Ardmore, Okla., to Port Aransas, Texas

LarryJM wrote:
goes a good 10 to 15 miles west of the beltway around Dallas and there is a beltway by-pass around Fort Worth.

In the DFW area there are two I-35s. They split into I-35W and I-35E at Denton and rejoin south of the area at Hillsboro.

Using them and the loops is about like using the 495 Beltway to get around DC.

The I-35E/I-30 interchange near downtown Dallas is tricky and to be avoided with multiple lane changes must be accomplished in heavy traffic 24/7 within two miles.

The I-35W interchange has been rebuilt in Fort Worth in recent years and is a straight thru drive.

However at I-35W and Loop 820 on the north side of Fort Worth there is major construction. Also major construction as you get to the south end of the loop to rejoin I-35W.

On I-35E where Loop 12 splits - also major construction.

Then when all that is done and you get back to regular I-35 at Hillsboro - you have 30+ miles of construction all the way to Waco. While the construction activity doesn't hinder traffic much - any slowdown becomes gridlock quickly.

More construction north of Austin. I-35 is simply not built in Austin to handle the traffic loads.

There is a very expensive tollway that eliminates Austin, but dumps you out on I-30 near Seguin.

That tollway is the only way to avoid San Antonio. If you take Hwy 123 down to US 181 to the Port Aransas area.

For the OP - the absolute easiest drive down the length of Texas is US-281. Either catch it at Wichita Falls or go east on US 380 from Denton to TX 51 in Decatur to I-20 Weatherford (good overnight stop at Oak Creek or Coffee Creek near the US 281 junction - both EXCELLENT parks)

Taking US 281 through San Antonio is pretty easy in early morning.

I drove US 281 - I-37 to Corpus last Oct - nice drive. However my friends who live in the Austin/ San Antonio always exit I-37 just south of SA and use US 181 to head to Port Aransas.

Re: the ferry from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas.

I was wary of taking the ferry, but when I got down there I saw plenty of rigs, TT/5er/Class C/Class A, use the ferry.

The other option is taking the freeway through Corpus to Padre Island and TX 361 up Mustang Island to Port Aransas.