Road Trip: Calgary to Texas. Anybody Been?

[tbiddy]

Has anybody done this drive and what is the best route? I’m off for about 2 months here soon for breakup and we always do something. Did a trip to Mexico at Xmas so thinking of maybe just doing Texas.

I google mapped it and it’s about 30ish hrs so I’m think 3-4 days to get there. 3-4 days home and 7-10 days in Texas. The drive there is my biggest hang up. I sit in my pickup for about 10,000km a month when I’m working, so I don’t know if I’m really excited to do it on my days off. We always do the west coast (BC, Oregon, Washington) but did that last year.

Is there anything to see/do on the route or is it pretty blah all the way there? Thinking we’ll do Houston/San Antonio/Austin. Maybe down to the coast but unlikely.

I’d prefer to fly and then road trip around. The wife wants to do a road trip. Happy wife, happy life.

[vinny]

Yup. When I was in college we drove from Olds to Texas for spring break. Down through Billings, Wyoming, Colorado, the Oklahoma panhandle into Amarillo. About 35 hrs to Amarillo if I remember correctly. San Antonio is great. Dallas/Fort Worth Stockyards. Rodeo, concerts etc. Austin has a good music scene. Went to check out Texas A&M just because. South down the coast is nice. Houston rained the whole time. Like a lot of rain. A lot of Texas looks like prairie here, just more desolate. We intended to make it to Brownsville, but ran out of time. Probably a blessing, considering it was spring break. Lol.

[Geraldsh]

I would go down I-15 through Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, into Texas. You can go really fast on those interstate highways

Spring break it will be getting pretty hot in the desert areas already.

[Dean2]

There is a ton to see down and back. About 5 years ago, was the last time we drove it. Went down through Salt Lake, then Arizona, met up with some friends and then across to Texas. Took a couple of weeks going down. Not the short trip but lots to see.. You can easily spend a couple of days just touring Slat Lake City attractions plus there is a ton of great National parks, the Grand Canyon etc worth seeing as you wander south. We came back through New Mexico and back through monument valley, Moab etc. Monument Valley is one of my wife's the top three favourite places anywhere in the world. We go through there quite often. If you have the time, it would be very easy to spend a couple of months just driving down and back and hitting the places on the way.

[Pekan]

Might be too far west for you, but New Mexico has lots to see. Ancient cliff dwelling villages, White sand desert, Santa Fe, Carlsbad caverns.

Which ever way you decide to go, make sure to go see the Alamo. Birthplace of the Texas Republic.

[Sundancefisher]

I’d go south and see Lewis and Clark caverns, then Yellowstone, then Grand Tetons, then the set of Zion, Bryce, Craters of the moon, Arches, then Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater then east into Texas.

[Berniebeag]

I drove to Austin on the same route as Vinny mentioned above. Montana has some nice scenery but once through there it is similar to the drive between Brooks and Medicine Hat all the way to Amarillo. I made it form Southern Alberta to Austin in 2.5 days but the first two were long days. Once you get south from Amarillo to Austin the landscape is a bit more interesting. If you had the time I would stay more to the West for scenery. I have not been to San Antonio yet but hear it is nice. I did also enjoy Austin. My personal opinion is if you did not have time to get over to Houston you would not miss much. My trips to Houston are always business so I am not up to speed on touristy things to do there but the crime is out of control. Do not leave anything visible in your vehicle there even if just stopping for lunch somewhere. Common to see side windows smashed out because someone left a bag of sort in there. Getting around Houston is a nightmare. Corpus Christi is a cool place to go to.

[lund17]

I do that drive at least once a year. For me it’s an easy 2 1/2 days of driving. I leave on a Friday. Saturday is the big day..16 hours behind the wheel and in Texas on Sunday afternoon. Leave Edmonton to Billings, MT than I90/I25 all the way through Wyoming & Colorado. Once you hit New Mexico find a route to cut across into Texas…depends where you want to go. Keep in mind that Biden Infrastructure Bill is in full swing so expect a lot of road construction and bridge repairs where every you go. Every state is doing it.

I would stop at the LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT, it’s an hour south of billings. After that the I have always enjoyed stops in Sheridan & Buffalo, WY. Scenery through Wyoming is amazing and the drive goes by fast for me. Be prepare for insane amount of traffic coming into Denver after travelling Wyoming but once you make it through Denver it is easy sailing.

If your wife is an HGTV fan than the SILOS(Magnoila) in Waco, TX are going to be a highlight. Also, the TEXAS RANGER HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM is in Waco and a good stop. You’re going to be driving right through on I35 if you going to Austin/San Antonio. My wife did the trip with me back in 2019 and she was dreading the drive but wanted to come. After we were back she said it was not too bad.

So much to see and do that it won't be hard to fill your days.