An issue of safety ..... (hotel, best, passport, price)

[jtur88]

Where do people get the idea that crime is higher in the USA closer to the Mexican border? It is simply not so.

The City-Data main page accesses detailed crime statistics from all cities in the USA. The crime rates in Albuquerque and Denver are much much higher than in El Paso -- in some cases staggeringly higher. Your car is ten times as likely to be stolen in Denver or Abuquerque, than in El Paso. Disparities by factors about 5:1 apply to crimes like robbery and burglary,, where El Paso enjoys a refreshing low crime rate, practically the lowest of any metro in the USA..

2012 Burglaries per 100,000 population:

El Paso 270
Albuquerque 1205
Denver 816
Portland OR 749


If you are concerned about your personal safety, you should be advised to stay as close to he Mexican border as possible, and stop paying attention to people who are just making wild guesses according to what they read in the tabloid. Your AAA staffer might have seen a memo some years ago about wandering around on dirt desert roads within a mile of the border,and conflated that into some kine of hysteria, but if they have any more reliable data than that, I'd like to see it.

[PeachSalsa]

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/5WqPl

Do you have a cell phone?

Get the WAZE app. It alerts you to traffic, delays, accidents, cops, debris on roads, etc. I love that app.

Make sure you do not leave the dog in the hot car. At the end of May, temperatures can be warm enough that a car gets very hot inside in a very short period of time.

[Jkgourmet]

We've driven INSIDE of Mexico - twice, round trip from Phoenix to a little south of Guadalajara. With our 22 pound dog. You're concerns are misplaced.

You need a cellphone AND car charger.

You need to enroll in AAA for road service (which you've apparently already done).

I wouldn't travel without a GPS. To heck with the triptiks.

I would make motel reservations PRIOR to departure. Why? Because it forces you to stop before dark and because you need to find lodgings that accept the dog. Start with LaQuinta, then Red Roof Inn, then look at other alternatives. Motel 6 as a last resort. All three of those chains I mentioned are 100% pet friendly with no additional fees or deposits.

Have TWO different credit cards and keep them in separate places.

Keep the dog safe, preferably in a crate. At the very least, get him a doggy seatbelt.

Get the dog micro chipped AND get an ID tag with his name, your cell phone, a friend's cellphone number, and your email address.

Never, never, never leave the dog in the hot car. Plan your lunches around drive thru's and take out.

Never, never, never leave the dog alone in the hotel room unless he is in his crate. You never know when maintenance or housekeeping might enter your room, and scared doggy makes a run for it.

Relax and enjoy the scenery.

Questions? Let me know. I've done criss country moves several times, with and without the dog.

[Larry Siegel]

Babes from Coney Island sometimes have funny ideas about what the United States is like, west of the Hudson.

El Paso, is many, many times safer than Coney Island.

[Dd714]

Chalk this up to the typical threads we see in the Mississippi forum from some people from up north: "do you really have running water and flushing toilets in the south"?
People watch too much TV, read too much exaggerated news reports, etc....

[ConeyIsBabe]

THANK YOU for your very informative post All your suggestions are helpful

Since you have experience with cross-country driving, is there any route (from Oregon to Florida) you would recommend that is easier for a first-time traveler ? I know AAA can advise me, but advice from someone who has personal experience seems more practical.

[ConeyIsBabe]

THANK YOU for the helpful information and link

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by ConeyIsBabe

THANK YOU for your very informative post All your suggestions are helpful

Since you have experience with cross-country driving, is there any route (from Oregon to Florida) you would recommend that is easier for a first-time traveler ? I know AAA can advise me, but advice from someone who has personal experience seems more practical.

Nope. I've never driving to the PNW. Drove from Philly-Phx, Phx-Fl, Phx-NC, Phx-Guadalajara.

I just look at a map, figure out the best route based on major highways . I stay off the smaller roads, figuring that IF my car breaks down, I want to be someplace populated. I put the address in for the next motel stop into my GPS and go. (The Mexico trips took a little more planning because of extra security concerns and a serious problem finding pet friendly accommodations.)

Or just follow the Triptik route to figure out and prebook your hotels, then plug those motel addresses into the GPS.

You're traveling during a time of year where you won't have winter weather concerns, thank goodness.

This site has a pretty helpful forum. RoadTrip America

[annerk]

84 to 80 to 25 to 70 to 55 to 10. From there either down 75 or 95 depending on where in Florida you are going.

I have driven this route and it is a good, safe, and often scenic route to take once the fear of snow is past. Memphis and St. Louis and the immediately surrounding areas and would not be safe to stop for the night, otherwise you should be good--just use common sense.

[sayulita]

When you park your SUV at the motel for the night, take everything vital to "surviving" with you into your room and don't leave it unattended. When I traveled by car and back to Puerto Vallarta, I always took my computer, purse, cell phone, keys, driver's license, file of vital papers, passport, (and your dog in your case) etc, out of the car and kept them with me at all times. This also includes things of no intrinsic value but are precious to you for any reason (photos, art, memorabilia, etc.). If a motel safe is available, use it.

Other than that, you'll be fine and the trip will be a breeze. Safety fears for the most part are way overblown.