Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Travel Topics > Road Trips
Reload this Page >

Road trip through southern US states - must-see suggestions?

Road trip through southern US states - must-see suggestions?

Old Feb 11th, 2016, 12:20 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Road trip through southern US states - must-see suggestions?

Hi everyone!

My husband and I live in Los Angeles and we are planning a road trip across the southern parts of the US - NM, TX, LA, & MS. We want to do this in around 10 days -- we’ve done the math, it’s about 1,800 miles and looking to cover about 4-5 hours driving daily. The plan is to fly in to Santa Fe, NM, rent a car and drive to our last stop of the journey which (for now) is Jackson, MS. From there we’ll hop on a flight back to Los Angeles. Here’s our tentative itinerary, with some digging I’ve discovered a few neat small towns to explore in New Mexico, and the rest are all the major towns we want to stop off in.

Rough Itinerary:

LAND in Santa Fe NM
Taos NM (Night 1)
Santa Fe NM (Night 2)
Albuquerque NM
Truth or consequences NM (Night 3)
Mesilla, NM
Marfa TX (Night 4)
Texas Hill Country (scenic drive), TX
Fredricksburg, TX
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (Batholiths!), TX
Bandera,TX
Dallas or Austin TX (leaning towards Austin) (Night 5,6)
New Orleans, LA (Night 7,8)
Jackson, MS (Night 9,10)
Natchez, MS

1. We’d love recommendations on what big or small towns you think are worth traveling through in these states. We don’t have much time and can’t stop everywhere.
2. What are must-visit sites/attractions/restaurants in the cities we’ve listed (or the new cities you recommend)?
3. Have you had experience on a trip down a similar path, or even portions of it? If so do you suggest any specific routes?

Things we like: modern and historical architecture, small towns with lots of locals, vintage / antique shopping, the local art scenes and excellent food (particularly in search for the best BBQ in Texas). For example, I know Marfa is a growing artists hub but just don’t know enough about any of the other towns.

We also LOVE nature and national parks but don’t want to go too out of our way for it this time around since this trip is more about discovering cities. If there is anything monumentally gorgeous nearby please let us know!

Thanks in advance for your help!
balmytrees is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 12:41 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,358
Received 79 Likes on 8 Posts
Consider making music something of a theme. If you do, then it would be Austin instead of Dallas, and end in Memphis instead of Jackson, so that you could visit the Mississippi Delta along the way, in particular Clarksdale at the "Crossroads of the Blues" and home of the Delta Blues Museum.

What month(s) are you traveling?
Gardyloo is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 12:59 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,940
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sounds like a fun trip. Don't bother with Dallas--it doesn't fit your travel theme and is out of your way. Stay in the Austin/San Antonio area instead.

Enjoy your BBQ quest. Below is a "Top 50" list from Texas Monthly magazine:
http://www.texasmonthly.com/eat-my-w...arbecue-joints

I don't believe in policing other people's schedules, but your day after Marfa (day 5) struck me as maybe a little too ambitious if you want to stop and mess around. Marfa is way out west and there will be a lot of driving that day.

You will find plenty of antique shops in Texas. Here's list of a few in the Hill Country area:
http://www.wideopencountry.com/10-st...ail-need-visit
jayne1973 is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 01:08 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 10,965
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Marfa is about 100 miles from Big Bend, which is one of the most scenic areas in the US. In my book, it is "monumentally gorgeous" and, in comparison, the Texas Hill Country is not.

HTtY
happytrailstoyou is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 01:39 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 17,949
Received 22 Likes on 4 Posts
Have dinner at Los Arcos in Truth or Consequences, NM, good food and a real throwback kind of place.
HappyTrvlr is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 02:05 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 11,714
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes on 4 Posts
Are you sure you're landing at Santa Fe and not Albuquerque?
There is Rail Runner service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
http://riometro.org/rio-metro-schedu...om-the-airport
I think you have too much jammed into too few days.
New Mexico is a whole lot more interesting than west Texas IMO.
Fly from ABQ to New Orleans (or Austin) and then do the eastern section of your route. This saves you at least 2 days of driving through rather bland west Texas.
tomfuller is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 02:34 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,561
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Texas Hill Country, Bandera and Austin aren't "West Texas."

I'm also wondering about flights into Santa Fe - there aren't many. It's a small town (60k people). Albuquerque is the state hub - it's about third or so among all cities in population as a percentage of the state total (after at least Anchorage and NYC).
BigRuss is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 02:45 PM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
@Gardyloo Thanks for the great suggestions ! Memphis didn't seem like an option at first since it's a pretty long drive already, but we may potentially scratch NM altogether to make room for a Memphis stop at the end. We really want to experience that southern hospitality and the historical aspects of Mississippi. We want to travel at the end of March/early April.
balmytrees is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 02:49 PM
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
@jayne1973 thanks for the tips. Some people are saying the TX Hill Country drive / region isn't too scenic (although we'd love to see the bluebonnets which I hear bloom around then - any idea if there are clusters anywhere else?) -- do you recommend eliminating those stops between Marfa and Austin all together and just going from Marfa straight to Austin? That way we have more time in each of those towns which would be nice.
balmytrees is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 02:58 PM
  #10  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
@BigRuss @tomfuller not sure about which airport, I just used Santa Fe as a placeholder since it's closer to Taos on the map and we wanted to drive up to Taos as our first destination. I see now that might not be the best idea, seems like all Santa Fe flights have stops. So pretty sure we'll fly into ALBQ instead. thnx!
balmytrees is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 03:03 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,358
Received 79 Likes on 8 Posts
We want to travel at the end of March/early April.

Bear in mind that much of New Mexico is at pretty high altitude (e.g. Santa Fe is at 7200 feet) so chilly weather (and thin air) can be an issue at that time. Not to discourage visiting, but if your priorities are being met farther east, then starting your trip in Texas might make more sense.

If you do visit the Mississippi Delta and Memphis, don't forget that barbecue is pretty good around there too. Have a full rack at Abe's BBQ, right at the Crossroads, but use money rather than selling your soul. http://www.abesbbq.com/index.html
Gardyloo is offline  
Old Feb 11th, 2016, 05:11 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,269
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If it was my trip, I would fly into Austin & save New Mexico for another trip. It's beautiful in the fall. We did a nice 5 days there last fall & didn't even go to Albuquerque. You are doing a lot of driving through west Texas. You could spend 4-5 days in Austin & the hill country, perhaps add San Antonio (this is from a native Texan). Then spend the rest in New Orleans, Alabama, Mississippi.

Have you checked when the bluebonnet so bloom? That would be stunning.

Let us know what you decide.
BetsyG is offline  
Old Feb 12th, 2016, 03:34 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,940
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
OH, the wonderful dilemmas of travel-- there's nothing like a road trip!

My two cents:

1. If you fly into Albuquerque, do New Mexico, giving Santa Fe and Taos more time. You could even create a driving loop that takes you to Marfa and then back to Albuquerque, saving money on the rental car fees by dropping off at the same location. Weather is more dicey in late March and early April, as others have said.



2. If seeing more of the south is what you want, BetsyG has a good idea, especially for the time of year. The hill country is lovely (especially if the bluebonnets are cooperating) and great for scenic drives through small towns. There's no shortage of antiques and BBQ anywhere in the area, and that continues as you head from Austin towards Houston on your way to New Orleans. The Round Top spring antique show is in late March--here' a link for more info: www.roundtoptexasantiques.com
jayne1973 is offline  
Old Feb 12th, 2016, 04:08 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,876
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I don't think this is a "southern states" tour and agree that if you want to experience the southern hospitality, fly east and keep the west for another trip which wouldn't be too difficult from LA.
Leave Dallas off and go to San Antonio and Austin in Texas. Texas is an incredible antiquing area--DD used to have shops in SA and Austin. Round Top is an "experience"!!
Head to NOLA and the remainder of your 10 days.
THEN sometime you'll have to do the southeast coast for more south. Make it April in North and South Carolina for the azalea and dogwood show!!
Gretchen is offline  
Old Feb 12th, 2016, 07:17 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,561
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>

There is only one airport in NM that has any use for passengers on commercial flights and that's the Albuquerque Sunport. As an airport for a city of > 600,000 people, it is tiny - maybe 20 gates, which is about the same (or less) than Love Field, the tiny airport in Dallas that primarily hosts Southwest. The Sunport is very user friendly, especially in picking up and dropping off rental cars - there is one central off-site location for the 8-10 rental companies that serve the Sunport.

Santa Fe's airport is a bit more than a paved strip and no commercial jet of decent size (727 or MD80 or above) can use it. That means flying on props or cramped little Fokkers (AA still uses these).

I dunno what a small town with lots of locals is. If there are enough locals, it's a city.

The bluebonnets bloom in late March up to and thru mid-April. The newer highways in the SA/Austin area (especially the Austin bypass to SA) are nice and fast drives with barge-loads of sunflowers lining the medians.
BigRuss is offline  
Old Feb 12th, 2016, 09:32 AM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
This itinerary looks very rushed to me. You will drive through some fantastic places but you won't have time to appreciate them. So, what do you want? Scenic driving or interesting places to see something?

Here are my personal comments:

As others have said, you do not fly into Santa Fe but into Albuquerque. Santa Fe is a one-hour drive from Albuquerque and Taos is 1 1/2 two 2 hours (if you take the more scenic route) from Santa Fe. Santa Fe is a fantastic city with enchanting surroundings and deserves more time. The main attraction of Taos is the Pueblo.

Then you want to go south. I don't know why TorC. Mesilla is near Las Cruces, but Mesilla is very small, while you have an outstanding attraction nearby, White Sands, one of the most beautiful deserts on the planet.

Rather than driving via Marfa, I would drive highway 170 from El Paso via Presidio to Big Bend - very scenic. From Big Bend, the natural addition would be lovely San Antonio. Then a sidekick through Texas Hill Country (Gruene and Luckenbach) to Austin, and from there to New Orleans.

Just a suggestion, derived from personal experience.
traveller1959 is offline  
Old Feb 13th, 2016, 12:48 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I hesitate to jump in here, but here are some random notes.

You fly into ABQ.

I was going to raise the altitude-climate issue, too.

I wouldn't spend the night in Taos, but I would drive up on the main highway and return on the High Road.

You should go to Los Alamos-Bandelier. You need to see an Anasazi Cliff dwelling, and on the way, you can pop into San Ildefonso to see what a modern pueblo looks like.

I have felt the pull of Marfa for a long time, so go for it for me.

There is an awful lot of nothing much between SW Texas and the Hill Country, which us why I have never been to Marfa.

Consider the suggestion to go to Big Bend. Then you can go back through NM on the other side of the Rocky Mountains: Carlsbad, Ruidoso, Lincoln, Roswell, the Llano Estacado.

If you go east in Texas, as you planned, I agree with Gretchen that San Antonio is Worth It.

Skip Dallas. Add a night in Cajun Country, then end your trip in New Orleans. I lived in Jackson, MS, for five years. It is a great place to live but not a place I would visit overnight, much less two.

Begin your next trip (!) in New Orleans, do the Delta Blues sites recommended above, visit Memphis, Oxford, MS for William Faulkner's house and the Square, then Tupelo for Elvis's birthplace. You can go on to Nashville, down to Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery for Civil Rights history, then back to LA from NO.

On your next trip, do the Southeast loop.
Ackislander is offline  
Old Feb 13th, 2016, 05:13 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have been to Marfa, but I am afraid I didn't find it overwhelming. It is just the factor of suprise that you find modern art sculptures in the middle of nowhwere after driving for several hours through barren desert. (But you certainly see better sculptures elsewhere.)

In fact, we had driven from Santa Fe, as suggested above, to Lajitas via Roswell (with a short stop to see the utterly bizarre Alien Museum). It was quite a drive, but doable. However, if you take this route you miss White Sands - for me an absolutely stunning number-one-attraction (since we were in the area, we also visited the Space Museum in Alamogordo and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Mesilla).
traveller1959 is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2016, 07:58 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm shocked that no one has mentioned Guadalupe Mountains National Park! It is pretty much on your way into Texas from New Mexico. I have been to both Big Bend National Park and GMNP, and personally I like GMNP better. The views when you are hiking in the mountains rival those of Durango, CO.
Here is a pic from my last trip there: http://tinypic.com/r/339pq8g/9
It is a moderate day hike to the top of Guadalupe Peak (8,750 ft), and totally worth it for the spectacular views! Also, the park entrance, ranger station and camp ground are all in close vicinity to the trail head, unlike Big Bend where you may have to drive 45 minutes+ to the trail head after checking in. I'd say just camp at GMNP that night, but hotels/motels are only 30 minutes away.

Marfa, for me at least was a bit of a let down. I would say skip it.

Awesome plan to stop by Fredricksburg and Enchanted Rock!! Expect to spend a day there though, or at least most of it. From GMNP I would head to Fredricksburg, sleep there, and then get an early start the next day to tackle Enchanted Rock! After your day at Enchanted Rock, you'd just have to drive a couple hours to Austin.

Let me just say that the TX hill country is definitely worth seeing, and luckily Austin is in the TX hill country! I'd suggest spending one day checking out the nature in Austin, and then one day checking out the city itself. Must see nature areas in Austin include, the Barton Creek Greenbelt (park at Barton Springs in Zilker Park), Mt. Bonnell, and McKinney Falls State Park. Renting kayaks on Lady Bird Lake is also a lot of fun. As far as the city goes, there are so many things to choose from. Seeing the state capitol building and the Texas history museum are fun things to do. More than likely, if you visit on a weekend there will be some kind of event going on. There are always festivals happening (Zilker Kite Festival, Eeyore's Birthday). Do512.com has tons of great info. There's also the Austin graffiti park where you can go and do some graffiti and check out others' awesome artwork! Austin has some of the best BBQ also (Franklin's), but the line is usually a couple hours wait, though people enjoy a few beers while in line The nightlife in Austin is really great also. If you just want to relax and have a few drinks, watch some live music, or even go to one of the many dance clubs, you're sure to find something to do. If you want excellent Texas BBQ, but don't want to wait in the line at Franklin's, on your way out of Austin, instead of taking Hwy 71 to Interstate-10, take Hwy 183 South to Lockhart. Here you will find Black's BBQ! Claimed by some to be the best BBQ around. From there Hwy 183 will take you to I-10 to head to New Orleans! Have Fun!
rstradio is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2016, 08:16 PM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you did want to see more small towns in West Texas and perhaps spend one less day in Austin (or skip GMNP), it would be pretty neat to stop by Alpine, Marfa, The McDonald Observatory, and Davis Mountains State Park. There is some really nice hiking at Davis Montains SP. I'd recommend taking one of the trails that leads out of the park to the Fort Davis National Historic Site. It is kind of a long hike (8 miles+), but goes through some beautiful mountains! There is also the Indian Lodge inside of the State Park that is really nice to stay in.
rstradio is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -