Road Trip Fl -> Tx - What/where to stay/see/eat?

If you split the trip up equally, it puts your overnights in Crestview, FL and Lake Charles, LA, two rather unexciting places to stay, but if you're going less than 400 miles a day, you have some flexibility.

When leaving Daytona, your best route should be to take I-95 north, then I-295 around the southwest part of Jacksonville, and then I-10 west from there. Since you mention I-12, I guess you have no interest of visiting New Orleans.

If you're sticking to I-10 and not taking the coastal route, there isn't much to see in the Florida panhandle. If you have any interest in military planes or ships, three good attractions are the Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, the USS Alabama battleship just outside of Mobile and the Lone Star Flight Museum on the south side of Houston. Try the Trivago website to find lodgings; I have no recommendations for restaurants but someone else might chime in.

 

You need to stop in either New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette. Preferably New Orleans. The whole area is home to some of the best food known to man. If you are a museum/ history type the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans is a must see. Nearly across the street is a much older and smaller Civil War museum. In San Antonio the Alamo is a no brainer and a little north in Fredricksburg is the Museum of the Pacific War. It is Admiral Nimitz's home town and a great museum. LBJ ranch is just a few miles up the road.

 

Going to New Orleans and not going to some of the famous places is like going to Rome and not seeing the Coliseum.
I am sure there are some small less known great places but not remembering and names. Commanders Palace is good. Cafe DuMonde for Beignets and coffee. I think it is Antoines that has a cafe/bar right next door with the same menu, better prices and much easier to get into. I'd stay somewhere in or near the French Quarter so you can do whatever on foot. The town does have crime issues so stay in tourist areas at night.

On the way back home, I think eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas are more scenic than most realize. I did that most of the way to St Louis a couple of years ago mostly away from interstates and had a great ride. There are countless back road routes from Austin up the north east part of Texas to Oklahoma or Arkansas.

 

The coastal route is US-98 in Florida, which you can pick up from Tallahassee by taking US-319 south. Once on 98 it will take you all the way to Mobile. From there, the coastal route is US-90, from which you can return to I-10 in western Mississippi, or you can stay on 90 if you're visiting New Orleans. These routes are much slower than the Interstates but more interesting and scenic.

You can also take US-90 west from New Orleans through Houma and Morgan City and you'll pick up I-10 again in Lafayette. This route is a freeway in places and not that much slower than I-10 and is also more scenic.

 

I'll also recommend the WWII Museum in New Orleans and the Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. If your return trip from San Antonio is going to take you north on I-35 towards Dallas, then Fredericksburg is not a particularly long side trip.

 

Nashville would be a great place to visit on your way home. Let me know what dates you’ll be in the area and I’ll let you know if anything particular is going on.

 

The other famous restaurant in New Orleans is Brennan's, especially for breakfast, but good all the time.

 

If you do not want to do a 9 hour drive to NOLA think about dropping down from I 10 to 98 then 30A. Stop in Seaside (Trueman Show). Just a thought. Beautiful area.


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The River Walk in San Antonio is very pleasant. I found one leg of it ended at a shopping mall food court which had some nice lunch options.

 

Recommended in Pensacola is the National Museum of Naval Aviation.