Deep South West travel Advice

[In2pro]

We just completed at trip to Big Bend from Austin Texas. We took 90 from San Antonio to Alpine. Saw maybe a dozen vehicles along the way... Definitely recommend 90 for the Texas leg. Also since it's along the border there are plenty of boarder patrol officers along the route, so probably the safest road to travel. Speed limit on 90 is 75mph where as I10 is 85 so if you travel I10 be prepared to be passed by vehicles doing 95 to 100mph

[Kevinbrown01]

One of the joys of traveling in a motorhome is to take "the long way there" and see interesting places along the way. As it is said, life is a journey, so see interesting things before you get to your end point. Anyway, we did that trip but spent as little time on HWY 10 as possible. there are a lot of interesting things to see/do along the gulf. go to Avery Island (Tabasco), go to Marfa, Bend national park is interesting, Del Rio has a really nice RV park a short walk from the border - way safer than stopping at a larger town along HWY 10. We did out trip from December to April, so hot weather was not an issue, but in June,,,, I agree with the comments above regarding issues with the border - mostly all balderdash and smokescreen.

[DebbyDiver]

The only dangers are the wind, as mentioned above, and perhaps boredom. I'm always disappointed at how uninteresting the border checks are. In 2013 I moved from Hawai'i to Florida but shipped my car to California so I could visit friends across the country. I was driving with HI plates and not even one agent at even one stop even blinked. I've done the route a few more times in my RV and they just smile and wave me on (I always compliment how beautiful the dogs are, lol).

For places to stay, if you are an SKP or Elk I like the SKP Co-op in Benson AZ, the Elks Lodge in Willcox AZ, and the SKP Rainbow Resort in Deming, NM. If you like Chinese food, my favorite Chinese restaurant in the USA is the one on the main drag in Deming, NM. I think it's called China Restaurant. It's closed on Sundays. I've been able to parallel park on the street one block over even with my toad attached.

[millsrv]

Before the CA border make sure to fuel up in AZ, you are likely to pay at least $1 more for fuel in CA. In addition eat all of your fruit as they will most likely take it at the CA border agricultural inspection station. CA will also not allow you to bring in firewood due to invasive insect concerns. Lastly if you have any watercraft it must be inspected due to invasive mussels that clog up pipes at dams. The good news is that you can by booze at any grocery store, LOL.
I was born and raised in CA and will probably die here. It is a beautiful state with so much to see. Our government is our biggest problem and that is not my fault. The residents of the SF Bay Area and LA vote for the entire state and the rest of us are ignored.

[JESnyder1234]

Here is a planed trip from Cocoa Beach FL to Texas. Has RV Parks names and information along with distance between parks. We go slow and take short distances between parks. I am a retired United States Marine and we belong to Thousand Trails and RPI camping clubs so we stay at Military and Club campgrounds along with private parks:
1. Home to
Tropical Palms Resort, 2650 HOLIDAY TRL , Kissimmee, FL 34746 407-396-4595 70.4 mi
OR
1A. Home
Thousand Trials , Camp Site D-120, 2110 Thousand Trails Blvd., Clermont, FL 34711 352-394-3531 80.0 mi


2. Tropical Palms Resort, 2650 HOLIDAY TRL , Kissimmee, FL 34746 407-396-4595
16. Old Town Campground N Retreat, Old Town Campground, Old Town, FL 32680 352-542-9500 151 mi


2A. Thousand Trials , Camp Site D-120, 2110 Thousand Trails Blvd., Clermont, FL 34711 352-394-3531
Old Town Campground N Retreat, Old Town Campground, Old Town, FL 32680 352-542-9500 135 mi




3. Old Town Campground N Retreat, Old Town Campground, Old Town, FL 32680 352-542-9500
Panacea Rv Park, 1089 COASTAL HWY, Panacea FL 32346 850-984-5883 116 mi


4. Panacea Rv Park, 1089 COASTAL HWY, Panacea FL 32346 850-984-5883
Tyndall AFB Fam Camp, 106 Fam Camp Rd, Tyndall AFB, FL 32403-2798 (850) 283-2798 98.0 mi




5. Tyndall AFB Fam Camp, 106 Fam Camp Rd, Tyndall AFB, FL 32403-2798 (850) 283-2798
Eglin AFB Camp Roberts FAM Camp Building 1171 (850) 883-1243 81.3 mi




6. Eglin AFB Camp Robersts FAM Camp Building 1171 (850) 883-1243
Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area, 2100 Bronson Road, Pensacola, FL 32506 (850) 390-6133 62.4 mi




6A. Eglin AFB Camp Robersts FAM Camp Building 1171 (850) 883-1243
Wilderness RV Park, 24280 Patterson Road, Robertsdale, AL 36567 251-960-1195 92.0 mi


7. Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area, 2100 Bronson Road, Pensacola, FL 32506 (850) 390-6133
Martin Lake Resort MS RPI, 14605 PARKER RD, Biloxi MS 39532 228-875-9157 111 mi


7A. Wilderness RV Park, 24280 Patterson Road, Robertsdale, AL 36567 251-960-1195
Martin Lake Resort MS RPI, 14605 PARKER RD, Biloxi MS 39532 228-875-9157 82.8 mi




8. Martin Lake Resort MS RPI, 14605 PARKER RD, Biloxi MS 39532 228-875-9157

Elks Lodge, 34212 ELKS RD, Slidell, LA 70460 985-641-1266 64.6 mi


9. Elks Lodge, 34212 ELKS RD, Slidell, LA 70460 985-641-1266
Hideaway Ponds, 6367 BAYOU BLACK DR, Gibson, LA 70356 (985) 255-4578 105 mi


10. Hideaway Ponds, 6367 BAYOU BLACK DR, Gibson, LA 70356 (985) 255-4578
Frog City Rv Park, 3003 DAULAT DR, Duson, LA 70529, 337-347-7427 95.9 mi 0.3 mi




11. Frog City Rv Park, 3003 DAULAT DR, Duson, LA 70529, 337-347-7427

Gulf Coast Rv Resort 5175 BROOKS RD, Beaumont, TX 77705 409-842-2285 128 mi


12. Gulf Coast Rv Resort 5175 BROOKS RD, Beaumont, TX 77705 409-842-2285

Thousand Trails On Lake Conroe 11720 Thousand Trails Road, Willis, TX 77318 936-856-3751 103 mi


13. USE RPI Thousand Trails On Lake Conroe 11720 Thousand Trails Road, Willis, TX 77318 936-856-3751
Thousand Trails Colorado River, 1062 Thousand Trails Ln, Columbus, TX 78934 979-732-8229 117 mi


15. Thousand Trails Colorado River, 1062 Thousand Trails Ln, Columbus, TX 78934 979-732-8229
River Ranch Rv Resort, 420 N BUSINESS IH 35, New Braunfels, TX 78130 830-625-7788 103 mi




16. River Ranch Rv Resort, 420 N BUSINESS IH 35, New Braunfels, TX 78130 830-625-7788 Thousand Trails Medina Lake, 215 Spettle Rd, Lakehills, TX 78063 830-751-2444 61.2 mi


End

[PIC]

Hey all, great responses. Leaving May 26. SW can be interesting. Last year the monsoons. Maybe this year the winds. Got the word on skirting Houston etc. We will push hard till we get to S.A. and slow down from there. Love the desert can wait to go through it again. Never was "worried" about the Border. Just wanted to hear other's experiences. Heading home to Clayton CA for 2 months. Taking 2 1/2 weeks to get there.

[Edrps]

Originally Posted by Kevinbrown01

One of the joys of traveling in a motorhome is to take "the long way there" and see interesting places along the way. As it is said, life is a journey, so see interesting things before you get to your end point. Anyway, we did that trip but spent as little time on HWY 10 as possible. there are a lot of interesting things to see/do along the gulf. go to Avery Island (Tabasco), go to Marfa, Bend national park is interesting, Del Rio has a really nice RV park a short walk from the border - way safer than stopping at a larger town along HWY 10. We did out trip from December to April, so hot weather was not an issue, but in June,,,, I agree with the comments above regarding issues with the border - mostly all balderdash and smokescreen.

X2 on staying off I10 if you have the time. Just got back from a trip to Padre Island from north Georgia. Construction on I10 was horrible and the way the lanes were rerouted to the shoulders were down right dangerous.

[Lightfoot54]

It is helpful how they have placed burmashave style message about how to behave in a blinding duststorm. At the border control checkpoints, just answer. I offered my passport, but then felt I was being pompous, so went back to DL only if asked. Have a great trip!

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by feiter

I am surprised no one has mentioned the REAL ISSUE with this trip and it is one I am worried about. On 5/6 we are heading opposite direction with 3 nights in Arizona (Phoenix 1 and Flagstaff 2) and 3 nights in Northern New Mexico before crossing panhandle and visiting relatives in Longview (almost to Louisiana). The worry is WEATHER especially high winds and hail.

Hoping for much better than the past week and this week forecast is rain every day at 45% and more likely chance.

Luck to you!

You are worrying far to much about weather.

Yes, you can have wind, rain and hail. However for any random specific day of the month you odds are very good that you WON'T have any of the above.

Be sure to watch and research the weather forecast the night before your next days travel and don't drive if the weather is predicted to be bad.

I have lived and traveled for over 50 years in Texas and the western USA and seldom have I found really bad weather. Occasionally yes, but over all NO.

Yes, a couple of time I have stopped or not driven because of weather. However that was a exception not the rule.

The last week or so and even the next day or so we are having some thunderstorms and bad weather in Texas. However that weather is not on every road and every mile of every road.