Community Forums

MikeGriffin · 02-03-2017, 09:04 PM

We're planning to travel from Pasadena to Orlando next January, starting around the 5th and hoping to reach Tampa by the 16th. Is that a reasonable goal given that it'll be winter?

Suggestions and comments are most welcome!

HavingABlast · 02-04-2017, 11:37 AM

Your 10 days is doable. I did Cortez, CO to Savannah, GA in 5 days last year. I am assuming that you are talking CA to FL. Eastbound on I-10 out of Pasadena it is around 2,700 miles. So you could average 270 miles per day for 10 days of driving, if driving is all that you want to do. Along the route however, there are many things to see and do.

Generally speaking, you shouldn't have many weather related issues on the southern route in January from CA to TX. I've not driven east of TX in January. I have read that the northern portion of FL is subject to colder weather in wintertime...something called the "frost line". I am sure that many on the forum can give you a better idea about the January weather in this region than can I.

As a suggestion, you might want to select 2 or 3 must see things along the way. Drive a bit longer on most days and build in a few layover days to relax and explore.

Keep an eye on the weather ahead of you each day.

Travel safely.

Isaac-1 · 02-04-2017, 01:12 PM

Generally speaking you should not have an issue, however in January it can get fairly cold in places along I-10 (west Texas, etc.) So there is the potential of single digit temperatures and all the issues that go along with it. Thankfully though it is rare for these conditions to last more than a couple of days.

Selah · 02-04-2017, 02:49 PM

We just went from Jacksonville, FL starting on Dec 26 arriving Quartzsite on Jan 14. We did several stops along the way. Weather was colder than normal but still fine for us. While in Trelingua we heard that there were iced roads in the Huston area. We missed that and had no real problems. The only real construction we ran into was at the east Taxas border, about a couple of mile at 30 mph.
You can count on averaging 50 miles a day taking into account fuel stops, traffic, and lunch breaks.