Any wisdom on Denver to Florida in February?

[Kath79485]

Cliffy and I are driving to Bokeelia, FL in February so that we may camp on Cayo Costa (an island 19 miles out in the gulf) with better gear and prep this time. Last trip was by air and between having to rely on a car and driver and others to shop for us it was fun but could have been better. Not to mention the bag searches because of our campstove and snorkeling gear! Or turbulence. Ugh. Give me terra firma. Anyway, every route search comes up with strictly the Denver-KC-Nashville-Atlanta-Florida route. I like to make a big circle on a road trip and would prefer coming back by a southern route. I know there is a non-interstate cutoff from I25 between about Raton and somewhere in Oklahoma. Any suggestions, tips, pointers on both the midwest route and a southern route? I have not clue one as to what to expect for weather once we get past Kansas. Thanks!

Kathy

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

I have done large junks of the sections you're looking at, and agree that it would be worth the time to traverse them. What I'd suggest is that you head up US-19 from Tampa and join US-82 west in Georgia. Follow that into Montgomery and then take US-80 to join I-20 near the Alabama-Mississippi line. Continue on I-20 to Ft. Worth and then take US-287 up to Amarillo. Switch to following US-87 as both 87 and 287 continue north from there, and 87 will be your cutoff to I-25 back up into Denver.

This routing will be a little bit more laid back than a pure Interstate trek, but offers some very nice stops along the way including Old Cahawba in Alabama, Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi, and Capulin Volcano National Monument. It will, of course, be a bit slower than a pure Interstate trip, but it will also be more fun. Hope it's what you were looking for.

AZBuck

[Kath79485]

Hey, AZBuck! Thanks for the welcome and for the route. It looks like interesting drive and fulfills my need to make a circle (or something close to one or even a circle for part of the trip; it's hard to explain but it's a long held, almost superstitious idea) out of a road trip. I am really looking forward to the historical aspects of the Florida trip through the Deep South, as well as the cultural and the scenic. About how long (hours) do you estimate your route? Thanks!

[AZBuck]

I'm with you on the desire to make a 'circle' of any trip rather than just an out-and-back. I'm not superstitious at all, but why cover the same ground twice when there's new road to travel and new sights to see? The route I suggested is about 2070 miles and would take on the order of 38 hours of foot-on-the-pedal driving. For me that's four to five days, depending on how many stops I want to make and how long I'm going to spend sightseeing. There is a ton of stuff to see in the south especially having to do with the history of the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, and of course, the culture is unique. Enjoy the trip.

AZBuck

[Mark Sedenquist]

It looks like interesting drive and fulfills my need to make a circle (or something close to one or even a circle for part of the trip; it's hard to explain but it's a long held, almost superstitious idea) out of a road trip.

Kathy,

Not to take anything away from a circle route, but... everytime you drive down the same route, it is all new. The weather is different, the driver is different, the conditions are different, in short, it like being there for the first time. I have driven the section of I-15 between Devore, California and Las Vegas, Nevada nearly 100 times in the last few years -- everytime I see something I have never noticed before. So even repeat routes can be great!

Mark