Road trip advice - OK, NM dopers, I need your particular help!

In My Humble Opinion
1

Ok, since my move to Tucson is coming much quicker than I realized it would (it’s still the same dates, only it’s actually almost here), I’ve got to start planning the route out there - how long I expect it to take and stopping points, for the most part.

Now, I’ll be starting out in Youngstown, Ohio, but I’m not planning to take the obvious route from there. I’ll be heading into TN to see the parents, then a hop to Memphis to see my great-aunt who I haven’t seen in several years and who’s not doing too well health-wise.

So, lets call my jumping off point Memphis. Unless there’s a compelling reason to do otherwise, my planned route is I-40 to Albuquerque, I-25 to Las Cruces/I-10, then I-10 into Tucson.

This lets me avoid most of Texas, though it does make me drive most of Oklahoma.

I’m sort of assuming the following for driving days:

Memphis - Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City - ? Amarillo? Albuquerque? The latter looks doable, if there’s no major delays or construction. What other decent stopping points are there between Amarillo and Albuquerque?
Albuquerque-Tucson - this looks reasonable to me, as far as times.

I’ve been getting my times from Google maps, and I know they could be way off base. I am going to build at least one extra day into my schedule - in case I want to stop early, so don’t be afraid to suggest a place that might be worth stopping early (or starting late or whatever) to see - as long as they don’t take me way out of my way.

So, am I way insane for thinking this is really 3 days of drive time from Memphis? I’m not going to be hauling anything, so basically me and my car and road trip music.

Also - if you know these cities, suggestions for areas near them with hotels, preferably reasonably safe areas, would be great.

2

I live in the DC area, and recently had some friends drive out and visit me from NM. The day before they were planning to leave, my grandfather died, and I jumped in the car with them (they had space, and it was free to me).

We made it from DC to Albuquerque in two days. Yes, it was some insane driving, and a couple of long days, but it was done. Total, I think it’s about 30 hours of drive time, so I think from Memphis to Albuquerque should be doable in the time you’ve allowed.

There’s not really much between Amarillo and Albuquerque, just so you’re aware. There’s a few small towns, but nothing much.

Groom, TX has three huge crosses, and a sign saying they’re the western hemisphere’s largest crosses. You’ll pass these, so maybe you’ll want to stop, maybe you won’t.

I can’t really help on the Albuquerque to Tucson leg. As a driving adult, I’ve never really been out that way.

Good luck, and enjoy! You’ll be able to entertain yourself in OK by looking at all the handpainted/spray painted “Fire & Brimstone” signs, if you go through during the day. Also, they have a lot of billboards for strip clubs.

3

You have to stop at the Cadallac Ranch outside Amarillo.

Once you enter New Mexico, there are affordable places in Tucumcari and Santa Rosa with easy off and easy on both play up the Route 66 connection well. There are also good campgrounds if you are doing it that way. Once you pass Santa Rosa, pretty much the next stop of note is Albuquergue. Gas at Clines Corners between Santa Rosa and Albuquerque. Not so easy on, easy off in Albuquerque. Next stop after metro Albuquerque sprall to the south is Soccoro. After that stop in Truth or Consequences just to say you did. Las Cruses is a car friendly small city that it is very easy to navigate. It is a college town. For a bit quiter and cheaper accomodations 60 miles down the road (west) is Demming. Lordsburg is next, small hot and dusty, but decent food and motels.

4

I believe there are also some ghost towns on the Las Cruces -> Tucson leg of I-10 that you might be interested in checking out. It’s been a long time (~15 years) since I did that drive, though.

5

Albuquerque to Tucson is an easy day’s drive, about 7 or 8 hours as you have it planned. You can shave about a bit of that off by taking Highway 26 between Hatch and Deming (no reason to go to Las Cruces). While Highway 152 looks like it might be a shortcut (from I-25 through Silver City and onto Lordsburg) , it’s going over the Black Range, which is very scenic but slower. I’d say Highway 152 if you have time, Highway 26 if you want to make the best time.

6

I see no reason why it can’t be done. Last trip I took that put me through most of Tennessee having come from Martinsville, VA. If I remember correctly, I made it through Tennessee, Arkansas, and part of Oklahoma in one day, stopping for the night in a little motel somewhere in OK. Drove straight through to Albuquerque the next day, stopping as needed for gas. (I was driving, along with my parents, but in two different cars and we had very different gas requirements due to both mileage and tank size, so I can’t tell you any good spots off the top of my head.) If you can make it from Memphis to Albuquerque in two days, you can make Albuquerque to Tucson in one day. If you want to come down I-25 to I-10, that’ll be about 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on how often you stop–there are three rest stops on the I-25 stretch but the only good cities to stop in before Las Cruces are Socorro and TorC. I often drive straight through from Las Cruces to Albuquerque or vice-versa because, as I said, it’s often less than 4 hours non-stop (but a real killer on the leg without cruise control.) I’d say it’s about another four hours to Tucson from Las Cruces, again, doable non-stop if you like.

I’d do whatever you can to make Albuquerque by the end of the second day. Spend the night and get up early while it’s still kinda cool and maybe hit the road no later than 7 or 8 AM. Have lunch in Las Cruces, gas up, and head onto I-10. You’ll be in Tucson before it’s dark.

This, of course, is if you’re trying to make time.

7

You’re right, of course, about not having to come all the way to Las Cruces. But I’m not sure hitting one of those highways, even 26, is a better choice than sticking to the interstates if you’re not familiar with the area.

8

And if you are not, I’ll suggest that you can simply drive US 70 all the way from Memphis to Las Cruces. Looking at that route, I’d guess 5 days minimum. :stuck_out_tongue:

9

Thanks - while time isn’t essential - it looks like I’ll have some extra between the movers arriving to pick up my stuff and their delivery, I’d like to make it to Tucson by the 15th to get my lease signed and the like - and to panic if I find that the place I’ve picked out is completely unacceptable (I don’t expect it is, though. I’ve done all the checking I can short of actually seeing the place).

I’m more than willing to stop at the Cadillac Ranch or other random roadside stuff - this is a drive I’ve never made before, so part of me wants to be willing to go “ooh, that looks neat” and stop - but without wasting huge amounts of time either.

But that gives me ideas to go on, and lets me know that my time frames aren’t so far off.

I’m really starting to look forward to the road trip.

10

Not to be a party pooper or completely off subject, but…My SIL and BIL stayed in Albuquerque on their way back from their 4-month stay in AZ. Their car was broken into and nearly everything they had in the car was stolen. Good thing she brought her jewelry into the room with her. The cop said it was becoming a common occurrence in that area.

None of this stuff can be claimed on your automobile insurance. I don’t know if you can buy some kind of rider to protect you when you’re moving, but you might want to look into it.

Good luck on your trip! It is a beautiful route, as I remember it.

11

So true about both 26 and 152 and although 152 will give you some of the most beautiful country in the world, it will come at 30 miles an hour at some points. 26 is flat and straight and so lonely it will feel haunted at times.

12

There is no need to stay in Albu-hole-que. It’s a hole, and plus Lsura will be seeing a lot of cool stuff once she gets into the desert. It’s rugged mountains all the way.

I’ve made the trip many times, I’d definitely stop at some of the roadside Native American places, they can have some nice jewelery. I’ve stayed in Tucumcari many times and it was fine. It’s about and hour or so from Amarillo.

I’m envious of your trip. I so love being on the open road.

13

Wow, don’t even want to drive through Texas. You do realize that the state line is still just a sign by the road, right?

It takes about 10~11 hours or so to get from Memphis to Amarillo, maybe 4 1/2 from OKC to Amarillo depending on if you make many stops. You’d probably be better off staying in OKC so you can just get through Texas without even having to slow down. Be sure to keep your eyes pointed forwards as you pass through and you won’t even have to see much of it.

14

Ok, I had a really snippy response written and then stepped back to rethink.
It’s not about avoiding Texas. I’ve been to Texas. I considered taking a job in Texas, but realized I didn’t want to live in that particular city. What I don’t relish is the idea of driving across the whole state. Just my preference - I’d rather go some places I haven’t been before.

And I don’t want to deal with Houston or DFW. So what’s my other option? Oklahoma. And since I’ve not been there before, so much the better.

15

As you head down toward Las Cruces, keep an eye out for strange lights to the east. The last time I was making the reverse trip (Tucson to Albuquerque), I saw this very bright light streaking upward, well ahead of me, as I was headed along I-10 toward Las Cruces. I couldn’t figure out what it was until I remembered that White Sands Missile Range is on the other side of the mountains east of Las Cruces. The light was some missile test. I suppose it could have been an alien launch of some sort, but probably not.

Heading along I-10, you should also keep checking your rearview mirror. There isn’t a lot of traffic, so it’s not that rare to see some speed demon screaming along at 90+ mph. I nearly lost it on that same trip when some guy seemed to appear out of nowhere and passed me like I was heading in the opposite direction.

Tucson’s a great place! I loved it when I lived there.

16

I have to disagree with what Phlosphr said- Albuquerque is NOT a hole! I live in a suburb of Albuquerque, and it has good points and bad points, like any other city. It has some fine restaurants, especially if you like New Mexican cooking (different from Mexican cooking).

If you have some time, ride the Tram to the top of Sandia Mountain for some spectacular views!

Also, Tucumcari is 3 hours east of Albuquerque, so if you stop there, you will have a very long drive to Tucson.

17

I did New York City to Reno once in 48 hours. We would’ve made it into Cali too, but my wife had her TMJ act up and couldn’t drive, so we stopped and had a nap in a hotel in Salt Lake. You could definitely make it from Ohio to Albuquerque in 72 hours, but probably not see many sights that way.

IIRC you go through the river of fire or whatever it’s called on I-25 on your way to Las Cruces. There is so much stuff to see in NM, but most of it will require a few hours extra on your trip as the cool stuff isn’t usually right off the interstate.

18

I’ve done Gallup, NM to Oklahoma City in a day, so Oklahoma City to Albuquerque is definitely doable.

I have to disagree with mswas - there’s not really much of any interest in New Mexico. Imagine a bleak, featureless, endless expanse of desert. Keep that in your mind until you hit, say, Texas. Then you won’t have to imagine it because you’ll be in the middle of it.

General advice: if you see someplace selling reasonably-priced gas and your tank is not full, stop and fill up. Driving through Arizona two years ago I saw a gas station someplace along the highway advertising four-something bucks a gallon for regular, and it was the only gas station for miles. The southwest is very, very big and very, very empty.

19

Okay, time to defend New Mexico again! It is not a “bleak, featureless, endless expanse of desert” (Sorry, NinjaChick)! New Mexico has over 20 mountain peaks that are 10,000 ft+, thousands of acres of pristine national forest covered in Ponderosa Pine and Aspen groves, dormant volcanoes, red rock canyons, whitewater rafting through the Rio Grande gorge (1,000 ft. deep in places), several ski resorts around Taos and Santa Fe, White Sands National Monument- I could go on and on!

However, as mswas said, most of it isn’t right off the interstate, so if you’re just passing through, you might not be able to enjoy all that New Mexico offers.

I love living here! If you’re into outdoor activities, you’ll never run out of things to do.

20

You must have left Gallup in the dark. That or you think that the 30 miles of red rock cliffs to the north of I-40 and then the great view of Mt. Taylor is bleak and featureless.