DETOURS

[rvpopeye]

I hate city traffic so I am always trying out detours around it.
Sooooooo , I'm starting this thread so we can share some we have found.
I'll start off with a couple in Texas.

Houston TX.
I go north through Lake Conroe.
Some really UN-Texas like country that I never expected to find on my first trip through.


Dallas Fort Worth TX.
I go south through Corsicanna.
Cotton fields and horse ranches.

 

[highdesertranger]

avoid I5 from Sacramento to Los Angles. jump over to the east side of the sierras, and take US 395. highdesertranger

 

[bigsallysmom]

Going north/south through Victoria, TX. Take the big loop 77/59. Fields and forests.

 

[BamaDuke]

HEY!?!

I live in Conroe!! Don't tell everybody about how pretty it is and there's no traffic!!!

LOL.

But you're right. From Austin I take 105 across, just to get away from I-10.

Bama Duke

 

[rvpopeye]

Now , that's what I was talkin' about. Keep 'em comin' folks !
Maybe Bob will make this thread a sticky ????

Bama Duke
Sorry Bud it had to come out sooner or later!
I was so surprised the first trip through there , I thought I might have gone through some kind of space/time portal and been transported thousands of miles away , I surely couldn't have still been in Texas :huh:
I've lived in San Antone and Pecos and love that Texas but Conroe was sure a nice change.
I really liked Corsicanna too. Anywhere Texas is way better to me than any city Texas...................

 

[rvpopeye]

pamerica's recent post got me thinking about this thread again , especially the comments about El Paso........ :huh: :idea:

Eastbound on I-10 in New Mexico
A few miles before the Texas line take State Route 404 east to......
State Route 213 south over the Texas line to.....I-375 loop which bypasses El Paso on the east side back to I-10 .

Westbound - read the directions backward !

 

[Dennis]

Wow, popeye....how does a Maine guy wind up living in Pecos, TX? Of all places.
Speaking of Corsicana, did you know that is where The Collin Street Bakery is headquarted? Makers of world famous fruitcakes and other goodies. Some of my family lived there at one time.

That detour at El Paso sounds better than the narrow lanes on I-10 going through.

 

[rvpopeye]

Pecos , I don't knowwwwwwww. Yeah , I do. There's an Escapees campground there !
I really enjoyed it there , right next door to a helicopter repair place and the city zoo too...
Kinda grew on me. Stayed there many times .

I was just passing through Corsicana bypassing DFW but did stop in town for grocs.
I def would have stopped at the bakery if Ida seen it !
That was some nice country .......used the detour more than once after I found it too.

Oh yeah , after quitting the music biz my greatest desire was to go to all those places I had to drive right by because of the damn itinerary !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pamerica]

Pecos , I don't knowwwwwwww. Yeah , I do.  There's an Escapees campground there !
I really enjoyed it there , right next door to a helicopter repair place and the city zoo too...
Kinda grew on me. Stayed there many times .

Ohhh...I stayed at a truck stop in Pecos last night.  I should have looked at Escapees as I am a member.  I would have liked that, darn it.  And I did pass the zoo today...it was 90 degrees though and did not want to leave my kitty in the van while I checked out the other critters.  I like this thread, thanks.  Also, I was looking for a detour around Dallas/Ft. Worth.  Is the one mentioned in this thread at least somewhat populated?  This Texas is HUGE and a whole lot of open land between exits.   So too, New Mexico.

 

[Txjaybird]

On I 45 South of Corsicana TX take  State Rd 14 down to Mexia in Freestone county especially at peach picking time, local orchard, family run picks each morning.  Also fresh tomatos, cukes, squash.  When I left in 2005 everything was $1 a pound.  

Stay on 14 to Groesbeck in Limestone county.  Ft Parker State Park is on/off? 14, lottsa Texas history there.  Downtown are Antique and thrift stores.  Cattle Auction Barn Cafe has great chicken fried steak.  If you stay on 14 thru the light at the Dairy Queen, just a little ways  was one of the best road side B-B-Q joints on the left side of 14 if southbound.  Order by the pound or so and eat off of butcher paper at the table good sides and deserts if I remember correctly.   

        Now I really am home sick!


Jewellann

 

[Dennis]

pamerica, are you going to Florida by way of DFW?

 

[pamerica]

pamerica, are you going to Florida by way of DFW?

Yes, to avoid I-10.  That's the best I could figure that has services on the way.  I stay at big truck stops overnight.  

I see there is a detour here. Why do you ask, Dennis? Do you know another good way?  I am at Abilene right now.

 

[Dennis]

Without a doubt I would rather drive I-20 through DFW than I-10 through Houston to Beaumont. I probably wouldn't have thought about going that far north though. I've never been to Florida so once you get east of Shreveport on I-20 or east of Beaumont on I-10 I'm no help. You seem to be doing fine so far.

 

[pamerica]

Thanks, Dennis.  Now this question is for anyone who may possibly know.... I am trying to get out of Texas, going East.  Ultimate goal is Florida, although until I see what hurricane Matthew is doing, I don't even know if Florida is a good idea for a while.  They are putting out all kind of scenarios...power out for weeks, massive destruction, etc.  We shall see.

Anyway, I don't particularly care exactly where I go, as long as I finally find some roads going East that connect small towns within reasonable distances, like 20-30 miles apart at the most.  As in most of the East Coast.  I need to refill my water jugs now...and need Walmart, and need....  I hesitate to take any of the side roads while I still have so much of Texas to get through.  Miles and miles between towns, it seems.  And away from big truck stops. 

Maybe now it will get better as I go along I-20, and I can get off somewhere before I have to tackle that big city Dallas/Ft. Worth traffic. 

 Does anyone know a good road with small towns along it, as a detour going East to avoid that Dallas/Ft. Worth traffic?  Thanks.

 

[Dennis]

Those towns in all directions from Fort Worth and Dallas when you get in closer are growing and may have more road construction than you would like off the interstate. Can't name particular areas because I don't get over that way much these days. You could take 171 to 67 that would let you miss Fort Worth but still get some of Dallas. You are coming into an area that have plenty of towns and not that far apart.

If it were me however and I wanted to get the heck and gone out of this miserable state as soon as possible going east I would take my chances on I-20 all the way. Should be ok if you can time not going through on rush area.

 

[pamerica]

Okay, then that is what I shall do.  I-20 out of here.  Maybe I can even chance getting off somewhere to finally get the famous In-N-Out Burger!

 

[rvpopeye]

Do you have a US atlas ?
I'm guessing you do so.....
Eastbound from Abilene , exit 340 , rt 6 south and east (Gorman , Dublin , Meridian ) In Meridian take rt 22 east ,,,(Lake Whitney State Park for overnight plus lots of rest areas along the way) to Hillsboro stay on 22 to Athens , Corsicana (Jewellann's previous post has some interesting options here), Athens -take the bypass around north of town ,then choice of rt 19 north to I-20 to catch the major Rest Area or rt 31 to Tyler -another bypass north of town with a couple of options to get to I-20 (Tyler State Park here just north of I-20) Longview , Marshall , another loop north of Shreveport (my best friend lives there !) OR you can take rt 49 south to get down to I-10.............

And of course , and it's not too bad , just plow straight through DFW on I-20 and look in amazement at all the ramps pretzeling over it at intersections of other roads !

 

[Gunny]

I-20 goes through the south of Dallas, traffic, other than rush hours, is usually not too bad. As Popeye wrote, use I-49 south to 10 then turn left. I might be a bit concerned about traffic avoiding the hurricane. At least as you get closer to the Fl. panhandle. After you are on I-10 stay left and take I-12 to avoid New Orleans, pick I-10 back up in Slidell La.

 

[rvpopeye]

Geeeeeeze , AVOID N'alins ??????? but. but, the FOOD!

 

[janncoo]

Look at your map and find 84 around Waco, Texas. We took it all the way to Alabama. Small towns with Walmarts to overnight and we never had any problems.  We try to avoid large metro areas.  Jan