Road trip --- Cal to Tx over I-10 ---Help

[notned]

We're planning to take our teardrop to Beaumont Tx and move back my step-son, wife and baby. (Motel's on the way home) I'm trying for camping the other side of Phoenix and fort Stockton Tx. My head is spinning with Phoenix. Help me find a place for an overnight.

It's the first time for anything like this so feel free to correct my assumptions or mention new things that I should think of.

[chorizon]

50 or so miles west of Ft Stockton is a nice state park. Balmorrhea State Park is just a few miles off of I-10.

125 miles or so to the east of Ft Stockton are the Caverns of Sonora. Nice place.

In between their are KOAs in Ft Stockton and I believe Ozona.

You'll be driving all the way thru San Antonio and Houston on the same day, I assume.

That's doable, but won't be very fun...

[notned]

Point taken. I-40?

[planovet]

Balmorrhea State Park is just a few miles off of I-10.

That brings back some memories. We used to go there when I was a little planovet. The park has a 1.75-acre, 3.5 million gallon freshwater pool fed by the San Solomon Springs. The spring has a constant flow of 22 to 28 million gallons a day so no chlorination is required. The water temperature ranges from 72 to 76 °F and is up to 30 feet deep. It a fun place to visit.

[JuneBug]

50 or so miles west of Ft Stockton is a nice state park. Balmorrhea State Park is just a few miles off of I-10.

125 miles or so to the east of Ft Stockton are the Caverns of Sonora. Nice place.

In between there are KOAs in Ft Stockton and I believe Ozona.

Thumbs up on Balmorrhea State Park.

There are Texas state parks in Junction (actually a few miles out of town) and one right in Kerrville on the Guadalupe River as well.

[chorizon]

Thanks for the +1s one Balmorhea, Mark and Junebug.

I really love traveling and visiting places in far west Texas...

..had a lot of good times out there...

Notned, I-40 would be unthinkable, it would take you almost 700 miles out of the way...

Take "the 10" (in Cali parlance), but plan on hitting SA around 9 AM and you'll be half-way to H-town by noon.

You'll "squeek" through Houston just as rush-hour is getting going again and be in Beaumont by around 5 PM or so.

Stay overnight, and do basically the same thing heading back.

...If you head back...

Beaumont has a, how do you say?

Je ne sais quoi!

[asianflava]

We stopped there and it happened to be the day they they drained the pool for cleaning. There isn't much in West TX.

[matthew.carlson]

I live in El Paso, and visit my father often in Mesa, AZ (Phoenix Area).

I normally stay either in the KOA at apache junction, or Usery Mountian Regional Park. http://tinyurl.com/2cfeul2
These are the only two places I can find in the area that does not have a 55+ Age Restriction.':shock: All the other "Camping" is for Full Time Retired folks who normally spend their winters there. At 37, I'm not old enough to qualify for an overnight in the bigger resorts.

In order to avoid the Tucson Traffic, I usually travel on US 60 and US 70 from Mesa, AZ to Lordsburg, NM where I get back on I-10. This route is much more scenic than I-10 and Tucson. It's also nearly 50 miles shorter.


Here are directions:

1. Head east on I-10 E toward Exit 153

2. Take exit 154 to merge onto US-60 E toward Mesa - Globe
80.4 mi

3. Continue onto US-70 E/E Ash St
151 mi

4. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Interstate 10 Business E/Deming and merge onto W Motel Dr
0.2 mi

5. Turn left onto the ramp
43 ft

Lordsburg, NM Interstate 10

There are gas stations in Globe, Safford, Duncan, and Lordsburg. I normally fuel in Apache Junction, and then top off in Lordsburg at on of the truckstops there.

[notned]

Thanks very much for your input.

I'm taking everything said into account.