Help Denverites. Take Santa Fe or I-25?

[fitz19d]

Making a 140+ mile sojourn today from Loveland to South Highlands Ranch to pick up my mantis shrimp. I'm assuming it's already a 2 hour journey, but any advice on which would be the better route once I hit about 6th avenue, Sante Fe vs I-25? Desitnation is Neptune's which is in between both of them. I'm leaving I figure 9, so in the area between 10am and 2pm (yay lunch times.)
I'd like to save any headaches since I hate driving in that area, but I have the added element of having a live critter that needs out of his bag and is also at risk for tearing his way out on the trip too.

[Monky]

Either at 11 am. Sante Fe has lights and i25 does not. But at 11.. they should both be fine traffic wise.

[Great-Kazoo]

SF vs 25 as 25 winds you around denver and to the east while SF kind of cuts you through the area.

[Big Wall]

Santa Fe gets you closer to Neptune's quicker. Take Santa Fe down to 470 ang go east, take the University exit, go north on University, turn west on County Line. Neptune's is on the left in the little shopping center just before Target.

[waxthis]

^^^^^^^^^^THIS

[Ashton]

Pics after it's acclimated. How big is your tank?

[Ghosty]

Are you on the MASC forum? What's your username over there? I have the same name. You should bring a big Tupperware instead of trusting the bag, even though I didn't know Mantis could get through a plastic bag. I have a nice little KentMarine Salt 1-gallon bucket with lid, that I use to transport new critters. Put the bag in there. Plus helps insulate better too. If you make lots of long trips, you might also invest in a battery-powered airpump (cheap) and airstone. Helps keep it oxygenated.

[fitz19d]

Fitz19d, I have a thread in the invert section with shitty pics. He just got put in the 55g and promptly disappeared into the 3.5 ft pvc tube. So... hope I see him again aha. Was smaller than anticipated. I was thinking of putting him in the refugium and getting a larger mantis. I had wanted something like 4 inches since the 6 inch peacock wouldn't like my lights.

I did bring a bucket in case he did attack, but he's been passive so far. Looked at the black spoon I put in the water while acclimating. Inspected and looked at it but no signs of striking in the bag or in bucket acclimating.

[fitz19d]

And he's already out exploring and I heard one or two whacks. Shoveled one handful of sand nowhere and moved on. Good sign.