San Francisco to Dallas TX - Advice please

Hello, Good People of Mapland,

I am planning a trip from San Francisco to Dallas around September 1st. I'm driving a Honda Accord (old car but well maintained), and planning on taking 4 to 6 days to complete the one-way trip. I'm going at a leisurely pace because I have a bad back and cannot drive longer than about 6 hours per day. I am also interested in stopping in the Albuquerque area to sightsee, etc. as I am in no rush.

Interested in routes with minimum of four-lane highways whenever possible (two lanes minimum in each direction, and in good condition). I have an AAA card and good cell phone, but I know phone reception is somewhat irregular in desert areas. I'm an older woman traveling alone; I won't be driving at night. I am interested in scenic routes but that is not the priority. This is my first trip driving to Texas; I love to drive and don't want to fly this time. All advice / suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!

Best,
Katie Marie

Hi Katie, and Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katie Marie

I have an AAA card ...

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A great start. Why not go to AAA and pick up the maps of the States through which you will be passing. You will see on them how the roads are graded - Interstates are heavy solid lines, secondary highways are two thin parallel lines (indicating divided road), etc You can mark the places you want to see and see what else there is along the way. Most attractions are marked on those maps, making planning so much easier than trying to do it within the confines of a tiny screen.

You will probably find that stopping regularly and frequently and taking the opportunity to walk a short way, will be very beneficial over a multi day trip.

As a female septuagenarian solo roadtripper I too avoid driving after dark, or early in the morning. Especially heading east, I would wait till the sun is high enough not to be in your eyes. There are benefits to being a solo roadtripper. For one, it is much easier to meet other roadtrippers, or the locals wherever you are. As well as that, you decide where to go, what music to play and when and where to stop. Scenic routes too are marked on the AAA maps with a dotted line alongside of them.

I would also ask for a detailed map of Albuquerque, as it will have all the local attractions.

Have a great trip.

Lifey

The most direct route to Dallas from SF going through ABQ is as follows:

Take your preferred route to I-580 over the Altamont Pass. At Tracy, take I-205 to I-5 NORTH, go about 2 miles to CA-120 EAST to CA-99. Take that south to Bakersfield, then take CA-58 east to I-40. You will have about 25 miles of good single lane on CA-58 between Boron and Barstow, otherwise it's all multi-lane freeway or near-freeway. Take I-40 to ABQ.

From ABQ, take I-40 to Amarillo, then take US-287 to Dallas. US-287 is multi-lane near freeway quality all the way.

Driving 6 hours a day, it's going to take you 3 days to get to ABQ, your best overnight stops will be Barstow and Flagstaff. ABQ to Dallas is 2 days, Amarillo would be the best overnight.

That is 5 days to make the drive, this gives you 2 nights in ABQ for a full day sightseeing in the area for 6 days total.

Some of the things we enjoyed in Albuquerque, a few years back:

Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

National Museum of Nuclear Science and History

Going out to dinner with a friend at Seasons Rotisserie and Grill. We ate upstairs in the bar area; same food, a little cheaper but also a bit noisier. For less noise, don't sit underneath the speakers.

Some things I'd do the next time:

Petroglyph National Monument

The ice caves out west of town.



Donna