San Antonio to Tucson

[GPs]

We will be traveling first time to see southwest this fall, taking the more northern route--roughly along Route 40 through Amarillo and Albuquerque. We plan to head east from Tucson and want to return through San Antonio. We are not sure best routes between those two cities especially considering so many issues along the southern U.S. border. We have visited border towns and Mexico from eastern TX so are not planning to go into Mexico this trip. Even if we stopover in El Paso, should we then head east toward those scenic mountains, not I-10, and then some route southeast to San Antonio? Will appreciate info from those of you who know that area well.

[fanrgs]

Junction, Fredricksburg, and Kerrville, Texas are located near I-10 and US 190/290 and are well worth a visit on your way east. Junction has one of our favorite Texas state campgrounds at South Llano River State Park. The very nice, tree-shaded campground has 30A electric and water plus a dump for $20/night. Fredricksburg is an old German town in the Texas Hill Country with many 19th-century stone buildings in the restored downtown. It was the hometown of Admiral Chester Nimitz, who commanded all the forces in the Central Pacific Theater during WWII, so has an interesting WWII Pacific Theater Museum. Kerrville is another German Hill Country town with a city-owned campground that is a former state park.

If you are going to Carlsbad Caverns, US 180/62 east of El Paso traverses some pretty dreary scenery--dry, dusty playas and barren hills--until you get to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Although the scenery improves, the caverns make the trip worth the drive.

[Roy_Lynne]

LOL, I drove along the border in Texas last year and I know I am not exaggerating, there was a Border Patrol vehicle every mile. They were parked along the road, they were driving back and forth, they were in every little town. I think your safer there than anywhere.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

GPs wrote:
We are not sure best routes between those two cities especially considering so many issues along the southern U.S. border.

Those 'issues' are mainly media hype and political posturing. There are some concerns near the major population centers in the lower RGV, but those seldom impact RV folks. You will drive through some CBP checkpoints, and see many CBP vehicles.

We spent May, June, July as campground hosts at the Chisos Basin CG at Big Bend NP. I certainly would not recommend trying to take anything larger than 30' into the mountains, and there are only a couple sites that would hold such a rig for dry camping.

Big Bend is definitely worth a side trip. The RV campground at Rio Grande Village is nothing special - just a parking lot with FHU - but the park is worth your time.

Concur with others - take US-90, not I-10 at least as far as Del Rio.

[DesertHawk]

Here's a few older posts with sights & sites. Maybe something in them will be of help:

Southern New Mexico ---------- and Ditto

Near Santa Fe - Very Neat Area -------------- Santa Fe & Along I-40

More of the same, but some new too

Maybe some of this will be of help in your Quest:

Off US 191 in Arizona, Canyon de Chelly by Chinle is neat with a Navajo Trip campground. Been there when it was a free campground years ago. Hubbell Trading Post NHS is off 191 as well, maybe a small detour to get to it. Interesting.

Navajo National Monument is located at the end of State Highway 564 off of US Highway 160. Which connects with US 191, north of Chinle. We have not been to this one, but sounds very interesting. Two campgrounds, one open all year, somewhat isolated but no fees are charged. Navajo Nat'l Mon't

Mesa Verde in Colorado is a neat place to see.

Chaco Canyon is neat to see as well in New Mexico. Our Chaco Canyon Trip Part One in 2012. A hard one to get back into at times. Part Two Why we wanted to do the trip only in the pickup.

Some other ruins in the Aztec area as well.

Santa Fe & ABQ Sights & Sites Plus Other Areas Hope something is different???

Southern New Mexico & Arizona Sites & Sights

:C Tucson is a neat city & easy to get around in.

Here's some more for Texas:

In West Texas, Near Amarillo: Never been to the state park, but have read about it & would like to make it over there someday. Palo Duro Canyon State Park as well as Caprock Canyons State Park, from what I have read, seem like very neat areas to see.

Southeast of Amarillo & Southwest of Quanah: Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway would make a neat place to check out. One I would like to see. Has a Bison herd I have read.

Ditto, Copper Breaks State Park near Quanah sounds pretty cool (as in neat to see).

Likewise, there is Monahans Sandhills State Park, just off the I-20 near Monahans. About 36 miles westbound from Odessa. Might be interesting. But wouldn't be on your planned route.

San Antonio Area & the :C Texas Hill Country but a neat area.

Should be a nice time to visit the :)Big Bend Area. We really enjoyed Balmorhea State Park & checking out Fort Davis Nat'l Historic Site.

We did Big Bend on one our Spring Breaks some years ago. End of March, Start of April.

And the new Boquillas Port of Entry might be some you would want to do. Not something we have done or would do.

Somethings I'd like to see, but haven't:
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum - Waco

Amon Carter Museum of American Art - Fort Worth and Kimbell Art Museum - Ft. Worth and Other Fort Worth Art Museums

[GPs]

Really helpful suggestions. We have reservations for the American RV park noted in Albuquerque for a portion of second week of balloon festival. Thanks also for the tip regarding freezing in Williams early October. We don't have all our itinerary firmed up yet due to some key info we hope to get from family who may meet us along the way and have very restricted schedule, but hope to get that this weekend. We're much more flexible so have two general plans identified, one which would put us in AZ & Grand Canyon area before the balloon festival and one which puts us at balloon festival first. So, we don't know if we'll do San Antonio/Tucson on east or westbound but definitely one or the other. Appreciate all the info and suggestions from others..

[TexasShadow]

Take highway 90 from Van Horn TX. It will take you a more scenic
Way and put you close to Ft Davis and Big Bend both worth a
Look.

[leaddog]

How late in the Fall will you be making this trip? It gets cold early in the higher elevations. We had our hose freeze in Williams, AZ in early October.

If you get as far west as Flagstaff make sure a visit to Sedona is on your stopover list. The scenery in the area is beautiful.

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta takes place October 4-12 and camping will be had to find. If you are near the area during this time, try and go to the Fiesta and see all the balloons lift off. It is one of our favorite stops. Check out the Sandia Casino parking lot if you can't find a campsite.

We've traveled I-10 from Tucson East many times and never felt unsafe.

Have fun.

[WayneLee]

We have traveled from Tucson to San Antonio many times, but we were always in a hurry and didn't have any time for sightseeing. From San Antonio, we took Interstate 10 all the way. Spent the night at the KOA in Van Horn, TX, both coming and going. Fuel stops in Tucson, Las Cruces, Van Horn and San Antonio. We always take two days for this leg of our trips.

That leg is about 870 miles and I like to drive 450 miles per day or less. It's an easy drive, multi-lane interstate all the way, scenic if you like desert. But the drive through the Texas Hill Country is really nice.

[LewBob]

DougE has it right. Don't miss Big Bend National Park.

[azdryheat]

We go to San Antonio quite often from Tucson and have no problems going through El Paso. We stay at the KOA in Fort Stockton, a good half way point, and then head straight to San Antonio.

Along the 40 we stay in Albuquerque at the in-town KOA and the American RV park west of town. In OK we stay at the Elk City/Clinton KOA west of OK City (homemade pies, yum).

Have a safe trip.

[DougE]

The southern route to SA is safe - no concern there. From El Paso you can make a short detour to see Carlsbad Caverns in SE New Mexico (Stay at Carlsbad, not White City). Then go down to McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis and then to Big Bend National Park. Take Hwy 90 to see Seminole Canyon and the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center on the way to SA. A much more interesting trip than I10.