Back to Los Angeles, pitfalls on I-10?

[bousozoku]

I hope the weather is good. I'm once again going to make the drive from 45 minutes west of the east coast to the west coast. It's 3 days, 15 hours each. The state of Texas takes a whole day by itself.

I know that the bridge between Floriduh and Alabama on I-10 is hanging by a thread. Anything else? I'm avoiding New Orleans by taking I-12 through that area.

Is there any advantage to going north? It looks as though I-20 and I-30 don't continue, but I-40 is practically coast-to-coast.

 

[bousozoku]

Well, I took I-10 to near New Orleans, slid over on I-12, then back to I-10 after I-12 finished. Went up to Dallas/Fort Worth on I-45, and after a great o-sushi lunch, took I-20 and landed on I-10 again tonight a couple hours east of El Paso.

Things weren't too bad though construction is typical. Louisiana has some strange roads--each little block has a hump in the middle, so you go down the road thump thump thump.

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

 

[iSaint]

Well, I took I-10 to near New Orleans, slid over on I-12, then back to I-10 after I-12 finished. Went up to Dallas/Fort Worth on I-45, and after a great o-sushi lunch, took I-20 and landed on I-10 again tonight a couple hours east of El Paso.

Things weren't too bad though construction is typical. Louisiana has some strange roads--each little block has a hump in the middle, so you go down the road thump thump thump.

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

I used to love those 'thump-thump' roads, great rhythm starters.

Did you not find any Apple stores along the way?

 

[yg17]

Sounds like a hell of a drive. I was about ready to drive my car off a cliff when I had to drive from STL to NYC and back in a weekend. I don't mind driving short distances, but cross country I don't think I could do.

I have to do STL to Washington DC next week, but I'm flying back, so at least that's not round trip.

 

[Stampyhead]

I heard there is going to be some construction on I-10 just west of Phoenix (freeway widening) sometime soon, but I haven't been able to find any details on it. I'll let you know if I find out anything.

 

[furryrabidbunny]

I heard there is going to be some construction on I-10 just west of Phoenix (freeway widening) sometime soon, but I haven't been able to find any details on it. I'll let you know if I find out anything.

Isn't every single freeway/interstate under construction out here. So damn annoying. I have to use US60 which goes down to one lane every Friday-Sunday, adding about 15 minutes to my trip (or an hour if I make the mistake of going on it). If you hit Arizona on the weekend, stay off most of the Freeways, they are at a standstill most of the time.

 

[Stampyhead]

Isn't every single freeway/interstate under construction out here. So damn annoying. I have to use US60 which goes down to one lane every Friday-Sunday, adding about 15 minutes to my trip (or an hour if I make the mistake of going on it). If you hit Arizona on the weekend, stay off most of the Freeways, they are at a standstill most of the time.

Yeah, no freakin' kidding, dude. I just moved out to south Gilbert just on the border of Queen Creek and every road into that area is either closed or down to one lane. Driving in this mess is not good for the blood pressure, let me tell you. The new 202-Santan Freeway is a godsend, but it will soon be jammed up like the rest of them.

 

[adk]

I wouldn't worry about going around new orleans unless it's quicker (I honestly have no idea). I'm not sure of the bridge between FL and AL, but I think you're thinking of the Bridge over Escambia Bay, just east of Pensacola. Westbound should be fine, they have two lanes unlike the easbound lanes where it's a single lane and you feel like you're going to die. The Bridge over Mobile bay is fine, and if you change your mind on going through New Orleans the bridge over lake ponchartrain is OK, you just have to slow down to about 45 usually. Otherwise like I said 1-10 through new orleans is fine.

 

[bousozoku]

The bridge around Pensacola wasn't any more of a mess than it was a year ago. Apparently, Katrina and Rita didn't make things worse than Ivan did, although the news led us to believe that it was more damaged.

Phoenix...ugggh. I ended up there about 6:30 p.m. and there was every kind of mess imaginable. Is driver's education optional? They're almost as bad as Orlando drivers. I can't believe that I've complained about Texas drivers...almost. In Phoenix, people kept taking advantage of the HOV lane when there wasn't more than 1 person in their car, or more appropriate, a gas-guzzling SUV. I was surprised that the lane didn't have a physical barrier and that you could just drive into it. (Phoenix is no longer a 2nd choice but Las Cruces, NM was pleasant.)

Anyway, I made it in 15 hours from Van Horn in West Texas to Ontario, CA, just outside Los Angeles. Considering that I stopped for ice cream and didn't just scream down the road, I did really well.

Now, I need to go out and look for apartments and Asian grocery stores and whatever else. See if I can live here.

 

[Stampyhead]

The bridge around Pensacola wasn't any more of a mess than it was a year ago. Apparently, Katrina and Rita didn't make things worse than Ivan did, although the news led us to believe that it was more damaged.

Phoenix...ugggh. I ended up there about 6:30 p.m. and there was every kind of mess imaginable. Is driver's education optional? They're almost as bad as Orlando drivers. I can't believe that I've complained about Texas drivers...almost. In Phoenix, people kept taking advantage of the HOV lane when there wasn't more than 1 person in their car, or more appropriate, a gas-guzzling SUV. I was surprised that the lane didn't have a physical barrier and that you could just drive into it. (Phoenix is no longer a 2nd choice but Las Cruces, NM was pleasant.)

Anyway, I made it in 15 hours from Van Horn in West Texas to Ontario, CA, just outside Los Angeles. Considering that I stopped for ice cream and didn't just scream down the road, I did really well.

Now, I need to go out and look for apartments and Asian grocery stores and whatever else. See if I can live here.

Glad you made it there alive. Phoenix is a nightmare. Sorry you had to experience it. Now you know what I go through every morning and every evening. Man, I need a new job...

 

[furryrabidbunny]

The bridge around Pensacola wasn't any more of a mess than it was a year ago. Apparently, Katrina and Rita didn't make things worse than Ivan did, although the news led us to believe that it was more damaged.

Phoenix...ugggh. I ended up there about 6:30 p.m. and there was every kind of mess imaginable. Is driver's education optional? They're almost as bad as Orlando drivers. I can't believe that I've complained about Texas drivers...almost. In Phoenix, people kept taking advantage of the HOV lane when there wasn't more than 1 person in their car, or more appropriate, a gas-guzzling SUV. I was surprised that the lane didn't have a physical barrier and that you could just drive into it. (Phoenix is no longer a 2nd choice but Las Cruces, NM was pleasant.)

Anyway, I made it in 15 hours from Van Horn in West Texas to Ontario, CA, just outside Los Angeles. Considering that I stopped for ice cream and didn't just scream down the road, I did really well.

Now, I need to go out and look for apartments and Asian grocery stores and whatever else. See if I can live here.

You can drive in that lane with one car if you have an alt fuel car. Couple of years back Arizona had this horrible program where if you exploted it right they basically gave you an SUV or truck powered by propane. They are the cars with the cloud license plates. Worse part is most of them don't even have those parts anymore and they wont be caught till they have to do an emission test. I hate driving in this state too... feel like someone is going to crush my civic with their lifted monster truck.

 

[adamb100]

I remember lake Ponchartrain, seemed like a bridge to nowhere, it was sooooo long. Also I am a fan of Phoenix granted the city was dead. We went there last year in July.

 

[bousozoku]

Glad you made it there alive. Phoenix is a nightmare. Sorry you had to experience it. Now you know what I go through every morning and every evening. Man, I need a new job...

I feel for all of you who live there. Tucson was much more country but it seemed much more liveable. I suppose the university has a lot to do with the traffic in Tempe/Phoenix. I think I'll take that state road to I-8 on the way back to avoid it all.

The commute in Orange County, near Los Angeles, isn't that bad. I spent a while in rush hour. (I really need to update the time zone on the clock in my car. ) The thing is, here people drive really, really fast, but they do it really, really well. Granted, I've only been in the LA area twice over about a week's time but my experience isn't on empty roads. I've never been on State Road 1 (PCH?) so I can't say about that. I remember there was a video game in the 1980s where you tried to cross the highway with whatever creature...like Frogger or Preppie.

A lot of problems I've had here are being in the wrong lane because I didn't expect the freeway to split or the ramp to be on that side of the road. That can happen anywhere. It does to me, at least.