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Old 11-20-2009, 09:27 AM
 
Location: Casa Grande, AZ
8,685 posts, read 16,876,199 times
Reputation: 10335

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Quote:
Originally Posted by KarmaPhx View Post
I don't mind boring scenery if I have good music to listen to. I think for the last stretch I might have her drive, or just switch off every 5-6 hours.

We need to get in by 11pm-1am in Houston, actually Galveston, for a cruise to Mexico/Caribbean!
If that's the case, I would leave the day before and spend some time there to make sure things don't happen to make you late...
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Old 11-20-2009, 10:36 AM
 
Location: East Valley, AZ
3,849 posts, read 9,432,402 times
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I took that exact trip just about 6 months ago. Tempe to Houston.

We left at around 2pm on a Friday and drove to El Paso to spend the night. We got up at 6am the next morning and drove all the way to Houston (picked up a car my friend had bought online), and drove all the way to Ozona, TX to spend the night. From Ozona, we drove back to Tempe and arrived back home at 8pm on Sunday.

We were only stopped by one checkpoint outside of El Paso. It took us a total of 5 minutes, I think. The drive is SO LONG, but I had a great travel companion and good music
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Old 11-20-2009, 12:06 PM
 
Location: Phoenix
2,897 posts, read 10,427,345 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grannysroost View Post
If that's the case, I would leave the day before and spend some time there to make sure things don't happen to make you late...
We are driving in the day before the cruise, so we have the night before and some of the morning in case something happens. We are getting a hotel in Houston/Galvelston
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Old 11-20-2009, 02:56 PM
 
75 posts, read 197,137 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asufan View Post
I've done it a few times. I never encountered any border checkpoints. I usually leave early, have a late lunch in either Las Cruses, NM, or El Paso, TX, which are about 30 minutes apart. After El Paso there is virtually nothing for hours. Then I stop in Ft. Stockton, TX (stay at the Hampton Inn, the other hotels are much older). After Ft. Stockton there's not much of anything until San Antonio. One of the most boring drives you will ever encounter. West Texas is not especially interesting.
We moved to Houston from Phoenix in July 07.....Now after hurricanes
and bugs and HUMIDITY and traffic and not much to do unless you are into shopping malls and cookie cutter places to eat (dont forget crime too!) I carry a gun here in Houston at all times ... we are moving back.....I made the exact stop
you did in Fort Stockton coming over but going back I want to get home
(AZ) so fast and out of Texas I will drive it non-stop this time.
I miss south Tempe
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Old 11-20-2009, 03:11 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
2,089 posts, read 3,912,755 times
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It will take you TWO HOURS to get from the western city limits of Houston to Galveston - don't even think that you'll be the exception and arrive in less time. It's a straight ten hours between El Paso and San Antonio. Most of the I-10 construction through San Antonio is complete, except on the east side (as you are leaving the city for Houston), but, the delays are very short in time. The drive from San Antonio to Houston is three hours. It's pretty drive in the months of November/December and there are several places to stop and eat, I recommend Texas BBQ.
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Old 11-20-2009, 03:12 PM
 
Location: Phoenix
2,897 posts, read 10,427,345 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danbo1957 View Post
It will take you TWO HOURS to get from the western city limits of Houston to Galveston - don't even think that you'll be the exception and will get there in less time. It's a straight ten hours between El Paso and San Antonio. Most of the I-10 construction through San Antonio is complete, except on the east side (as you are leaving the city for Houston), but, the delays are very short in time. The drive from San Antonio to Houston is three hours. It's pretty drive in the November/December and there are several places to stop and eat, I recommend Texas BBQ.
Really? I just put Houston in the title since I thought they were close and it was a larger city.

We are going to stay 1 night in either Houston and drive to the port, or stay right in Galvelston.
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Old 11-20-2009, 03:17 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
2,089 posts, read 3,912,755 times
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Stay in a hotel on the west side of Houston along I-10 (called the Katy Freeway by locals), there are plenty of good places to eat. If you have never been to Houston, you will be staggard by its size and the amount of traffic. Galveston infrastructure is still skeleton-ish due to the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
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Old 11-20-2009, 03:31 PM
 
Location: La Isla Encanta, Puerto Rico
1,192 posts, read 3,486,829 times
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Galveston is fine now - all the big restaurants, hotels, and resorts are up and running. Just some of the mom and pops places kupukt.

A good place to stop for a reasonable 2-3 hr detour is some real mountains: The Davis Mountains - about 150 miles east of El Paso. Check out McDonald Observatory of U.T. It's got a huge 400+inch lens telescope and some of the clearest air in the world. Smaller scopes are available for nighttime viewing by the public. Very pretty scenery on the way - much more rugged than Hill Country (which by the way you really won't be seeing the best of). LLano Uplift (a big granite dome) is pretty cool but a ways north of your route.

http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/about.html
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Old 11-20-2009, 03:33 PM
 
75 posts, read 197,137 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danbo1957 View Post
Stay in a hotel on the west side of Houston along I-10 (called the Katy Freeway by locals), there are plenty of good places to eat. If you have never been to Houston, you will be staggard by its size and the amount of traffic. Galveston infrastructure is still skeleton-ish due to the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
Truth be known Phoenex is bigger ....greater Phoenix land wise anyway.
Houston just has more people in smaller space...and 10x more traffic
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Old 11-20-2009, 04:11 PM
 
2,942 posts, read 6,524,650 times
Reputation: 1214
Houston is larger than Phoenix (579 square miles vs 515 square miles) and Houston has (in my opinion, having lived in both cities, but I could find no "proof" other than population data) the larger metro area. Phoenix is Massive. Houston is MASSIVE.
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