Phoenix to Austin TX.

Hey, folks, just doing some forward planning. Considering visiting Phoenix area next Feb and driving across country to Austin TX. Gonna spend about ten days, stopping here and there. all suggestions re where to visit, accommodation, watering holes(bars) very welcome.

Thanks

Phoenix to Austin TX.

That is a LONG drive (18-20 hours on a straight shot). There are some interesting stops to be made, if you don%26#39;t mind going out of the way a little -- Sonora, Meteor Crater, Painted Desert, and the Grand Canyon lie a few hours north of Phoenix (Flagstaff area). This makes the optimal route back to Austin along IH-40, instead of IH-10, which is more interesting. If you take IH-25 south toward El Paso, you can see much of New Mexico, and still catch the Pecos area of Texas.

West Texas gets very bleak after that. Be sure to start that part of the drive after a good rest. Unless you plan to head to Big Bend (well worth a visit), you won%26#39;t see much between El Paso and the Texas Hill Country... Few towns, few gas stations, few cars, few people...

Phoenix to Austin TX.

A trip I%26#39;ve been wanting to take is the loop down 90 to Marfa (from I-10), then over to Big Bend and that area and back up 67. That would be a little out of your way, but a nice stop.

If you have the time, I highly recommend taking the route jodi mentioned. While the scenery off of I-10 in West Texas may be bleak, the Big Bend region is amazing. Coming from the West, I would exit at Hwy 17 and head down to Ft. Davis and Marfa, take Hwy 67 down to Presidio, and then take the River Road (RR 170) along the Rio Grande and into the Terlingua Ghost Town and on into Big Bend National Park. Take 385 North out of the park and into Marathon. This road will continue North to meet back up with I-10. I would plan to spend 4 or 5 days along this route.

Hi Folks, really appreciate all the suggestions....keep them coming please. Any hotels in Austin- three star is good for us. quinner

Just about anything right on the river (in town) will be great. That will put you in walking distance of much of the best the town has to offer.

Thanks Mike, gonna spend a few days in Austin, music, visit bars etc. What is the weather like in Feb? Thanks again.

quinner

quinner -- What%26#39;s your price range for a hotel? With that info, we can give you some good suggestions.

As for weather in February, it%26#39;s really hard to predict. We have some lovely 70 degree days in February, or it can be a bit chilly and rainy.

Around $70-100, generally shop on Travelzoo and Priceline etc for deals.

If you%26#39;re using Priceline, you should have no problem getting a nice hotel in that price range. Before moving here, I booked several Priceline four stars for less than $100. February is also a pretty quiet time in Austin, meaning there are not any major music festivals or sporting events that would fill up hotels early.

Hi

Well, you got some great advices already and I%26#39;ll add my $ 0,02.

Great plan to drive Phx-Austin in 10 days and many things to see like:

Day 1: Leave Phx to Tucson. Visit to Saguaro NP west and the unmissable Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (not a museum, more like a desert zoo). Stay Tucson

Day 2: First see Mission San Xavier Del Bac south of Tucson, then drive to Tombstone ';The town too tough to die'; for a visit and to Bisbee, an old mining town. Stay Bisbee

Day 3. From Bisbee via az80 to I10 (stop by the Geronimo Statue), to Las Cruces, see Old Mesilla and drive to Alamogordo, visiting White Sand NM.

Day 4: If weather permits, drive via Cloudcroft to Carlsbad and visit Carlsbad Caverns. This will be a long day. Cloudcroft is at a high elevation and snow may be prefend this stretch.

Day 5: Leave Carlsbad, drive to Guadalope Mountains NP (a hiking NP, you can%26#39;t drive in, but some great views on El Capitan. See the photo in my avatar) Then drive 54 to Van Horn, us90 to Marfa, us67 to Presidio and the fantastic drive along Ria Grande to Big Bend NP. Another option from Carlsbad is to drive to Pecos, Balmorhea SP, to Marfa via Ft. Davis and on to Big Bend.

Day 6: All day for Big Bend NP

Day 7: Drive Big Bend to Marathon, take us 90 to Del Rio. See Judge Roy Bean center in Langtry and stop at the Pecos River/Rio Grande Overlooks.

Day 8. Del Rio to San Antonio

Day 9. San Antonio (at least one day but you could spend a whole of a lot longer there)

Day 10: San Antonio and to Austin.

Many more details to give.

Happy planning

Tet