Abilene to AngelFire...RV Life Routing

[HackMan162]

Yesterday we traveled from Lubbock to AngelFire using RV Life routing engine. Started the prior day in Austin to Lubbock, and the route it took us to Lubbock was great!
Getting from Lubbock to Abilene was straight forward, but then once we hit New Mexico all the fun started. Took NM209 to NM489 to NM39 finally getting to US56 outside of Springer. Dang! I have been on smoother dirt roads throughout Texas than the NM roads. We are not heading home from AngelFire so will have different route, but does anyone have better advice from Lubbock to AngelFire?

Thanks!

[wolfe10]

Better roads are through Cimarron Springer, Clayton, Amarillo then south to Lubbock. 34 miles longer but good roads. This is the way we go.


Best road surface is up to Raton on U.S. 64 to U.S. 87 but is 46 miles more than your back roads.


Do NOT speed through Cimarron-- a speed trap much of the time.

[HackMan162]

Originally Posted by wolfe10

Better roads are through Cimarron Springer, Clayton, Amarillo then south to Lubbock. 34 miles longer but good roads. This is the way we go.


Best road surface is up to Raton on U.S. 64 to U.S. 87 but is 46 miles more than your back roads.


Do NOT speed through Cimarron-- a speed trap much of the time.

We wil be utilizing that route to Amarillo when we leave here, as we head over to Arkansas next. Hopefully it's smoother than the other rattletrap!

[OldBaldFat]

Originally Posted by HackMan162

Yesterday we traveled from Lubbock to AngelFire using RV Life routing engine. Started the prior day in Austin to Lubbock, and the route it took us to Lubbock was great!
Getting from Lubbock to Abilene was straight forward

????
Austin to Lubbock to Abilene????

Originally Posted by HackMan162

but then once we hit New Mexico all the fun started. Took NM209 to NM489 to NM39 finally getting to US56 outside of Springer.

US-84 is the route RVTW chooses for several different RV types that I've tried. Including your RV. From Lubbock to Angel Fire. Which has a great advantage of avoiding Amarillo TX, and I-40 mostly.

US-84 goes to Santa Rosa. Two options from Santa Rosa to Angel Fire, basically on the east side of the mountains or the west side.

On the east side of the mountains, I'd prefer the US-84/Historic Route 66 to Las Vegas, I-25 to NM-58 north of Springer and through Cimmaron of time was a factor.

The RVTW route through the middle of the mountains from Las Vegas - NM-518 to Mora, NM-434 to Angel Fire, I've driven it. Not bad, quite scenic, but slow.

West of the mountains is to take I-40 to Clive's Corner, US-285 up to Lamy where it joins US-84 - through Santa Fe to Espanola then NM-68 toward Taos, taking US-64 to Angel Fire just before Taos.

I would need to know your settings to figure out why it chose to take you away for the regular RV route.

That almost sounds like a shortest distance route.

That's the only explanation I can guess might have given you the different route.

Another question, what are you using for in-vehicle navigation?

I am NOT a fan of the RV Life GPS.

One reason is that I prefer to sit down the night before a drive and go through the route on the Garming GPS I use, turn by turn, so the GPS does not try to send me somewhere that I did not expect to go.

A GPS, or other in-vehicle device, only offers advice. All devices will give you bad advice at some point. The driver must make the decision to ignore bad advice. Remember the rule of 6 Ps.

[DKRITTER]

I agree NM roads are dodo especially state roads.

We've been to Angel Fire 2 different ways from Lubbock.
Lubbock to Clovis to Las Vegas catch I-25 to Springer and west to Angel Fire. This is our 2nd choice.
Our preferred is Lubbock to Dumas to Clayton to Springer on 412 and again west to Angel Fire.

We've talked to folks who came in from the south and everyone said it was a bad idea.

Part 2

You didn't say which part of Arkansas you're going to so I'll make a couple of suggestions.
If you're going north I'd suggest taking 412 all the way across Oklahoma it's a good road to Fayetteville and NW Arkansas.

Going to Amarillo and catching I-40. We always go through Dumas then down to AMA rather than down 385 and Boys Ranch rd. It can be a bit curvy. When we hit AMA we take the Loop 335 around rather than go through downtown.
OKC can be busy watch your timing.

[HackMan162]

We are headed to Fayetteville. Seems like 412 would take forever. Lots of small towns to go through. Have you driven that route before?
My current plan is to take the 87 to Clayton, Dumas, Amarillo, the I-40 across to I-49. Stop off at Elk City KOA for a night.

Thoughts?

[DKRITTER]

You can do either 412 is about 80 miles shorter. You are kinda correct, on the west side of I-35 you'll stop in several towns but it turns into a Toll-way at about I-35. Then you can go faster than you want to.

AMA and OKC might be a bit simpler, but like I said a bit longer. I-49 is a pretty road.

[HackMan162]

How is the road surface quality on 412? I have a F53 gasser, so that means a lot to me

[DKRITTER]

We were through there last August and it was fine. Again the west side was a little worse.

BTW If you have time go to Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AR. Beautiful Place

[oatmeal]

Originally Posted by DKRITTER

BTW If you have time go to Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AR. Beautiful Place

But loud. The guards seem to think they're Walmart greeters, chatting up patrons and yakking among themselves. And when a visitor used his hand to lean on a painting while reading the description label, neither the guard nor the person at the front desk right there by him said a word. I did.

At Turrell's Skyspace, there aren't any museum personnel so the visitors take on the job of ensuring there's no quiet contemplation.

[HackMan162]

I ended up taking 87 to Clayton, Dumas, Amarillo, then I-40 across to I-49 N. 87 is a very good road except for brief parts of it, and same with I-40 with the exception of a couple counties in Oklahoma. We head out of here (Fayetteville) and to Branson tomorrow.

[HackMan162]

Heading back to AngelFire in May. Wondering about routes from Southwest Austin. I like US-84 up through Abilene-Lubbock and north on I-27 to Amarillo/Dumas/Clayton/etc.
I am wondering what the US-83 is like from Abilene to US-287 southwest of Amarillo is like.
Anyone have any opinions between these two routes?

[DKRITTER]

Originally Posted by HackMan162

I am wondering what the US-83 is like from Abilene to US-287 southwest of Amarillo is like.

Texas does a very good job of taking care of it's roads and US83 is no exception.
US83 is about 150 miles from ABI to Childress. (I'm kinda guessing this is what you're talking about.) 83 is 2 lane and thinner than I-20 or US-287. It will be slower going and you might need to watch out for Tractors and plows. You should be fine.

[M&MM]

Originally Posted by HackMan162

Heading back to AngelFire in May. Wondering about routes from Southwest Austin. I like US-84 up through Abilene-Lubbock and north on I-27 to Amarillo/Dumas/Clayton/etc.
I am wondering what the US-83 is like from Abilene to US-287 southwest of Amarillo is like.
Anyone have any opinions between these two routes?

We drive Hwy 83 from Childress to Abilene several times a year and it is a good road. Some construction right now but not bad. Most of the road is fairly recently reworked so as of now better shape than average.