Louisville KY to Galveston TX routes

ken56 wrote:
My vote would be to take 75 to Chattanooga and 59 to Slidell, pick up 12 to 10 and go to TX route 87 just over the border to 73, pick up 124 into the Bolivar peninsula and ferry across the bay. I have been this way and its quite nice really and misses most of the big city traffic. Its not really that complicated, look at the map and see for yourself.

That's a good route and the one we always take when heading west. Us locals call the 87 route you mention as 62/87/73. One would exit at hwy 62 south at the Flying J. to 73/87 west through Bridge City and continue 73 to Winnie.

The Rainbow Bridge is used for west bound traffic but is having maintenance and painting so traffic is diverted over to the Veterans Bridge. West bound is 1 lane but the diversion is very short and will not delay anyone.

Patrene-I am not familiar with Lazy Pelican RV Park at Crystal Beach but am familiar with the Lazy D&D. We stayed there for the Crabfest a few weeks ago. Large parks with huge sites BUT cable and internet is not available although advertised. They told us that a storm had knocked out the cable but is was repaired. I see that a post in April of last year in RV ParkReviews mention that cable and wi-fi was not working. Overall and nice place to stay but $40.00 is not a good value.

Where are you staying in Galveston?.... Bolivar Penn, is better in my opnion.. if you drink adult beverages they are not allowed on Galveston beaches,,, you have to go across ferry to Crystal beach.... Bolivar Peninsula RV Park is great..... very bid sites on a lake...$400 for the whole month...Lazy Pelican RV is new and only two block from beach...we will be at Pelican on the 20th for a month.... come say HI... we will be in Grey Open Range TT...

Mel and/or Me,

Yes, you could take 96 at Teneha, Texas. I am not as familiar with 96 as I am with 59 from Texarkana to Teneha. US 59 is a very good highway through East Texas. I think 96 would be comparable.

I think you decision about the Western Parkway to I-155 is a good one. We take it because it does avoid both Nashville and Memphis--and most of the construction between West Memphis, AR and the city.

Let me know if I can help in regard to the campground possibilities along the route you are considering. I can help all the way down to Teneha; am not as familiar with south of there.

My vote would be to take 75 to Chattanooga and 59 to Slidell, pick up 12 to 10 and go to TX route 87 just over the border to 73, pick up 124 into the Bolivar peninsula and ferry across the bay. I have been this way and its quite nice really and misses most of the big city traffic. Its not really that complicated, look at the map and see for yourself.

Thanks for the replies. I have drove the parkways many time. Just ran the West KY Parkway last week coming back from KY Lake in the MH pulling the boat. That route will most likely be the one we take. It will keep me out of Nashville and Memphis. Padredw, what about US 96 to Beaumont? I then could use the ferry like chris3403 suggested.

We've been going to Rockport Texas (about 200 miles south of Galveston)since 2004. We keep our 5th wheel at Barren Lake so therefore we can't do the Western Kentucky Parkway.....I-55 to West Memphis however while down there this past winter we had to make an emergency trip home without our 5th wheel and when we went back that is the route we took and we loved it. It is probably the best way to go if leaving from Louisville.
If you don't do this one and go either of your first 2 routes than I would consider going down the Bolivar Peninsula and taking the ferry over to Galveston. This would keep you out of the Houston mess.

TN & AR on I 40 & 30 to Texarkana and then US 59 to Houston.

This is the route we are most familiar with as we live in East Texas just west of US 59. There are many variations that I could mention.

One would be to get on the Western Kentucky Parkway at Elizabethtown and cross over the corner of Tennessee at Union City/Dyersburn and the corner of Missouri to pick up I-55 to West Memphis, Arkansas and I-40. We do this now as our favorite route from Texarkana to Kentucky.

More later.