RV Lifestyle Worth Pondering… When Robert Frost declared his intention to take the road less travelled in his 1916 poem “ e Road Not Taken,” who could have guessed that so many people would take the same trip? Diego. Between these destinations, I-15 is an extremely busy highway, frequently backing up on holiday weekends in the Mojave Desert. Between San Diego and Temecula, Interstate 15 replaced U.S. 395. U.S. 395 largely still exists today as a busy expressway route from Spokane, Washington south to Reno, Mammoth Lakes and Hesperia. But many RVers ask, “Isn’t there a better route?” at seems to be a common question on RV forums. Although friends have shared little shortcuts with us (such as leaving I-15 at Dillon and going 41/55 toWhitehall and 69 into Boulder, avoiding the big climb to Butte), the result of our conversations and research have shown few strong alternatives to the I-15. It’s winter, we’re not interested in the icy scenery and we just want to get out of the cold. Getting there is not half of the fun. All of this points to the I-15 as the best snowbird path south from Alberta and Saskatchewan. Snowbirds from the Midwest o en use Interstate 35 and a combination of several other interstates and secondary highways to reach their Sunbelt roost. Plotting a route using mapping so ware or relying exclusively on a GPS generally produces the fastest or shortest route, which isn’t necessarily the best winter driving route for RVs. Watch the weather and road reports. Leave when you have a three-day window of good weather and clear roads. Mountain driving, with its steep grades and hairpin turns, can be scary enough in the summer…especially for those accustomed to gun barrel-straight highways. However, it’s really the ice and snow that are the big concerns. If you get caught in a winter storm, wait it out and give the road crews time to clear the highway. Drive carefully, leaving extra room between vehicles and allow extra time to stop. If the weather looks as if it will be getting bad, or becomes terrible overnight, then stay put. Much better to spend an extra day in a campground than in a cold RV stranded on a snowbound highway. ALONG I-25 ◆ Santa Fe, New Mexico ◆ Historic Mesilla near Las Cruces, New Mexico ◆ Sandhill cranes and snow geese at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro, New Mexico CSANews | FALL 2019 | 27
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