Salt Lake to Mobile, Alabama

[trimster]

We are headed to mobile, Alabama in a few weeks to support a family member who will be recovering from heart surgery. Need suggestions/ insight on best route, where to do overnight stops, etc. This is a turn & burn trip with 7 hr drive days.

Thinking stops in Farmington,  NM,  Amarillo,  then Dallas   then Jackson, ms., then mobile,  Alabama area.

I see toll roads outside Dallas.  Not sure what the fees are. We're a semi pulling a 5er. I'm going to guess expensive. Maybe worth it saving more than an hour?

Thoughts on this trip mucho appreciated. 

 

[bigjim]

I would be tempted to avoid all the metro-plex (DFW) Even though  a lot of it is two lane HWy 82 North of that area and picked up just a little southeast of Wichita Falls.works good and maybe cut south on 259 or somewhere east of Sherman.  Or I40 to OKC or some where in OK and cut south. I know my way around the  metro-plex fairly well and that helps but I would still rather avoid it.

[rickeieio]

My experience with toll roads is that they're usually better condition than average, and the fees offset the added distance/fuel to by-pass them.  Of course you're preferred route may change that.

Last time we went around the Dallas area, we went on a Sunday morning and took I-20 on the south side.  It was pretty ugly, with very aggressive drivers cutting us off.

We just travelled I-40 from Nashville to Albuquerque last month, and it was a breeze.

[Kirk W]

I have traveled through & about the Dallas/Ft Worth metropolation area for years and have lived in the southeastern part of the are for the past 3 1/2 years. I have driven our class A through the area when we had it and more recently my truck and travel trailer. As I look at your prefered route, I am quite sure that even though all 3 versions on Google Maps list the same 28 hours drive time, my experience says that the route that you list will be the shortest travel time. If you are planning to take US287 to I35W, to I820, to TX183 to I35E, to US80, to I20 and east, the only toll roads that you should see there would be the HOV or express lanes in the Dallas area and if you do not take those lanes there would be no tolls. If the traffic is at all heavy the express lanes are worth the tolls as those avoid the majority of the slow areas but I would not time to pass that way on a work day between 7 am to 9 am or 4 pm to 7 pm. There is always significant traffic in a city area this large but rush hours I would avoid. 

If you will be reaching the D/FW area at any part of the peak traffic periods, I would either stop in Decature TX and wait for a slowere period or I would leave US287 and take US380 east to Greenville, then take US69 to I30 via the town of Lindale. (We lived near Lindale before moving to Mesquite).

[Trainer]

Instead of stopping Amarillo, stop just north in Dumas at City Park.  50 amp hook up on big parking lot FREE for one night.

Just west of US 287 on US 87

[trimster]

Just now, Trainer said:

Instead of stopping Amarillo, stop just north in Dumas at City Park.  50 amp hook up on big parking lot FREE for one night.

Just west of US 287 on US 87

Nice. Will check into that.

 

[Kirk W]

In the Dallas area, Cedar Hill State Park, or Lake Tawakoni State Park are nice. 

If handy to the highway is important the Bluebonnet Ridge RV Park is also nice and closer to the highway.

[lenp]

Farmington's San Juan County fairgrounds has a LOT of sites with water and electric (50/30 amp) at $30 a night.  Quiet and right off (alongside) US 64.  

https://campgrounds.rvlife.com/regions/new-mexico/farmington/san-juan-county-fairgrounds-mcgee-park-12094

Lenp

[folivier]

May not be on your preferred route but Tatum, NM and Denver City, TX have free campgrounds. Or at least they did a few years ago. And second Dumas, TX for a free campground.

We always stay north of Dallas through Gainseville and Paris, TX. Good roads with some 2 lane sections. In Nocona there is a nice campground behind the Veranda Inn with pullthroughs. In Parix there are sites at the Eiffel Tower.

[trimster]

Thank for the input. Hitting the road on the 25th.

[Kirk W]

3 hours ago, trimster said:

Hitting the road on the 25th.

Let us know how the trip goes and what route you take, if you will.   😊

[Arnwrkr]

I actually need to go in the opposite direction in the middle of Dec.  Leaving Gulf State Campground on my way to the Dallas area for the holidays.  My biggest concern is I10.  I have heard such horror stories about that road.  RV Trip Wizard takes us on I10 from Mobile to I49.  Is it worth the extra hour of travel to go north to US84 or just deal with I10.  Would rather not replace the suspension on my rig if I can help it.

[Arnwrkr]

After looking at the map, and much thought, I decided to go north to I20 and west.  I prefer state highways to Interstates when I can and this will eliminate any I10 issues.  I found the Chennault Aviation Museum (Harvest Host) in Monroe, LA that will work as an overnight stop.

[Kirk W]

Where in Dallas will you be? 

[Arnwrkr]

We will be staying in Gordonville for a couple of days, then in McKinney for a couple weeks.  My wife has a lot of family in North Texas.

[Kirk W]

We live in Mesquite, have a son & family in Sachse and another in Carrollton. 

[trimster]

So, on the road now.

Salt lake to Farmington was a haul. More than we like to do in a day. Friday. No traffic after Turkeyday.

Stayed in the Farmington fair grounds. Wow. 575 sites and we were the only ones there. Talk about quiet. There were 2 rodeo events that evening and we heard non of it. For $30 (power and water and a dump station), not bad. Water was off. 19 degrees outside. Ya, nippy.

Took 550 down to 24 south, then to 40 and landed in Tucumari, NM. Blaze-n-saddle RV park. Super nice people. Great, level sites. Clean power and way to much water pressure. WiFi is outstanding. People are great. Long sites for our rigs.

Tomorrow we head to Amarillo and are taking the north loop around the city. Fuel is relatively cheap there, so topping off.

We then will take off 40 and head south-east on 287 to a Harvest Host Winery (Horseshoe Bend Cellars Vineyard & Winery, Peterson Road South, Iowa Park, TX) west of Witchita, falls, Tx. for a night.

Then we'll jog down to 20 and spend 2 days in the Shreveport area. Need some fishing time and a break for the windshield.

It's only 3 hrs to Foley, Alabama from there... our destination.

So far traffic has been light, even on 40. Weather good. Maybe rain tomorrow . But I think tomorrow being Sunday after Thanksgiving, it might be a bit heavy. Want to get past Amarillo before 2 pm.

 

 

That's the latest.

[durangodon]

9 hours ago, trimster said:

Tomorrow we head to Amarillo and are taking the north loop around the city.

I've been through Amarillo many, many times.  Absolutely no reason to take the loop around.  IH40 is a breeze through town, especially on a Sunday.

[rickeieio]

Bob, Don's correct.  I-40 through Amarillo is short and easy.  However, if you're planning to top off with fuel, it will likely be cheaper away from the major highway.  In any case, the loop around Amarillo isn't much of a detour.

[Kirk W]

10 hours ago, trimster said:

It's only 3 hrs to Foley, Alabama from there... our destination.

Just down the road from Lambert's, home of the throwed roll! 

[trimster]

Thinking that this being the 'travel day' after thanksgiving weekend, 40 might be a bit crowded. We have a hundred miles to there to get a sense of the traffic. We'll be through there around noon'ish, so maybe the traffic will build later in the day... when we have Amarillo in the rear view mirrors.

Gas Buddy has lower prices listed on the way into Amarillo, so we'll check those out. Have this need to run a few consecutive passes on a few cards this morning. Just sayin'.

Overcast right now and the clouds are building to the east. Might get a power wash despite the weather reports.

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, trimster said:

Overcast right now and the clouds are building to the east.

Here in the Dallas area it is clear and sunny with a current temperature of 55° and a high near 60° expected.

[folivier]

Shreveport to Foley is more like 7+ hours. Enjoy your trip!

[Danfreda1]

If your on 20 and not through Jackson Mississippi yet the petro/ta has diesel for 3.95 tsd discount

[Carterjon]

Plan to Salt Lake too