I 10, GULP, any better? - Montana Owners Club

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-24-2008, 09:27 AM

Yea, we know, it has not been good for quite a while, and Al and I would rather NOT, but, find that it is a distinct possibility that we will be running that area soon.

SOOOO, can any one who has been towing from Houston east in the last 6 months give us any feed back??

Looks snarly around Lake Charles, per my mapping program?? is it???

Is it still gonna chuck the living daylights out of us??

Be truthful, we can take it.

Or, offer alternative roads??? 190 and 90??? is that a lot of stop and go thru towns???

Thanks for any feedback! Good, bad, or ugly.

Waynem · 03-24-2008, 11:28 AM

Carol,
Where are you headed to? There may be alternatives depending how much you want to go out of your way.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-24-2008, 11:29 AM

Route, roughly, is from Mission to Richmond VA, via Gulf Shores AL

Waynem · 03-24-2008, 04:01 PM

Carol,
That's a tough one on alternates. Some of the more Scenic routes i have been on on a 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler cage have some narrow roads but they are not winding as such. Texas 12 out of Vidor and 190 over to Baton Rouge come to mind. From BR to GP its all freeway. If you take 12 out of vidor you may want to stop at Cashatta Casino and drop some coins in the slots. They have a CG there. Or you can Boondock.

Long day trip from Mission though.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-24-2008, 04:04 PM

No day trip for this ole cloudy brained retarded, errrr, retired gal. NOPE. Not in a solo vehicle, and for sure, Not with Tana in tow.

SOOOO, has NO ONE been on I 10 lately???? GULP. that is scary in of itself!

tbhd2 · 03-24-2008, 05:04 PM

We just went from RGV to Mississippi on I-10. Whoopee! Some sections not so good but in all fair to good. Lots of construction areas and there are still some bumpy sections. They have been working on it and there are some sections that are just repaved. Now, going through Houston is another story------Don't think we'll ever do that again.

CmdrDewey · 03-24-2008, 05:23 PM

Carol,

We came west on I10 in December. Most of the worst areas have been paved. I'm guessing maybe about 20 miles that is really unpleasant. If you have to go through Houston either take the Sam Huston Parkway but that will cost you about $35.00 or pick a time like about 10 AM on Sunday and go right through the middle.

JimF · 03-24-2008, 05:26 PM

Houston via I-10 isn't to bad during the week, sections are closed for work on weekend, around Beaumont there are some narrow sections due to construction, Loiuiana has improved greately over the years. Some bumpy sections for about 40 miles, but not as bad as they used to be. I went stright down I10, to I12 cutoff, then I12 back to I 10, we normally stop around Gulf Shores also. Not to bad after Lake Charles to the swamp bridge.

foggyb · 03-25-2008, 01:26 AM

Last year we went north to RT84 and took it all the way to Thomasville GA. Compared to I10 it was delightful. Nice and easy with a good part of it being 4 lanes with almost no traffic. It is our way west and east from now on. Dan

OntMont · 03-25-2008, 03:39 AM

We have enjoyed the back road routes to get around Houston by going along the shore to Galveston, across Galveston Bay on the free ferry, and following the shore again until the road heads north back onto I-10. Not a fast route, but a pleasant change of pace from the Interstates.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-25-2008, 03:40 AM

Dan,

Do you mean 84???

Looking at that Houston thingy, $35.00 yikes. We did Houston 5 years ago, and took the 610 to the west from Lousiana side to Katy side of Houston.

Any other suggestions, gladly considered.

THANKS ALL

Charlie · 03-25-2008, 04:44 AM

Carol-
Use this link to check Tx road conditions. Allows you to do a search by road number and county. http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/travel/road_conditions2.htm

There is on going construction in the Beaumont/Vidor area. Several miles of construction that they have reduced lanes to about 12' or so. Pulling a rig through there requires concentration.

To go the way that you are looking at.....I would move over to US77 at Falfurrias on TX285. Stay on 77 until north of Refugio to TX239 and east to TX35. Follow 35 to Angleton and get on TX288 towards Houston. From there you can either go the 610 Loop to I-10 or Sam Houston Tollway. Tolls are $1.75/axle and there are three booths that you will have to stop at. Traffic is not as bad on the tollway, but as others have indicated above, best time to make any part of Houston is on Sunday morning if one can not go around it. Houston traffic is one of the reasons I moved to North Texas.

If you decide to go the coast route to Galveston there is a toll ferry across Galveston Bay to Port Boliver. This is somewhat slower but lets you get around the Houston traffic. Expect some wait time if you try the ferry thing on the weekend.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-25-2008, 05:12 AM

Thanks Charlie

Could someone arrange for a helicopter to pick us up around Angelton and drop us past this mess on I 10 and Lake Charles??

Charlie · 03-25-2008, 02:59 PM

Carol-
On rereading my post I should have said the ferry at Galveston is free.

tbhd2 · 03-25-2008, 04:33 PM

Traffic jams are part of the fun of RVing, aren't they? (Not) It only took us 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get through there. Just make sure your brakes are working good, you'll need them. Ha Ha Ha. Or you could wait until 2 a.m. and go through. Maybe only a couple of jam ups.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-28-2008, 01:18 PM

Update, including a report on PART of I 10.

We took off from Mission, headed uptowards Victoria, and over towards Galveston. We stayed last night in Bay City, Texas. Have to say, we had mixed emotions on it, the owner could not have been nicer, and had a wicked sense of humor, $25.00 a night, and we only used the electric and cable (which was good cable, or seemed to be, a LOT of stations.) BUT, there was this train problem. Now, don't get me wrong, Al and I really DON'T mind the trains, like in Goshen, we hear em, but, we really don't mind em, they don't wake us up, or annoy us at all, we actually enjoy them. WELL, this train was like 50 years from the back of Tana. Gotta say that is a bit close, eh????

In the middle of the night, I got thinking, what would happen if a train would derail. I hate some of the things I think up in the middle of the night!!

Let me tell you, when that train went by, it was loud, the first time I almost, well, lets say, a bath room trip was ALMOST required!

So, not sure if we would stop there again, but we got a good story out of it, and I giggled all night long, me with clouded brain and black sense of humor. SIGHHH

OKKKKK, we left Bay City Texas this AM and wandered over Galveston way, we took the free ferry over to Port Bolivar. What fun, OKKKKK, maybe it is not if you have done it a dozen times, but, this was our first and we got a kick out of us, HEY IT WAS FREE!!!

While on the short ferry ride, Al started calling our campgrounds of choice for tonight. The first one was in Kinder, the casino, on 190. Well, let me tell you, the place had NO openings, they are booked solid full, 122 sites, FULL. And, who said the price of fuel was gonna slow down the RV travel industry?? SIGHHH

So, Al fell back to plan B, which was I 10. We ended up in a rather new place near Lafayette LA, on I 10. SOOOO, here is the scoop on that.

After getting off the ferry we towed up to Beaumont TX and got on I 10 there. ROUGH roads in that area.

from the LA state line to just before Lake Charles area, the road was smooth.

In Lake Charles area there is a bunch of construction, we hit that area bout 3 PM and did not experience any traffic slow downs. Part of the road there was the old I 10, BUMPY GROANNN, but, we got a taste of the new stuff, SWEET!! smooth and wonderful.

From about mile 45 to Duson, all I 10, very smooth, pleasant drive.

Tomorrow we believe we will do I 10 to Baton Rouge, and then I 12 into Mississippi. I'll try to take notes on the road conditions there. I am most interested in the area right around I 55 and New Orleans etc. That is where I remember it being so horrible.

Have to say, the Isolator really performed today. And we are very glad to have it!

Waynem · 03-28-2008, 03:33 PM

Carol,
So sorry I did not know you were passing through Galveston. I live only 14 miles from there. i could have met you at the ferry landing and had a chat before you floated across. Heck, may have even ridden over with y'all. Next time give a shout.

Bon voyage1 Bon chance! (You are in Louisiana, right?)

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-28-2008, 03:55 PM

Bummer on the miss, sighhhhh.

I asked Al, would he do the ferry again, he said, yep, if it fits into our travel plans, FOR SURE.

SOOOO, ya just never know, eh??

Mrs. CountryGuy · 03-31-2008, 02:42 AM

Been trying to post for several days, the internet and Carol are having a battle of the wits,

Anyway, from Duson to Gulf Shores, around exit 104 Louisiana, it was rough for a bit. the really long swamp bridge was pretty smooth, or mildly rough, but, not annoyingly rough.

Baton Rouge, GULP, 3 accidents, 2 on the bridge crossing the Mississippi river, rather slow, ok, very slow.

I 12 was ok, cept they really need to address the bridges, jarring does not describe the events. painful does.

At I 12 to I 10 (east side of BR), it got real rough for a couple of miles, I mean ROUGH!

From that point on, was smooth sailing.

Redrover98 · 03-31-2008, 03:30 AM

You may want to look at US 84. We took it on our trip to Arizona during the fall of 2006. Lots of 4 lane road, pleasant, scenic travel and nice breaks when you have to go through the small towns and cities. We are heading west this Thursday and will travel US 82, a little further north of 84. The reasons are the same.

Dee

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