Charlotte, NC to Ventura, CA - Best/Safest Route to Avoid Snow in late December?!???

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Originally Posted by glc

If you need to get from ABQ to I-10, take I-25 south to Hatch, then NM-26 to Deming.

To avoid Phoenix traffic, take I-8 to Gila Bend, then AZ-85 north back to I-10.

This will bring you right through the heart of LA traffic, best (least nasty) way through is pick up CA-210 at Redlands, this will become I-210, see above.

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Thank you all again! This information is excellent. I am looking at the maps again, and have added a few more towns that seem to have gas and hotels -- in case we want to push a day's drive on I-40 a little further. We have never done this, so I don't know what to expect.

Will we want to get off the highway and explore random cities and towns?, or will seeing what we see from I-40 and the rest- and restaurant/walking around stops we'll be making, be enough?

Any reasons that we would, or should, not want to stop in any of these towns:

Belle Meade, TN
Morrilton, AR
Clinton, OK
Tucumcari, NM
Barstow, CA (not on I-40 but close to a major road)

They all seem to have decent gas/food/lodging options close to I-40 or other major road. Please keep the advice and suggestions coming! ;-)

Belle Meade is a suburb of Nashville. Plenty of everything around there.
Morrilton is a small town, lodging is somewhat limited. You may have better luck in Conway or Russellville.
Clinton is a bit bigger, no problem.
Tucumcari, no problem.
Barstow is in fact on I-40, that's where it ends at I-15.

I hope you are stopping in Flagstaff too - Tucumcari to Barstow is a 2 day drive.

You will NOT have problems finding gas, even tiny towns will have stations at the Interstate exits.

Morrilton has 3 places of lodging -- I think, Holiday Inn Express, and Super 8, at exit 108, and Days Inn at exit 107. There are quite a few restaurants at exit 108, mostly chains, and 3 restaurants (assuming none of them have closed in the last year) at exit 107. There's a big Walmart that has a gas station (Murphy's USA) there at exit 108, too.

Russellville has lodging at three exits -- 84 has two, 83 has one, and 81 has nine.That last one has a number of restaurants, including 6 sit-down places (vs fast-food).

Then there's Conway -- definitely the most choice of the three places for both food and lodging.

What I do, when I can't decide where we are staying, is start searching lodging prices, and go from there. I also look at the amenities at the lodging choices -- who has what for that price. If traveling in the winter, an indoor pool always sounds fantastic, hot tub phenomenal. An exercise room is also wonderful. But you have to decide what you're looking for, not what my husband and I look for, of course.


Donna

My 2 cents... just back from a cross-country 6-week road trip. A few short comments:

- Barstow, CA is a good positioning point for driving into the greater LA area, including Ventura. I've stayed twice at a motel on hotel row, a Rodeway Inn, within walking distance of a few decent restaurants. I like the Mexican/Puerto Rican fusion restaurant across the street in the shopping center, casual and mostly Mexican-style food. There is also a Starbucks a few blocks away.

- Barstow to Ventura route, which I drove in early-October 2019: There was a lot of building and road work along Pearblossom Hwy (CA-138), so a ton of stop and go. The CA-126 leg wasn't so great either. Next time I would probably take the I-210 across to the US 101 although if I caught the LA interstates at a good time I would look for a way to channel myself to CA-1 and drive along the Malibu coast up to Ventura. The US-101 from LA to points north (e.g., Santa Barbara) is the pits unless you are passing through at dawn. Some days/times the I-10 to Santa Monica is like a charm and other times is is a rat nest... avoid the rat nest but embrace the charm!

- Kingman, AZ: Sinclair gas at the TA, at 946 W Beale St, Kingman, AZ. Also a decent espresso bar, Beale Street Brews Coffee Roasting Co., 510 E Beale St, Kingman, AZ. And a great laundromat, Soapy's Too (I was on a long trip!).

Whatever highway you choose to come in to Ventura on ... major fire in the area is now 70% contained....you will probably see the aftermath. Devastated area!


Donna