HanSoloX

Howdy everyone

I'm going to be driving alone from NC to San Francisco, to arrive on Dec 21. I leave 12/10 (Wednesday), so I've got 11 days to make headway on a southern route.

I'd like to stop in two or three places along the way, and I know that in the wintertime people say that NO route is snow-free, so you just choose the shortest route and watch the weather reports.

HOWEVER, I'm very interested in hearing from folks who've done this route. My car is not four-wheel drive so I should stay on major highways.

Most significantly, I drove across last month on I-40, and have done I-80, so another route would be nice UNLESS these are just truly the preferable routes.

Finally, we switched to T-Mobile from Sprint and AT&T just before our trip, and I was appalled that we had virtually no cell coverage the whole trip. We've called and called with no success to fix it, so I'm going to be driving without the ability to check weather conditions after I leave a motel each morning. So I guess that's just something to know!

Many thanks for your thoughts.

Michael

If you took the southern route, chances are that you will not hit bad weather. I80 will probably get major snow over the Sierra this Thursday and Friday, and the weather pattern so far has brought us rain every few days. I80 is not advised, or at a minimum carry chains.

HanSoloX

Thank you, Michael. I appreciate that!

So, I'm wondering what would be the safest southern route....

Michael

The lower the altitude, the less likely there will be snow.

Gretchen

I have driven I70 TO Denver from NC many times--and some in winter.
It's beautiful. Check the forecast--drive to Denver (don't forget to see the Arch in St.Louis) and then head somewhat south, unless it looks clear. You have a lot of time--you can sort of play it by ear. Cel coverage is pretty good on 70.

Gardyloo

I-85/I-20/I-10 is probably your best bet as it keeps you pretty far south, particularly in NM/AZ where the other routes cross some pretty high country. From southern California you can take either I-5 or US 101 on the last leg.

nytraveler

You can usually get local weather on the RADIO - which you should get in most areas.

And I don;t think that I 70 is going to be a lot better than I 80 - you are going to be driving into a large storm. I would stay as far south as possible and use the lowest possible mountain pass - and do check the conditions before heading through the mountains.

Hope you have at least front wheel drive. And do be sure you have all the winter equipment in your car - snow shovel, cat litter, window scraper, snow brush, food, water and blankets and make sure wiper fluid has antifreeze in it.

WhereAreWe

You have 11 days. Don't worry about the shortest route.

Rather, pick out the areas you most want to see and make it happen. With that much time you can afford to get sidetracked.

Yes, you need to watch the forecast but you will know about any major storms in advance. I don't think you need to check the weather every few hours just because it is winter.

logandog

You will be fine.
As WhereAre says, pick the the things you want to see.
Watch the weather reports and trust our ability to clear the roads, we are the first world.

MichealK

I also don't think that I 70 is going to be a lot better than I 80. Chances are, probably higher that you are going to be driving into a large storm. And the logic that as go south, you'll face less snow quite does not fit during winter. May be the density would differ, but you can't predict that snow will not hinder traffic. Anyway, have a great time.

starrs

You'll be fine on a southern route. If you can, get a phone with Verizon service for good coverage. Here's the route I'd take -

I'd head south early on and visit Savannah and/or Jekyll Island. If you've never been on an almost deserted island with miles of beaches and lots of wild horses, then I'd take the ferry over to Cumberland Island GA. That would be my first couple of days.

I'd then head over to Apalachicola and stay in the little historic town and eat lots of Apalach oysters at restaurants in town and/or at the Indian Pass Raw Bar.

Next stop would be a town on the sugar sand beaches of the Gulf on the Panhandle. Pensacola Beach would be good or any of the little towns on 30a.

Drive times between any of the above are just a handful of hours.

If you've not been to New Orleans, I'd stop there for the night and enjoy the French Quarter, beignets at Café du Monde and enjoy the beautiful city.

Then I'd just haul to get across Texas. Stop to spend the night in Fort Worth or Amarillo, depending on how long you are willing to drive.

Then I'd head to Santa Fe and visit Santa Fe, Taos and the high desert. If I could get a reservation, I'd tour Georgia O'Keefe home in the desert - http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/wom/1999/o'keeffe.htm

I'd head on to Sedona, NM and take a Pink Jeep tour and enjoy the beauty around Sedona. If you've not been to the Grand Canyon, I'd stop at the south rim and spend the night and stay in Flagstaff or Cameron if you can't get a reservation in the park. Meteor Crater, Painted Desert NP, Canyon de Chelly - depending on how much time you want to spend in the area.

I really love tours of Taliesin West if you're a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and/or architecture. His designs and details are amazing -
http://gosw.about.com/od/scottsdale/p/taliesinwest.htm

After the Sedona/Scottsdale area, I'd take one of two routes to the coast. One option is to go via Yosemite and then on to Sonoma, Muir Woods and into SF. You'd need to check weather reports before you head that way.

The other option would be to head toward Cambria, CA and then drive up the coast of California, stopping at the central coast wineries at Paso Robles, spending the night again in Carmel, having a meal at Nepenthe on the coast and enjoying the beauty of the coastal drive.

I've driven all of the above in segments, not continuously but none of the drive is arduous. The "hardest" part of the drive is getting across Texas because it's so big (and boring). When you are in the high desert, there's always the change of snow but if that's in the forecast just detour. If any of that sounds of interest, let me know and I'll give recommendations for specific hotels, etc. It really depends on what you want to see. That would be a drive I would enjoy... a lot.