Austin to Boulder fastest driving route?

We are making the drive this summer. We will have been on the road for 2 weeks prior and we will just be interested in getting home and not in stopping to take in the sights.

Mapquest has us going up highways up through Amarillo and not up the interstate through Dallas/Ok/KS. Thoughts on the fastest route from anyone who has made this drive?

Austin to Boulder fastest driving route?

I%26#39;ve made the drive from Dallas, not Austin, and I think the routes are roughly the same as far as time spent driving. The route through Amarillo/New Mexico may be a little more scenic, but that isn%26#39;t your concern in this case. I just double checked google maps and the time difference is about an hour -- an hour less if you take the interstate route on I-35 through Dallas/OK/KS.

Austin to Boulder fastest driving route?

We%26#39;ve driven both routes, multiple times through Amarillo and Raton, NM and once through Dallas/OK/KS.

Time wise we found them about the same.

The I-35 route is undoubtedly the bleakest, most boring trip you can imagine. Really, really bad.

Hands down, the Amarillo route is better.

And we%26#39;re not for scenery here, just trying to get to Denver or Estes Park ASAP. But you just can%26#39;t help feeling better when you get to Pueblo and start seeing the front range on the west!

I%26#39;d also check with AAA to see if there%26#39;s major construction on either route. That can be an ugly if you%26#39;re in a hurry to get home.

The drive is actually a little over an hour shorter if you go through the Texas ';panhandle'; than if you go through Oklahoma City (I think the last poster just got them confused). I%26#39;ve done this drive both ways and I would definitely go through Amarillo.

The only thing that you might consider doing differently is cutting over to I-25 from 64 rather than staying on 287. Not a bad drive either way

where is your ultimate destination?

Our family of 5 will have been road-tripping for the two weeks prior: Boulder-St Louis-Memphis-Jackson-NOLA-Austin... so we will be headed home to Boulder.

Not sure if we can make that drive in one day (we%26#39;ve done a 15er before, but 13 hours is usually our limit.

Anyone want to recommend a stopover point with either cheap motels or a B%26amp;B so great that we are willing to stay?

If we don%26#39;t drive all the way through we stop in Raton, NM. Several good motels, not expensive right on the highway.

Good Luck@

Sounds like a bad way to end a good road trip--driving all the way through, that is. Google maps says it%26#39;s a bit faster to go I35-I70, but I can%26#39;t stand the thought of all that flat, straight interstate. Go the Amarillo route so you won%26#39;t be as likely to fall asleep at the wheel from sheer boredom.

If it were me, I%26#39;d spend the night in Amarillo at the Big Texan and eat at the steakhouse. Then after a good night%26#39;s sleep, go on to Boulder through Raton Pass. www.bigtexan.com/

I moved to Denver from Texas and did both -- via the Texas Panhandle is definitely the way to go. They used to charge a toll in Kansas on I35, which I found unbelievably annoying...that was reason enough for me to never drive that way again, but it is definitely boring that way. Stick w/ the panhandle route.