rdtrippr

Hi! I am planning a return road trip (14-16 days) from San Francisco, CA to San Antonio, TX around Thanksgiving. Neither my car nor I can handle any snow on the roads. I am thinking of the below itinerary. It will be great if you can suggest:

1. Any places I should skip due to snow or any other reasons
2. Any places I should add to the itinerary
3. Day 11 and Day 12 seem little hectic for driving. I can add one more day here but did not find any good place to visit and stay for a night. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Day 1: San Francisco, CA to Palm Springs (8 hours drive)
Stay at Palm Springs, CA

Day 2: Palm Springs to Joshua National Park (1 hour drive)
Joshua National Park to Tucson, AZ (5 hours drive)
Stay at Tucson, AZ

Day 3: Tucson, AZ to Saguaro National park (20 mins drive)
Saguaro National park to Las Cruces, NM (4 hours drive)
Stay in Las Cruces, NM

Day 4: Las Cruces, NM to White Sands national park
White Sands national park to Carlsbad caverns (4 hours drive)
Stay at Carlsbad, NM

Day 5: Drive to San Antonio, TX (7 hours drive)

Day 6, 7, 8, 9, 10: Stay in San Antonio/Austin and make day trips to Caverns of Sonora/Fredericksburg/Houston

Day 11: San Antonio, TX to Roswell, NM (8.5 hours drive)
Stay in Roswell, NM

Day 12: Roswell, NM to Scottsdale, AZ (Pitstop The Very Large Array, Socorro, NM) (10 hours drive)
Stay in Scottsdale, AZ

Day 13: Scottsdale, AZ to San Bernadino, CA (6 hours drive)
Stay in San Bernadino, CA

Day 14: San Bernardino, CA to San Jose, CA (8 hours drive)

Thank you!

Barbara

Be aware that New Mexico currently has travel restrictions due to Covid.


https://cv.nmhealth.org/travel-recommendations/

Barbara

Also, check that the sites you want to visit are open, either because of Covid or weather. Today, for example, Carlsbad Caverns are closed because of snow and ice on the park road.

You may find that some park services, like food, are not available.

https://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm

janisj

I think pretty much all of your drive time estimates are on the . . . let's just say, optimistic side

rdtrippr

Yes, those are just google map estimates as-is. I expect it to take longer. Thanks!

mlgb

For the record, I'm against your trip on COVID grounds. But if you are going I would not spend a night in NM.

If they are serious about quarantine orders, I would stay in AZ and TX on either end and do a daytime drive through. EG El Paso to Willcox. I might try to do both of your NM sights in one long day if you can.

If NM didn't have their COVID restrictions I'd put in a recommendation for the Motel 6 in Lordsburg NM. (A good place for gassing up at the truck stops around Lordsburg).