I am planning a cross country ride in 2012, which will take me through Texas, Louisiana and Florida. My route through Texas and LA is pretty easy, but I am not sure what route to take through Florida. I have family in Tampa, friends in Miami that I plan on seeing and I want to get down to Key West.

 

Are you jumping over MS and AL? Gulf front is always scenic, Hwy 98 through Gulfport Biloxi MS area. At Mobile, go down to Dauphin Island and take the ferry over to Fort Morgan across Mobile Bay, then east to Gulf Shores, along the Gulf east to Perdido Key, into Pensacola, 98 to Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Beach, then east through the Gulf Island National Seashore to Navarre Beach, great scenic ride. East you can take 98 to Destin, half scenic, half commercial. Panama City has developments/high rise condos along their beach, scenic but congested.

 

This is what I'm thinking. I haven't ridden this route, but I have been in a car on this route.

What route you taking through Texas and LA?

 

3 ways to go .. If Like watching the Gulf and want to be close to the Water.. Definitely take Hwy 98 but is congested from Pensacola to Panama City .. If want to move a little quicker but still have scenery take Hwy 90 .. If want to Haul azz and get some Miles behind you take I-10 .. I like taking I-10 until get to Hwy 231 and then it takes you south down to Hwy 98 on the West side of Panama City and then Follow Hwy 98 From there through Port St Joe, Appalachicola, Carrabelle, and on into Perry where can then take Hwy 19 south and Follow the Gulf that way down to Crystal River anyway, then are better options from there to get to Tampa but just covering the Panhandle in this thread.. Can probably get some good input if add this to the Florida Crew Section of this Forum ..

 

I want to go through San Antonio and see the Alamo; then, I have family in Houston. From there, I was going to go to New Orleans. Big Bend is a bit out of the way, but I might take a detour for a day to see it. I've seen some pictures though and I am not sure it is worth adding a day for it.

 

I'm not real familiar with the area and was really just planning on trying to make good time from Houston to New Orleans.

On my way back, I will probably take the I20. So, depending on how I go I could pass through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. I would like to maybe see some Civil War historic sites; but, I want to make good time on the ride back and not do a lot of site seeing.

 

Olustee Battlefield about 20 miles east of Lake City on Hwy 90 is FL's only Major Battle of the Civil War .. They reenact it every year in Feb when the actual battle was fought ..

 

If you are taking I-20 back, visit the Cival War Battlefield Park at Vicksburg. It is pretty big and you could spend half a day or less there. Nice park.

If you did 98 along the coast in MS you could see some nice places and a lot of what is not there since Hurricane Katrina. We hit 98 in LA at Slidell and ride east a lot. Runs through the marshs, then you hit the gulf. Riding east, once you cross the bridge into Ocean Springs, you are leaving the gulf view and I would reccomend hitting the interstate.

If you did the ferry to Gulf Shores from Dauphine Island and then east, stop at FloraBama on the AL/FL line and drink a beer. See the shrimp boats at Bayou La Batre. There are a lot of them. May even see Forrest Gump.

If you were around I-10 in FL panhandle, Ponce De Leon Springs State Park is located just outside Ponce De Leon, FL. Cost like $5 to get in. The water coming out of the spring is 68 degrees year round. Quite refreshing and a beautiful place. If you have never experienced anything like this it is worth the trip in my opinion. A friend of mine said if it was one degree colder, you could not stand it.

 

Liking this idea.