Same son and fiancee are traveling from MA thorough NYC, Virginia Beach, VA, Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, Mobile, AL, New Orleans, LA, Houston/Dallas/Amarillo, TX, Alburquerque, NM, Sedona, AZ to Los Angeles, CA in January. Any thoughts on keeping safe - where to park/not to park, whether to avoid certain roads, etc. Vehicle will be full of “stuff!” Thank you for any suggestions! A nervous Mom
Stay out of the cemeteries in New Orleans, and if someone bets you he can tell you where you got your shoes, just walk away.
Hide the “stuff” under scrunched up blankets and assorted bits of trash (make a few McDonalds runs and scatter the bags all over). If your car looks like a rolling dump on the inside, they won’t bother breaking in.
Obviously, don’t leave anything valuable in the car.
Most of the trip is in the southern part of the country. If they listen to the news and weather forcasts they can just stay in a motel for an extra day if one of the winter ice storms hits the southeast. Sounds like a fun adventure.
Oh, and tell them to eat at La Hacienda in Old Town Albuquerque.
Time to let the little bird fly. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine. Long road trips are a great test of relationships.
- Cell phone, charger
- AAA membership
- maps/GPS
- Car in excellent shape/maintained
- Cover stuff
- Take frequent breaks, don’t drive tired
Don’t worry, they’ll be fine!
Is the cargo area open or closed? It’s hard to hide stuff in a SUV, but all the interesting stuff can be placed the the trunk of a sedan or coupe. One way to hide things in a SUV is to use plastic bins with a top. The bin could be full of snakes, for all a thief knows.
You missed Baltimore, DC, and Philadelphia. Are they going through the eastern shore of MD and VA? That’s a mighty impressive bridge/tunnel from the shore to Norfolk.
In recent years I have traveled from Baltimore to New Orleans to Austin and home to northern Mississippi many times and just this summer traveled from Mississippi to California and returned home via I20 and I10. There was never an occasion that I felt worried or threatened in any state. I was amazed at the hospitality that was offered from coast to coast and I am from the “Hospitality State.” I was particularly impressed with LaQuinta Inns. A GPS is great but a map and good sense will never be obsolete. And actually, I have traveled to the west coast many times dating back to the 60s and I don’t think the drive was ever as pleasant as the last. As a matter of fact I am leaving Friday for the Baltimore/New Orleans/Austin excursion to visit a new grand daughter and see all the kids. My greatest worry is snow.
It seems we can’t wait for them to grow up and then suddenly they are grown. My daughter just called to ask for advice for her friend whose truck is stalling…
I am curious about the route you posted. The shortest route across the south would likely be from Atlanta-Birmingham-Jackson-Shreveport-D/FtW-ElPaso-and across New Mexico and Arizona. I mentioned maps and good sense earlier because my new GPS insisted that I get off I10 near Ontario CA and follow city streets. I have no Idea why it did that but I quickly saw the error and ignored the prompting which ‘recalculated’ after a few miles.
If someone decides that they really want to break in and steal something they may try anyway. It’s best to try and stay in nicer hotels that are well-lit and preferably to park as close as possible to the office or high traffic area. Even that is not a guarantee but it tips the odds in their favor a bit.
The route you mention through Dallas and Albuquerque is a zig-zag. I would recommend taking the southern route from New Orleans to San Antonio, etc. The northern route through Dallas and Albuquerque can be somewhat nasty at times during January. Flagstaff, AZ can get a large amount of snow and the ice and wind in the TX Panhandle can make it pretty brutal as far as driving conditions and road closures.
Watch the weather, don’t travel during bad weather…Don’t drive at night if at all avoidable.
Thank you! These are some of my concerns…
Good eats ideas, thanks!
Good stuff! Thanks!
Wow, quite a frequent traveler. Thanks for all the reassurance and route ideas. They also have a GPS so a map is required to be sure they aren’s going in circles. 
Your daughter is lucky to have a Dad w/ experience and knowledge. And my son is lucky there is Car Talk! and lots of helpful folks!!
Thanks for the added tips, including route. Will definitely pass on the info!
Thanks! - they plan to keep driving to maybe 300/day to keep them awake and in the daylight.
That trip is beginning to look like it could be difficult. And the southernmost route now seems the only route if there is clear passage to Atlanta. I am currently looking out my window at 2 inches of snow with6 to 8 more inches on the way. This is not supposed to be happening here. Hopefully I can enjoy tomorrow watching the kids down the street playing.
Some of the best Mexican food on the planet can be found at Tachitos at 3210 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75211. If they have the time, they should go to Hamilton’s Pool. http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/hamilton_pool.asp
Don’t worry Be happy! Remember that every where is someone’s home area. I would guess the folk in Moscow KY would consider Centraila WA a little scary and the same the other way around. What is strange of foreign to you is someone else’s back yard.