Driving from Dallas to San Fran

[kamari]

So I've lost my mind (ok not recently) and i'm not having any luck finding it. In the meantime I'll be seeing if it's in San Francisco. I'll be there from dec 28th till Jan 1 with stops in tuscon and vegas along each way. I'm a big driver and i've never driven out west so I figure this would be a great time with my company shutdown over the holiday.

Any tips for sightseeing (or small town highway patrols )along the way?

[venchka]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...made that trip the first time when I was 5. Right before we got electricity. Shreveport, LA to S.F.

I drove from south of Tucson (on the border) to New Orleans. Didn't have time for sightseeing.

Unless you have urgent business in either Tucson or Las Vegas, I wouldn't go that way.

Personally, I would go up US 287 to Amarillo. From there wander across nortern New Mexico, Durango, Moab, across southern Utah. Yikes, now you're in las Vegas. OK, so I wrong ealier. From Las Vegas I would figure out how to get to Kings Canyon & Yosemite. Maybe stay on the west side of the mountains up to Tahoe and west to S.F. By all means figure a way to drive south from S.F. along the coast to Big Sur. Back across northern Arizona, Grand Canyon, Gallup, Amarillo, your home.

Be safe. Good luck.

[ShaneKislack]

Route 66?

[kamari]

Vegas was part of the trip, so avoiding that would just bring tears to my eyes. I've got friends who just moved to Tuscon so that works as a good inbetween point from here to vegas. Leaving Vegas about 7am I was planning on driving notrh on the PCH from LA to San Fran.

The route you're talking about does sound good, but the gf will be with me & I doubt she's gonna be willing to take the scenic road, lol. All she cares about is a casino, a bridge, and napa valley. You can clearly make out half dome on google maps. Pretty neat. All of my driving's gonna start very early so that I can get to see the scenes during daylight. Going from Vegas to yosemite and then san fran in the same day just won't cut it...well maybe if I make it an express trip thru the park in 2-3 hrs. I'm definnitely gonna have to take into consideration heading from SF to YP then making our way back to dfw.

[kenw]

We took the southern route going and the northern route coming back. IH10/8 to SD, up the coast to SF (and then to Oregon). Back thru SF, Grand Canyon, etc.

Miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles.......

[ara.bentley]

if you do take route 66 at any time look up Oatman:

http://www.desertusa.com/oatman/du_oatman.html


My family and I did the same trip for Christmas a few years back (texas to San Fran) and my favorite parts were Oatman and seeing Alcatraz. Oatman isn't a place I would plan on staying for a long time but it's great to see - and some of my favorite photos are from there! My Uncle is a Route 66 fanatic and it was the first place he suggested :)
Reminds me of the small town depicted in Pixar's "Cars"

[dpena]

i know it sounds really old school but a cb radio would help alot. it will help keep u awake and the truckers will let ou know where the smokey's (police man) are. but what ever you say dont say "goodbuddy" on the cb.

[pepper52]

I lived in California for five years; three in San Francisco and two in Monterey. I would definitely recommend driving along the coast on Highway 1 and visiting the Monterey area. I would strongly advise you to have alternate route that does not include going over Tahoe during that time of year. If you do decide to go this route buy your snow chains prior to getting to the pass. People make a living during the winter selling snow chains and installing them on your car. They are not cheap! Interstate 80 can be closed for hours while they clear the snow and chains could be mandatory. I always planned to take the I-5 to Bakersfield and then 58 to Barstow and I-15 into Vegas. You still need to be careful of the weather on 58 especially around Tehachapi, Ca. Still get snow in that area too. I'm sending you a link to some climate information; http://ggweather.com/sf/narrative.html .

[dtscds]

I would echo an earlier post--go the southern route through Tucson out there and then come back through Vegas. Going from Tucson to Vegas is going to add quite a bit of time to your trip. (That is prolly the former trucker in me coming out--keep the left door shut and get down the road!)
From Tucson you could hit San Diego (if you can survive the mind-numbing boredom of I-8) then go up the coast from there. Coming back cut over to Bakersfield then over to Barstow where you pick up I-15 to Vegas. From there come back down to I-40 through Flastaff, Albuquerque and Amarillo. Down 287 and you are back home. Nice little loop!
Not real sure about the advisability of getting a CB for the journey. It could be fun but it's a bit like an online chat room. Lots of anonymous voices with a few trying their best to shock and antagonize. During my trucking days I rarely turned mine on unless I was running with someone and then we were generally on another channel away from 19.

[C!LLY]

I drove it last year and I would say take 20-10 which will put you right through Tucson then 10-17 in phoenix 17-40 in flagstaff 40 to highway 95 and that will take you to vegas. From vegas you'll get on 15 and head back to 10 and get on 5 and head north til you get to 580 and 205. That'll take you to 80 and to San Fran. you really want to keep on the freeways out there. Even driving up 5 is desolate and a boring 7 hour drive. But that is a very long drive. If you can avoid vegas, I would and make that a seperate trip for another time. Going from dallas to tucson alone will take at least 13 hours. Tucson to flagstaff is 5 hours.

[SaSha]

I envy and salute you.
Furthest I have ever driven west is Denver CO, was sweet, with all the snow and ice!!!

Be Safe and have fun, keep your eyes peeled and do stay awake.

[kamari]

We've done a little tweaking and I think I've got a plan in place thanks to all of your info. We're takin the northern route & stoppin the first night in Flagstaff. Headed to the grand canyon that next afternoon & on to vegas early that evening. A day in vegas and then its on to SF for 4 nights. We'll take a day trip to yosemite (weather permitting). Leavin san fran to spend a night in LA, then tucson, then back home. Eight nights on the road and 5 of em are free hotel nights. THANK YOU MARRIOTT! I've just got to come out of pocket for two nights & stayin at a buddy's place in Tucson. This is gonna be great. Now only if Chevy can figure out a way to make that darn Tahoe into a 30-miler.

I've got a CB lined up, snow chains on the way, onstar in the truck, and satellite radio. I have NO clue what it means but now just because i was told not to I'm gonna have to jump on the radio and say goodbuddy, lol.

[KdLaneJr]

When you're chains arrive, take the time to put them on in the driveway, particularyly if you've never used chains before. Cable chains install differently then regular chains. If you ordered regular chains and didn't get chain tighteners, you'll need to get them right away. I believe that CA doesn't allow chains with lugs. Flagstaff AZ is high country. Don't be surprised if you need your chains there also.

Chains in snow aren't too bad. Chains on ice are necessary but make a very rough ride. If you're into being prepared, make sure you have some decent cold weather gear with you in case you find yourself forced to chain up in heavy wet blowing snow. It's hard to put chains on when you can't feel your hands.

Taking cable chains off can be harder than putting them on. Particularly if the nylon adjustment strap is frozen in a KNOT!

Have a wonderful and safe trip.

[Peacock]

El Paso, Arizona, New Mexico has some awesome scenic drives...WhiteSands in New Mexico, here is a good link for those byways
http://www.newmexico.org/explore/
The VLA or Very Large Antenna Array is there too! Socorro New Mexico, those are those large satelite dishes from the movie Contact! http://www.vla.nrao.edu/
have a great trip and shoot, shoot, shoot! Dress warm and watch the weather!

[dtscds]

Just FYI--"Good Buddy" is the trucker term for those males who prefer the company of other males. Nuff said?