Orange County CA to Austin, Texas - 1400 miles

[pexplorer]

Hi fellas -

I am making a road trip from Orange County, California to Austin, Texas in few days. I have no time for sight seeing and enjoying stuff. I need to join office on Wednesday, the 4th of March in Austin and planning to leave Orange County on Saturday early morning.

I am driving a Honda Accord 2005 which is very good in condition. I would like you guys let me know if you have any suggestions both off road and on road. Any good places to stay for a night, I mean to take a halt for the next day driving. I am thinking of El Paso as a stop for sleep. Any suggestions.

For how many hours do I need to stop the car to make sure the engine is not getting heated up. Any road trip gear preferences. Any security measures. Your help is highly appreciated, as I never did it before.

Thanks

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA forum!

A well maintained car can run continuously for days, even weeks, without having to stop because of overheating.

The same can not be said for humans. People have physical limits and need to stop, both for things like food and restrooms, but also simply to get a mental break and to refresh from the energy needed to drive safely.

Since you've never done a trip like this before, I would strongly recommend 2 overnight stops. El Paso is nearly 800 miles from Anaheim, and is too far for a solo traveler to do in a single day. I'd recommend stopping around Benson or Wilcox, Arizona the first day, Fort Stockton, TX the second, and have a half day to finish off your trip to Austin. If you insist on doing this in 2 days, then Lordsberg or Deming New Mexico would be the half way point. That is still nearly 700 miles a day, and will put you on the road for more than 12 hours a day (likely even more that first day, as you deal with SoCal, Phoenix, and Tucson traffic).