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Author Topic: From CA to TX - January, 2019  (Read 2671 times)

ZLoth

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From CA to TX - January, 2019
« on: November 20, 2018, 04:19:56 AM »

I'm going to be taking a one way road trip from Sacramento, CA to Dallas, Texas, with the plan to travel in mid-January. The planned route is:

  • Day 1 - Sacramento to Bakersfield on CA-99
  • Day 2 - Bakersfield to Needles, CA on CA-58 and I-40 (will actually be staying in Laughlin, NV)
  • Day 3 - Needles, CA to Gallup, NM on I-40
  • Day 4 - Gallup, NM to Amarillo, TX on I-40
  • Day 5 - Amarillo, TX to Dallas, TX on US-287, US-380, and I-35E

The alternative is to take I-5 to the I-210/CA-210 to the I-10 to the I-20 to the I-30.
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I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

US 81

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Re: From CA to TX - January, 2019
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2018, 06:38:57 PM »

Sounds like a nice trip.

Commenting only on the Texas legs: Both I-40 and I-10/I-20 have higher speed limits (80mph IIRC) on long segments, so if traffic allows, you can make very good time. Either way takes you pass a large wind farm or two, which I find inordinately fascinating.

I-40 offers only a few glimpses of old US 66 as Bus I-40 thru a couple of small towns. Cadillac Ranch is right on the access road of I-40, although you can't quite see from the freeway. US 287 is four-lane for most all of the way, has significant truck traffic and it's not uncommon to get stuck behind a truck bottleneck where one truck passes another at a 2mph differential. I don't remember any traffic lights on that section of US 287 but there might still be some at-grade intersections. US 380 has a lot of traffic & traffic lights but is being upgraded, so has a lot of construction right now, might want to assess that just before you travel. (Depending on where you're going in Dallas, consider TX 114 to I-35E or TX 114 to TX 121 to I-635 to I-35E as alts if needed.)

I-10 coming east of El Paso has a long area signed (and enforced) keep right except to pass, which led to much more wear and roughness on the right lane. Kind of annoying to ride washboard right next to some pretty smooth-looking pavement. Mostly two-lane-in-each-direction segments and a fair amount of truck traffic but easier to pass than on US 287 (at least in my own completely random sampling).  Extant remnants of US 80 remain along I-10 & I-20. If you come this way, I would carefully plan your way thru Ft. Worth (a major city with traffic problems in its own right) on the way to Dallas. (Depending on where in Dallas you're going, could also stay on I-20 to I-35E or could take I-35W to US 121 to TX 183 to I-35E.)

Have a nice trip.
« Last Edit: November 21, 2018, 10:05:44 PM by US 81 »
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ZLoth

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Re: From CA to TX - January, 2019
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2018, 12:08:01 PM »

Turns out my mother is going to be traveling with me to Texas, then flying back to Sacramento to finish packing up stuff for the move. She has put the kibosh to taking the "northern route" of I-40, and insists on taking the "southern route" of I-10 because of the possibility of snow along the route, especially in Flagstaff. Considering that she has agreed to pay for half of this trip.... I'm stuck!

The new route idea....
  • January 14th - Sacramento to Bakersfield on CA-99
  • January 15th - Bakersfield to Needles, CA on CA-58 and I-40 (will actually be staying in Laughlin, NV)
  • January 16th - Needles to Willcox, AZ on US-95 and I-10
  • January 17th - Willcox to Pecos, TX on I-10 and I-20
  • January 18th - Pecos to Dallas on I-20, I-30, and a few others

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Max Rockatansky

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Re: From CA to TX - January, 2019
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2018, 12:34:13 PM »

The irony is that I-10 from Wilcox east to Van Horn in Texas gets a lot of snow too.  I’d suggest bypassing Phoenix on AZ 85 and I-8 unless you got your heart set on going there.  I’d suggest taking the CA 62, AZ 95, AZ 72 and Vicksburg Road short cut to get from US 95 in Vidal Junction to I-10 In Arizona. 
« Last Edit: December 06, 2018, 12:51:40 PM by Max Rockatansky »
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ZLoth

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Re: From CA to TX - January, 2019
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2018, 07:48:20 AM »

If that's the route my mother wants to take, who am I to argue?

I will consider the Phoenix bypass through. Tucson, however, will be a fill-up slot.
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I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

ZLoth

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Re: From CA to TX - January, 2019
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2019, 12:32:07 AM »

Just as an update.... in about 36 hours, I will embark on this journey. I just have to deal with my mother who doesn't understand that my car, on the highway, can go at least 420 miles between fillups, and I have planned gas stops accordingly at around 330 miles. Nope, she cites that time about thirty years ago on a family vacation where we were literally running on fumes and desperately seeking a gas station. Geez, haven't you heard of Gasbuddy?
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webny99

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Re: From CA to TX - January, 2019
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2019, 10:04:25 AM »

I've always wanted to drive from California to Texas or vice versa.
I've been to both, but there's so much new and uncharted territory between the two. It would be awesome if I got the opportunity.
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ZLoth

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Re: From CA to TX - January, 2019
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2019, 01:09:11 PM »

Made it safe and sound. The trip Monday to Bakersfield and Tuesday to Laughlin was rainy. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday was dry, although we had dust storms. Dallas rush hour traffic downtown was bad especially since my mother and I avoid commute time traffic.
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I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

 


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