We are doing a trip (in May) from Raleigh, NC to Lake Havasu City, AZ and are looking for input on the best route. We'd like nice scenery but won't be making any site-seeing stops. I've gathered from searching other posts that I-40 is recommended. A friend has said I-40 was too congested with trucks and I-20 and I-10 was more scenic and better traveling even though about 200 miles longer.
Any input or suggestions from any experienced roadtrippers?
I disagree that I-10 is MORE scenic than I-40 -- I'd say it was the other way around (just my opinion, and that's not to say I don't like I-10 too). They have different kinds of scenery.
Like Bob said, I think I-10 and I-40 are very different. To me, I-40 means more mountains (Alburquerque), country music (Nashville), tourist markets and other similar traps (NM), the Great plains, the green forests of AK, while I-10 means desert, mexican towns, New Orleans, Gulf of Mexico and Florida. I think I-40 is gorgeous in NM and AZ but a little monotoneous from Nashville to OK, but that's only my opinion. Many people think I-10 is flat all the way and boring but I don't because I'm a desert chick (and a heat addict:-) and I love the idea of being close to Mexico. But again, it depends on what kind of scenery you like and what you're looking for.
As for traffic, I never ran into major traffic jams on neither of these two interstates, except of course in big cities like Houston or OKC but nothing serious, really. It has nothing to do with our eastern endless parking lots! But if you're doing a roundtrip, you could drive both interstates and tell us what you think!