We are planning a trip to just southwest of the Denver area for a family reunion and I thought I would take US 36 west from the midwest rather than the interstate. Mapquest suggests that west of Norton, KS we head north and pick up US 34 and then I-76. Anybody ridden US 36 west from Kansas to Colorado? Looks flat and straight but so do the other routes through eastern Colorado so I am curious about why Mapquest would route us further north.