The Perfect Family Trip: West Coast Edition
We're back! If anyone has followed our other "Perfect Family Trip" installments, you will know that although we don't have years of full timing under our belts, we have done 5 other major summer road...
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This may not be a better choice of routes for your first three days but it is an alternative. Anyway, I’ll share it without necessarily recommending it.
Starting from you overnight in Lawrenceville, GA you could take I-20 from Atlanta to Vicksburg, MS where you could stay at the Ameristar Casino Park or at a WalMart. That would be a leg of 457 miles.
From there you could stay on I-20 to just north of Tyler, TX where you would take US 69 to intersect with US 82 near Sherman, TX then US 82 to merge with US 287 near Wichita Falls and overnight either in Vernon, TX at KOA or at the large Hardeman County Rest Stop near Quannah, TX. 559 miles to Vernon, 582 to Rest Area. From there you could continue to Amarillo on US 287 and pick up I-40 as you have planned.
Why would you want to do this? This route avoids Memphis, Oklahoma City, and I-40 through Oklahoma. It also provides the quick way around Birmingham. I-459 around the south of the city is one of the best bypasses. I have never had to slow down—many trips to Atlanta. Memphis and especially West Memphis is a mess. This completely avoids that. I-40 from Memphis to Little Rock is one of the most active truck routes in the country. As a matter of personal preference, I’d rather drive through Louisiana and East Texas than across Oklahoma.
Some cautions: Slow down through Jackson, MS. It is the state capitol but the freeway there is one of the roughest. Just slow down. The same goes for Shreveport, and you should take the I-220 bypass around to the north. That will avoid some of the worst sections of I-20 through the city. I don’t usually take US 69 but it’s probably the best way up from I-20 to US 82. From my home we go up to Paris, TX to pick up US 82. Do not be fooled by the map to think you can take US 380 at Greenville. That will put you in congestion and numerous traffic signals. Stay on US 69 up to Bells and US 82.
Ameristar Casino
Hardeman Rest Area
Starting from you overnight in Lawrenceville, GA you could take I-20 from Atlanta to Vicksburg, MS where you could stay at the Ameristar Casino Park or at a WalMart. That would be a leg of 457 miles.
From there you could stay on I-20 to just north of Tyler, TX where you would take US 69 to intersect with US 82 near Sherman, TX then US 82 to merge with US 287 near Wichita Falls and overnight either in Vernon, TX at KOA or at the large Hardeman County Rest Stop near Quannah, TX. 559 miles to Vernon, 582 to Rest Area. From there you could continue to Amarillo on US 287 and pick up I-40 as you have planned.
Why would you want to do this? This route avoids Memphis, Oklahoma City, and I-40 through Oklahoma. It also provides the quick way around Birmingham. I-459 around the south of the city is one of the best bypasses. I have never had to slow down—many trips to Atlanta. Memphis and especially West Memphis is a mess. This completely avoids that. I-40 from Memphis to Little Rock is one of the most active truck routes in the country. As a matter of personal preference, I’d rather drive through Louisiana and East Texas than across Oklahoma.
Some cautions: Slow down through Jackson, MS. It is the state capitol but the freeway there is one of the roughest. Just slow down. The same goes for Shreveport, and you should take the I-220 bypass around to the north. That will avoid some of the worst sections of I-20 through the city. I don’t usually take US 69 but it’s probably the best way up from I-20 to US 82. From my home we go up to Paris, TX to pick up US 82. Do not be fooled by the map to think you can take US 380 at Greenville. That will put you in congestion and numerous traffic signals. Stay on US 69 up to Bells and US 82.
Ameristar Casino
Hardeman Rest Area
