moving L.A. to Fl in Summer

[2pugmama]

I will be moving to Florida,outside Tampa in the middle of summer. Because I do not want to sell my car--and--because I have two older pugs, I will be driving from Los Angeles to Florida. I am 62-female-I will have a friend with me. I have a 2003 Camry with 180,000 miles on it that I will have completely refurbished mechanically--and with new tires--before we do the drive. However--I STILL think that taking the southern route in mid June--is taking a chance. What would be the NORTHERN route? Would it take that much longer? How would I find dog friendly motels. I am thinking we will take a MINIMUM of 4 days--and--might just be safer and do 5. Altho I do constantly check weather--I remember full well driving to Las Vegas mid summer--what the heat can do to your car--

Thanks for any advice

[DonnaR57]

Welcome to RTA!

LA to Tampa is over 2500 miles by the shortest (southern) route -- I-10 until you get to FL, where you head south toward Tampa. That is a 5-day drive, roughly 500 miles per day. If you try to do it in 4 days, you are talking 625 miles per day, 4 days in a row. That's very tiring, I can tell you!

Taking whatever "northern route" you are speaking of, will definitely add more miles, which will equate to at least another day. I'm not sure exactly what "chance" you are concerned about, if it's hurricanes, but you will definitely be warned if one is heading inland. Just watch the weather broadcasts when you stay overnight at a motel. Keep paper maps with you so that you can divert inland if needed, and be sure to have an extra day just in case that happens.

Dog-friendly motels ... well, my cousin regularly travels with 2 Bostons, and she swears by Motel 6 as being the most overall dog-friendly. La Quinta also has a pet-friendly reputation. Other chains have a hit-and-miss attitude.

Heat and your car. My husband and I regularly travel in vehicles that are older than yours, and the sedan is hitting about that mileage. If your car is well-taken care of, you watch your gauges, keep good maintenance, and shut your A/C off if a sign on the freeway suggests it (because you're climbing), then you'll most likely be fine.


Donna

[glc]

Welcome to RTA!

Via fastest route, which is I-10 to I-75, this is a 4.5 day drive, so any "northern" route will take you more than 5 days, and you would still have to travel through the desert just to get out of California. As long as your cooling system and your A/C is in good shape, I wouldn't hesitate to take I-10. I have a 2003 F-150 with 182,000 miles on it, and I'd do it without hesitation.

Motel 6 and La Quinta are the 2 most pet-friendly motel chains. Others have varying policies. If you use the RTA search (look at the top right of this page) once you search for a city, on the left side you can filter your search, Pets Allowed is one of the criteria. You will have to contact the specific property for their specific policy, some will require a damage deposit, some will hit you with a surcharge.

[landmariner]

My ten cents would be to drive the mostly I-40 route rather than I-10. During last October's road trip the trucking on I-10 were a lot more annoying than the I-40 stretches. Overall, I-40 appears to be more scenic, has a bit more elevation and more interesting cities and less potential traffic detours (but be sure to head south before hitting Atlanta). I-40 in only 100-200 miles longer so worth the trade-off in what will really be a 5-day trip.