San Diego to Hilton Head in 9 Days

[BlueCastleRV]

Hello irv2,

I have 9 days to get to Hilton Head for a reservation. I’m generally going be on I10-I20 with a short stint on I75/I16 past Atlanta. Any recommendations for alt routes or scenic byways/attractions given the deadline? We’re leaving soon and I always like the great advice here. Thanks in advance.

[KenZ71]

If it were me I would plan the 1st two days as long drives. Best case all goes well, no major delays.

Then the rest can be slow and easy. Pick a few Harvest Host stops, a campground or two for tank dump and refill.

[BlueCastleRV]

Thanks for the response ����. I think we’ll hit it hard early and find some sights east of the Mississippi.

[Americanrascal]

Suggest you bypass Atlanta and I-75.

As you enter Georgia on I-20, grab US 27 off the exit ramp at Carrolton/Bowdon and take it south to LaGrange (27 is nice 4 lane road though the Georgia Piedmont).(about 45 miles)


At LaGrange near the center of town, turn left on GA 109 and proceed on GA 109 east to Ga 74, about 2 miles east of Woodbury (+/- 38 miles). Proceed along Ga 74 all the way to Macon where you can follow several routes in town to grab I-16. Proceed from there to Savannah and on to Hilton Head

This route will not only be more relaxing and enjoyable, but you'll see the gently rolling piedmont of west Georgia. Carrolton and LaGrange have good pit stops right on 27 (Walmarts, good fuel options etc). Little Woodbury has a great grocery store (Ingles) on the road we often pit stop at as you pass through on GA 109. Ga 74 is about 2 miles past the ingles. The roads are all good 4 lane and 2 lane passing through some quaint small towns. Mileage virtually the same as your ATL/I75 plan but a whole lot more scenic and relaxing than the Atlanta metro grind.

Time could be 1 hour faster or 1 hour slower depending on how things are tied up around the Atlanta grinder west and south. (We avoid Atlanta like the plague opting for a more rural travel experience with good roads)

Not sure if you are making time or want to hit some interesting stops along the way.

Safe travels!

[andy29847]

If you choose I-10, the Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis, TX is not that far off the route. The park is one of the best bird watcher sites I have seen. Fort Davis is small, but there is a good restaurant downtown, the Blue Mountain Bar and Grill. The McDonald Observatory is not far away.

If you go into Fort Davis, then I would leave going southeast on 118 to Alpine, then East on 90. Highway 90 is an interesting drive with several small towns along the way. The Gage Restaurant in Marathon is really good. We like to overnight in Castroville at the Alsatian RV Resort. The is a real resort, not just an RV Park. Castroville was populated by immigrants from the Alsatian section of Germany, and local buildings and restaurants reflect that heritage. Haby's Alsatian Bakery sells the stuff that will make you fat.

Heading east from Castroville, highway 90 turns into an interstate type road and takes you through San Antionio with little drama.

On the far side of Texas we stop in Beaumont. This is just an overnight stop and we like to use the Hidden Lakes RV park.

I-10 through Louisiana is a chore. On the west side, roads are either under construction or bumpy. Traffic can be slow at the Baton Rouge Mississippi River Bridge. Be sure and use I-12 to save 50 miles and skip New Orleans. The best part of the drive is the elevated highway through the Atchafalaya Swamp. There is a rest area about halfway through this 10 mile stretch.

Pascagoula might be the easiest place to stop in Mississippi. There are several RV parks along the interstate. There is a beach front road downtown with some nice restaurants. The Pascagoula Beach, because of an offshore island, doesn't have any waves. When we have been there the water was brown and uninviting.

Heading up I-65 towards Atlanta, the Wind Creek Casino has a good RV park. We stay there and eat inside the Casino.

You can get off I-85 east of Montgomery on highway 80. 80 will take you through Columbus to Macon. It is not a high-speed corridor, but it saves some miles and skips Atlanta.

If you choose I-20, be advised that camping spots are hard to find from Fort Stockton to Fort Worth. This is mostly because oil field workers have filled up the available parks. We stay in Monahan at the Monahan's Sand Hills State Park. The park is in the middle of sand dunes and is a neat stop. Pappy's BBQ, just off the Monahan's I-20 exit, is on most "Best BBQ in Texas" lists.

Miles along I-20 to the east is Thurber, TX. Thurber is marked by their big smokestack. The Smokestack Restaurant is another good food stop.

Just west of Fort Worth, the Oak Creek RV Park, off exit 397, is a terrific RV Park.

We go through Dallas Fort Worth on I-20. As long as you avoid the rush hours, it is an easy drive. Traffic stacks up at the intersections of the north/south interstates, but seldom stops.

East of Dallas, at exit 498, there is a Buc-ee's Store. These stores are one of the best things coming out of Texas. They are big! Think 150+ gas pumps. Gas is normally cheaper there anywhere else. Walking in the front door of the store is a lot like going to the state fair.

My go-to stop in LA on I-20 has been Cinnamon Creek RV Park in Minden, LA. It is a mostly residential park that holds a few spots for travelers. I normally call them in mid-day, make the reservation, pay by phone, and never see the park attendant. The "traveler spots are easy in and out.

Camping on I-20 from Texas to Atlanta is not easy. If your camper is not too big, there are some state park options. The KOA Meridian may be the best spot in this stretch. The campground is in the sticks though. Carry a sandwich.

I have always followed the interstates through Atlanta. Traffic there will be similar to the other big cities you've seen on your ride. Speed picks up inside the beltway, but you would probably want to take the beltway south around Atlanta.

About Hilton Head - FORE!

[hamm2018]

Originally Posted by andy29847

Heading east from Castroville, highway 90 turns into an interstate type road and takes you through San Antionio with little drama.

On the far side of Texas we stop in Beaumont. This is just an overnight stop and we like to use the Hidden Lakes RV park.

I-10 through Louisiana is a chore. On the west side, roads are either under construction or bumpy. Traffic can be slow at the Baton Rouge Mississippi River Bridge. Be sure and use I-12 to save 50 miles and skip New Orleans. The best part of the drive is the elevated highway through the Atchafalaya Swamp. There is a rest area about halfway through this 10 mile stretch.

We came west on I-10 January 12th and the rest stop on the bridge was closed for rework. The bridge is 18 miles long, and it is an interesting drive across.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atchafalaya_Basin_Bridge

If possible, check and see if it has reopened yet. We had planned on a break stop but the exit was closed for the work.

[BlueCastleRV]

Thanks for everyone’s input. Looks like there is a cross country storm stretching south to i20. I may take 10 to stay south of the rain. I’ll check back in as we progress and get closer to i20.

Thanks!

[Isaac-1]

Good luck with it, once you pass the I-10 / I-20 split and decide which way you are going, let us know and we can possibly make some suggestions, personally weather permitting I would do the I-20 route, as it has less cities to deal with.

[Americanrascal]

My own experience has left me believing the I-10 corridor between Columbus TX and Baton Rouge (I-12 beginning)is less than desirable. Too many times traffic has been jammed up, too much congestion, poor and rough road surface and construction activity have caused me to avoid I-10 for east west travel because of that section.

I use I-20 in cold months when traveling east west and I-40 during warm months. I-20 has some boring stretches in TX but traffic is reasonable. I take the bypass around Shreveport to avoid the terrible road surface in the downtown section making the trip through there more tolerable.

We've enjoyed using the Ameristar RV Park at Vicksburg, MS and the KOA at Abilene TX on I-20 as a good stopping points for an overnight.

For making a good east west trip coast to coast, I'd start out on I-10 moving east then access I-20 to shoot east until US 80 just east of Meridian, MS, Then take the new and smooth 4 lane US 80 to Montgomery and grab I-85 over to LaGrange, GA. From LaGrange access GA 109 to Woodbury GA and a bit east of there grab GA 74 to Macon where you can take I-16 into Savannah and ultimately Hilton Head. That's all good road- easy driving and avoids the messy Atlanta metro area

[Charming]

We have made the trip in reverse several times going from Myrtle Beach to Indian Wells. We have never bypassed Atlanta, just avoid mid day. With 9 days to do the drive it doesn't leave a lot of time for site seeing.

I-20 is our usual route to get there quickly. I-10 is more interesting.

Going through New Mexico look up Karchner Caverns. It is a state park and has a dark skies camp ground. Nearby are several ghost towns and a mastodon kill site with an interesting trail.

In Texas, it goes on forever, if you have time to detour, Lubbock is worth a couple of days. We thoroughly enjoyed the Ranching Heritage museum. Near Abilene we camped in a state park near Buffalo Gap. Whoop it up with the cowboys in Fort Worth.

In Mississippi we visited the Vicksburg National Battlefield. I do not recommend the old courthouse museum.

If you take i-10, Pensacola has an excellent Naval Air museum. Check out Joe Patti's for fresh seafood to stock your freezer.

If you detour to Montgomery, AL Gunterhill is an excellent coe campground and Martin's has the best meat and 3 around. Montgomery is home to several amazing civil rights museums.

If you take I-65 to Montgomery then take I-85 north east Warm Springs is not too far from the interstate. I-85 will take you north to Atlanta and back on I-20 all the way to Columbia, SC where you pick up I-26 which will take you all the way to Charleston and from there hwy 17 to Hilton Head. Or short of Charleston take I-95 south to the Hilton Head exit.

[BlueCastleRV]

Good morning IRV2,

A quick update. We knocked out about 740 miles and currently in Las Cruces. Looks like a ~180 miles to I-20. Unfortunately there’s a high wind advisory with gusts of 70 mph coming at 1pm. Even if we left now it’ll overtake us in the middle of nowhere Texas. I’m thinking we hunker down here until the weather passes. Glad I had 9 days but we’re eating time now. I’ll make a game time decision on route either I-10 or I-20 depending on the weather at this point. Feel free to chime in. I’m driving a 2004 Diplomat towing an accord on a tow dolly. The blue castle tracks straight but I have precious cargo with so caution rules the roost.

I’ll keep updating .

[2cyber71]

I just did I 85 thru Atlanta from the south around the east bypass 285 to I 85 north.
It’s all under construction and is very narrow. Concrete barriers for many miles, rough road.
I had no other choice since I was heading to Gaffney. It was terrible. Never again unless they finish that 80-100 miles of construction.
It was almost all construction from Atlanta to Gaffney.
Dangerously narrow

[hamm2018]

Originally Posted by BlueCastleRV

Good morning IRV2,

A quick update. We knocked out about 740 miles and currently in Las Cruces. Looks like a ~180 miles to I-20. Unfortunately there’s a high wind advisory with gusts of 70 mph coming at 1pm. Even if we left now it’ll overtake us in the middle of nowhere Texas. I’m thinking we hunker down here until the weather passes. Glad I had 9 days but we’re eating time now. I’ll make a game time decision on route either I-10 or I-20 depending on the weather at this point. Feel free to chime in. I’m driving a 2004 Diplomat towing an accord on a tow dolly. The blue castle tracks straight but I have precious cargo with so caution rules the roost.

I’ll keep updating .

I-10 around San Antonio is being reworked, on both sides of San Antonio. To avoid allot of it, take the 1604 around and pickup I-10 again east of San Antonio. You will not miss all of the construction but allot of it.

But there is construction on the 1604 as well. About a 5-mile stretch of it on the NW side of San Antonio toward Randolph AF Base. Just don't hit the area at rush hour!!!!!

[Charming]

Sorry I didn't see it earlier, you could have made it to El Paso before 1 PM. We stay at EP Roadrunner RV park, close in and right off the interstate. . Lot's of good food in the area.

I-20 is the most direct route and although some crappy roads, not a lot of construction.