Best Road Trip Route for Winter: Interstate 10
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- Only chance to do a road trip is during the winter? Interstate 10 is the route for you. I-10 traverses areas with mild climate in winter. In this video is discussion of the best places to see along I-10 and tips for the trip. Cities, National Parks, and National Monuments- this is a great road trip route that offers a lot of variety and places to see that you wouldn't see during a typical summer road trip. I've done this road trip route a few times and wanted to mention the highlights.
It is worth mentioning that westbound on I 10 ends at the Santa Monica pier, a must stop.
Yup! Definitely worth the visit if you've gone that far! And if you decide not to stop, be sure to turn! 😉🤣✌️
Santa Monica peir really lives up the hype. Its the perfect mix of Socal atmosphere without the 3rd world country proverty of the rest of LA
I can't believe you didn't include my house right where I-10 starts in Jacksonville.
The MAJOR advantage of this route is that there are very few points of higher elevation along this route. The highest elevation that you will attain on this route is 5300 ft forty miles east of Tucson. One warning: during the winter months, do NOT divert to I--8 West of Tucson as that interstate can close during periods of snow, like last December..
disagree about i-8. It's less trafficked and in better shape than i-10, and the road thru the mountains between el Centro and san Diego is spectacular. Obviously if it's snowing west of Tucson both i-10 and i-8 would be affected since they're close together at that point.
You should have mentioned Mt Lemmon. Its such a crazy scenery with the dry cactus-filled desert at the base to the Rocky Mountain-like summit with the southernmost American Ski Resort, Ive been there many many times, and it never disappoints.
Another great place is Mt. Lime
thank you for telling us about the border patrol points and drug dogs lol
Sir, what if one doesn’t want to do such a trip? Can you recommend a better alternative?
Too bad he added that waaaaay at the end. Some viewers will have missed that important information.
Thank you for doing the dishes
We just took this exact roadtrip this past month! Thank you.
If you are diverting south as much as 2 hours, you should have included St Augustine in Florida.
Why? I don't recall anything special there.
@@gsp49 seriously?! The oldest city on the the USA? Castillo de San Marcos, the old historic downtown with 400 year old buildings?
Yeah very its very irrelevant.
In Phoenix, I’d recommend the Musical Instrument Museum. It’s a bit pricey, but they have a *ton* of instruments from all over the world, along with occasional demonstrations and a fairly well done video/audio system throughout the museum.
Baton Rouge has a few historic civil war era sites that might be worth checking out.
Nice job of pointing out the highlights.
Thank you for your comment. If people find the information useful, then I'm happy.
In the Tucson area there is also the Pima Air Museum and the Old Tucson Movie Lot and a missle silo you can visit near Sahuarita a few miles south of Tucson
Hit the Pima Museum once. I figured it might be a fun hour diversion. I ended up there for nearly four hours.
...Thanks G-King!
...after watching this clip I now have several more places to visit on my bucket-list...
...also, a couple of buddies from Iowa State & I spent spring break w/ another buddy who lived in Tempe in 1985...
...the 4 of us drove to Rocky Point/Pto.Penasco for 3 days & stayed at another guy's weekend retreat in RP...
...AWESOME MEXICAN SEASIDE TOWN!!!
...BEST 3-DAY TRIP EVER!!!
...keep in mind I was 21 & still had a full compliment of hair...LOL!
...pretty tickled I found this channel!
...Kudos!
Thank you! I'm glad you found the channel!
👍🏽 Glad you had a good time back then, and I strongly encourage you to go have a look now! You won't believe it, whether you were mostly in town or out by Cholla ("choy-ah") Beach: now built up and modern!
(Like it or not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
I drove I 10 from Jacksonville to Houston, a claim to fame for I 10 is there were no overpasses, unlimited height for trucks and cargo. Lots of coast to coast yacht shipping
There is an overpass (for train tracks) on I-10 just after you enter New Orleans coming from the west. It is quite high and I think the clearance is 18'. However, it is not unlimited. You can avoid the overpass by using I-610, which bypasses downtown New Orleans
Yes there are overpasses, several of them, at Tallahassee, Pensecola and a tunnel at Mobile. They have been there forever. How you can say there are none doesn't make any sense.
@@gsp49 I forgot about the the tunnel in Mobile. Thank you.
@@barryfletcher7136 They are so spread out, it seems like there aren't any.
There are some, not that many. In the Jax metro area, there is I-295 and it's ramps. West of that is State Road 23. Further west, the I-75 ramps.
I was told that they used to have railings on the river walk in San Antonio, but more people fell in with these than without!
that comment at the end about the balloons had me chuckling🤣
I'm still cracking up.
Another great Tucson attraction is the missile silo tour.
And the plane graveyard.
@@miltoncallan1471 And the Pima Air Museum, but definitely the plane graveyard (Boneyard?).
You missed a jewel of a stop with the caverns of Sonora in Sonora, Texas. They're not as big as Carlsbad caverns, but they are along I-10.
Maybe next time?
I've been on every inch of Interstate10. From Los Angeles to Jacksonville. If your coming from California don't gas up until you cross into Az. The gas is way cheaper.
And drive the speed limit for a good 15 miles at least, until you cross into Arizona. Major speed trap. Screw you, Winterhaven.
Recent subscriber here.
I’ve really enjoyed the info in your videos so far, but this one may end up being the most practical one day. If not anything else, we’re all about flavorful, authentic foods.
Thank you! Welcome to the channel!
Thanks for the video. Just want to give a mention for Mt. Lemmon near Tuscon. It is a great location.
If you're a state capitol nerd, there are also Tallahassee, FL, and Baton Rouge, LA along I-10.
I don't tend to thumbs up vids...not talking about yours, but any videos at all. Well done. I liked it a lot.
Mexico Beach unfortunately got destroyed by Hurricane Michael. It has, to this day, still not fully recovered.
Yeah, I was going to point that out. Unfortunate for what was a beautiful area.
Was there a few months ago. They ate almost back to normal. Except the governor hotel needs more work. Lots I new houses sprung up.
@@travelingwithrick That’s great to hear. Was there back in February, and the place was about 50% recovered; however it still looked as though a hurricane went through there not long before, despite it being a year and a half. People forgot about them because Michael didn’t hit any large population centers, even though it was one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the US.
Canada Beach faired a bit better 'cause it was further north.
well that sucks
One of the best things to see in Tucson is the desert museum. It’s just a few miles west of town.
This route video is a golden idea.
Nice video! You missed Karchner Caverns in Benson, AZ right off I-10. Probably the best preserved caves in the world.
Mexico Beach in Florida got wiped off the map by Cat 5 Hurricane Michael in 2018.
Fun fact: On I-10 between New Orleans and Lake Ponchartrain, one of the most common road kill is alligators! Will definitely total your car🤣
...LOL!
...that's wild...
I’d add that you should start in St. Augustine, especially around Christmas. It is the nation’s oldest city with lots of beautiful old buildings AND around Christmas they have beautiful small lights on all of the buildings. That is definitely a good place to start.
Great video! I'm so glad I found it. You're fantastic. Thanks
Pensacola naval air museum , probably the premier air museum in the country - New Orleans World War Two museum another don’t miss destination.
Check on the Pensacola museum before heading out. It’s been locked down for active military personnel only due to COVID.
Thank you for this. Very well presented and informative.
1:23 Hey, I live there😁
Oh, and I will say, the uninhabited areas along Santa Rosa Island are open to the public to go to the beach, it's completely empty and you'll basically have the place to yourself.
I-10 is the shortest coast to coast interstate system.
But it seems like the longest.
@Hhhh and how do you want me to react? How do you want me to reply?
Thank you for the suggestion on Canyonlands over the Grand Canyon for a one day stop. It was beautiful and we’ll be going back.
We traveled on I10 heading east after spending the winter in Texas. The section between Lake Charles and the Mississippi state line was the absolute worst piece of highway we’ve ever travelled on. We liked Pensacola so much we stayed there for a month.
I had me a Pepsi Cola while in Pensacola, just chillin' and kickin' back.
I-10 in New Mexico has horrible road maintained too. Potholes and 80mph speed limits.
thanks for mentioning disabled access, by the cave, most travel channels ignore us completely.
I was looking for a road trip to use up all the vacation I banked during the pandemic, and this video inspired me to take I-10 westbound. Leaving from Charlotte, NC, in late February, I picked up I-10 in Mobile, AL, and basically took it all the way to LA. (Slight detour from Phoenix down to I-8 to see Yuma, and then back up to 10 at Quartzite.)
Thanks to this video, I knew to hike Guadalupe High Peak, go see Chiricahua Monument. and hike in Saguaro National Park. (I also drove up Mt. Lemmon, just outside of Tucson, where the temperature was 25 degrees cooler than in the desert below.)
By the time I headed back, it was well into March, so I risked coming back I-40. It was cooler, but fine, except for the snowstorm around Flagstaff, AZ! I was lucky that it didn't shut down the interstate, at least.
One last note. Spoetzl Brewing is Shiner, TX, is less than an hour south of I-40 between Houston and San Antonio. It was definitely worth the detour to tour it.
Houston's bars and restaurants have mostly recovered from the pandemic. We have a bunch of little breweries -- in neighborhoods beyond Montrose. Plus a bunch of fine museums -- art and, for the nerds, natural history.
In San Antonio, I agree the Missions are great. The River walk (more charming when less crowded) has grown. In one direction, to the San Antonio Museum of Art, one of several in town. The other direction is wilder and follows the river to the Missions. A road follows it, for you road trippers. Plus a bus line -- the San Antonio transit system is useful for tourists, rare in Texas.
A Swede I knew took a road trip with a friend, not far from the Border. And got caught in one of those checkpoints. He was very glad he had papers proving he was legal.
Watch long term weather forecasts! Winter is usually a great time to visit Texas. But we do get cold snaps.
thanks for this, very useful summary!
I took this route when I moved from NC to LA in January, it was mostly great but I wanted to see more of New Mexico and got stuck in snow trying to get out of the mountains
Louisiana or Los Angeles?
you make me jones for a road trip! this trip sounds pretty cool!
I love the desert. A lot of folks think it's boring, but I love the openness and the night sky.
Actually it's pretty warm. Wanna a cool road trip? Try I-70 especially up in the Rockies. LOL
@@GeographyKing I've been in the Atacama Desert and despite it's barren landscape, there's a profound beauty in the barreness itself.
Well, if you're going to recommend stuff a couple hours off I-10, then I would start with the Jacksonville area:
1. Jax Beaches are pretty great, very wide and even in the winter - you can dip your toe in the Atlantic.
2. Just south of Jax by 30-45 minutes is the historic town of St Augustine - the oldest city in North America.
3. Northeast of Lake City, FL - just inside Georgia - The Okefenokee Swamp
4. Mobile Bay - USS Alabama
5. If you didn't go to Mexico Beach - Dauphin Island near Mobile is a good alternative that is closer to I-10 than the Emerald Coast
6. Tallahassee, FL and Baton Rouge, LA are both state capitals directly on I-10, and Hattiesburg, MS is within 90 minutes of I-10.
7. As you drive west out of San Antonio, you'll go through the Texas Hill Country - there are several state parks and come caves worth a look
Definitely agree with Big Bend - well worth the visit.
My brother is one of the ones that has fallen into the SA river walk 🤣🤣
I was suppose to go to Guadalupe Mt and Big Bend this past spring. Dam you covid!
Kyle, you're doing God's work. Keep it up!
I'm pretty sure Mexico Beach got wiped off the map my Hurricane Michael a few years back. It was a category 5 hurricane and Mexico Beach took the worst of it. I don't know how well it's recovered since then.
I have watched so many of your videos....best outro to any of your videos! Hilarious! 17:30
hahahahahahahah
Best outro of any video on the internet.
I’m glad I moved to San Antonio area when I was over age of 50. San Antonio has the most boring, nightlife of all the big cities, in the US. I feel sorry for the 20 somethings that live here.
You forgot Mobile Alabama! It’s a small city, but there are plenty of cool places to discover. The Battleship Park is pretty awesome, and there’s a museum devoted to the history of Mardi Gras, which began in the US in Mobile. There is plenty of history here, including a major civil war location where the Battle of Mobile Bay was fought, with the fort out at Dauphin Island.
We live and travel full-time in an RV and have used the I-10 corridor a couple times and will be doing again in January. Good overview. Sonora and Kartchner Caverns are great stops during non-COVID times.
I almost choked on a balloon right at the end. LOL
I was on a tour in Arizona which went through the Tucson area. We visited the Biosphere 2 facility in Oracle, AZ. The original project failed but the facility is still being operated by the University of Arizona and is open to the public. I am also nerdy and found it very interesting.
new subscriber here!, would be interesting a summer video, or maybe a 4 month roadtrip around the whole US thanks!
Thank you for subscribing. I'll be posting more road trip videos including ones from my most recent trip. But 4 months is a long trip even for me! I'm not sure if I could handle that.
I really like driving and actually I'm planning a whole america (north, central and south america) road trip but it's going to be in like 5 years (savings) so I'm starting the plans right now lol, Is going to be a gap year for road tripping
4 months of traveling is no biggie if you take stays in hotels to really recharge and you have a laptop and electronics with you so can connect on a full level with everyone. I spent exactly 4 months and 13k miles starting in Portland OR, traversing the entire Western US and visiting every national park and almost every monument from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains area. Went into Mexico a few times for day trips and visited every major city in the west. Went as far as west kansas and Oklahoma then snaked my way north through the Yellowstone region and Montana and went into Canada spending 1 whole month of the trip there. Went from the border entrance near Glacier NP to Calgary>Edmonton>ALL the way to Yellowknife NWT>back down to Edmonton>through the Canadian Rockies and Jasper/Banff national parks then popped out by Calgary and made my way back to Oregon. I winded through every corner of every state in the west and it was absolutely spectacular and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Once you get a creative spirit for it you’ll never have a trip that could be too long because you are simply living just as you would be if you were at home. If you’re sticking to a cookie cutter plan or pushing yourself too hard or treating it like a vacation where you force yourself to follow a strict itinerary it wouldn’t be good. I encourage you to take a trip like that. Also, if you know your stuff and know about dispersed camping and only stay in hotels when you need it for recharging yourself mentally, you can do a 4 month 13k mile trip like I did for about $3000
Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio is amazing.
@15:15 don't fill up in Blyth ca, there are plenty of fuel up spots along between phx and and Blyth, the only one that is about 12 cents more would be Tonopah at all 3 gas stations but Quartzsite is really cheap
Doesn't even mention that I-10 starts in Jacksonville geez.....St Augustine in the metro area?
It's rare for I-10 to snow, but it is possible.
It got hit around Halloween this year. Had to hold up in Tucson for a night to let it clear up.
Have to stop in ocean springs Mississippi and go to the shed
I disagree about Phoenix, there is a lovely ruin in the city and if you go off I-10 just a bit you can visit Casa Grande (the ruin not the tourist trap) which is also nice... or maybe I'm the only one obsessed with ruins...
Summer is not that of an issue if you plan well have well maintained vehicle and have backup plans plus drive at night and rest during the daylight.
And I hope you mention the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville in a video somewhere along the way. (I have no idea if you do.) But it is actually the Better choice for the space nerd stuff. It's where they have Space Camp. Ha ha.
Great video. Thanks for the great information.
Thanks. I'm glad you liked the video.
Excellent job on the video
Another good one off 10 in Texas is The Davis Mountains
As a Tucson native, and as much as we despise snowbirds, winter really is the time to visit. Tucson has a bunch of amazing hikes at places like Sabino Canyon and at Catalina State Park and pretty much everywhere else. Plus there are some fun attractions like Sonora Desert Museum. Pretty much none of those are fun during the summer, the only outdoors activity that is possible in summer is going up Mt Lemmon were it is much much cooler.
All these places I 10 takes you to. It must take a long time to travel to them. Bullet trains, the new American dream....
I'm not sure how Kyle feels about Mobile , AL but I think it's nice. In the Summer going to Dauphin Island and Bayou La Batre is nice.
He also left out the Mississippi Gulf Coast where the casinos are along I-10.
Hi Kyle - great and informative video on I-10. Planning to take it West from Orlando Fl starting late February, 2020. Can you advise if the temperatures get below freezing - necessitating winterizing my tanks - anywhere on I-10 during that time of year? Thanks in advance and thanks for the informative video!
Dan
There's nowhere along the route that will be very cold. The coldest temperatures will be in SW New Mexico at the higher elevations but it'll not be anything to worry about in terms of extra cold weather protection. But do carry a jacket, hat and gloves for yourself.
Also Hendersonville LA had a restaurant with great cajun food. Right on the bayou.
Lmao the ending haha
Love your videos Kyle - congrats on your well-deserved notoriety!
Would you recommend RT 25N through New Mexico to get to 70W, Colorado to Utah? Or stay on
Rt10W to 17N through Utah? Doing one or the other in early May.
I just subbed. Good content! I like the idea of this but I dont want to drive on vacation. Any I10 tours that you know of?
You missed out Mobile, Alabama. There is World War II battleship USS Alabama museum.
Thanks!
Great video man
Thank you for your comment. I'm happy you found the video useful.
I recently was on a X-country road trip through Texas this past month, January, 2021, and there was snow on the ground from just a little west of Fort Worth through Abilene til just past the NM border (was on my way to Roswell). And yeah, its pretty lame.
Texas has cool natural environments, but not on that route! Totally stereotypical Texas landscape: all private ranches (cows grazing in mesquite, scrub oak, and prickly pear scrub) and farms (winter wheat, cotton, sorghum) with oil pumps here are there. Oh, and plenty of windmills, both the old decrepit pioneer windmill well pumps, as well as the modern, 21st century energy producing kind. There was one sudden elevation rise, a juniper and mesquite covered low set of rocky cliffs that makes you think "Oh, I'm really in the West now!" only to realize that it just separates the lower great plains, from the pool table flat, completely treeless "Llano Estacado". And you're like "ugh"
And to add to my previous comment, yes I was really on this trip coming back from visiting my Dad and family on for Christmas and New Years (this was a year for road trips especially to avoid airports and planes during the era of Covid). I went to Carlsbad caverns, stopped briefly at Guadalupe mountains, stayed in El Paso and ate and drank at "Rosa's Cantina" the place made famous by the old country song of the city's namesake. Went for a hike in the Organ mountains right by Las Cruces, stopped for a couple hours at White Sands, camped and hiked in Chiricahua mountains NP, checked out Tombstone and Bisbee, AZ, stayed two nights in Tucson, and stopped at Organ pipe National monument. Loved all of them! Especially Chiricahua and Carlsbad. Though I would like to return to Carlsbad to see the bat colonies. (The bats migrate to Mexico for the winter).
One word of caution. Southern New Mexico and the "trans Pecos" of Texas (El Paso and everything west of the Pecos river) is the Chihauhua desert. It is at a high elevation, and It CAN stil get cold in the winter. It got down into the 20s in El Paso overnight, and was rather windy the next morning. The Sonora desert of southern AZ however is rather perfect in the winter.
Best for no snow? I got caught in a snow storm around El Paso this October.
So cal towns east of la, rosemead, monterey park, baldwin have huge Asian food selection. Las cruces nm has a walkable redone down town with new Mexico red,green chile classics. Huge juarez mex border entry right there in el paso. Palm springs, palm desert offer nice side trip when covid lockdown in rear view mirror. Take i 8 at casa grande for varied landscape rides upland then down hill to yuma, see wall off to the left, sand dunes, then agriculture for miles then ride through mountains of huge boulders
I was in new Orleans back in 87!!
Really like your videos/channel Kyle - very informative; you have a gift!
My question: I'm going to be leaving Austin on 3/8/20, heading towards Big Bend N.P.. The earliest Big Bend reservation I could get was 3/21/20. Any suggestions on other sites or locations (e.g., San Antonio, Amistad NRA, etc.) I could visit along the way? I'm planning to head towards Carlsbad/Guadalupe after Big Bend. Additionally, would you ever consider doing a "best locations to visit when traveling with a faithful canine friend?" Thanks again, Dan
Thank you. I appreciate your comment. For your trip in that area, I like Seminole Canyon State Park near Del Rio. Good hiking and a nice campground. Davis Mountains State Park is also pretty nice for hiking and very lightly visited. March is a great time to visit that area too. And I will be doing a video about road tripping with a dog since that's how most of my road trips are.
@@GeographyKing Thank you Kyle - great suggestions. Seminole Canyon State Park looks great. Unfortunately, it appears it may be closed for maintenance during the time I'll be in the area. Good reason to come back. Davis Mountains State Park look terrific as well. I'm in the process of securing reservations there. Thanks once again. I'm looking forward to your "road tripping with a dog!"
People have fallen in but for the most part it is a ciuple of feet deep, and also during the winter they will drain the main stretch for maintenance and cleaning
You overlooked the Mobile area-lots to see and most of it within a couple miles of I10
If nothing else the Museum ship USS Alabama
for Austin, leaving Houston, take US-290, then in downtown, US-290 runs concurrent with I-35 and to your right while on I-35 is a stone's throw from stadium where Univ Texas Longhorns play, and a few blocks furthe is the Texas State Capitol. Pay attention to the I-35 sineage for US-290 leaving I-35, also runs concurrently with Texas SH-71by south side of Austin. Continuing on, will find town of Dripping Springs, the unofficial gateway to Texas' hill country, nice scenic drive. About a half hour later, will run concurrently with US-281 and enter Johnson City. Turn left at traffic light and continue on US-290, will pass by drive-thru Johnson Ranch tour, then into Texas' wine country untill hit German city of Fredericksburg. There is Eisenhower museum. Follow signs for US-290 thru town of Harper, Texas, then about 1 miles further will rejoin I-10 (about 30 miles east of Junction, Texas.
you will be on US-290 thru towns of Hempstead, Brenham, Giddings, Carmine, and Elgin and then into outskirts of Austin
And while in Texas, you MUST stop at Buc-ee’s
Most of the Alamo was torn down to make room for San Antonio's downtown. Only the mission church is left.
This looks like a September trip. Right after school starts and before it gets real cold as I will be doing it in a roadster.
I enjoy your videos very much, they are informative and helpful. I find it difficult to always hear the exact names of some of your suggestions so I was wondering if you could add links to the places you recommend.
hmm, as a Seattleite with family in Boston, only a 2,285 mile detour out of my way... must make a note for future trips...
If you can't go to Austin, Austin City Limits. I think Austin and Nashville are cool for different reasons. Both state capitals.
Mobile, Alabama is overlooked. You can see Bellingrath Gardens just south of there. The USS Alabama is very cool. Bay St. Louis MS is a beautiful coastal small town that’s not cluttered with over development. You seem to criticize and overlook anything and everything in those states.
not him calling tucson an okay town 😔 jk very informative video 😃
Familiar with Mobile, Alabama?
Right, he skipped Battleship Park, can't miss it, takes a day to see it all.
Time your drive thru Houston to start after 10am
You left out Mobile! The little easy. The city where Folly Chases Death. Azalea City. Mobtown. I'm disappointed
The battleship park!
Bad advice about gas gouging, California is $1 higher a gallon, fill up in Arizona. Quartzite has normal pricing.
The eastern-most Chevron in Quartzite, AZ always has better prices.
Great info! Thanks!
You didn't mention mobile that's a nice city to visit
Right, he completed skipped over the whole state :(, but I-10 only lasts for a very short amount of time through the state.
I think you should kinda refrain from making comments about Phoenix, as you are obviously biased and carry some sort of beef against it. The fastest growing metro in the country, the metro with the most AAA five star five diamond resorts after Vegas in the whole country, the place with some of the most expensive and gorgeous zip codes( Paradise Valley, Scottsdale-which, by the way , is not only a " suburb", is a fully fledged city, famous all over the country) with some of the most expensive mansions in US, the preferred place for some of the iconic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Ralph Haver, the avenues with some of the most beautiful Spanish Hacienda-Native American combo style, and, on the top of that, not less than THREE peaks INSIDE the city, out of which, Camelback Mountain, is one of the most iconic structure inside of any city ( maybe surpassed by the canyons of LA). I mean, where do i stop? You don't KNOW Phoenix, so please don't comment about Phoenix
P.S. And, by the way, you must be the only person in US that considers Houston a prettier city than Phoenix. Houston is by definition an economic powerhouse, ugly, a sprawl without charm and planning
Chill out man. The video is about road tripping, not life there. Houston is a more interesting place to visit if you have just one day.
Thanks for the info.