Driving From Miami to L.A. after I vote on Election Day!!!
I've done a few road trips in my life but always from Miami to NJ and back....pretty boring stuff, not too much to see.
In early November I will be making my way out west to Los Angeles! Needless to say that I'm crazy about this trip and I just can't wait for this dream to come true...
I'm planning on hitting these cities:
New Orleans, San Antonio, El Paso, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas then finally getting to LA.
The big portion of the trip is on I-10....is that route scenic at all or should I look into taking a more scenic route? I'm hoping to drive through the desert at one point (like the roads you see in movies through an aerial shot, especially Forrest Gump) =0) wooooo hooo
Any suggestions, tips or wisdom you would like to pass along would be great, thanks guys!
Desolate, lonely, desert roads?
Yup, than I-10 is your road, especially the San Antonio to El Paso leg! Welcome to the RTA forums.
All roads are scenic. Even your drive to NJ is scenic. You probably just are so familiar with it that you are bored with it. There are roads that make me feel the same way even though newcomers are thrilled to explore them. Sometimes familiarity breeds contempt. ;)
Anyway, I-10 is scenic and should give you the scenery you seek. If you decided to veer north and take I-40, this will give you scenic views as well. After El Paso, I would probably go north to I-40 myself. That way you can enjoy some of the flavor of this route that parallels much of old Route 66. You'll find a different type of desert scenery here than you experienced on I-10 so you'll get some nice variety.
In general, we recommend that people plan to drive a maximum of 500-550 miles per day if they need to burn miles while also having a bit of time for sightseeing. Of course, if you have time, less miles per day will yield more exploration time so, if you have the time, slow down and enjoy it. Reservations for lodging are generally not needed except for in heavy tourist areas like Grand Canyon. On some of the roads you're traveling, especially that San Antonio/El Paso leg, gas stations will be sparse so fill up at 1/2 a tank. Take water and other beverages in your cooler, snacks, too. Hydration is important in the heat. Get your car checked out before leaving and do any necessary repairs or maintenance. Go with the flow, enjoy serendipitous finds, and have a great trip.
What else do you need help with?
Oh, and thanks for voting first. :)
Same Land, Different View
It's been my experience that while two roads may go through exactly the same general landscape, there can be a distinct difference in how you experience the journey. Now it's true that the Interstate System provides a valuable service and some stretches of it traverse spectacular countryside. But if you want to slow down and really get the feel of the land, you will need to every so often get off the big roads and get off onto the roads with two lanes, stop signs, cross streets and all the other things that the Interstates avoid. Your experience between Miami and New Jersey is a case in point. Have you never gone by way of the Cumberland Islands, Charleston, the Outer Banks, the Delmarva Peninsula? Have you never even take a break to take a walk around a few of Savannah's squares rather than just whizzing by?
It will be the same way on your trip west. Yes you can 'just' take I-10 and you will drive through the bayous of Louisiana, the Llano Estacado of west Texas, and the Sonoran Desert of Arizona; but if you want to experience them, then plan on getting off, as Judy suggested, and using some alternative routes. Try the Creole Nature Trail or US-190 through parts of west Texas. Or travel some completely different roads between Tucson and the Grand Canyon on AZ-77/AZ-88/AZ-188/AZ-87/AZ/487 through Oracle, Globe, Payson, and Happy Jack.
AZBuck
