SAN FRANCISCO.
Places to visit in San Francisco:-
1. Golden Gate, Chinatown and view of Alcatraz. Turn right out of airport on Airport Blvd. (I.H. 101) and continue
N.
2. Return via Golden Gate Park and El Camino Real for Hills of Eternity Cemetery (Wyatt Earp/Josephine Sarah Marcus).
3. Other recommendations.
San Francisco Los Angeles.
Distance: 387 miles; 620 km.
Estimated driving time 6-7 hours 1 break. Route evaluation. Overview:
Mainly a populated area (not necessarily contiguous) with few, if any, isolated tracts and apparently no difficult terrain.
Main scheme: Leave San Francisco by Highway 101. Follow south to Los Angeles.
Route:
Highway 101 runs directly outside San Francisco International Airport and starts out SSE alongside evidence of the San
Andreas Fault. Both the topographic AND aerial photos show this clearly. Continuing SE out of San Jose, the Southern Pacific
Railroad runs parallel to the highway, and continues to do so off and on for virtually the whole journey, through what
appears to be fairly flat country albeit with hills on either side undulating and not much over 250-350 ft. AMSL.
Apart from traversing a quarry area which seems to be hilly (not mountainous) just N of Salinas, the highway continues SE
over very flat, or at most, gently rolling hills on either side of the highway - no more than 60 ft. AMSL. All this appears
to be cultivated agricultural land.
In the vicinity of King City, 150 miles {270 km} S of San Francisco, the hills W of the highway rise more steeply and are
furrowed by canyons. With one or two breaks this terrain seems to continue for some distance with the highway following what
appears to be the valley floor of the fault line, along the course of the Salinas River.
After Santa Maria the Highway enters into a hilly area with the road snaking its way in and around. The hills seem to be
crowding in on the Highway (scenic?). The Highway turns right (S) and crosses the Santa Ynez River at Solvang and again
enters a hilly area. Skirting the Santa Ynez Range 184 miles {294 km} W of Los Angeles, the road hits the coast and turns
left (E), towards Santa Barbara, 91 miles {146 km} from L.A. From Santa Barbara to Los Angeles the coast road seems to
pass through mainly urban or semi-urban contiguous areas. Leave the State Highway 101 at Encino turning south on Highway
405 (San Diego Freeway) for approx. 8 miles {13 km}. Turn left (NE) onto Santa Monica Blvd and right at the diagonal
Wilshire Blvd intersection then right again for S. Spalding.
Places to visit in Los Angeles:
1. Family visits
2. Hillside Park Cemetery, Culver City (Al Jolson; Jack Benny; Allen Sherman, et al.).
3. Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale Avenue (Alan Ladd; Clark Gable; Humphrey Bogart, et al).
4. San Fernando Mission Cemetery Bob Hope.
5. Beverley Hills.
6. Hollywood.
7. Other recommendations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Los Angeles Las Vegas.
Distance: 272 miles; 435 km.
Estimated driving time 5-6 hours 1 break? Route evaluation Overview:
Although shorter, this section may prove somewhat more difficult than our journey from San Francisco to L-A. It will be
our first encounter with parts of the wide open spaces of the American continent and some elevated plateau areas.
Most
of the topographical maps on line for this section date from 1969 and the first stretches of the present Highway 15 were
apparently not even in existence, the route then being covered by minor urban and suburban roads which were only later
reconstructed and integrated into the State and Interstate systems.
Main scheme: Leave Los Angeles via Ontario and San Bernardino (north-east) - Highway 15 Barstow Las Vegas.
Route:
Leave Los Angeles to the NE via Ontario. At Ontario it is necessary to seek out I.H. 15 (not shown on 1969 maps),
and turn off for Devore and Barstow. All this area thus far appears urban and metropolitan but on leaving Ontario and
heading NE, the route passes through a mountain range. Some of the contours show heights of 2-2,500 ft. However the Highway
skirts the range and at Devore turns north along a canyon accompanied by a railroad. At the NE exit of the range there
appears to be a plain probably a plateau - marked at 3,000 ft. The Highway continues NE and the contours are far apart.
The highway crosses the Mojave River at Barstow traveling slightly north of east. The area may still be plateau-like with
isolated hills dotted here and there to the south of the highway. The Union Pacific Railroad is parallel to the Highway.
Beyond Baker, the Highway seems to climb gently from about 1,500 ft to 3,000 ft. over a distance of approximately 10 miles
{16 km}, but the contours are far apart so the gradient should be gentle.
At Clark Mountain there is a mountain pass and immediately before the State line the Highway crosses the dried-up Ivanpah
Lake. The relatively short remaining distance into Las Vegas appears to be similar.
Places to visit in Las Vegas:
1. Family visits.
2. General sightseeing.
3. Other recommendations
Las Vegas Tombstone.
Distance: 444 miles; 710 km.
Estimated driving time 9-10 hours 3 breaks. Route Evaluation Overview:
This is quite a long leg with some stretches which appear to be isolated and it would be wise to confirm before leaving
if difficulties should be expected for any reason, and/or whether the Highway infrastructure and emergency services are
in place and adequate.
Main scheme: Leave Las Vegas (SE), via Highway 93 Kingman; Highway 40/93 Phoenix; Highway 10 Tucson Benson -
Tombstone.
Route:
The first 22 miles {35 km} takes us to the Hoover Dam via Henderson City (Highway 93/95), and the Highway actually crosses
the Dam just after Boulder City. Although fairly flat, the land is still high at about 2,100 ft. The Highway is accompanied
by the Union Pacific Railroad and traverses a mountainous area via various passes shortly before Boulder City, subsequently
crossing the Hoover Dam. Generally the Highway is following the NW/SE trend of the contours so the going should not be
difficult. For many miles the Highway is running straight SE apparently through a mining area (whether abandoned old
western or current I dont know), with many springs marked on the topographical maps.
(Sacred sites photographer Martin Gray, POB 4111, Sedona, 86340 928 282 3324).
Just before Kingman there is a hilly area but after leaving the city (E) on Highway 93 the country seems fairly flat again
at around the 1-1,500 ft mark. About 16 miles E of Kingman the Highway runs through a cutting and after about another
5 miles {8 km} Highway 93 turns south at an intersection. For many miles the Highway continues to run parallel with
the contours through an area peppered with ranches (quite a few are marked) so presumably there is vegetation here and we
are neither in a rocky area nor a desert zone.
In the meantime we have climbed to around 2-3,000 ft. The area is fairly mountainous but seems to be not excessively so.
60 miles {96 km} or so NW of Phoenix and just north of Wickenburg, the Highway meets, crosses and then runs parallel with
THE ATCHESON TOPEKA AND SANTA FE RAILROAD!!!!
Do yuh hear that whis-tle down the line?-
I fig-ure that it's en-gine num-ber for-ty nine,-
She's the on-ly one that-'ll sound that way.-
On The Atch-i-son To-pe-ka and The San-ta Fe-
See the ol' smoke ris-in' 'round the bend,-
I reck-on that she knows she's gon-na meet a friend,-
Folks a-round these parts get the time o'day-
From the Atch-i-son, To-pe-ka and the San-ta Fe.- Here she comes!____
Ooh,- Ooh,- Ooh,- Hey, Jim, yuh bet-ter git the rig!-
Ooh,-Ooh,-Ooh,___She's got a list o' pas-sen-gers that's pret-ty big-
And they'll all want lifts to Brown's Ho-tel,-
'Cause lots o'them been trav-el-in' for quite a spell,-
All the way from Phil-a-del-phi-ay,- On The Atch-i-son, To-pe-ka And The San-ta Fe.- Do yuh San-ta Fe.-
The long run from Kingman the latter half, after the ranching area is broken by a few cities here and there, like
Glendale and Sun City, especially approaching Phoenix. At Phoenix we leave Highway 93 and join Highway 10 and apart from
the slight diversion to Tombstone this takes us all the way to Pensacola. (We should have used this highway direct from
Los Angeles, had we not visited with Michelle in Las Vegas).
The Highway continues mainly south passing through several towns. Some miles south of Phoenix, aerial photos show the
land clearly sectioned off for agriculture and the route continues without any apparently obvious hazard-ous features as
far as Tucson. Tucson sits in between two pronounced mountains to the NE and to the W. The Highway continues first SE
then E at Mountain View Store. A short while later at Benson, we turn S for 14 miles {21 km} to Tombstone.
Places to visit in Tombstone:
1. OK Corral.
2. The Tombstone Epitaph newspaper museum.
3. Other recommendations.
Tombstone El Paso
Distance: 280 Miles; 448 km.
Estimated driving time 6 hours one break. Route evaluation Overview:
Again there is some quite high ground for about 130 miles {208 km}. However in eastern New Mexico the southern tail end of
the Rockies begin to fall behind.
Main scheme: Return to Benson; continue east on Highway 10 Las Cruces. Turn right (S) Highway 10 El Paso.
Route:
Return to Benson and turn E on Highway 10. The land is quite high above the 3,000 ft mark with many stream-beds marked
(probably like the Negev?). Just beyond the Cochise intersection there seems to be a large sand tract or salt-bed off to
the south of the Highway. As far as Wilcox, the Highway has a strong trend to the NE before turning more easterly when
approaching Bowie (3,790 ft). San Simon is 16 miles {25 km} down the road and only about 7 miles {11 km} from the State line.
Lots of mines are indicated but it is not clear if they are worked or abandoned. Other than that there doesnt seem to be
much evidence of organized settlements or urban centers until Lordsburg. Just off to the south of Lordsburg is the Ghost
Town of the same name (visit?).
The land is still high above 4,000 ft. and after traveling SE for a few miles beyond Lordsburg the Highway suddenly kicks
slightly round an elbow-bend to travel in a NE direction and passes through what appears to show (on an aerial photo) as
a hilly wooded section before arriving at Deming. Throughout the entire section the Southern Pacific Railroad has been just
north of the Highway. Since Deming, the land has been dropping considerably and about 9-10 miles {15-16 km} E. of the town
we are down to no more than 1-1,300 ft. It would seem that the high lands have been traversed.
6 miles {9 km} W of Las Cruces there is a fork in the road and Highway 10 is the right fork. As we trend SSE away from Las
Cruces the Atcheson Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad again joins us. Between Anthony and Westway (all short distances) we cross
from Dona Ana County, NM into El Paso County TX. El Paso nestles on the border of the State of Mexico.
Places to visit in El Paso:
1. Beaumont General Hospital North Piedras Street (directly off Highway 10).
2. The Holocaust Museum, 401 Wallenburg Drive.
3. Other recommendations.
El Paso San Antonio.
Distance: 564 miles; 900 km.
Estimated driving time 10 hours 3 breaks. Route Evaluation Overview:
This is the longest of all the days, crossing two-thirds of the largest state in the Union. Parts of it particularly in
the west are likely to be featureless and possibly tiring. Later the terrain becomes more populated and interesting.
No real mountainous areas but apparently wooded hilly areas further east.
Main scheme: Leave El Paso (SE), via Highway 10 Fort Stockton Ozona (Davy Crockett Monument) San Antonio.
Route:
For about 50 miles {80 km} the Highway runs SE along the border with Mexico and the Rio Grande before kicking more easterly
through a narrow gap in the Malone Mountains at Skunk Canyon. This appears to be quite a long haul east with not very many
urban centers. Every so often there are outcroppings of isolated mountains and small ranges. The aerial photos show what
appear to be isolated buildings along the Highway (gas-stations?) set in a scrub prairie. Just after Kent, Highway 10 forks
SE to the right towards Fort Stockton. After the fork the terrain becomes less dreary and there is evidence of agriculture
and even agricultural experimental stations with a few townships dotted here and there and many (power?) windmills.
At Fort Stockton we cross the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad that comes up from the SW behind our right shoulder and
continues to the NE. At Sheffield, about 65 miles {106 km} E of Fort Stockton we cross the Pecos River and we have entered
hilly country with the Highway snaking its way between the ranges. Afterwards the terrain again seems to become somewhat
barren.
Just after Ozona is the DAVY CROCKETT memorial. There seems to be quite a bit of vegetation and hills beyond Ozona
approaching and beyond Sonora. At Junction about 96 miles {154 km} NE of San Antonio the Highway begins running SE,
dropping down on San Antonio. For over 150 miles {240 km}, the elevation has been around the 2,000 ft. mark and the entire
area has been dotted with ranches. The terrain remains more or less the same for the ride into San Antonio.
Places to visit in San Antonio.
1. The Alamo.
2. Other recommendations.
San Antonio New Orleans.
Distance: 530 miles; 848 km.
Estimated driving time 10-11 hours 3 breaks Route evaluation Overview:
Another long leg but the landscape seems to be less wilderness-like, more populated and crossed by many roads with
vegetation the long stretches of prairie have been left behind widespread cattle-ranches? And the land appears to be
given over to more formal and organized agriculture.
Main scheme: Leave San Antonio (east) Highway 10 Houston Beaumont (Louisiana) Lake Charles La-Fayette
Baton Rouge (Mississippi) - New Orleans.
Route:
Leave San Antonio at the NE by Highway 10 and in about 25 miles {40 km}, cross the Guadeloupe River just short of Seguin
and then just to the north of Seguin, where the Highway skirts the city adjacent to the airport, cross the South Pacific
Railroad. The countryside here seems to be composed of low rolling hills and the wide open spaces of western Texas left
behind with this area being much more settled and farmed.
A large number of towns both before and after San Antonio have pure German names like Weimar, New Berlin, Schulenburg, and
so on, suggesting perhaps that this area was once settled by German immigrants who brought with them the names of towns they
were familiar with back home.
The countryside remains more or less uniform all the way with no outstanding features. About 12 miles {19 km} W of Houston
we cross the River Brazos. The last stretch of road into Houston is parallel to the Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad.
(Michael Jacksons phone number: 281 343 5835).
Highway 10 enters Houston directly from the west running right through the center of town and out the other side. Somewhat
to the east of Houston, Highway 10 bears away slightly to the north for Beaumont while a more southern highway makes its
way towards Port Arthur. After Beaumont the Highway continues to reach NE near Orange in order to circumvent the extensive
gas-fields and nature preserves to the south, continuing east through Louisiana to Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and
across the flood plains of the Mississippi to turn SE, cross the Mississippi river and makes its way into New Orleans.
Places to visit in New Orleans:
1. Historic New Orleans.
2. Jazz places.
3. Other recommendations.
New Orleans Pensacola (Navarre Beach).
Distance: 175 miles; 280 km.
Estimated driving time 2-3 hours no breaks. Route evaluation Overview:
Coastal drive initially across delta lands between large urban areas, traversing four states Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama and Florida. No difficulties envisaged.
Main scheme: Leave New Orleans by Highway 10 (E) (Mississippi) Mobile (Alabama) (Florida) - Pensacola -Navarre Beach.
Route:
Leaving New Orleans to the northeast along the SE coast of Lake Porthartrain, Highway 10 crosses a causeway on the lake to
the far shore across a strait. The Highway heads almost exactly N and just bypasses Slidell that lies to the E of the
Highway, then turns E to cross the State line into Alabama. NASA has testing grounds in this area. The Gulf of Mexico itself
has gradually arched up to meet us and as we continue we pass Gulfport on our right. As with the Mississippi delta this
area too appears to have extensive swamps.
After running E as far as Pascagoula the Highway turns NE for Mobile. The Highway crosses Mobile Bay again on a causeway -
and turns SE heading into Pensacola. In Pensacola, the Highway becomes urban, running south through the city to the sea,
turns E and we then cross the strait of Pensacola Bay on Highway 93 turning E on Highway 98 for Navarre Beach along Navarre
Parkway.
Places to visit in Pensacola/Navarre Beach:
1. Family visits.
2. Other recommendations.
Navarre Beach Fort Payne.
Distance: 341 miles; 545 km.
Estimated driving time: 6-7 hours -1 break. Route evaluation Overview:
Starting our journey towards the north, the country should be fairly easy. The land is fertile and arable and much
cultivated. The area is populated with no dangerously isolated or hazardous areas. North east of Birmingham the land seems
to become somewhat mountainous but the ranges are aligned parallel to our route (SW-NE) rather than across it. Given their
direction, they seem to be the tail-end, southeasterly extension of the Appalachian system.
Main scheme: Leave Pensacola (N) Highways 29/97 Jnct. 57 (Highway 65) (Alabama) Montgomery Birmingham - Leave
Birmingham (NE) Highway 59GadsdenFort Payne.
Route:
Return to Pensacola and head N out of the city on Highway 29. About 5-6 miles {9 km} N of Cantonment, turn off Highway 29
NW onto Highway 97 for Atmore. N.B. Try not to miss this turn-off it can be corrected later but this is the better
route!
At Atmore follow local Highway 21 N out of the town for a few miles to Junction 57 on Highway 65. TURN NE. Highway 65 runs
consistently NE only turning slightly N after Greenville for the run up to Montgomery. The Highway leaves Montgomery to the
NW via Prattville and then somewhat NNE just before Clanton and on to Birmingham skirting the Double Oak Mountains off to
the NE just before hitting town.
Exit Birmingham to the northeast on Highway 59 for Gadsden. There are several mountain ranges here but they lie along our
route and not across it. Gadsden itself is set in a mountainous area. Continue on for Fort Payne.
Fort Payne Muncie (via o/n at Hodgenville).
Distance: 500 miles; 800 km.
Estimated driving time: 9-10 hours - 2 breaks. Route evaluation Overview:
The nature of the countryside from here to Indiana, via Kentucky promises to be most beautiful and scenic with wooded hills
and valleys, alpine-like in the extreme with many rivers, lakes and waterways.
Main scheme: Leave Fort Payne NE Highway 59 Sulphur Springs - (Georgia) Trenton (Tennessee) Chattanooga
Highway 27 - Dayton Spring City Highway 68 Crossville Cookeville Lebanon Nashville Highway 65 (Kentucky)
Bowling Green Sonora - Hodgenville.
Route:
This entire journey appears to be through heavily afforested and beautiful hill country.
Leave Fort Payne in the northeast on Highway 59. A short distance beyond Sulphur Springs we cross the border for the extreme
northwest corner of Georgia, which is crossed very quickly, via Trenton into Tennessee and Chattanooga. Exit Chattanooga to
the north on Highway 27 for Dayton, continuing after a brief visit to the Courthouse and the site of the William Jennings
Bryan University, northeast for Spring City where we turn northwest on Highway 68 for Crossville, Cookeville, Lebanon and
Nashville. Possibly an opportunity to side-step north to Jamestown and Pall Mall for Sergeant Alvin Yorks birthplace;
in Nashville the State Capitol has a statue out front.
At Nashville we rejoin Highway 65 and continue north into Kentucky crossing the State line at Mitchellville.
Beyond Bowling Green which we by-pass we continue to Sonora making a slight diversion to the right on State Highway 84
for a few miles to Abraham Lincolns birthplace and an overnight stop at Hodgenville (Cruise-Inn-Motel 270-358-9998)
afterwards returning to Sonora for Highway 65. Continue north through the mountains to Louisville crossing the Ohio River
and the State line into Indiana, continuing north via Scottsburg, Seymour, Columbus, Edinburg and Franklin for Indianapolis
and then NE for Muncie.
See continuation for estimates of mileages and look here for all the topographical maps I downloaded and printed out,
covering the entire route.
Estimated mileages:-
San Francisco Los Angeles 387
Days total = 387
Family visits/overnight stops
Los Angeles Nevada State line .230
Nevada State line - Las Vegas .. 42
Days total = 272
Accumulated Total = 659
Family visits/overnight stops
Las Vegas Arizona State line ...25
Arizona State line -Tucson ...................373
Tucson Tombstone (via Benson).. 57
Days total = 459
Accumulated Total = 1118
Overnight stop.
Tombstone - return to Benson 14
Benson New Mexico State line 80
New Mexico State line - Las Cruces ...34
Las Cruces Texas State line .25
Texas State line - El Paso 15
Days total = 280
Accumulated Total = 1398
Overnight stop.
El Paso San Antonio ...564
Accumulated Total = 1962
Visit/Overnight stop.
San Antonio Houston .197
Houston Beaumont ...69
Beaumont Louisiana State line .25
Louisiana State line Lake Charles 35
Lake Charles New Orleans .207
Days total = 533
Accumulated Total = 2495
Visit/Overnight stop.
New Orleans Mississippi State line . 36
Mississippi State line- Alabama State line .75
Alabama State line Florida State line ..72
Florida State line Navarre beach .30
Days total = 213
Accumulated Total = 2708
Visit/overnight stops. End of west-east leg.
Fort Payne Georgia State line .25
Georgia State line Tennessee State line 4
Tennessee State line Chattanooga ...10
Chattanooga Dayton 60
Dayton Rockwood ...30
Rockwood Nashville ..225
Nashville Kentucky State line ..40
Kentucky State line Hodgenville (Abraham Lincolns birthplace) ..81
Days total = 471
Accumulated Total = 3520
Visits/Overnight stop.
Sonora Louisville .50
Louisville Indianapolis ..114
Indianapolis MUNCIE 57
Days total = 221
Accumulated Total = 3741.
States traversed in sequence:
California; Nevada; Arizona; New Mexico; Texas; Louisiana; Mississippi; Alabama; Florida; Alabama; Georgia; Tennessee;
Kentucky; Indiana.
