Relocation Road-trip - OR to TX

Okay folks, after flying back and forth between Portland and Austin for five weeks the time has come to relocate. Moving truck arrives tomorrow and we hit the road Friday 4/22. Planned route is to head south through CA to LA and then head east via I-10. Route is 2,349 miles and 33 hours of driving. Assuming a rate of 15 miles per gallon (should do better) and 30 usable gallons per tank it will take 5+ tanks. Not looking forward to the gas prices in CA.

Vehicle 1: Wife’s Subaru Forester with a Yakima box on top. She will drive that with my two daughters riding in the back seat.

Vehicle 2: My Tundra with a soft topper. Our two dogs will ride in the back seat.

Hoping to see some cool stuff along the way and make it an enjoyable trip. Planning to make updates to the thread during the trip.

Let me know if you have any recommended stops along the way.

 

No recommendations but WELCOME TO TEXAS...

 

Tuscon, az has a cool titan missle museum. Its the underground icbm sites that were throughout the country in the cold war. Also theres the airplane boneyard in tuscon as well.

 

Truck and car are loaded. Proper apparel is on and dog is my co-pilot. Day one starts now.

 

Safe travels!

 

^ ditto

 

You'll like Austin. It's a lot like Portland.

 

Nice shirt
Have fun, post up some travel pics!

 

Welcome to Texas/Austin! I drive a 4Runner with a v8 while I look for a tundy but if you’d like any recommendations let me know!! Safe travels!

 

Ditto.

Welcome.

When you get here, be more like TX than OR.


BBQ & Tex-mex....gonna add 10lbs to you.

 

Lol

 

10lb is being way too polite. Freshman 30 is more like it.....lol

 

true.

1 trip to Salt Lick or Franklin's will learn ya.

 

I drove from SF in 2015 to Houston, you will notice the whole "view" will change as soon as you exit CA into AZ. Just beware that from Phoenix to basically San Antonio, there is nothing much in between. Back then I was only using Shell for re-fuel, but if you enter Texas and see Buc-ee's, feel free to use those as those are as legit as they come. I believe there is only one between El Paso and San Antonio but I was driving well into the night so I might have missed a few. Fuel as much as needed, cause there are stretches where there is nothing.
Oh, if you have booked hotels on the way, make sure you call them ahead of time for late arrivals, I didn't get to Phoenix until past 1AM and San Antonio until past 2AM. Not sure if you want to get a can or two of jerry can in the back just in case, you should be fine but I always err on the side of being overthinking.
As for wife with Forester, just be careful when traveling the night, cause those 18 wheels drive at 100+ and it can shake the Forester if not careful, ask me how I know.....lol

But other than that, welcome to Texas.

 

What?! Why on Earth would you want to leave Oregon for Texas??!

 

Yea that stretch is a whole lot of lonely out there.

 

You're gonna drive right thru my hometown of Las Cruces, NM. If you need anything while in NM let me know. Also, if you need a good food stop for legit Mexican food let me know.

 

we took route 66 on our trip from houston to disneyland

meteor crater!

grand canyon

cadillac ranch

windmill farms

beef killing station....ewwwww

 

There’s an app for phones that makes them act like walkie-talkies

 

More like Seattle lol

 

I’d be interested in knowing, I take multiple yearly trips to CA from TX and always take the i-10. Cheers!

 

Good luck and be safe! Welcome to Texas!!

 

Whew... that's a long drive How many days are you planning for the trip? Stay safe and take frequent rests.
When my wife and I do long trips, we always stop and fuel up about every 200 miles. This keeps plenty of fuel in the truck and it helps us refresh. I think the most we have driven in a day was about 700-800 miles.

Looks like you are planning to drive 70mph? (2349/33). My wife and I just did a road trip from Texas to California. I kept my speed as high as I could per state. So, depending on the state, I was driving 70-85mph. This gave me 11-15mpg. Once you hit Texas, however, the speed limit on I10 is 80mph and you can easily do 85mph for most of the time in Texas.

Finally making the move?
https://www.tundras.com/threads/thoughts-on-move-to-austin-area.102371/

BTW:

 

^truth!

 

Splittin' hairs, my friend, splittin' hairs.

 

I've driven between the PNW and TX a number of times, and have also driven TX to CA a lot. Not that it matters much, but going up the gorge and through Boise, SLC, Durango, CO, and ABQ is a much prettier route and 300 miles shorter.

 

Hope the trip is going smooth on day 1.

Cabazon Dinosaurs - It's worth a stop to stretch your legs and take a pic. Don't fall for the museum tour (tourist trap!). There arent any bathrooms here, so you're better off stopping at the exit before #104 to hit hte Morongo Trail for food, gas, restroom break. The dinosaurs are 2 mins E down a frontage road. Try a date shake from Hadleys.

Quartzite - When you are crossing from CA (palm springs) to AZ, try and get gas/stop in Quartzite. Chevron. Exit 19 (Riggles). They have a very large, clean spot, and a family bathroom.

Phoenix - skirt around south of downtown on the 202 loop unless you want to visit somewhere in PHX. Gas is like $4-4.10 right now here.

There's a Cracker Barrel, Walmart, Lowe's, Discount Tire, food options and Holiday In off exit #117, which is the the first major exist as you enter the greater PHX area.

Tucson
Saguaro National Park - if you can make time for a 1-2 hour detour, try to get into Saguaro National Park. There's a WEST and EAST location. The West location you can drive through the park (well maintained dirt roads, and hit the visitor center). The cacti are incredible. You won't forget it, and send off a postcard to friends/family.

Pima Air & Space Museum. You can easily spend half the day here and not see it all. I'd go, cus I love this stuff, but it's not for everyone.

New Mexico - we made it through the whole state and didn't stop except once f

Texas - From Wilcox, AZ for our last refuel, we made it all the way to Van Horn, and stopped for the night. Lots of good (new) hotel options. Can't speak to the food.

 

Fame and fortune…