I drove an SUV from NYC to SFO in April 2011, alone with two dogs. It isn't a particularly bad drive but it's extremely boring. If the weather is clear, I80 i

I drove an SUV from NYC to SFO in April 2011, alone with two dogs. It isn't a particularly bad drive but it's extremely boring. If the weather is clear, I80 is fine across PA, otherwise I'd take 76 (wider, ploughed more often, better rest areas). 80/90 is fine across OH, IN and IL assuming routine winter weather. 80 is flat across IA and NE, but you may start running into plains winter storms. WY is a steady climb "up" into the Rockies but from what I recall never truly felt mountainous. You hit a bit of curvy winding interstate descending into Salt Lake and then it's flat again (mostly) until you hit the NV/CA state line. When I hit CA in late April the roads were dry but the snowbanks were still quite high on either side of the road. I hit one major storm in the high plateaus of Wyoming. I ended up pulling over for an hour in a rest area until it blew through. Assuming you have AWD or 4WD and there are no major winter storms you should be fine. Be advised that CA requires chains in the Sierras (basically Reno to Sacramento) under winter storm conditions. If you're skilled at winter driving in the Northeast then routine storms should be ok. But pack some emergency gear and rations for yourself and your pet. If you aren't skilled at winter driving, I'd suggest a longer route through NM, AZ and up I5 or US101 in CA. And keep in mind, the worst part of driving cross-country isn't your driving, it's the rest of us drivers who are trying to figure out what that notification on our phone was and take our eyes off the road. Also beware Brooklyn, IA where the state police have a propensity for pulling over Black SUVs with Black tinted windows and East Coast plates. In my cases, the officers seemed genuinely shocked to find a pudgy middle aged guy with two dogs. If your pet is small enough you might consider getting a roomette on an Amtrak train. Wasn't practical for me.