One day drive, Del Rio to Fort Worth (San Antonio, Austin: construction, to live)

[johnash]

We're in the process of planning a trip, kicking off in El Paso and finishing in Fort Worth (via Big Bend NP), from where, we'll fly back to Spain.

I use Google Maps a lot to plan our days' drives and was wondering how big a drive Del Rio to Fort Worth might be? We two oldies can share driving and can start early in the morning.

Thanks.

[ShaneSA]

It would be a 7 or 8 hour drive. It can be dome in one day provided there are no accidents or construction on the freeways to really slow you down.
it's about 2 hours to San Antonio from Del Rio and another 4 or 5 to Ft. Worth from SA.

[catman]

I'd like to live to see that long stretch with no construction anywhere. I doubt that I will live that long.

I would suggest breaking it up into two days and taking a more scenic and less congested route.

[spiritof68]

On parts of I10 before you get to the I20 interchange at Pecos, the speed limit is 80MPH (or approximately 130 Klicks PH)

I'd say 8 or 9 hours.

[Willsson]

Hopefully someone can comment on the quality of the hiway from Del Rio to San Antonio. While it is a U.S. hiway, I would be curious if it's a good drive.

Also, if you're leaving Del Rio in the a.m. headed for San Antone, you'll be driving straight in to the sun for most of the morning. And while the stars at night are big and bright, the sun can be unbearable... wait, no... deep in the heart of Texas.

Gas up before leaving, take plenty of water. There will be construction on I-35, Austin will test your wits, plan a rest stop or two or three (see the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco). Otherwise should be a pretty awesome drive. Once you're north of Waco it'll be a breeze. Just watch for the I-35West split near Hillsboro.

Good luck... have a good trip!

Also, while planning your trip, visit the Texas Travel Guide for helpful info for your trip.

[johnash]

Well I'm really grateful for these helpful comments. Just about to retire for the night so I'll take more time to digest these in the morning.

Meanwhile, I note the assumption that our route would be via San Antonio/Austin (I remmber being held up between those two cities when we viisited that area before) but Google Maps has different ideas for us with its suggested route:-

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=De...vpA&mra=ls&z=7

Goodnight, for the moment.

[LilyLady]

Originally Posted by johnash

We're in the process of planning a trip, kicking off in El Paso and finishing in Fort Worth (via Big Bend NP), from where, we'll fly back to Spain.

I use Google Maps a lot to plan our days' drives and was wondering how big a drive Del Rio to Fort Worth might be? We two oldies can share driving and can start early in the morning.

Thanks.

Maybe I'm misreading your post, but to me it looks like your proposed route is El Paso to Big Bend National Park (south of Alpine), to Del Rio to Fort Worth. That's a lot of driving. Almost 18 hours worth. That might be a bit less with the 80 mph speed limit, but after you reach the interchange of IH20/IH10, you'll be heading south down to Big Bend anyway.

I used Google too and it appears that the leg of the trip from Del Rio to Ft Worth is about 370 miles or about six and a half hours. I really don't think I'd include San Antonio. That's kind of out of the way from where you want to go.

If I've misunderstood your post, I apologize.

[Westerner92]

I don't think it'll be too bad of a drive at all. I'll be doing a similar drive across your fine country tomorrow from Soria to Córdoba.

[Willsson]

Originally Posted by johnash

Well I'm really grateful for these helpful comments. Just about to retire for the night so I'll take more time to digest these in the morning.

Meanwhile, I note the assumption that our route would be via San Antonio/Austin (I remmber being held up between those two cities when we visited that area before) but Google Maps has different ideas for us with its suggested route:-

Goodnight, for the moment.

That's a cool route. Somewhere out there along I-10 there's a spot where you can see for what must be a hundred miles, but don't really recall just where. The route, while possibly scenic, isn't going to offer much. For no particular reason, Brady is one of my favorite parts of Texas.

You'll see a lot of cattle grazing, crops in need of water, cedar bushes, mesquite trees. And to note... all those holes in the ground that may/or not have water in them are NOT ponds. In Texas we call them tanks, unless it's a lake. But there are NO ponds in Texas. Well, maybe at the zoo and in Fort Worth.

Between Brady and Brownwood, you'll cross the Concho River. The Concho flows into the Colorado River which runs thru Austin and on to the Gulf of Mexico (not to be confused with the Colorado River which runs from the Rockies, thru the Grand Canyon and on to California.) The next big river you'll cross the The Brazos. The Spanish explorers named it Los Brazos de Dio but we call it The Brazos. I've crossed it hundreds of times and honk my horn at each crossing. To me, it separates the front half of Texas from the back half.

There is some discussion that the names of the Colorado and Brazos rivers were mistakenly exchanged. Both links have discussion regarding Spanish influence from the 1600's.

[jtur88]

Mapquest routes via Sonora, San Angelo, Abilene, says it is 6:27 that way.