Another road trip thread...questions and suggestions!
 

Next month, my dad and I will have to embark on a roadtrip from Boulder, CO to West Palm Beach, FL...neither of us has ever undertaken a big road trip like this before, and instead of just doing nothing but driving the route over 3 days or so, we've decided to turn it into a little 6 day mini-vacation...I've put together an itinerary for us and I have a couple of questions though about certain aspects of it though, and any insight in answering them is appreciated...thanks!

Day 1: Boulder to Wichita, KS

Day 2: Wichita, KS to Dallas area...we plan to catch a Rangers game that night...however, something we are considering is instead of staying in Arlington that night, we'd consider driving east across the Dallas metroplex after the game and staying in the Mesquite area to shorten our drive on Day 3...

-How long will it take to drive from Rangers Ballpark to the Mesquite area (will be a Friday night)???

Day 3: Dallas area to Baton Rouge, LA...the catch to this day, since we have nothing else fun planned for it, is that I'd like to be able to somehow sneak in a visit to Arkansas, and "bag it" on my list of states...obviously it's a little out of the way, but it doesn't seem so far out of the way as to be impossible to include...my question is, what would be the best way to include Arkansas on this route??

Specifically, I was looking at finding some way of reaching the TX-LA-AR tripoint, which by my own personal rules, suffices as a visit...it looks like Texas State Highway 77 takes you right to it...
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=3...,1.043701&z=10

-What would be the best way of getting there from Dallas while not adding too much time on our drive to Baton Rouge? What are the roads like in that corner of Texas, since getting there seems to involve a fair bit of driving on state roads? (what are speed limits on state roads in that area too?)

Day 4: Baton Rouge, LA to Pensacola, FL - this was meant to be a relatively short, fun, day for us...here are my questions about this particular segment

-Something I'd like to do, being a stadium buff, is take a peek inside LSU's Tiger Stadium...is there any way to tour it at all (unfortunately this leg of our trip falls on a Sunday and can't be changed)??

-We'd like to visit New Orleans, and our plan to do that is to approach the city by driving south over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (seems like that would provide a great view of the city coming in), visit the city, then exit via one of the two bridges over the eastern end of Lake Pontchartrain...either I-10 or US 11...any reason why one bridge is better/preferred over another?

-How dead will New Orleans be on a Sunday (also Mother's Day!)???

-We'd like to stop in Biloxi, MS for a few hours and hit up a casino there...any suggestions as to which casino we should visit (me and my dad both prefer blackjack as our casino game of choice)?

-Finally, on a slightly morbid note, we'd both be interested in taking a look at some areas that still show signs of being ravaged by Hurricane Katrina...is there any particular place along this drive that still has not really been rebuilt and is not too far off the route???

Day 5: Pensacola, FL to St. Petersburg, FL...we plan to drive all day and catch a Tampa Bay Rays game that night...

-What is the best route from Pensacola to St. Petersburg? It seems like after Tallahassee, we have the option of leaving I-10 and getting on US 19/98 which takes us directly into the Tampa area, as opposed to sticking on I-10 to I-75...Google Maps says that taking US 19/98 is about 20 miles shorter but a couple of minutes longer...any thoughts on which route is best?

Day 6: St. Petersburg, FL to West Palm Beach, FL
-Basically the only question about this leg I have is again, which is the best route? Bear in mind that we are north of West Palm Beach proper...the best geographical landmark near our home is the triangle formed by the Turnpike, Northlake Blvd., and the Beeline Highway...

Google Maps suggests going up I-4 to the Orlando area, then cutting back down south on the Turnpike to WPB...the alternate route I had in mind was to go south along the Sunshine Skyway and I-75, then cut across the state using State Road 72 and 70 to Lake Okeechobee (my dad's been wanting to visit Lake Okeechobee anyways but hasnt yet had the chance to do so since my folks moved to WPB)...hug the lake for a bit, then cut over to the Beeline Hwy and drive home...something like this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=e...6,3.647461&z=8

It certainly looks a little faster that way...any thoughts on what would be the best route?

Sorry I rambled on for so long...I do appreciate any help on any of my questions that you guys can provide...any other additional thoughts/tips/suggestions that you have are of course welcomed...thank you so much!

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry 8830: Opera/9.50 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.0.9751/298; U; en))

Sunday in New Orleans shouldn't be too dead as long as you're in the French Quarter. There are several Katrina spots you could visit, such as St. Bernard Parish and the Ninth Ward. I would visit the latter as it actually has some great houses. It still needs some work, obviously. Also, if you have time you might want to visit the Garden District. The houses around Tulane University have some great architecture. You could ride the streetcar down St. Charles to accomplish see them. If you haven't visited NOLA since Katrina (or ever), I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'll come up with more suggestions later; I just thought I'd give you the basics now.

Arlington to Mesquite is a 30 mile straight shot down I-30. The real issue is how long it will take you to get out of the parking lot, but you'll have that delay no matter where you stay. Once out of the lot and onto I-30, it should be highway speeds (60-70 mph) the whole way.

If you're looking for casinos, you'll also find some in Louisiana, both in the Shreveport/Bossier area that you'll likely be passing thru, as well as in New Orleans (there's a Harrah's right downtown at the foot of Canal St).

From Dallas to Texarkana, you can stay on I30, then once you cross into AR you can take US 71 down to Shreveport, it becomes I49 which you can take down to I10 and over to Baton Rouge.

>>How dead will New Orleans be on a Sunday (also Mother's Day!)???<<

Ummm, that would be when H*LL freezes over. :D

Aside from the aforementioned French Quarter, Magazine St. in the Garden District and in Uptown will be a beehive of activity; shops, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, etc. Also, Tipitina's on the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Napoleon has it's early evening Cajun music show.

>>our plan to do that is to approach the city by driving south over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (seems like that would provide a great view of the city coming in)<<

My preference would be to take I-10 from BR to NO and drive through some of the swamp and marsh areas. The view of the city from the Causeway is not really that spectacular, too far away, or maybe it's because I've seen it a million times. :)

>>....visit the city....<<

Are you implying that you will be visiting for only part of a day? You won't get to see much. Yikes!!!!!!

>>then exit via one of the two bridges over the eastern end of Lake Pontchartrain...either I-10 or US 11...any reason why one bridge is better/preferred over another?<<

Since it seems like time is of the essence, take I-10. There's not much that's interesting in Slidell, anyway.

>>we'd both be interested in taking a look at some areas that still show signs of being ravaged by Hurricane Katrina...is there any particular place along this drive that still has not really been rebuilt and is not too far off the route???<<

I-10 passes the Lower Ninth Ward and New Orleans East. N.O. East would probably have the easiest off/on exits.

True, but N.O. East looks like Paradise compared to the Lower 9th. I think you have to see the Lower 9th to really appreciate the impact of Katrina.

Believe me, I am familiar with ALL parts of the city and surrounding parishes and the destruction that occurred in each. BTW, I can show you other areas that were equally, or more, devastated than the Lower 9.

Examine his/her itinerary carefully and you'll understand why I suggested "The East" with the easy off/on. They want to drive from Baton Rouge after a peek inside Tiger Stadium, "visit" New Orleans, do a quick "Devastation tour", stop in Biloxi at a casino for a few hours, and continue on to Pensacola in less than 24 hours.

Actually, with that kind of itinerary, my suggestion would be to skip the "Devastation Tour" because, pardon me, I think it is a little disrespectful of what happened to our citizens and our great city to only spend such a brief amount of time viewing the destruction and thinking that you now understand "it". Those of us who have lived here all of our lives are still trying to understand "it". Sorry for the rant....

Anyway, I hope the original poster and father have a great road trip and get to see & do everything that they want.

Apologies if it seems disrespectful...that was certainly not our intention at all...

I agree with you slightly. That's why I recommended the Ninth Ward. It was greatly "devastated" but I think it offers a lot more than simply that. I actually liked visiting it as I enjoyed the houses and overall neighborhood. It may not be a typical favorite but I like visiting as I found random houses that have been refurbished and are in great condition, and very unique.

One could visit all the areas that have been devastated but as you point out, it would be really naïve and pointless. I wasn't here for the storm but I can understand why "devastation tours" aren't the best idea. But on the contrary, I think a "devastation tour" could be accomplished without the participant thinking that they "get it" after one day in NOLA.

To the OP, I think it's best to focus your visit around other attractions (Magazine St was a good suggestion) and you'll likely see little results of the storm around, perhaps while driving through. If it's on the way, I think it's worth it to drive throw the Ninth Ward but it's not worth it to go to other areas just to see devastation.

I'm not opposed to "Devastation Tours" because I think they can be quite educational. I've given some myself. However, I've lost count of the number of people who tell me they "saw the Katrina destruction"... as they whizzed by at 70 mph on I-10 through New Orleans East.

However, to stay on topic for the OP, this is what my suggestion would be, given your time constraints:

In Baton Rouge, try to see Tiger Stadium, aka, "Death Valley" and Mike The Tiger's enclosure (yes, a live Bengal tiger) and maybe a walk around campus.

Drive to New Orleans on I-10 and get off on the Carrollton Ave. exit. Drive straight on S.Carrollton towards St. Charles Ave. You could stop at the Camellia Grill (626 S. Carrollton) for a late breakfast or early lunch. Make the left hand bend onto St. Charles Ave. and you are now in the Uptown area. You'll see the streetcars, Tulane and Loyola universities, Audubon Park and lots of mansions.

Turn right on Napoleon Ave. and then left at Magazine St.. You'll see some of the funkiness of the street along with more interesting architecture. As you get into the Lower Garden District, you will have to bear left onto Camp St. from Magazine St.. Follow Camp into the Warehouse District, you'll pass the D Day Museum (National WW II museum). Continue into the CBD and park between Poydras St. and Canal St.. At this point, you can walk to the foot of Canal St, see the Mississippi River, spend some time at Harrah's Casino and walk into the French Quarter. You should be able to park for free on the street since it is Sunday.

When finished, drive away from the river, either on Poydras or Canal St., towards S. Claiborne Ave.. Take a right on S. Claiborne and go straight. After you cross Canal St., it becomes N. Claiborne. You can follow this all the way to the Lower 9th Ward. After you cross the Industrial Canal bridge and you get to the bottom, take the first left turn and you are in the Lower 9th where Brad Pitt's foundation wants to build houses. If you would continue on N. Claiborne, you would eventually enter St. Bernard Parish (about another 5 or so minutes).

When you've seen enough, find your way to I-10 and head east to Biloxi. This should give a good mix of the New Orleans area and help you accomplish your goal.

Sounds like a good tour. I'd suggest one slight detour. When traveling east on N. Claiborne towards the Lower 9th, take a left on Alvar St., into the Upper 9th Ward. In two blocks, on the right, you'll come to Musician's Village, a Habitat for Humanity project that's an all-too-rare bright spot in the rebuilding of New Orleans. Continue up Alvar, turn right on N. Johnson, and right again on Mazant St. You'll see Musician's Village from all sides, and Mazant St. will bring you back to Claiborne. (Better yet, add another day or two to your schedule so you can volunteer to work on the Musician's Village homes.)

One of the things I love about New Orleans: travel east while driving on North Claiborne. It's why most natives don't use north, south, east, or west when describing directions. We use river side, lake side, uptown and downtown, generally. :D :D

I'll never forget the time that a friend moved to N.O. from Boston and after being here for about a year, he started to get the hang of directions. We were going to meet to watch a carnival parade. I told him to meet me on the river side of the neutral ground of the Uptown, lake side corner of St. Charles and Felicity. We both had a great laugh when he showed up exactly there.

I hear you, but would you have said "when traveling downtown on N. Claiborne," since you'd already be beyond downtown? I think of it as east because you're heading towards N.O. East!

As for your friend from Boston, I'm sure you're aware that most Bostonians would have no idea what a neutral ground is, too! To Bostonians, a neutral ground is that part of Connecticut where allegiances are split between the Red Sox and the Yankees!

That's the way. It's an easy drive to Texarkana. The drive south from Baton Rouge is nice -- lots of greenery. If you have time, stop in Nachitoches ("NACK-uh-tish"). It's the oldest settlement from the Lousiana Purchase and is where Steel Magnolias was filmed. Has a very pretty river cutting in the tiny downtown. Lots of antelbellum mansions in the countryside around it.

How important is the ballgame in Dallas? The reason I ask is because the drive down I-25 to Santa Fe is drop-dead fabulous and takes about 6 hours. You drive across mile-high plateaus once you are near and in NM that go for miles. Nobody around... test how fast your car will go. :) You could explore SF history if you have never been. Awesome, awesome dining there, too.

But, it's about 9-10 hours total from there to Dallas via I-25/US84/I-40 through Amarillo and then US287 SE to Fort Worth via Wichita Falls. You'd see the Cadillac Ranch just outside Amarillo. You make major time in NM because the interstate limit is 80 and everyone goes 90. The rest of that drive would be ho-hum, like Kansas to Dallas.

Have fun!

I like Camelia Grill, the food is good, the experience is a New Orleans tradition. But, ultimately, it's diner food. If I had time for only one meal as I passed thru what may be America's best and certainly most unique culinary city, no way I'd be stopping for a cheeseburger (not even the one at Port O Call).

I don't want to start a whole debate on the best restaurant in the city, that's been done. But if we're talking lunch, it happens that the Dallas News ran a feature just yesterday on the best sandwiches in New Orleans. Any on their list would be a fine choice.

Their top 5, BTW:
Full story: link (free reg. reqd).