Driving from Austin to Shreveport- recommendations

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Framus

I'll deliver a minority report here and vote for Austin to Waco then take 31 to Tyler. Much of it is four lane. When you get to Corsicana, stop at the Collin Street Bakery for a pit stop. Cleanest bathrooms in Texas.

I find sticking to the interstate very boring.

Thanks for that vote. We will likely take that route, increasing the chance of a hopefully brief stop at Magnolia Mkt at the Silos(DW is an interior designer and really 'should' visit). That's only 1/5 of the way into the trip; but might be a good pit stop. Maybe the temps will keep the crowds away until after lunch.

[leorah]

We do the trip on 35 to Waco regularly and the traffic sucks. If there's an accident it's an aggravating delay. We have driven to Jackson several times and our favorite route is 79 E to Marquez, then 7/103 to the border. Then we head toward Alexandria and pick up 84 to 61 at Natchez. It's a nice drive, more scenic than I-20 but maybe a couple hours longer. We are never in much of a hurry!

[10scoachrick]

Bit of an update...DW, pup and I got a late start(nothing new) and did run by Magnolia Market/The Silos in Waco. The below freezing temps didn't keep the crowds away, so we just did a fly-by and got back on the road. We took 31 up toward Tyler and had no problems other than the earlier patch of IH-35 just north of Temple...still plenty of construction(and there likely WILL be for a couple of years, I reckon).

We stopped more than needed; but it was a pretty drive as long as we remembered to grab a jacket before exiting the car! Dang, it was cold at Buc-ee's!!!!!

Crossed over the Mississippi line after dark and the excitement began...icy patches along I-20 proved challenging, to say the least. It had dropped to 25 degrees and the runoff had frozen solid across some of the lanes. As we passed Vicksburg toward Clinton, MS, the westbound lanes of I-20 were STOPPED! About 1.5 miles of gridlock and building fast! Glad we were headed in the opposite direction! It was headed into the mid-teens for overnight temps...I hope those folks got to their destinations!!!

After all is said and done, I'd likely take that route again, especially since the IH-35 construction before Waco is relatively clear(compared to the last half-dozen years!); but the 79 route is the shortest(mileage) and might be a way to consider for the trip home in a couple of days. The small town slow-down along any of the shorter routes can be both entertaining and frustrating; but IH-35 from Waco to I-20 is mind-numbing to me. Dang...I wish there had been a 'need' for an expressway from Austin to Shreveport!!!

For the record, 560 miles in one day is way over my threshold! It might take me a week to get back to our North Carolina mountain house this spring!!!

Y'all stay warm...the Mississippi thaw is one day behind Austin...might be 70 by the time we start our trip back!

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by leorah

We do the trip on 35 to Waco regularly and the traffic sucks. If there's an accident it's an aggravating delay. We have driven to Jackson several times and our favorite route is 79 E to Marquez, then 7/103 to the border. Then we head toward Alexandria and pick up 84 to 61 at Natchez. It's a nice drive, more scenic than I-20 but maybe a couple hours longer. We are never in much of a hurry!

Thanks for the suggestion of the alternate route. We should do something like that on one of these trips. Seems I'm down to one trip a year after doing multiple trips each year to Jackson, Atlanta, Highlands NC for our first few years here. I can say it's more fun with $2/gal petrol vs $4/gallon back in '08!