DFW->Destin, FL trip advice

[jndcruisers]

My DW, dog and cat are heading out to Destin, FL from the Dallas/Fort Worth area next month and was hoping to get some trip routing advice. We're going to leave on a Thursday at noon and plan to arrive in Destin on Monday. Our reservations at Top Sail are from Mon and check out on Fri. We'll leave early Friday morning and want to be back home Saturday before sun down. We're in a Class A with tow vehicle.

Any advice on a particular way to go (49->i-10 vs I-20->98->I10) going and coming?  Any great things to see along the way and/or in Destin? Lastly, any recommendations where to stay?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

 

[captsteve]

You won't find a better place than Top Sail Hill Preserve. It is one of the nicest state park campgrounds in the country. You will enjoy it.

Steve

 

[SeilerBird]

About halfway in between Dallas and Destin is my favorite campground on I-10 or I-12, Lakeside Campground in Livingston Louisiana. It has a beautiful small fishing lake right in the middle inhabited by Snowflake, the tame mute swan.

http://www.lakeside-rvpark.com/

 

[wackymac]

We've been that way several times and always take I-20 to I-49 at Shreveport, LA to I-10.  Just west of Shreveport at exit 11 take highway 3132 south to I-49, it  bypasses Shreveport.  When you are on I-10 near Baton Rouge, LA take I-12.  It bypasses New Orleans and eventually runs back into I-10.  By the way, I-49 is a great road, nice and smooth.  We just traveled on it in March.

 

[jndcruisers]

Thanks for the feedback. We are booked now and we will be trying out Lakeside campground! Really looking forward to the trip.

 

[NuDP]

We just made that trip last month.  Fort Walton beach, where our friends live, was cold and rainy.  Hope you have better weather.  Ditto what others have said about campgrounds.  We have found the casinos to be a very safe and inexpensive stop over for a nite.  The $20 or so fee includes all amenities.  They have free transport to the actual casino where we find the restaurants to be above average.  I-10 has casinos in Lake Charles and Biloxi which are OK to above average.  On I-20 the Vicksburg casino is upscale (for a casino) with an excellent restaurant.  WiFI and Cable (80+) channels were A-1.  We spent two days on the road each way to enjoy the journey.  Be sure to take the bypass around Biloxi as the hwy takes you through the city if you don't pat attention.  PS We don't even gamble!  Good Luck

 

[Bill.Winegard]

As to the actual routing, I would suggest 20E to Shreveport and 49S down to Lafayette and the 10E all the way to Destin.  There is a brief segment where 10 turns to 12 in the New Orleans area.  It's about a 780 miles drive so easily handled in the 3 1/2 days.  Now, you will just need to figure out where you want to stop along the way.  You will only need to go about 200 miles a day to make the trip on time.