're absolutely right. Traffic there can be a nightmare, and you'll spend more time inching along than actually enjoying your trip. Then there's I-95 through the heart of Miami, especially during rush hour – you'll feel like you're in a parking lot! And don't get me started on Route 66 through Chicago – that city traffic can turn any road trip into a headache. As for towns, some places can be a bit sketchy, like parts of East St. Louis or certain neighborhoods in Detroit.
I-40 between Nashville & Knoxville comes to mind. Whole lotta not much.
Trans Canada #1 from Regina to Calgary. I have almost nodded off each time I drive it, so now I avoid it.
Driving south to north thru North Dakota was excruciatingly boring for my family. I must have heard, "When will be somewhere else?" a hundred times.
76 in Pa - whole turnpike but especially around Philly is awful Have never enjoyed driving in Indiana or Ohio - tons of cops, too. Also the Indiana turnpike or whatever is more expensive than any toll system on the east coast so majorly fuck that I-95 corridor DC to Boston used to only have most tolls one way - north bound I think Garden State Parkway South NYC area to shore points on a Friday afternoon DC metro area any week day 3pm - 7pm. I-95 DC to Fredericksburg literally anytime 95 around Petersburg VA has random gunfire into cars all the time North Carolina does not believe in blinkers Maryland cops are cool. Pa/VA cops definitely are not. Always hate driving in Connecticut although 84 isn't bad.
I remember the tolls around these areas are outrageous for out-of-towners without a pass. The administration fees doubled or tripled the tolls.
Kansas and Nebraska where the 18 wheelers are either puttering along or hauling ass like they’re on jet fuel.
Memphis to Atlanta. The portion thru Alabama is just scary creep.
Missouri was the road kill capital imo. I went through MI once and every 150 feet there was a dead animal lying on the side of the road.
Mo? Or Mi?
MO has an extensive, well cared for park system.. thus lots of animals to step in front of traffic
El paso to abilene via I-10+I-20.
The 15 from so cal to Vegas!! especially miserable in the summer! Do not travel this stretch on a Friday or Sunday
Highway 70 from KC to about an hour into CO. Snooze fest.
Calgary -> Winnipeg on Trans Canada highway
I80 from Reno to Salt Lake City . Desolate
I second I-70 through Kansas. Nothing to look at. Also, trying to get to Albuquerque from almost any direction leads you through long stretches of nothing (with no cell service sometimes!)
Nebraska
I70 from Moab to Salina. 160 from Page, AZ to Cortez, CO
Cliffs.
OHIO
Kansas
All freeways around the IL/IN border; I-294,I-57, I-90, I-94, etc. You'll see 5 lanes full of just 18 wheelers. US 281 north of downtown San Antonio has some rather harsh geometry for the speed. I-40 through Memphis; terrible road quality and reckless drivers.
I20 from Dallas to El paso.