SE Wisconsin to Galveston Tx

[Rich Kulakowski]

Greetings,

I know this is out some but I can see a lot of you fellows live down there where the water doesn't get hard in the winter. We are going to Galveston from here near Milwaukee via the Ozarks in Mo. I checked MapQuest and YahooMaps and got different routes but there are some thing similar.

1) On the trip from WI to MO, they have me using US-54 from I72 to the Osage Beach Mo area. What kind of road is it? Will I be travelling at 20 mph behind tractors all day? It's about 160 miles on there. Would it be better to follow I55 to St Louis and take I 40 down? It's about 3 gallons longer.

2) From MO to Galv, Yahoo recommends going down through Arkansas on US-65 for 180 mi then eventually on US-59 for 300 mi. Are these decent or am I going to be seeing sites that I never dreamed I would?

3) MapQuest recommends I40 to US-69 eventually to Dallas. Looks better than 2 but the same question applies. Is it decent road? This way is about 2 gallons longer but it looks like easier (staighter, higher speed) traveling.



Also the wife likes to stop an antique (trash or treasure) stores and I would like to avoid them if possible, hence the higher speeds.



From the 10 day weather outlook, appears we chose a good time to travel.. Tulsa and Dallas above 100. Got to check the A/C on the car.



Thanks in advance.

Rich.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Some of the Soufers will give you a hand. I'm right in the middle!!:lol:



TOXIC

 

[TrepMan]

Rich - Have you been to Galveston before? I lived in Houston for 4 years and fished Galveston bay quite often in my jonboat. If you want to fish from shore there are a LOT of shoreline on the Jetty's out a mile into Galveston bay, you'll use Shrimp and get everything from Sharks, Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Spanish Mackerel and more!!!



As to the "antique (trash or treasure) stores " keep her OFF "The Strand" which is the historic boardwalk and shops with LOTS of antiques!!!



Great little town, friendly and bring your sandles to walk along the beaches, just don't think it will be crystal clear water like FL or CA, the Tex Gulf is a shallow drop off and the water is murky at best due to the silt stirred up.



Trep

 

[Rich Kulakowski]

Trep,

We were down there 2 years ago to drop my daughter off at A&M Galveston. She has flown home to visit but we haven't gone down since. I know about The Strand, we walked it last time. Wife got a $40 parking ticket because she had to visit one more store. And apparently there are only a few days a year when the yellow beach warning flags aren't flying. Place needs some windmills.



Probably will take US-54 through Ill/Mo. Only take an extra hour and 60 mi/3 gallons shorter. The end out of the Ozarks, will probably go to US69 near Tulsa, some of it looks like 4 lane and it's only 180 mi so maybe it won't be bad. Almost 500 mi of US65/59 would be too much and backtracking to I55 and down to I10 is a couple hundred mi all total. Coming back we will do I10 to I55 to I57 to here. It's about 1250 mi if you use the Galveston ferry.



Just not looking forward to the heat. I think we've only had a couple days so far this year with temps over 90.

Take it slow.

Rich.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Galveston itself will not be too bad on the heat, due to the seabreeze. Houston area up through the Livingston/Huntsville area will be hot and very HUMID. Dallas area will be scorching, but lower humidty.



Stay off I59. It's okay, but you would be further ahead to do what Pat suggested and run over to I45 and just head south.



Tex