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I drove cross country with a Navy buddy eight years ago whose orders transferred from San Diego to Quantico, VA and while our route was determined somewhat by visiting friends and family and thus might not be ideal it nonetheless was pretty amazing. Underlined is overnighting.
We went in late May/June and it was snowing 15 miles outside of Denver upon our arrival so probably not the best winter route but there it is.
San Diego to GrandCanyon (camping), Monument Valley, Moab (Arches), Independence Pass, Aspen, Denver (concert at Red Rocks), Boulder, Estes Park (Rocky Mountain NationalPark (camping), Brady, NE (my family farm), Lincoln NE, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Akron, Jonestown (his family), OH, Pittsburgh- Fallingwater/Kentucky Notch and finish up in Alexandria/DC
I can’t speak to the western part of your trip, but I live in VA Beach and Grew up in Hampton. I’m guessing the move is military? Will you have 1 car or 2? I personally have done Waco, to NOLA, to Atlanta, to Hampton Roads (where NN is located) before. It’s not a bad trip. That would also give you time to go out and see things if you wanted. Like I said I don’t know much about the western side of the trip.
ETA: Why not just take 10 over to 85? Also don’t speed in Emporia or Faquier county if you drive them either. They are both huge speed traps.
I don't think that I'd take 40 at all given that it takes you through the mountains in January. 40 could be just fine, but it could also be snowy all the way from Oklahoma to the NC mountains. Personally, I'd take 20 all the way to 95 and then go north from there. This puts you on 95 in the coastal plain where snow is very rare until you are into Virginia. By then, you are almost there anyway.
If you REALLY want to avoid any real chance of snow/ice, and don't mind a longer drive, take 10 all the way to 95 and go north.
I don't think that I'd take 40 at all given that it takes you through the mountains in January. 40 could be just fine, but it could also be snowy all the way from Oklahoma to the NC mountains. Personally, I'd take 20 all the way to 95 and then go north from there. This puts you on 95 in the coastal plain where snow is very rare until you are into Virginia. By then, you are almost there anyway.
If you REALLY want to avoid any real chance of snow/ice, and don't mind a longer drive, take 10 all the way to 95 and go north.
I doubt we'll have snow this year. We rarely get it due to proximity to the coast. Just north and west will see snow. The last few years we didn't get snow.
My husband and I are moving to Newport News as he had started a new job. We plan to drive from San Diego to Newport News right after the holidays and we plan to take the southern route (8/10/20/40). We have never done a coast-to-coast road trip and are worried about where/what city to stop for overnight stays along the way that is/are safe. Someone told me it's better to stay just outside of a big city so that we don't catch the morning commute out of that city the following day. Since we don't have much time to do this drive, unfortunately, we would only stop for the night to sleep. We would like to do about 7 to 8 hours of driving each day. I would like some suggestions on where to stop that are safe.
There isn't anyplace in the US that is "unsafe". You're going to pass through a couple hundred towns on your driive that have a motel or two. They are all safer than the bypass loops around big cities.
Motels are all hermetically sealed with AC, which I hate, so I often just leave the door open. Not a problen. I wouldn't even know how to begin to categorize the dangers. Murders? Jewel heists? Human trafficking? Norman Bates psychos?
At that time of year, the morning commute will be before daylight, so don't worry about it. Do state-line info booths still those books of motel discount coupons?
Get a Rand McNally paper road atlas, large format. A quick glance at a page will show if roads are straight or curvy, how far apart and how big the towns are, which back roads are paved, where points of interest are. No clues about such thins fron online mapping. The web is good to recheck for construction, that's about it. Motels are hard to hide, you'll find 'em.
I can’t speak to the western part of your trip, but I live in VA Beach and Grew up in Hampton. I’m guessing the move is military? Will you have 1 car or 2? I personally have done Waco, to NOLA, to Atlanta, to Hampton Roads (where NN is located) before. It’s not a bad trip. That would also give you time to go out and see things if you wanted. Like I said I don’t know much about the western side of the trip.
ETA: Why not just take 10 over to 85? Also don’t speed in Emporia or Faquier county if you drive them either. They are both huge speed traps.
That would add over 150 miles and about 3 hours of driving for the OP, and they would have to deal with traffic in Atlanta and Charlotte. But if the weather in bad in the Appalachian Mountains it might be worth it.
That would add over 150 miles and about 3 hours of driving for the OP, and they would have to deal with traffic in Atlanta and Charlotte. But if the weather in bad in the Appalachian Mountains it might be worth it.
If the OP has never driven in the mountains they will not want to learn in winter. Since it’s broken up over several days 3 hours isn’t really a big deal.
OP, a question: What will you be driving - just your own car/truck/SUV, your vehicle with a trailer behind, or will you be driving a U-Haul with your car behind it on a trailer?
Do you have kids and pets, or just you and your husband?
I made a very similar drive several years ago, but from NE Oregon to Newport News on a more norther route. I prefer to make my driving plan and book my hotels in advance, instead of driving till I'm tired and finding "some" motel at the next exit. If you have pets with you it can make it much easier if you have your planned hotel stop along the way, since some won't allow pets or charge very high fees for a night. Showing up at an exit for a motel, with pets, can really limit your choices, or even force you to drive on.
I would suggest buying snow chains if you don't have them already. Staying as south as possible makes you less likely to run into poor driving conditions, but even then, I-10 from West Texas to Arizona sees snow and ice every year and so good weather is not a guarantee.
I don't think that I'd take 40 at all given that it takes you through the mountains in January. 40 could be just fine, but it could also be snowy all the way from Oklahoma to the NC mountains. Personally, I'd take 20 all the way to 95 and then go north from there. This puts you on 95 in the coastal plain where snow is very rare until you are into Virginia. By then, you are almost there anyway.
If you REALLY want to avoid any real chance of snow/ice, and don't mind a longer drive, take 10 all the way to 95 and go north.
I agree with this. Interstate 20 will take you from Kent, TX through to Florence, SC where you can hit Interstate 95 and go up the coastline. I'm thinking about that time of year. I went to visit my daughter in the Hampton Roads area in February and got snowed in there - they closed the airport. So you may hit some serious snow trying to go across the mountains. Plus, as much as I like Tennessee, oh my gosh, that state seems to go on FOREVER - sort of like Texas only colder.
I-20 will take you through Fort Worth (nice place to visit by the way), Tyler (safe place to spend the night if you go into south Tyler), Shreveport LA (can be dodgy there but there are also some nice areas), then Monroe LA (smaller but pleasant), Vicksburg, MS (lots of cool history there) Jackson MS (I don't much care for Jackson but surrounding areas seem nicer), Birmingham AL (more cool history there), HotLanta (you should be able to find a nice place there) and then you can either take Interstate 85 north if you want to brave some snow or stay on Interstate 20. 85 will take you through Greenville and Spartanburg SC (which can be surprisingly snowy or icy that time of year), then on to Charlotte and Greensboro and Durham, NC and into Petersburg, VA when you're nearly there.
Or you can stay on Interstate 20 and add a bit more time to your trip but you'd nearly certainly stay out of icy weather. You'd go into Augusta, GA and then Columbia SC (both of which are pretty safe from my experience, depending on where you stay), and then on to Florence SC where you'd hit Interstate 95. From there you'd go through Fayetteville, NC (home of Fort Bragg), and then 95 would take you through Emporia (not familiar with that area) and into Petersburg, VA where once again, you're almost in Newport News.
You are moving to a terrific state with tons of places to go and things to do. Do them all - that's my recommendation. I just went on vacation to the Hampton Roads area - I lived there as a child and have been back many, many times - and Virginia is my very favorite state. JEALOUS! Not really but almost.
Have fun!
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