We’re wrapping up a 15-day road trip with a two-night stop in the New Orleans, and we’ll finish the drive home this Friday.
I drove our Jeep Gladiator Overland from west-central Florida, taking US-19 to I-10. We stopped in Biloxi for one night, then Wichita Falls for another—driving straight through a tornado warning storm along the way. From there, we made a detour to see the 190-foot Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Groom, Texas, complete with the Stations of the Cross at its base.
Next, we passed through Amarillo and continued to Gallup, where we stayed one night at the historic Hotel El Rancho on Route 66. From there, we drove to Flagstaff and headed north to Cameron to enter the Grand Canyon through the east entrance. We spent a night in Kingman, Arizona, and stopped at the Hoover Dam overlook before continuing on to the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for two nights.
After Vegas, we drove up to Reno and then over to Nevada City, where we stayed at the National Exchange Hotel. We love The Christmas Card, which was filmed there, so that was a highlight. Then it was on to San Jose for two nights for a wedding.
Heading back, we took I-5 to I-10, stopping overnight in Blythe, California, then El Paso near the airport, and last night in Columbus, Texas. Today we’re driving to New Orleans for two nights before heading home on Friday.
All told, the trip is just over 6,000 miles. Gas will run about $1,500, and hotel rates ranged from $90 to $210 per night. The Jeep’s adaptive cruise control was a big help—I’d usually tuck in behind a truck, RV, tour bus, or large camper at or just above the speed limit to save on fuel. But once we hit Texas on the return with 80 mph speed limits, I gave up on that strategy.