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In early June, I decided to go on a solo cross-country road trip from Florida to California with my dog, Kuma. Driving from Tampa to Los Angeles is a total of 2,533 miles and would take 37 hours to drive.

Since I was traveling solo on a long road trip with a dog, I had to do some careful and detailed planning with this road trip itinerary.

I decided to go on this journey because ever since the global pandemic started, I had been working from home for over two months and realized I could be working remotely from anywhere.

So I thought why not stay with my sister, Candy, in California for a few weeks? I called Candy to let her know my plans and she was totally on board.

Here is my detailed road trip itinerary along with exit recommendations and tips for traveling alone with a dog:

ROAD TRIP ITINERARY

Since it would take a total of 37 hours to drive to California, I decided to break it up into 5 days of driving. I didn’t want to drive too many hours within a day because I had Kuma with me and I also wanted to avoid driving at night (with the exception of my first day of driving).

I planned on driving an average of 8-9 hours each day, which ended up being 5 days of driving.

DAY 1: Tampa > Pensacola, 468 miles, 6.5 hours
DEPART Tampa: 4:30pm / ARRIVE Pensacola: 10:30pm

DAY 2: Pensacola > Houston, 530 miles, 7.5 hours
DEPART Pcola: 9am / ARRIVE Houston: 6pm

DAY 3: Houston > Fort Stockton, 492 miles, 7 hours
DEPART Houston: 9am / ARRIVE Fort Stockton: 6pm

DAY 4: Fort Stockton > Tucson, 550 miles, 8 hours
DEPART Fort Stockton: 6am / ARRIVE Tucson: 3pm

DAY 5: Tucson > Pasadena, 493 miles, 7.5 hours
DEPART Tucson: 9am / ARRIVE Pasadena: 5:30pm

ROAD TRIP PREP

• Call Hotels

Since the pandemic was going on, I had to call all the hotels to make sure they were open for business and accepting dogs.

Most hotels were open except for Phoenix, which I originally had in my itinerary, but since they were still on lockdown, I changed my stop to Tucson instead. 

• Take Car in for Inspection

I made sure to take my car in to the service center to have it thoroughly checked. I wanted to make sure everything was in good, working condition including tires, battery, wipers, oil, etc. 

• Pack Essentials in the Car

Being a solo female traveler and driver, I wanted to have all the essentials I needed in case my car broke down in the middle of nowhere.

I got this handy Emergency Kit that had everything I needed in one bag. I also ordered mace just in case. You just never know. Of course, I made sure I had a spare tire as well.  

Since I would be on the road for days, I packed a couple of small coolers with some homemade food and fruits. I also brought lots of granola bars, trail mix, and water. 

• Pack Essentials for the Dog

 I want Kuma to be as comfortable as she can be on this road trip, so I got a nice back seat cover hammock for her in the car. It also keeps your pet safe from not falling forward.

I also packed all her essentials like her food, treats, toys, blankets, crate, bed, meds, towel, wet wipes, dog bowls, and water. 

THE ROAD TRIP

Once I got everything planned and prepped, I was ready to go! I love road trips and I had always wanted to drive cross-country with Kuma, so I was pretty excited. Kuma loves road trips as well, so she was just as excited.

DAY 1 - TAMPA TO PENSACOLA

Since I was leaving from central Florida, it would take me 7 hours to drive to the gulf coast, which was a perfect stop since I had several friends living there that I could stay with. Kathy is one of my best friends, so I stayed with her for the night.

The drive was an easy one since I had done this numerous times before. I used to drive up to Pensacola from Tampa often to see my old college friends, so I knew all the good stops and exits.

Florida has many great rest areas, fast food stops (and restaurants), and gas stations on the interstate. My favorite stop is Busy Bee’s in Live Oak at Exit 283 on I-10.

It is the perfect place to stop and get fairly priced gas, take your dog out for a nice walk in the pet area, grab some food and use the cleanest convenience store bathrooms you’ll ever see.

Super clean bathrooms at Busy Bee’s in Florida

Great pet walk area at Busy Bee’s on I-10 in Florida

I’m also a huge fan of Whataburger, so I noted all the exits on I-10 that had a Whataburger nearby. There are no Whataburger restaurants in Tampa, so anytime I have a chance to have those chicken strips and gravy, I’m all over it.

If you're a fan too, you’ll start seeing Whataburger exits in Tallahassee. From there on, you’ll see lots of them until you hit Arizona.

DAY 2 - PENSACOLA TO HOUSTON

The morning of day 2 was a bit of a drag for me since I had some wine with Kathy the night before. I’m not much of a drinker these days, so anytime I have alcohol the night before, I’m paying for it the next day.

Luckily, the slight hangover went away after a few hours and my excitement kicked back in.

This drive is an interesting one because you go through several states including Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and finally Texas.

In Alabama, you’ll pass through a tunnel (I love tunnels) and also a Buc-ee’s at Exit 53. I just heard about Buc-ee’s from one of my friends and he was so excited about this place that I had to look it up.

Buc-ee’s is based in Texas and has the world’s largest convenience store. They also claim to have the world’s cleanest restrooms. There is a wide variety of food including sandwiches, salads, fruits, fresh BBQ, desserts, snacks and more.

You can also buy things like grills, camping gear, clothing and souvenirs. The largest one is located in New Braunfels, Texas at 66,335 square feet! The one in Alabama is 50,000 square feet.

I did not stop at the Buc-ee’s in Alabama, but I did stop by a Buc-ee’s in Houston near my hotel. That location in Katy was 50,000 square feet as well. I tried their brisket sandwich and grilled cheese sandwich and both were pretty good. I like the grilled cheese sandwich more.

There are a lot of great exits on this drive and of course, I noted the Whataburger stop at Exit 101 in Louisiana so I had to stop there. Here are some other great exits with lots of options for food and gas that I noted on I-10:

• Exit 13 in Alabama has a Pilot gas station
• Exit 64 in Mississippi is a rest area
• Exit 44 in Mississippi has lots of gas stations and food options

Whataburger at Exit 101 on I-10 in Louisiana

Once you get to Louisiana, you’ll switch to I-12 for about 85 miles and there is a stretch of great exits here. Exits 59 and 60 had Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Target, Starbucks, Buffalo Wild Wings, Steak ‘n Shake, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Chili’s, Five Guys, Cracker Barrel, Smoothie King, Texas Roadhouse and many gas stations.

When I arrived in Houston, I was surprised at how huge the city was. It was a little stressful driving in a bigger city. I’m not used to so many lanes, merges and overpasses. After about 20 minutes or so of driving through Houston, I made it to my first hotel stop at Home2 Suites Houston Energy Corridor.

This was my first time staying at a Home2 Suites by Hilton and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice this hotel was; especially for a pet-friendly hotel. Everything was very clean, bright and modern. My room was spacious with a kitchenette and Kuma loved all the space as well.

Loving our first hotel stop in Houston at Home2 Suites

I had a great night’s sleep at Home2 Suites in Houston. The bed was super comfortable and there was complete darkness and silence. I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to continue my cross-country drive!

DAY 3 - HOUSTON TO FORT STOCKTON

Texas is a huge state, so it takes you hours to drive through it. I had to do 2 stops in Texas with the first one being in Houston. I was thinking that my next stop could be San Antonio or El Paso, but San Antonio was too close to Houston and El Paso was too far, so the next best place to stay was Fort Stockton.

I had never heard of Fort Stockton before until I started planning out this road trip. It’s a small historical town that used to be a military post in the late 1800s. The soldiers were tasked to protect travelers heading west to Mexico and California from San Antonio. Many of them stopped in the area for water provided by the springs.

Kuma always excited for our next stop while I try to concentrate

Today, the fort is on the list of National Register of Historic Sites and the county is used for farming, ranching, oil and gas production.

The first part of this drive is flat and boring except for San Antonio. That’s another big city in Texas, so I had to cross several lanes and overpasses with some traffic.

Then, the scenery gets a little more interesting as you enter the western part of Texas. I loved this drive way more than I thought I would. Everyone always told me that Texas was the worst state to drive through because it’s so flat with little to look at, but I found it quite the opposite.

Western part of texas known as Hill country

I had no idea that the western part of Texas was called Hill Country and you pass by beautiful little mountains and hills. Plus, the speed limit is 80mph, so you feel like you’re making progress on your drive a lot faster than normal. I also liked that there weren’t that many cars on the road. I enjoy more relaxed drives than the stressful, hectic drives in or near big cities.

I wanted to make a Whataburger stop at Exit 587, but that exit was closed due to construction! Luckily, I found another Whataburger after I passed San Antonio. I was about to freak out if I didn’t find that other one.

Some other great exits I noted were:

• Exit 682 - Lots of gas stations and food options
• Exit 661 - Shell and Valero gas stations, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Subway
• Exit 619 - Rest Area
• Exit 514 - Rest Area
• Exit 508 - Lots of gas stations and food options
• Exit 394 - Rest Area
• Exit 308 - Rest Area

From Exit 394 to Exit 308, I didn’t see any rest areas or gas station exits (unless I just wasn’t paying attention), so make sure you use the restroom before that long stretch.

I arrived in Fort Stockton around 3:30pm and as expected, there was not much here. There are a couple of gas stations and one fast food joint near the hotel and that’s about it.

The Best Western hotel was great. The staff was very friendly and upon check-in, gave Kuma some dog treats, which made her really happy.

Pet-friendly room at Best Western Fort Stockton

The room was a good size and made specifically for pets as there were fun cat and dog designs in the bathroom. The flooring was all wood for easy cleanup if your pet has any accidents. Kuma doesn’t like wood floors that much unless she likes to cool down, so she was missing the carpet.

The best thing about this hotel was the price. It was just under $100 WITH the pet fee. Plus, they give you complimentary breakfast AND dinner. It was a good thing they served dinner because there really weren’t many other options around, if any.

Fenced-in dog run area at Best Western Plus Fort Stockton

The location of my room, on the other hand, was a bit of an issue. The room was located on the first floor by the pool, so I constantly heard noise in the hallways with children running up and down and doors slamming. This made Kuma irritated and she would bark loudly and that left me with little sleep. Plus, the beds were a bit uncomfortable.

Overall, it was a nice hotel, especially if you have pets, but I wish I could have had better sleep.

DAY 4 - FORT STOCKTON TO TUCSON

I started my drive before sunrise so that I could get to Tucson early in the afternoon. The colors of the sunrise were so beautiful with the pinks and purples. The speed limit was still 80mph and there were barely any cars on the road, so I was really enjoying my morning drive.

When I got to El Paso, I was surprised at how big the city was. I always imagined El Paso to be a small town for some reason. This road trip taught me so much about Texas and how little I knew about the state!

In New Mexico, I passed by a huge dust storm that was both exciting and terrifying. It was like a slow tornado approaching you. There were many signs warning you that if a dust storm comes toward you, you need to stop, turn off your engine and just sit there until it passes. Luckily, I didn’t get stuck in any dust storms, but it was a thrill to see a gigantic dust storm approaching.

I made my last Whataburger stop in New Mexico as well at Exit 142. I know I’m crazy for having Whataburger three days in a row, but that’s how much I love this place! Some other good exits:

• Exit 234 in Texas - Rest Area
• Exit 140 in Texas - Couple of gas stations, Wendy’s and Subway
• Exit 49 in Texas - Speedway gas station, McDonald’s and Church’s
• Exit 37 in Texas - Lots of gas stations, Carl’s Jr., Subway, McDonald’s, Domino Pizza and Denny’s
• Exit 82 in New Mexico - Chevron gas station, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and Domino Pizza
• Exit 61 in New Mexico - Rest Area

Somewhere between New Mexico and Arizona, there was a checkpoint. I was a little scared about this checkpoint because I had no idea what it was. A million questions went through my mind: Were they not allowing people through and turning some people around? Were they going to search my car? Were they going to ask me interrogating questions?

But it was nothing. I guess it’s just something they do on the west coast. They look at you in the car and then wave for you to move on. It was so weird.

Once I entered Arizona, the views started becoming more scenic. I passed through many cool looking mountains and there were a couple of rest areas that had really nice views. I highly recommend stopping by there. Exit 319 was one of them.

Cool rock formations by Exit 319 in Arizona

Some other good exits in Arizona:

• Exit 340 - Lots of gas stations and food options. There’s also Safeway, which is a grocery store. I stopped here to buy more water and snacks.
• Exit 304 - Couple of gas stations, Wendy’s, Denny’s, Subway and Little Caesar’s Pizza
• Exit 279 - Safeway grocery store, gas station, Dairy Queen

DoubleTree Tucson Airport courtyard — **DoubleTree Tucson Airport** courtyard

In Tucson, I stayed at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Tucson Airport located right by the airport. I enjoyed this hotel stay as well and loved how large the room was. It was a 2-room suite that included a living room with a sofa sleeper, dining table, TV and a wet bar in one room. The next room was the bedroom with a king size bed, closet, another TV and bathroom. Although it was located right next to the airport, I didn’t hear any airplanes and I had a good night’s rest.

Kuma resting on the very short trail we did at Saguaro National Park

While I was in Tucson, I stopped by Saguaro National Park with Kuma since some areas were pet-friendly. It was Kuma’s first national park visit and it was fun taking her along with me. Even though it was nice to take my dog, I highly advise others to keep a close eye on your fur babies while you’re in the park.

I should have kept a closer eye on Kuma because she ended up getting a few cactus spines in her paw and they were pretty hard to take out. Luckily, it didn’t seem to hurt her, but I felt bad for letting that happen to her.

DAY 5 - TUCSON TO LOS ANGELES

Final day of driving! I was actually a little sad that the road trip was coming to an end. Kuma and I were having so much fun driving and exploring together.

Before I left Tucson, I stopped by the west side of Saguaro National Park. The west side of the park was a lot better in my opinion because you see a lot more Saguaro cactuses in this region.

I stopped at Exit 103 in Tonopah for some food and was very disappointed with my Taco Bell. It was no Whataburger. But they did have a nice fenced-in dog area with grass for Kuma to run around in for a bit.

I really appreciated this because once you get to the middle of Texas, it is REALLY hard to find any grassy areas. Kuma doesn’t really like to relieve herself in dirt, so she tends to hold it in until she finds some grass.

Exit 103 in Tonopah has a great fenced-in dog area

Some other good exits:

• Exit 173 - has a gas station.
• Exit 146 - stopped here for gas because fuel was cheaper here than the previous exits. It’s also a great stop for food with places like Del Taco, Carl’s Jr., and Popeyes.

After 5 days, 37 hours and 2,533 miles on the road, I finally made it to Candy’s apartment. We were all so excited to see each other and we were especially delighted to see that Kuma and Zooey, Candy’s dog, got along pretty well.

Overall, it was a fantastic solo cross-country road trip with my dog. I wish I had more time to stop by and explore more areas, but I had to get back online to work and I was limited on where I could stay with Kuma. Plus, the pet fees add up, so the faster I could get to my destination, the better.

COST BREAKDOWN:

Hotels $222

Without using hotel points or staying at a friend’s house, it would have cost $421 + $170 pet fees. Since I had a friend to stay with in Pensacola and used some of my hotel points, I only spent $77 in hotel costs and $145 in pet fees, which was a total of $222.

Gas $191

I drove my 2018 Ford Escape SE, which usually gets 30 miles per gallon on the highway and my fuel tank capacity is approximately 15 gallons. The average gas price was $1.80 per gallon.

Once I got into Arizona and California, the prices rose from $2.00 to $2.70 per gallon. I stopped for gas 12 times and the total cost was about $191.

Food $55

I brought my own food and snacks for the first couple of days and saved some money there.I also stayed at a couple of hotels that offered complimentary breakfast and brought granola bars for the days I didn’t have free breakfast.

For lunch and dinner, it was mostly Whataburger and some other fast food joints like Buc-ee’s, Taco Bell and In ‘n Out Burger. I splurged the most at Buc-ee’s because I wanted to try several things.

I also stopped by the Safeway grocery store to buy a big pack of bottled water. The total cost for food was about $55.

GRAND TOTAL: $468 (without staying at a friend’s house or using hotel points, the total would have cost $837)

I hope this cross-country road trip guide helps you out on your journey. Safe travels!