Is anyone interested in convoying with me to RTR 2019 from Chicago, Illinois area?

[Souleem]

Ok Greg.  Concern about sleeping alone at highway rest stops is probably my greatest fear and caused me to seek people willing to convoy to RTR.  I didn't want to spend money to stay at campgrounds for just a sleepover, but since it is only 2 stops, will do, and I'm sure that it will be safer.

Did you check to see if we need advance reservations?  If not, I will check.

I agree that meeting up with new friends is very appealing.  I went on several Meetup.com hikes this year with many total strangers, a couple of whom have become good friends, but no one wanted to drive to Arizona and back after staying for a week or two.

Alma

 

[tx2sturgis]

 First night at Red Rock Canyon state park OK, second night at Canyon side campgrounds NM and then the RTR.  Any interest?

Just a heads-up on your routing from Holbrook to Phoenix:

You can't average much more than probably 30-50 mph thru some of that area...its a winding and scenic road for much of the way. 

Plus, if wintry conditions prevail during your travels, you might want to have some other routes planned as a backup.

 

[Souleem]

Thank you very much for the warning tx2sturgis!

We'll have to do more research on possible routes.

Alma

 

[B and C]

Taking I-40 in AZ, the elevation goes over 7000 ft. You are traveling in Winter. Please keep an eye on the weather.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah get on I-10 ASAP. highdesertranger

 

[Souleem]

Taking I-40 in AZ, the elevation goes over 7000 ft.  You are traveling in Winter.  Please keep an eye on the weather.

Thank you B and C!

 

[Souleem]

yeah get on I-10 ASAP.  highdesertranger

Thank you highdesertranger!

I don't know highways outside of the Midwest, but will do much research.

Alma

 

[kygreg]

This route get's us on I-10 faster but is full of construction and road closures. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/141...48bdd0b32!2m2!1d-114.2299486!2d33.6639137!3e0

 

[Souleem]

Thank you for researching Greg. I am completely unfamiliar with roads in the West, so would not take a route that is full of road closures.

 

[kygreg]

Now that the location is known, we know that if we choose to get there a day early, we can just camp at the old RTR location (within walking distance to the new location) and move over the next day.

 

[B and C]

There is ONE nine mile stretch that is closed on I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix. Road closures on interstates means they put you on the feeder road to get around the construction and put you right back on afterwards.

Construction zones are where they take one lane out of service for repairs. You will go through several construction zones before you get to I-10. There a 7 construction zones before you get to I-10 and 8 after you are on it.

If you wanted to get around all the construction and the closure, you could turn off on SH 86 in Tucson. It will add ~60 miles to your trip though.

 

[Souleem]

Thank you B and C.

We have many construction zones and a couple road closures in the Chicago area, so I'm familiar with the concept.

I just don't like the idea of going off route in unfamiliar terrain, but I accept that it will be necessary for this trip.

Alma

 

[Souleem]

Now that the location is known, we know that if we choose to get there a day early, we can just camp at the old RTR location (within walking distance to the new location) and move over the next day.

Hi Greg,

What day do you envision arriving?

How many hours of driving per how many days would be required to get there a day early and why would we choose to get there a day early?   :huh:

Thanks.

Alma

 

[Neal]

I'll be on that exact route also but unfortunately I'll be leaving for the RTR at an earlier date.

 

[kygreg]

Hi Greg,

What day do you envision arriving?

How many hours of driving per how many days would be required to get there a day early and why would we choose to get there a day early?   :huh:

 

3 days driving. 
12.5 hours to Red Rock Canyon St. Park (long day, but I figure if your going to have a long day, make it the first)
9 hours to Canyon Side Campground
7 hours to the RTR (Leaving plenty of daylight to shop for supplies and find a campsite)

Get there a day early to avoid some of the rush of thousands of people arriving the next day.

Just my thoughts
Greg

 

[B and C]

Shopping for supplies will be cheaper and more plentiful if you stop in Phoenix. In Quartzsite you will pay small town prices and the selection won't be near as good.

 

[tx2sturgis]

3 days driving. 
12.5 hours to Red Rock Canyon St. Park (long day, but I figure if your going to have a long day, make it the first)

I prefer the first day of a long multi-day trip to be easier than 12 hours...

The night before anticipating a long trip, I don't sleep as soundly, especially if I know I have a really long day ahead of me, and have to get up and get rolling quite early. 

So that means that first day is kinda rough.

But, the next night I sleep well, after having driven most of a day, and the second day of travel, the miles just roll by effortlessly. Thats the day I plan for a LONG day of driving, my second day on the road.

Also, you might want to plan your arrival at RTR for mid-morning or mid-day, and avoid having to find a site and set-up camp late in the day after a long drive, especially after fighting Phoenix traffic in the afternoon. Of course, I take I-8 out to Gila Bend and then north to I-10, this will get you around the Phoenix traffic jams.

Just a few ideas to ponder.

 

[JohnnyM]

Hi yall,

For what it's worth, I honestly can't count how many times I've run that line from Chicago to Phoenix / L.A. in a large truck in the winter. If you asked my advice, I would encourage you to get as far south as you can as quickly as you can. Don't worry about the mileage too much; just stay out of the white stuff.

With that goal in mind and with your last pick-up in Springfield, MO, I would continue on I-44 through Joplin to Big Cabin, OK, and then turn south on US 69/75 headed for Dallas/Fort Worth by way of Muskogee and Durant, OK. It's not the interstate, but it's all good running down through there, and you'll miss Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Don't be tempted to get on I-40 and head west. Thataway lies the bad, bad weather that you don't want.

At McKinney, TX, just before you get to Dallas, turn west on US 380 and take it through Denton over to Decatur, TX. At Decatur turn south on F.M. 51 and that nice little road will take you to Weatherford and the road you've been looking for all day, I-20 (Yay!). BTW, you just bypassed Dallas and Fort Worth.

Now we're rollin': I-20 curves to the southwest and merges into I-10 just east of Van Horn, TX., and I-10 takes you to (ta-da!) Quartzite.

(You can go straight through Phoenix if you feel lucky or bypass it by taking I-8 to Gila Bend and then north back to I-10, as tx2sturgis suggests. That's the way I go, and it's really not that much farther.)

So have a safe and fun trip and I'll see you at the RTR. One little word of caution, though: Be careful not to run out of gas -- the farther west you go, the easier it gets to do that, so don't. In Arizona and to a lesser extent in New Mexico, the gas stations can be a hundred miles or more apart and the wind will kill your gas mileage. A good rule of thumb out there is to never let the gauge go below 1/2 full. When I see you at RTR, ask me how I know

Safe travels,

Johnny

 

[Steakchaser]

Johnny. Thanks so much! That’s great info!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Souleem]

3 days driving. 
12.5 hours to Red Rock Canyon St. Park (long day, but I figure if your going to have a long day, make it the first)
9 hours to Canyon Side Campground
7 hours to the RTR (Leaving plenty of daylight to shop for supplies and find a campsite)

Get there a day early to avoid some of the rush of thousands of people arriving the next day.

Just my thoughts
Greg

Thank you Greg.

My apologies for the delayed reply, but the past couple of days have been very busy days.

Red Rock Canyon St. Park is 13 hours from my area and I'm not up to driving for 13 hours in one day, especially in January weather.

If you're up for that, you go on ahead, but be safe.

When I've road tripped with friends, some have stated that I drive too slow for them, so no worries. 

Alma