I-10 or I-20, which is better? (Baton Rouge, Lafayette: live, restaurant, shop)

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by MetroBTR

Bad drivers are in FLORIDA and PENNSYLVANIA

Bad drivers are in FLORIDA and PENNSYLVANIA and LOUISIANA

The drivers in Baton Rouge are courteous I have to admit (atleast from my few experiences)

on the Northshore, the I-12 drivers drive like [bad word]!

I've never really been up north

and in NOLA it depends on how the sun came up that day.

[Chris19]

Originally Posted by summer grace

I've heard drivers in N.O etc are in general bad drivers.

I have been to 39 states and there are some areas of the country that are worse than others. I found the Virginia/Maryland area to be the toughest area that I have driven in (the sheer traffic and driving style). Michigan was another place. There are bad drivers everywhere to some extent, even in the Upper Midwest. In my area, Sioux Falls, SD, the traffic is mild compared to the coasts and larger cities such as Minneapolis, Denver, etc., but the people up there are not the best in traffic flow (part of the problem is that people think that they are driving in a small town when in fact the city has doubled from 75,000 to 150,000 plus in the past 30 years). Some of it is that people do not pay attention (which one gets a few of the lulus anywhere) and other is that some are not considerate of others unfortunately.

I venture that I will come across pockets in Louisana and other areas of the Mid and Deep South where there are some bad drivers and challenging driving situations. The key would be to be focused and not let them bother me. Some of that will be planning and when planning a route, dealing with traffic vs. convenience and other factors is a tradeoff and a give of give and take.

From my experiences of driving down South, I have done relatively well. I have driven in Memphis with a college buddy on the interstate and did not have any major problems. Arkansas was not bad driving, although the traffic between Little Rock and Memphis was somewhat heavy (but manageable).

[darylwi]

I find NYC, DC, Houston and NOLA to really have their own unique driving styles (I'm sure Los Angeles too but I've never driven there). You can either handle it or you can't.
In the rural areas of LA and MS, it reminds me a little of rural AL where you can drive on the interstate and then all of a sudden end up behind some slow moving farm truck who's riding in the left lane and won't get over.
I actually prefer city driving, because with the exception of blantant butt-holes, city people tend to drive with purpose and have a mutual understanding that as long as you stay out of their way, they'll stay out of yours. Whereas when you throw the one suburbanite or rural man into the freeway mix, the whole thing locks up because usually the rural man refuses to yield or perceives every action against him as road rage.

The interstate drivers around BTR can be a little rough. Everybody is generally moving with purpose. But if you get behind someone who is slower and need to get over, usually someone will let you over (if not the first car, usually by the third or fourth). Depending on when you were to come through, it could be nearly bumper to bumper along I-12, but it will generally be moving at 55mph+. It's just that sometimes driving along at 65-70mph in bumper to bumper traffic really unnerves some people. It's like driving in east Texas on I-10 between Winnie and Orange. I usually don't experience that kind of traffic flow in north LA or central MS. It's much more relaxed. US 49 can get like that sometimes though.

[Chris19]

darylwi, your assessment of rural areas in Northern LA, MS, and AL are similar in some respects to the rural areas in the upper Midwest such as S. Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska. The problem up in S. Dakota is some people dawdle in the left lane and should get over to the right hand land when in fact they do not.

I notice the difference in road systems. For example, I have driven in both Minneapolis and Denver (both comparably sized metros between 2.5-3 million). I found Denver's road systems to be easier to drive in than Minneapolis's, but Denver's road systems are in better shape and much of it has been upgraded in the past 10 years and Minneapolis is behind the curve. Minneapolis interestates have too few of lanes for the traffic and the signage is not the best. But Denver has more aggressive drivers and they tend to be leadfoots in spots, more so than other metros. In general, I would rather drive through Denver than Minneapolis on a sunday or outside of rush hour.

When I head to Mississippi and Lousiana areas in May, I will probably come back with my assessment and it may be interesting. I would lean towards going the I-20/US-49 route at the time, but I should have a clearer idea in March or April when I start making further plans.

[Chris19]

It looks like that I will will be heading to Gulfport-Biloxi area from South Dakota first and then head to Colorado after visiting Mississippi. I will keep the prior suggestions regarding the freeway travel into consideration. I have a couple of questions that have popped up that relate to going through Lousiana.

First, I am thinking of heading south from Little Rock on US 65, bypassing Pine Bluff and heading to the very NE part of Lousiana, going through Lake Providence and Tallulah and get on I-20 at Tallulah. I may need to make a pit stop somwhere along the line (maybe at Vicksburg or Tallulah along the interstate). As a person going through alone (as a middle class white with a vehicle that is three years old), would I be safe when passing though these towns during the day?

I may be a little paranoid, but want to make sure that these areas are safe for passing through and stop at a convenience store if needed to get a soft drink.

I have another question. I would be leaving Gulfport-Biloxi around 8 or 9 AM and head to Oklahoma/Colorado. Would traffic be bad on I-10/I-12 between Slidell and Lafayette between 9 AM and midday and going westbound? When does the morning rush die down during this time? If the route will be iffy during those times, I would consider going up to Jackson and taking the I-20 route to either Shreveport or Longivew, TX area.

I would like to visit a plantation or two along the way through Lousiana.

[MSvirgo]

If you want to stop in Vicksburg for a pit stop, you should be safe. To be honest, I don't think anyone would really care if you were white or black, with a new or old vehicle. Just use common sense if you're in an area that you may feel unsafe in. Whenever I visit Vicksburg, I feel safe. I am usually on the main roads too. Mostly everything in Vicksburg is accessible from I-20.

I hope you enjoy your visit to the MS Gulf Coast. It is one of my favorite destinations. Whichever route you decide, I hope that you have a safe journey.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by Chris19

It looks like that I will will be heading to Gulfport-Biloxi area from South Dakota first and then head to Colorado after visiting Mississippi. I will keep the prior suggestions regarding the freeway travel into consideration. I have a couple of questions that have popped up that relate to going through Lousiana.

First, I am thinking of heading south from Little Rock on US 65, bypassing Pine Bluff and heading to the very NE part of Lousiana, going through Lake Providence and Tallulah and get on I-20 at Tallulah. I may need to make a pit stop somwhere along the line (maybe at Vicksburg or Tallulah along the interstate). As a person going through alone (as a middle class white with a vehicle that is three years old), would I be safe when passing though these towns during the day?

I may be a little paranoid, but want to make sure that these areas are safe for passing through and stop at a convenience store if needed to get a soft drink.

I have another question. I would be leaving Gulfport-Biloxi around 8 or 9 AM and head to Oklahoma/Colorado. Would traffic be bad on I-10/I-12 between Slidell and Lafayette between 9 AM and midday and going westbound? When does the morning rush die down during this time? If the route will be iffy during those times, I would consider going up to Jackson and taking the I-20 route to either Shreveport or Longivew, TX area.

I would like to visit a plantation or two along the way through Lousiana.

Probasbly safe, with a word of warning - if you take US 65 south of Tallulah, expect some speed trap towns. Waterproof (in Tensas Parish) is the worst. Once we were traveling in the middle of the night to get to I-20, and we approached Waterproof going 29 MPH (speed limit was 30). Anyway, not only was there a cop at the entrance of town, but we were followed by the cop the entire time we were in Waterproof. It was weird, as we stayed the speed limit the entire time.

[Chris19]

Thank you, msvirgo and BRMan. At this point, I will take US 65 to Tallulah and maybe make a little stop in Vicksburg and stay overnight in Clinton, MS. I would primarily head through Tallulah and Lake Providence. Just wanted some reassurance on whether US though Lake Providence and Tallulah is safe for a passerby motorist.

As for heading back from Biloxi, I am torn between taking US 49 up to I-20 and taking I-20 (to a little east of Dallas or taking it to Shreveport and heading up to Texarkana and west from there to Gainesville, TX) or taking I-10 over to Lafayette (using I-12 between Slidell and BR) and then up I-49 to Shreveport and then going either direction after Shreveport as mentioned in the first idea. I will still do some contemplating about which route.

If I go north to Jackson and take I-20 through Northern Lousiana, I would be more apt to leave early (6:30-7AM). If heading on I-10, I woud eat a nice breakfast at a cafe somewhere and leave at 8:30. Still undecided at this point. I plan on doing 8 to 10 hours of driving that day and end up somewhere in eastern Texas or southern OK (staying at a hotel in that area).

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by Chris19

Thank you, msvirgo and BRMan. At this point, I will take US 65 to Tallulah and maybe make a little stop in Vicksburg and stay overnight in Clinton, MS. I would primarily head through Tallulah and Lake Providence. Just wanted some reassurance on whether US though Lake Providence and Tallulah is safe for a passerby motorist.

As for heading back from Biloxi, I am torn between taking US 49 up to I-20 and taking I-20 (to a little east of Dallas or taking it to Shreveport and heading up to Texarkana and west from there to Gainesville, TX) or taking I-10 over to Lafayette (using I-12 between Slidell and BR) and then up I-49 to Shreveport and then going either direction after Shreveport as mentioned in the first idea. I will still do some contemplating about which route.

If I go north to Jackson and take I-20 through Northern Lousiana, I would be more apt to leave early (6:30-7AM). If heading on I-10, I woud eat a nice breakfast at a cafe somewhere and leave at 8:30. Still undecided at this point. I plan on doing 8 to 10 hours of driving that day and end up somewhere in eastern Texas or southern OK (staying at a hotel in that area).

If you take I-10/12 back, there is an area of about 50 miles between Walker and the end of the Atchafalaya Swamp in Henderson where there is the risk of traffic snarls due to (1) BR commuting traffic, (2) yet another truck overturning on I-10/12, (3) a wreck on the Atchafalaya Spillway.

[goonybird]

Originally Posted by Chris19

or taking I-10 over to Lafayette (using I-12 between Slidell and BR) and then up I-49 to Shreveport and then going either direction after Shreveport as mentioned in the first idea.

Nope nope nope. <G>
If you do decide to take I-10 west, DO NOT take it to Lafayette. Too many crazy drivers, plus it's actually farther. Go through Baton Rouge, and when you get off the Baton Rouge Mississippi River Bridge, take Hwy 415 towards Lobdell. After "about" 5 miles or so, you will exit on Hwy 190, west. The exit will actually veer to the left. You will go through some small towns, and you will have to watch your speed, but it's shorter and nicer, and prettier. Plus, there is a place in Krotz Springs, Billy's, that has the BEST boudin balls and cracklins! Gotta try them! Hwy 190 will take you to I-49.

And as for speed traps, they really aren't, because if people would drive the speed limit they wouldn't get tickets. <G>