Any Advice for Cross-Country Road Trip? (Phoenix, Tucson: hotels, living in, cost)

[Laliniel]

Hello!
The plans are finally in motion and my fiance and I will start driving down to AZ (to move) toward the end of next week. Looking at the map however, there are so many various ways we could go, and I'm looking for any suggestions for a good path from Lansing, Michigan, to Phoenix.

I guess we don't have any particular preference on sight-seeing since it's more about getting down to AZ ASAP - we just want some nice, safe places to rest at the end of each day and preferably nothing that will cost too much for hotels! I figure we'll try to do about 10 hours of driving each day so we don't burn out too quickly.

Anyway, let me know if anyone has done a similar trip before or has any suggestions! Anything can help... looking at a map of the United States and having limitless options is kind of intimidating

Thanks!

[joe moving]

My advice for a hotel is Hampton Inn. Many other places I'd rather have been sleeping in my car.

Here is something that might not be helpful but:
unofficial guide to road tripping/living in your car

[crystalys]

Go to Rand McNally - Maps, Driving Directions, Travel Store and use their trip planning tool. I have used it several times and it is invaluable for a long road trip.

[frogandtoad]

I've driven coast to coast many times.

Just plug in your start and finish at mapquest's website (I'm assuming you don't have a GPS for your car?) for the fastest route. This is how I always went cross country til I got a GPS. Drive til you feel like stopping, and then keep an eye out for a chain hotel.

Trying to figure out exactly where to stop in advance doesn't work well in my experience. You might decide you want to keep going past 10 hours one day (esp. if there are 2 of you driving....I do 12-14 on my own...). You might hit traffic and not be as far you expect one day.

There are tons of hotels along the main highways. Just start looking a little bit before you want to stop.

[micrguy]

Most our extended family lives in Grand Rapids and my parents and I have driven from Arizona to Michigan numerous times. From Michigan I would drive to Indianapolis then to St. Louis. From St. Louis drive to Tulsa and from Tulsa continue on I-40 till you get to Flagstaff. From Flagstaff drive down to Phoenix. Our experience has shown that you should be able to get to St. Louis the first day, somewhere between Oklahoma City and Amarillo the second day and get to Phoenix on the third day.

[AZ Tracy]

Make sure you pack a cooler with snacks and plenty of water! Have fun and enjoy the drive

[Zig'sbird]

Never went to Phoenix but this is my route to Tucson

Indy west to Oklahoma City, South to El Paso, west to Tucson.

My best advice? OC is a good middle point so that's where I usually stop for the night.

[ivanabacowboy]

My son drove down here in January from Cleveland. He only stopped once for the night-in Oklahoma City (I know because I tracked the receipts on the charge card...). Net net 36 hours door to door from Cleveland including the hours he slept. All told gas and a few meal stops at fast food and munchies ran around $400 in his truck (whatever Chevy's version of the F150 is). Gas will be even more expensive now.

He did the GPS plug-n-drive and got here fine. I dont remember exactly which route he took.

At least coming in the summer you dont have to worry about the snow through the midwest or in the mountains...

I have never been to Indiana. However, be prepared for long expanses of nothingness. As in hundreds of miles between McDonalds. That was a radical shock to me. I am from Cleveland. You never go more than 10-20 miles between at least a gas service station and a fast food joint. And I've driven all the way from Cleveland down to Key Largo (that was actually a gorgeous drive, esp once you hit the A1A down the coast).

Since you are coming in the summer, be absolutely certain to as a previous poster said bring a cooler and fill it with water or bottled water and ice. And a few water jugs for your car just in case (my son got like a couple 5 gallon new unused gas cans and filled those with water in case the car overheated or something). You do not want to be broken down roadside at 110'+ potentially with no water. And depending where you are and who your carrier is, you may or may not get a cell signal to call for help. And it may be many miles to a service station or civilization. So be prepared-better safe than sorry.

Do not bring beverages like soda in cans. Say that your cooler runs out of ice. Soda cans will EXPLODE after oh a few hours above 100'. I know from experience.

Remember the sunglasses. The sun out here is fierce.

And fill up your IPOD or have a bunch of CD's. Fasten your seat belts. And enjoy the scenery, maybe even take a few pictures. And welcome to Phoenix!

[ranman469]

Originally Posted by micrguy

Most our extended family lives in Grand Rapids and my parents and I have driven from Arizona to Michigan numerous times. From Michigan I would drive to Indianapolis then to St. Louis. From St. Louis drive to Tulsa and from Tulsa continue on I-40 till you get to Flagstaff. From Flagstaff drive down to Phoenix. Our experience has shown that you should be able to get to St. Louis the first day, somewhere between Oklahoma City and Amarillo the second day and get to Phoenix on the third day.

when we moved from dearborn mi. near detroit
this is how we did it one of the times.
the next time we came we booked cabins with a/c at KOA`s along the way. the kids loved it and we had a pool every night. it was not any cheaper than a hotel, but we love being diffrent in things we do.
the most important thing safety! have a cell phone, always get gas, you might not make it to the next stop. and do the speed limit and enjoy the drive.

good luck. we moved from mi just over a year ago and we will never go back

[Road-Tripper]

I drove to Phoenix from Madison, WI.
I came out here in January, 08 by myself so I drove all day and most of the night, sleepin in my car for 5 hours and continuing. Because it was Winter, I came the southern way to stay out of bad snowy roads.

I drove hwy 35 through Kansas City and Witchita to Hwy 40 in Oklahoma City until Flagstaff and then down to Phoenix.

Seems the best for you would be HWY 69 to 70 in Indy to 44 in St. Louis to the 40 in Oklahoma City.

Although, since its in the summer, if you enjoy the scenery, take HWY 80 below Chicago to Denver. It is boring thru the midwest just like every road, but once you hit the Rocky Mountains, Colorado is stunning. You can take HWY 70 from Denver to Moab, Utah and then down 191, that also is very beautiful. once into Arizona, take 160 from Kayenta to Tuba City, then down 89 to Flagstaff to get onto the 17 down the Phoenix. This route is only about 25 miles longer than going south, but worth the views. I have drove from the Midwest to West coast several times as now I live in Phoenix.

If you unaware, you can google map it and click n drag the prefered route to the roads you want to take.

Hope this helps, its a lot of numbers, make sure you have a Atlas or GPS, both are cheap at Wal-mart. Any questions, let me know