I-10 or I-20, which is better? (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: college, inspection, safety)

[MetroBTR]

I'm really not familiar with 425 Route between Rayville and Clayton, but I am pretty sure it is four lanes most of the route.

[hdwell]

^Yes I understand it is as well (4 lanes)

[Chris19]

That should be fine.

I plan to look at DOT cams for Lousiana and Mississippi to get somewhat of a feel of what traffic will be like, although I would guess that traffic will be somwhat heavier in the summer with people being out and about more with vacations and in general. Memorial Day weekend last year was wierd in that traffic on I-80 going west through Nebraska was rather lighter than other Mem. Day, but gas was around $4 a gallon.

I checked expedia and some hotel sites if I need to pull over and stay overnight. There are some hotels in Ruston and Monroe that are reasonably priced and have convenient interstate access. I would lean towards West Monroe or the area by the mall if I stayed in Monroe, but would rather stay in Ruston.

I remember and see on the gas prices lists that Shell is common, what are other gas stations in Louisiana that are common and good to stop at? Any BPs?

[20yrsinBranson]

I'd be taking the back roads. Interstates are fine, but they are incredibly boring. There is nothing like experiencing America by going through all the little teeny towns that speckle the landscape.

20yrsinBranson

[BRMan]

Not too many BPs in Louisiana, as Exxon has a huge presence here. They have Chevron and Texaco, although my experience has been is Chevron tends to be more pricey - at least here in BR. And, of course, your more local gas stations.

Originally Posted by Chris19

I remember and see on the gas prices lists that Shell is common, what are other gas stations in Louisiana that are common and good to stop at? Any BPs?

[Chris19]

I can remember Chevron being more pricey in the past when I went out to Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona when visiting relatives out west. I was curious, because BP and Shell are the dominant national brands up here with a few Mobils and other big ones are Sinclair (Midwest/West), Cenex (Midwest), and other regional chains. I am familiar with Exxon, Chevron, and Texaco, although South Dakota had Texaco stations 10yrs ago and many there and in the Midwest were changed to Shell. I have seen Exxons in other parts of the country and I have filled up at one in Black Hills region of South Dakota.

I plan to take a mixture of interstate and state/US highways to have a balance between functionality and interest.

[hdwell]

There are Valeros (Diamond Shamrock) from Shreveport to Monroe. I don't know how far south they go in the state. Raceway stations and of course Murphy oil (Walmart) usually have the cheapest gas. These 3 are your best buys up here. Corporates like Chevron, Exxon, Shell, usually cost a little more. Don't buy in tiny towns and the center of Shreveport as the price is higher in those places.

[BRMan]

For what it's worth, we have a lot of Racetracs (and Raceways) in south Louisiana.......

Originally Posted by hdwell

There are Valeros (Diamond Shamrock) from Shreveport to Monroe. I don't know how far south they go in the state. Raceway stations and of course Murphy oil (Walmart) usually have the cheapest gas. These 3 are your best buys up here. Corporates like Chevron, Exxon, Shell, usually cost a little more. Don't buy in tiny towns and the center of Shreveport as the price is higher in those places.

[Chris19]

I would likely and often fill up at a truckstop or a c-store in a sizable town (5,000 or more) but usually avoid filling up in huge metros due to getting on and off the intersate in heavier traffic. Learned this trick when driving on I-80 and other routes.

I usually check websites where people post gas prices and get somewhat of a general idea of where to fill up and not to fill out before I go on my trip and when I stay overnight and have internet access. AAA and Gas Buddy are ones I use, but there are more with MSN and other sources. Used it the last time and was a good tool to use.

Thanks, BRMan and hdwell and everyone.

[BRMan]

Gasbuddy is pretty good, and it gets a decent amount of postings. There is also a companion site called Louisianagasprices.com which I use a lot.

Originally Posted by Chris19

I would likely and often fill up at a truckstop or a c-store in a sizable town (5,000 or more) but usually avoid filling up in huge metros due to getting on and off the intersate in heavier traffic. Learned this trick when driving on I-80 and other routes.

I usually check websites where people post gas prices and get somewhat of a general idea of where to fill up and not to fill out before I go on my trip and when I stay overnight and have internet access. AAA and Gas Buddy are ones I use, but there are more with MSN and other sources. Used it the last time and was a good tool to use.

Thanks, BRMan and hdwell and everyone.