Day Four route
The Drive
Leaving Tucson behind
We were mid-way through the trip and honestly, we were on the fence about staying in Tucson an extra night. We had been pushing hard and really liked the Radisson Suites Tucson, plus we were super tired. However, the drive from Arizona to West Texas is famously long and empty, so we decided to push forward.
The Drive: We left at 11:00 AM and arrived at 8:30 PM Central time after 8.5 hours of driving. This stretch of I-10 is desolate. If you are doing this route, be prepared for hours of desert scenery with very few towns in between.
Stock up on water and snacks before you leave Tucson or El Paso. There is very little between those two cities — this is not a stretch of road where you want to realize you forgot something.
US Border Patrol checkpoint — I-10, West Texas
One thing that caught us completely off guard: there is a US Border Patrol checkpoint on I-10 in the middle of West Texas — well north of the actual border. Every vehicle is stopped. Have your IDs ready and stay calm. With three large dogs in the car it was a bit of a moment, but they waved us through quickly once we explained we were relocating. Just don't be surprised when you roll up on it in the middle of nowhere.
Night Four
The Hotel
We stayed at La Quinta Inn Fort Stockton. We paid no pet fee — which is typical for La Quinta and a major reason we often look for this chain when driving with dogs.
Fort Stockton, Texas
The Hotel Reality Check: To be brutally honest, the hotel in Fort Stockton is run down and felt like a typical roadside motel that has seen better days. The area designated to walk dogs wasn't picked up by previous guests, so it was pretty nasty. Even the pups were looking at me like, "Mom, gross!"
However, it was cheap, and location is everything here. Fort Stockton is literally the strategic halfway point — the only place to stop after Tucson without driving several more hours into the emptiness of West Texas. We survived, and sometimes that's all you need from a hotel.
Dinner Salvation: Despite the hotel, we did have a great meal Texas style at K-Bob's Steakhouse. Good food can fix a lot of travel stress. We were glad to be on the road and heading to Houston the next day!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!