Cross Country road trip from Los Angeles to Florida?

[meierlde]

Note that I-35 between Austin and San Antonio is really one big traffic jam. That is why they put the toll road bypass in. If you are not really interested in Austin, take 281 South at Johnson City to San Antonio and then back on I-10. To sort of by pass Houston, take at a minimum Beltway 8 (which is toll), then back on Us 90 to Beaumont. For an out of town bypass (Beltway 8 is in the suburbs) take either US 77 from Schulenberg up to La Grange then tx 159 to Hempstead and Tx 6 to Navasota and 105 east to Beaumont. A bit further out of town take 6 to College Station, tx 30 to Huntsville, and us 190 to Woodville, then down us 287 back to Beaumont (goes thru the Big Thicket area) Now in that area if you have good maps there are farm roads that go more or less the same way with very little traffic. You can go thru national forest land for example.
Note that in Louisiana you will be just north of Cajun Country any you could take US 90 from Lafayette to New Orleans (and avoid the 15 mile long bridge over the Atchafalya river.

 

[harley]

.....and 3-4 weeks of rental car expense to add in to the costs for that same trip. If approx $150/week is what it takes to have the security of the rental car, that is a choice OP can make. I would keep the $600 in my pocket and take the chances with my personal vehicle. Most car issues would not leave you stranded, and even then a tow would be about same time as waiting to get a new rental car. Repairs on personal car should be fairly quick, not 4 days lost.

I can anticipate the next question, what about all those miles on personal car. I will take that as part of ownership using my vehicle, as mine are maintained and go for long time and many miles.

No question it will add to the cost. And based on your screen name and comments, you're a car guy and have a lot of faith in your vehicle and abilities. But for your average Joe, the rental can be a nice insurance policy against having your car break down (with multi-day repairs sometimes). To each his own, for sure, but I still prefer to offload the responsibility to the rental company. Especially if your personal car is a small car, or an old one like mine. The minivan/SUV rental can make the trip a lot more comfortable. Just look back at that travel thread T-Al did a year or so ago, with the picture showing his Prius packed to the gills.

 

[Ticker]

Lafayette Louisiana (around mile marker 100 on I-10), some of the best cajun food available in the state. trip adviser can probably direct you to the better choices.

 

[Renewed]

Along I-10 I thought Southern AZ, esp around Tuscon, was quite interesting, but VERY HOT in the summer. Just south of I-10 in West TX is the Davis Mountain area. The McDonald observatory in Fort Davis has a wonderful and very interesting tour. A little south of Ft Davis is Marfa, a major contemporary art mecca.

On 1-40 there is Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo which is beautiful and for fun check out Cadillac Ranch just north of town.

If you are open to a long detour off of 1-40 you might want to loop up through lower Utah and see Bryce and Zion National Park. St Georges is a nice little town with Snow Mountain State Park just north which is almost as beautiful as the National Parks. However, if you do this beware of I-15 between LV and LA, they drive crazy on that road !!!