Avoiding Tornados AZ to Minn?

[RickO]

We'll be heading from the Phoenix area to SW Minnesota later this week and want to avoid as much "tornado country" as possible considering the craziness that's been going on in the middle of the country.

Last fall we enjoyed taking a route consisting mostly of byways and really liked being off the interstates. Problem is that route takes us smack through Kansas and Nebraska. I seem to remember hearing something about tornados in that part of the country this time of year.

Any route suggestions which would provide a look at some new country and still not put us in harms way?

Thanks

Rick

[skigramp]

Rick ...

First, I don't think it is possible to be 100% safe from tornados ...

I travel cross country from Grand Island, NE to Worthington, MN quite oftern ...

1) US 30 from Grand Island, to Columbus, NE
2) US 81 from Columbus (through Norfolk) to US 20
3) US 20 east through and around Sioux City IA until US 75 until LeMars, Ia
4) Iowa 60 to Worthington


This is all good road

There are inexpensive campgrounds in
a) Grand Island, NE at Mormon Island recreation area
b) Columbus, NE at the fair grounds
c) south city limits of Norfolk, NE
d) on the banks of the Missouri river in South Sioux City, NE
e) city park in Le Mars, Ia
f) city park in Worthingon, MN

Le Mars is the ice cream capital of th world (at least the sign says that) ... home of Blue bunny

[RickO]

Skigramp... Thanks so much! We'll check it out.

Rick

[AZgl1500]

Me? I would just go north up to I-80 or more. Cooler up there, lots of purty country between here and the northern climes.

I-40 and I-44 are embedded in my memory cells. Don't need to see that country no more.

[Vegasdan]

Take it from an old Nebraska boy, you won't find a route to be "safe" from tornadoes, unless you go up through Colorado and stay as high up as possible, then up through the Tetons and then follow the Rockies up into Montana and into Alberta, again staying as high as possible. Once you reach Edmonton swing east then down to Minnesota......or just don't worry about it, pick the shortest route and have fun.

[WheelingIt]

If you want to be on the sure side head up thro CO then into WY and across on the 90 thro SD and into MN. You could stop in Cheyenne and the the Black Hills on the way..both very cool locations.

We did much of that drive last year from Phoenix with a few extra stops along the way...see my blog if you want ideas on where to stay (Curt Gowdy, WY and Custer State Park, SD were 2 standouts for us). It's a beaut of a route.

[RickO]

Thanks guys. We decided to stay toward the west and go up through Colorado. Our alternator began acting up as soon as we left home and stranded us in Albuquerque for three days. We got back on the road yesterday at 4pm and made it to Raton, NM before being stopped by wildfires that have had I25 closed for two days already!

Hoping to get through this am and are targeting either Loveland or Cheyenne to hang out for a few days.

rick

[Ed-Sommers]

All this is a form of risk management.

Seeing as how you will be in a home on wheels, the prospect of you being swallowed up by a twister is negligible, especially seeing that those wheels which save you from such natural disaster, puts you in harms way from a traffic accident, which claims many more RV'ers lives than twisters, or other natural disasters.

All of this is IMHO of course.

Ed
USN Ret.

[WheelingIt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickO Hoping to get through this am and are targeting either Loveland or Cheyenne to hang out for a few days. rick

If you need a spot in Loveland the State Park there is quite nice. Right by the lake and very relaxing. We spent a week there last year. Nearby American RV is a good service center, but hopefully you won't need it

[TW]

Rick, I think you can't be free of those. Even in Edmonton, Alberta they showed up a while back. I phoned the Radio Station to warn them and they would not take me by my word!!!! Listen to a local Radio Station and hope nothing will come up on the radar...

Have a safe trip

TW

[JMonroe]

I recently downloaded the 'Weather Bug' app on my Droid. It 'knows' where you are and shows local weather alerts and even radar. I learned of it from another post.

[RickO]

Thanks for the tips guys. Turns out our detour around the fire today took us much farther east than we had anticipated because I didn't want to drive the detour route they were proposing. We're spending the night in Seibert, Co and wanted to head to the Black Hills tomorrow but it's looking like nearly everything is full. We're still looking.

As for the advice about how I shouldn't be worried about tornados... believe me.... I'm not. This isn't about me it's about the DW and logic doesn't apply. But hey.... I'm out cruisin and that makes me happy.

thanks again...

Rick

[WheelingIt]

If you want to be near the Black Hills without a reservation there are several National Forest sites around Custer that accept walk-ins (first come first serve). There is one on the road to Crazy Horse that looked particularly nice if I recall. Check recreation.gov for details.

[RickO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WheelingIt If you want to be near the Black Hills without a reservation there are several National Forest sites around Custer that accept walk-ins (first come first serve). There is one on the road to Crazy Horse that looked particularly nice if I recall. Check recreation.gov for details.

Thanks! And you fit your 40 in there? We've never even tried a National Park for that reason.

Rick