Driving from New Orleans to Southern Calif at the beginning of November. Any suggestions for the most scenic route, or any must see sights is appreciated. Also any hotel/motel/b&b suggestions. Thanks.

Get on Interstate 10 and stay there! It will take you thru San Antonio, El Paso, And then if time allows go slightly north in Las Cruces NM to White Sands, then on to Willcox, AZ definitely spend the night there and have dinner at the Desert Rose. The sunsets are unbelievable and the stars are plentiful. After that grab I 8 and it will take you into San Diego. You might want to check out Organ Pipe Cactus in AZ as well, this is an all dessert route, warm days but cool to cold nights, perfect travel weather for this area. Grab a Rand McNally Road Altas, the 2003 version should be out and enjoy your trip.

If you have time for sight seeing you might take a detour off I-10 and go up to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. At Van Horn, TX take Hwy 54 north to Guadalupe Mountains National Park and then into Carlsbad Caverns, NM. You can then take Hwy 62 back to El Paso, TX and I-10.

Another scenic detour would be in California at Joshua Trees National Monument. Just past Chiriaco Summit on I-10 take the park road up to Twenty-Nine Palms or the town of Joshua Trees. You can then take Hwy 62 back to I-10.

Utahtea

Thank you both very much for the suggestions. I will definitely check out I 10. -m

What about Rt. 66 ??

have you ever looked a map, SA? Route 66 from New Orleans to Southern California?

m...SA is correct Rt 66 would be very scenic as well, however, Interstate 40 usually follows old Rt. 66, and will be quite aways north of you, it crosses thru central Arkansas, Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle and your destination plus it crosses the Rockies, which I definitely do not recommend in November. FYI, some of these routes are oddly described direction wise, so if the hiway number is odd, the road runs North/South..if the hiway number is even, the road runs East/West.