Dallas to SF: Northern route or southern? Please advice

I just got a new job in San Francisco and need to move ASAP from Dallas (actually Plano in North Dallas to be specific) to San Francisco. I have never done such a long drive before, and I will be driving solo with my car packed with household stuff I need to take along with me. I have a 2012 Honda Civic 4-door sedan with around 12k miles on it. I'll probably be driving in the next week or two, so mid August roughly.

Considering this situation, and the time of the year (hot hot summer in the desert), what would be the best route to take? I believe I will need three full days of driving. I have been to Vegas and Grand Canyon before so I am not too interested in detouring, want to stick to straight up path, unless there is something pretty interesting to stop for an hour or so not too far from shortest path.

So, how should I divide the trip? Where to stop overnight? What precautions to take for a solo drive in summer this long? Any suggestions appreciated!

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

You can certainly do this trip in 3 days, but it will be 3 pretty long days and you wouldn't have time for much, if any, extra stops.

I'd plan to take US-287 to I-40 to CA-58 to I-5. I'd say the spots to shoot for for overnights would be Santa Rosa or Albuquerque NM and then Kingman AZ or Needles CA. This route does have a handful of national monuments and Route 66 related attractions that could provide a quick break from the road.

Agreed. Let me expand on that a bit.

Take the George Bush to I-35E to Denton, then US-380 to Decatur to get to US-287.

A good place to spend the night between Santa Rosa and ABQ is Moriarty.

One diversion that you may like will only add about an hour - get off I-40 in Seligman AZ and take old 66 from there to Kingman. If you are going to do this, I'd spend the first night on the west side of ABQ and the second night in Kingman. Kingman is a lot better place to spend a night than Needles anyway.

To get from Bakersfield to SFO, I'd take CA-99 north to CA-46 west to I-5 north. Where you get off I-5 and what roads to take are very dependent on exactly where in the SFO area you are going, and day/time of day. Please post back with that info.

No extra precautions needed - if you and your car can survive a Texas summer, you won't have any issues out in the desert.

On the west side of Albuquerque, you'll find that the Coors Rd. exit has a BUNCH of motels. If you decide not to go that far, you'll find more choices in Santa Rosa than in Moriarty. Then get up EARLY and try to get through Albuquerque before Rush Hour. (That's probably another reason why GLC suggested staying on the west side of ABQ.)

Kingman also has more choices for motels than Needles.

If budget is an issue, take a look at the motel finder on this site, or pick up a Room Saver coupon book for each state you plan to stay overnight in. If staying in ABQ then Kingman, one coupon book (Four Corners book) will cover both NM and AZ. You'll find motels for each of those cities in there.


Donna

Thanks for the suggestions. That's what I was thinking of too based purely on Google Maps, trying to divide the drive into three equal parts. One thing I'd like to know from any folks who have done similar ride is, should I aim for the second night in Kingman, AZ or is it possible to go upto, say, Barstow, CA? I don't know how it is going to turn out but I am thinking if I am going to be tired of driving by the third day, I'd rather keep 3rd day shorter than first two.

About the car, for such a long drive solo through "wild west", what are the things I need to keep with me, apart from obvious food and water? Also, should I be taking AAA membership or some such service temporarily that can come to help me if my car breaks down somewhere in the middle of nowhere? My GEICO insurance includes Roadside Assistance, but since they provide this feature for only like 3 bucks a month, I am not too sure what all they'd cover and what they don't. Anyone knows?

I wouldn't recommend trying to get to Barstow. You'd have to driving about 700 miles a day, which is more than we recommend, and more than professional drivers are allowed. Throw in the fact that during a move, things never go quite right, and you'll likely get on a the road a little later than you'd like.

Check with your insurance company to see what their roadside coverage includes, as it could very well be ok. For dollar comparison, AAA is about $6 a month ($80/year) for a comprehensive package. The one nice thing with AAA if you go up to their mid-level coverage, you get 100 miles worth of towing included (you only get 5 miles with the base package), and its very easy to need to travel a whole lot more than 5 miles when traveling out west.

Exactly where in the SFO area are you going?

If you want to try to make Barstow on the second night, that's going to be pushing it. Plano to ABQ is 650 miles and ABQ to Barstow, staying on I-40, is 675 miles. It's actually doable because the speed limit is 75 most of the way, but it will be 2 long days. It's not going to be very enjoyable, but being you need to get there ASAP you can do it if you look at it as work, which it will be! Stop and get out of the car for at least 10 minutes every 3 hours.

You actually may want to do this - so you can get an early start out of Barstow (I'd recommend 6am) and get into SFO before the height of afternoon rush hour. You are looking at 7+ hours to do that.

Donna is correct - hotel choices in Moriarty are very limited, but I've stayed in the Super 8 and it's not bad. It is a better choice traveling east than west, even though ABQ rush hour isn't too terrible on I-40.

I have to drive from Dallas to San Francisco next week. I know the straight route is through Amarillo-Albuquerque-Flagstaff-Bakersfield and up the I-5 to Bay Area and can be done in 3 days, but I want to break it into a 4 day journey and go a little "off track". From Google Maps I came up with two possible routes and can't decide which to choose-

1) Dallas to Raton, NM to Grand Junction, CO to Salina, UT to Carson City, NV to Sacramento, CA to Sunnyvale, CA: I guess this would be a scenic route since I get to pass through Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada, but I read somewhere that this is a very desolate route, especially the US Route 50 in Nevada, plus a major part of the route is not along Interstates and is a two-lane road. This is what's worrying me.

2) Dallas to Albuquerque to Kingman, AZ to Las Vegas, NV to Carson City, NV via Route 395 "The Extraterrestrial Highway" to Sacramento, CA to Sunnyvale, CA: A large section is on well traveled Interstates, except the Vegas to Carson City part, but would it be significantly less scenic than the former route?

I will be driving with my parents and some luggage in a Honda Civic (no big SUV or truck for me) and I have never done a road trip that's even half as long as this one. According to you guys, which route should I take and why? Any suggestions on where to stop for the 3 overnight stops on either of the routes?

Also, if you have any third route to suggest, please chip in. I do not wish to extend the journey to more than 4 days and would not be driving more than 10 hours a day.

1. US-50 may be desolate but it's a very good and fast road with speed limits predominately 65 in UT and 70 in NV. This would be a good route.

2. 395 is not the ET Highway, that's NV-375 between US-93 and US-6. If you took this route, I wouldn't go to Carson City or Sacramento - I'd go from LV to SF via Death Valley and Yosemite.

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Originally Posted by glc

1. US-50 may be desolate but it's a very good and fast road with speed limits predominately 65 in UT and 70 in NV. This would be a good route.

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Is there cell phone coverage along this route? My only worry/concern is what happens if my car develops a problem, even as simple as, say, a flat tire, someplace in the middle of nowhere along US-50? How good or bad is the availability of gas and food options between UT/NV border and Carson City along this road?

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2. 395 is not the ET Highway, that's NV-375 between US-93 and US-6. If you took this route, I wouldn't go to Carson City or Sacramento - I'd go from LV to SF via Death Valley and Yosemite.

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Sorry, my bad. Yes the ET highway is NV-375, not 395. How desolate is this road? Cell phone coverage? Anything "Area 51" or "ET" related to see except the well-known Little Ale-Inn place in Rachel, NV?

Google Maps says the road cutting across Yosemite "may be closed seasonally". Will this road be open and in safe driving condition this time of the year? How about the traffic and driving time, since we'd be cutting right through the heart of mighty Sierra Nevadas?

There is very little cell phone coverage anywhere in rural Nevada. If that's a major concern, then the only way to cross NV is on I-80. Along US-50 between I-70 and Fallon, your only fuel/food options are in Delta UT, Ely, Eureka, and Austin NV (and it's very limited and gas is expensive in Eureka and Austin). Stock up on everything in Ely.

On I-70, there is no food/fuel between Green River and Salina UT, and very intermittent cell coverage.

Tioga Pass into Yosemite is generally open well into October.

Rachel is it along the ET Highway, there's nothing else. There is no gas between Alamo on US-93 and Tonopah on US-6.

The only way to comfortably get from LV to SF in 1 day is via Bakersfield.

Now - you have 4 days and you want a diversion. 2 long days will get you to LV, then you could take 2 days going via the ET and Yosemite via US-93/NV-375/US-6/CA-120. Where to spend the night would depend on what time you got to Lee Vining, that's the last lodging before you enter the park. The only affordable lodging inside Yosemite are the tent cabins in Curry Village, and west of the park you have some choices. It's only about 4 to 5 hours to Sunnyvale from Yosemite.

However, if you are moving to Sunnyvale, you will have plenty of opportunities to take trips to Yosemite on your days off.

Going via the northern route is feasible in 4 days, with your overnights in Raton/Trinidad, Grand Junction, and Ely. An option instead of going via Denver would be US-50 from Pueblo to Grand Junction. It won't save time but it's over 50 miles shorter and it's very scenic.

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Originally Posted by Kilo Delta

Is there cell phone coverage along this route? My only worry/concern is what happens if my car develops a problem, even as simple as, say, a flat tire, someplace in the middle of nowhere along US-50? How good or bad is the availability of gas and food options between UT/NV border and Carson City along this road?

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Here's the thing, if cell phone coverage is the basis of where you are going to go on this trip, then you are practically limited to using only interstate highways. As you get into the rural areas of the west, cell coverage is going to become very spotty.

Of course, people were taking roadtrips for decades before there was even such a thing as a cell phone. If you break down, you'd have to wait for help. Of course, before any trip you should also be making sure your car is in top condition before you leave, by taking it to a trusted mechanic. You should also know how to do basic things, like changing a tire, because even with a cell signal it could take a few hours for a tow truck to reach you in more remote parts of the west.

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Google Maps says the road cutting across Yosemite "may be closed seasonally". Will this road be open and in safe driving condition this time of the year?

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Tioga Pass, along with several other sierra passes are not plowed in the winter - which closes them typically from Nov-May or so, if you are leaving anytime soon, this should not be an issue at all.

Thanks for the replies and the advice so far, folks!

OK, so I am getting myself mentally prepared that there will be patchy cell phone coverage on either routes. I will be driving a one year old 2012 Honda Civic and I just got the oil change done, along with which the dealer did something called a "24 point check" where they apparently check all fluid levels and brakes etc. Is that enough or do I need to get something more checked from a mechanic? I am hoping the reliable Honda will take me through the desert without issues :D

Cell phone coverage aside, just from the scenic point of view, which route would be better? The one via Albuquerque-Vegas-Reno or via Grand Junction-US Route 50-Reno?

On the northern route, someone suggested stopping overnight at Raton, Grand Junction and Ely. I was thinking of doing overnight in Raton, Salina UT and Carson City NV, keeping the 4th day relatively short, maybe stopping for an hour or so at Lake Tahoe. Is this do-able or am I stretching myself too far on the first three days?

I have a 2003 Ford pickup truck with 157k on it, and I'd hop in it tomorrow and drive cross-country without a worry. You have a brand-new car.

For scenery, I'd go the northern route, because the bulk of the scenery along the southern route is something you can do any time later out of SF on days off.

I wouldn't plan on pushing anything - see how it goes as you go. You shouldn't need reservations anywhere. However, the only place between Salina and Fallon I'd count on being able to find an acceptable room is Ely. Why stop at Tahoe? That's someplace you can go any time if you are going to be living in SF. I'd concentrate on CO and UT for scenery.

Based on all the advice so far and my own research, I have decided of doing it in 4 days (more like 3 long and 4th short day). My parents stay out of the country and this trip will be their only chance to see the sights along the way so I want to include either a small stop at Lake Tahoe or Yosemite on the way. Personally I have always been fascinated by "Area 51" and the "Extraterrestrial Highway" so if that can be done without too much of a detour, I'd like to do that too.

Based on all this, now I cannot decide which of these options to finalize-

Option 1:
Day 1- Dallas to Albuquerque via Amarillo and I-40,
Day 2- Albuquerque to Henderson/Las Vegas via I-40/US-93,
Day 3- Las Vegas to Carson City/Reno via US-93/NV-375 "Extraterrestrial Highway" (Area 51),
Day 4- Carson City to Sunnyvale via Sacramento on US-50/I-80, stopping for some time at Lake Tahoe

Option 2:
Day 1- Dallas to Santa Rosa via Amarillo and I-40
Day 2- Santa Rosa to Kingman, AZ on I-40
Day 3- Kingman, AZ to Tonopah, NV via US-93/NV-375 "Extraterrestrial Highway" (Area 51)
Day 4- Tonopah to Sunnyvale via Yosemite using State Route 120 that cuts right through Sierra Nevadas and Yosemite

Option 3: Very Northern route
Day 1- Dallas to Raton, NM via Amarillo
Day 2- Raton, NM to Salina, UT on US-50/I-70
Day 3- Salina to Carson City, NV on US-50 apparently advertised as "The Loneliest Road in America"
Day 4- Carson City to Sunnyvale via Sacramento on US-50/I-80, stopping for some time at Lake Tahoe

An alternate routing here would be

Day 3- Salina to Tonopah, NV on US-93
Day 4- Tonopah to Sunnyvale via Yosemite using State Route 120 that cuts right through Sierra Nevadas and Yosemite

Which out of these would you recommend? Or any other option besides what I am seeing on Maps? Where to stay overnight?

Really, what stands out to me is all of the pretty amazing sites you've be very close to, but it doesn't appear you've even considered.

Obviously, the Grand Canyon would be the biggest one that would be quite near your path, but you've also got pretty much all of Utah that you haven't even mentioned. For example, from Albq or Santa Fe, you could head up to the 4 corners, on a route that could take you past places like Monument Valley, Canyonlands, and Arches. You could also go past the Grand Canyon and up past Zion and/or Bryce Canyon before continuing into Nevada.

Now, with the limited time you have, and desire not to do this trip in 3.5 days, you don't really have a lot of time to work with, so anything you would add would be limited, but you've really got a whole lot of options beyond what you've listed so far. If this really is your parents only chance to see the American West, then I'd recommend you do anything you can to add more time to your trip.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Really, what stands out to me is all of the pretty amazing sites you've be very close to, but it doesn't appear you've even considered.

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Yes, that is why I came here to you knowledgeable folks :) Google Maps can give me directions and distances but it does not tell anything about what attractions I would have within a stone's throw from my route. I gave the route, so that you guys can point out interesting stops to make along the way. I will look at the ones you mentioned in previous reply, but if there are more places, please tell me about it.

My parents have seen Grand Canyon South Rim, Hoover Dam and Vegas, hence I specifically did not include those in the itinerary. It's the other lesser-known places of interest that I'd like to cover on this trip.

You've really found one of the major downfalls of trying to start your planning with an online mapping program. It can be a great tool, but it just doesn't provide nearly the scope or perspective that you can get by actually looking at a paper map. You're going to need one for your trip anyway, so I'd highly recommend that you pick up an atlas now. You should be able to get one for under $10 at your favorite big box store.

You could have an amazing trip with time to check out some great places with just one extra day, but as it is you will have little time out of the car. As you have no real desire to go to the Grand canyon and Vegas and would like to travel the ET Highway [be warned there is nothing much to see] this is what I would probably do.

From Albu head north on 550, west on 64 to Shiprock/Teec Nos Pos and stop at Four corners on 160 for the obligatory pose with one limb in each of of the four states. Then take CO41/UT161/US191/US163 to Monument Valley for another quick stop, perhaps ending your day in Page AZ. Next day US89/UT9 to Zion NP via the Mount Carmel tunnel before heading north on UT17/ I15 towards Cedar City to UT56/NV319/US193/NV318 to NV375, the ET Highway. You could take a break at the 'LittleAlien'Inn' in Rachael and enjoy the 'out of this world pictures' before continuing to Tonopah on US6. At the junction of 375 and US6 is the deserted buildings of Warm Springs [an old stagecoach stop] which has a hot tub in the middle of nowhere, fed from from the hot spring from the mountain that can be seen with a short walk. From US6 you can connect with CA120 and take that through Yosemite NP on the wonderful Tioga Pass and onto San Fran.