Road Trip! Gainesville, FL to Austin, TX this fall. Suggestions, advice?
April 15, 2013 5:48 AM Subscribe
I've used AskMeFi for travel advice before and it's been invaluable. This time I'm planning a road trip from Gainesville, FL to Austin, TX around Halloween to coincide with a music festival I attend each year.
I've been to the United States (NYC, San Francisco, and the Pacific Northwest) many times but never to the south – with the exception of Florida if that counts. Do you have any suggestions, places to definitely see, places to definitely avoid? More below if useful...
Looks like a fairly straightforward journey along I10 passing Tallahassee, Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans, Batton Rouge, Houston and up to Austin. I have also never driven in the United States, only travelled by plane and Amtrak. May fly out of Dallas Fort Worth if it makes the flights much cheaper. We are from the UK – two liberal designer/artists, into music, food (incl. Vegan / Veg), photography, art, not shy of staying in Hostels or Motels, not really looking to stay at the Hilton. Will have around two weeks.
Looks like a fairly straightforward journey along I10 passing Tallahassee, Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans, Batton Rouge, Houston and up to Austin. I have also never driven in the United States, only travelled by plane and Amtrak. May fly out of Dallas Fort Worth if it makes the flights much cheaper. We are from the UK – two liberal designer/artists, into music, food (incl. Vegan / Veg), photography, art, not shy of staying in Hostels or Motels, not really looking to stay at the Hilton. Will have around two weeks.
How tight will your schedule be? Florida to Austin is several days right there, and round trip may take up all your free time. If you have adequate free time and are driving in from Florida, you could stop off at the USS Alabama , or stop at any number of Old Southern mansions . And there lots to do New Orleans or Houston, including excellent art museums and architecture. If you are driving down from DFW, most of the attractions are shopping or caves. Maybe Glen Rose if you have time. That time of year, you also catch a US college football game.
posted by beaning at 6:38 AM on April 15, 2013
posted by beaning at 6:38 AM on April 15, 2013
That's a long, boring drive. Here are just a few tips:
- Enjoy Gainesville, e.g. Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, the Devil's Millhopper, and the trails at Paynes Prairie. That's landscape that literally inspired Coleridge's Xanadu by way of William Bartram.
- If you want a detour right away, my wife particularly likes Manatee Springs, which is sort of in the direction of Tallahassee from Gainesville.
- If you want to see Gulf Coast beaches, Panama City, Destin, and Gulf Shores are probably your best options.
- Plan a day or more in New Orleans. There are tons of places to stay in the French Quarter. Walk around there. Enjoy awesome food options on every corner. Take a streetcar down St. Charles Ave. Etc.
- Avoid hitting Houston at rush hour: 630-900am or 400-630pm. NASA may be worth a detour, if it intersects with any personal interests of yours. The Menil Collection's Surrealism gallery, Rothko Chapel, and Cy Twombly gallery are kind of worth seeing (Wednesday through Sunday) and not terribly far off I-10.
But honestly, Gainesville and Austin are my favorite places on your itinerary. Most people I know would power through that trip and maximize the fun at either end, though New Orleans is certainly worth the stop.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 6:42 AM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
- Enjoy Gainesville, e.g. Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, the Devil's Millhopper, and the trails at Paynes Prairie. That's landscape that literally inspired Coleridge's Xanadu by way of William Bartram.
- If you want a detour right away, my wife particularly likes Manatee Springs, which is sort of in the direction of Tallahassee from Gainesville.
- If you want to see Gulf Coast beaches, Panama City, Destin, and Gulf Shores are probably your best options.
- Plan a day or more in New Orleans. There are tons of places to stay in the French Quarter. Walk around there. Enjoy awesome food options on every corner. Take a streetcar down St. Charles Ave. Etc.
- Avoid hitting Houston at rush hour: 630-900am or 400-630pm. NASA may be worth a detour, if it intersects with any personal interests of yours. The Menil Collection's Surrealism gallery, Rothko Chapel, and Cy Twombly gallery are kind of worth seeing (Wednesday through Sunday) and not terribly far off I-10.
But honestly, Gainesville and Austin are my favorite places on your itinerary. Most people I know would power through that trip and maximize the fun at either end, though New Orleans is certainly worth the stop.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 6:42 AM on April 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
I agree that avoiding I-10 in general is a good idea. It's a very efficient, fast, straight, wide road that is very very boring for many (most) sections. For instance, from Biloxi, MS to New Orleans, you could take I-10 the whole way (about an hour and twenty minutes) or travel along US-90 for some or all (adding at most a half hour to your trip) and drive right along the white sands beach in Biloxi. Check the Google street view if you want to see what I'm talking about.
Also, on the Houston-Austin leg (a trip I know very very well) I recommend taking SH 290 rather than I-10. You pass through several small old Texas towns (and right past the Blue Bell Creamery, where you can tour and sample the best ice cream in the country) and see some beautiful scenery -- East Texas blending into Central Texas. Per Google Maps, it only adds about 6 minutes over taking I-10.
Houston's got some fantastic art museums, and Austin's Blanton Museum (on the UT campus) has a very wide-ranging and well-regarded collection.
posted by katemonster at 6:49 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, on the Houston-Austin leg (a trip I know very very well) I recommend taking SH 290 rather than I-10. You pass through several small old Texas towns (and right past the Blue Bell Creamery, where you can tour and sample the best ice cream in the country) and see some beautiful scenery -- East Texas blending into Central Texas. Per Google Maps, it only adds about 6 minutes over taking I-10.
Houston's got some fantastic art museums, and Austin's Blanton Museum (on the UT campus) has a very wide-ranging and well-regarded collection.
posted by katemonster at 6:49 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the replies already! They have highlighted two vital things I have missed -
1. This is a one way trip. Between two to three weeks.
2. This will be my fifth visit to Gainesville, I know the city fairly well.
posted by stackhaus23 at 7:08 AM on April 15, 2013
1. This is a one way trip. Between two to three weeks.
2. This will be my fifth visit to Gainesville, I know the city fairly well.
posted by stackhaus23 at 7:08 AM on April 15, 2013
I have driven from Biloxi, MS to Austin many times, and I gotta tell you, East Texas is a slog. It's suuuuuuuuuper boring, and even if you get off the interstate, there's just not that much happening for miles. Bring an audiobook (maybe something set in Texas or Louisiana?) and lots of music. Plus snacks.
I totally agree with Katemonster - 290 is really fun and if you're at all interested in looking at old stuff, there are a surprising number of stores that sell antiques, junk, old books, and stuff like that.
The Mississippi coast is actually kinda cool. The Ohr-O'keefe museum is pretty interesting, and it's right on the beach. If you eat seafood, you absolutely have to stop for some delicious food. I know New Orleans is right there, and duh, their food is also delicious, but it's so different!
Also, be aware that people in Texas drive trucks. Really big ranch trucks. And they're often pretty aggressive about it. If you're driving a smaller car (like I do!), it's definitely an adjustment to be surrounded by behemoths. Nothing you can do about it, but there's a heads-up for you.
posted by itsamermaid at 8:59 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I totally agree with Katemonster - 290 is really fun and if you're at all interested in looking at old stuff, there are a surprising number of stores that sell antiques, junk, old books, and stuff like that.
The Mississippi coast is actually kinda cool. The Ohr-O'keefe museum is pretty interesting, and it's right on the beach. If you eat seafood, you absolutely have to stop for some delicious food. I know New Orleans is right there, and duh, their food is also delicious, but it's so different!
Also, be aware that people in Texas drive trucks. Really big ranch trucks. And they're often pretty aggressive about it. If you're driving a smaller car (like I do!), it's definitely an adjustment to be surrounded by behemoths. Nothing you can do about it, but there's a heads-up for you.
posted by itsamermaid at 8:59 AM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Dont miss seaside, fl. You can get off I10 and take county road 30-A between panama city and destin. I used to live there so let me know if you have any questions, but it is a fantastic stretch.
posted by orangemacky at 6:56 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by orangemacky at 6:56 PM on April 15, 2013
We do this trip a lot. The goal is to avoid I-10 whenever possible. Some ideas:
Spend a night or two in Cedar Key (not too far from Gainesville). You can kayak to a barrier island. Also nearby is Manatee Springs and some neat trails.
Go along the "armpit" through Perry, FL and toward Tallahassee. You have a few options:
* Wakulla Springs has an 1930s-era lodge (no A/C, though, but October might be ok) and you can swim/tour the springs.
* Apalachicola is a sleepy fishing village that provides seafood for most of the region. Eat your way across town one evening.
* Tallahassee is home to FSU, a little more southern-twanged of a college town than Gainesville.
Next, drive along the beach. Pick a beach town. Destin is the newest and shiniest. Panama City is crowded and tired. Pensacola is an Air Force base with a beach. Grayton Beach is a tiny beach town that has a killer park if you're into camping. There are plenty of other options along the way like Mexico Beach or Santa Rosa Beach. The water should be warm enough for swimming and beautiful.
Once you get out of Pensacola you're pretty much stuck on I-10. You pass the USS Alabama in Mobile. Next stop is the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and you have a couple towns like Ocean Springs (a little artsy and fancy) or Bay St. Louis (a little more hard-hit from Katrina). At the very least you can drive along the beach and get off of I-10 for awhile.
Continuing west on I-10, you pass dangerously close to New Orleans. You gotta see New Orleans. Plan a few extra days for recovery though.
Lafayette is on I-10 and has a cajun flavor and some good eats.
After that, it's all BBQ and open range until you hit Austin, with the exception of Houston.
You'll likely go through many stages of culture shock along the way. Relax, eat some oysters.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:43 PM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Spend a night or two in Cedar Key (not too far from Gainesville). You can kayak to a barrier island. Also nearby is Manatee Springs and some neat trails.
Go along the "armpit" through Perry, FL and toward Tallahassee. You have a few options:
* Wakulla Springs has an 1930s-era lodge (no A/C, though, but October might be ok) and you can swim/tour the springs.
* Apalachicola is a sleepy fishing village that provides seafood for most of the region. Eat your way across town one evening.
* Tallahassee is home to FSU, a little more southern-twanged of a college town than Gainesville.
Next, drive along the beach. Pick a beach town. Destin is the newest and shiniest. Panama City is crowded and tired. Pensacola is an Air Force base with a beach. Grayton Beach is a tiny beach town that has a killer park if you're into camping. There are plenty of other options along the way like Mexico Beach or Santa Rosa Beach. The water should be warm enough for swimming and beautiful.
Once you get out of Pensacola you're pretty much stuck on I-10. You pass the USS Alabama in Mobile. Next stop is the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and you have a couple towns like Ocean Springs (a little artsy and fancy) or Bay St. Louis (a little more hard-hit from Katrina). At the very least you can drive along the beach and get off of I-10 for awhile.
Continuing west on I-10, you pass dangerously close to New Orleans. You gotta see New Orleans. Plan a few extra days for recovery though.
Lafayette is on I-10 and has a cajun flavor and some good eats.
After that, it's all BBQ and open range until you hit Austin, with the exception of Houston.
You'll likely go through many stages of culture shock along the way. Relax, eat some oysters.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:43 PM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, be aware that people in Texas drive trucks. Really big ranch trucks. And they're often pretty aggressive about it. If you're driving a smaller car (like I do!), it's definitely an adjustment to be surrounded by behemoths. Nothing you can do about it, but there's a heads-up for you.
True but aggressive is how the locals drive in general along this route. And don't forget that the 18 wheelers will be at 65-70 mph (110-120 kph, if google is correct).
And if you need to stop for food and are off the main roads, look for Dairy Queens and Sonics and Waffle Houses if there is no local bbq.
posted by beaning at 7:59 PM on April 15, 2013
True but aggressive is how the locals drive in general along this route. And don't forget that the 18 wheelers will be at 65-70 mph (110-120 kph, if google is correct).
And if you need to stop for food and are off the main roads, look for Dairy Queens and Sonics and Waffle Houses if there is no local bbq.
posted by beaning at 7:59 PM on April 15, 2013
I really enjoyed the tour at Laura Plantation, about an hour east of New Orleans. The house and grounds are gorgeous, and the tour is really interesting, and doesn't glorify the antebellum era and gloss over slavery, which can be an issue at plantation tours in general. On I-10 near Laura (at the Cecelia-Henderson exit) is the Boudin Shop, a funky little deli where I got the best fried alligator sandwich.
New Orleans is great around Halloween. Good weather, not too many tourists. You're probably going to want to spend a few days there. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is worth a visit, as is the French Quarter. But stay off of Bourbon Street, it's kind of dreadful.
The Museum of the Weird in Austin is really charming, and there's other neat stuff on 6th Street.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 9:16 PM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
New Orleans is great around Halloween. Good weather, not too many tourists. You're probably going to want to spend a few days there. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is worth a visit, as is the French Quarter. But stay off of Bourbon Street, it's kind of dreadful.
The Museum of the Weird in Austin is really charming, and there's other neat stuff on 6th Street.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 9:16 PM on April 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by pantarei70 at 6:06 AM on April 15, 2013