Moving from Houston tx to Redding California

[Sunkissed58]

I have never traveled like this by myself, I need help with a short route from point A to point B . I will be driving alone and am a Single older Female. Can anyone help me with the route to take that is scenic and shortest Houston to Redding Cal. Someone help me please

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

The most efficient route from Houston to Redding is simply I-10 all the way west to Los Angeles and then I-5 north to Redding. Now while I-10 through the west Texas plains and the Sonoran Desert of New Mexico and Arizona may not have the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains or the vistas of a coastline, I find in those regions a certain desolate beauty that I greatly enjoy. Then I-5 up the Central Valley of California will take you through rich farmland with the Sierra Nevada off to your right. And with the exceptions of Phoenix and Los Angeles there are no major traffic headaches along that route. It's also very simple to follow, although I would recommend using I-210 in Los Angeles as a connecting road between I-10 and I-5.

You should have a minimum of four days available for the journey. With that you'd only need to drive a bit over 500 miles a day which would let you get off the road well before sundown each day, assuming a reasonable start in the morning. There should be no need to book accommodations as there are many motels all along those two major interstates.

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

I will be driving alone and am a Single older Female.

I know what you are talking about. That first time can be daunting.

When choosing your hotel rooms, be sure to checkout the room before you commit. Whether you choose to stay in motels where your car is right outside your door (my preference), or in an establishment where your door opens onto a corridor, be sure the room has a working smoke detector. A long unmrella comes in handy here. Also check that it has a lock which cannot be opened from the outside, such as the chain lock.

If either of these are not present, ask for another room. If they won't let you checkout the room, move on.

Have a safe trip.

Lifey

[glc]

To avoid Phoenix traffic headaches:

At Casa Grande, take I-8 west to Gila Bend. Take AZ-85 north to rejoin I-10.

To avoid LA traffic headaches:

At Redlands, take CA-210 to I-215 to I-15 over Cajon Pass. Then at Hesperia take US-395 to CA-58 to Bakersfield. Take CA-99 north to CA-46 to I-5 (or you can stay on CA-99 to Stockton and use CA-4 to cross over to I-5).