The Open Road Travel

A road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles takes you from the Gulf Of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.

The 1,900-mile road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles takes at least 27 hours to complete. You’ll travel through the states of Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, crossing 3 time zones, as you pass prairies, deserts, and mountain ranges.

Read on below to find out more about what awaits you on the open road, as you travel west to the city of angels.

A road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles is an incredibly long journey that covers 1,900 miles and will take a minimum of 27 hours to complete.

However, despite its incredible length, the route is incredibly straightforward. You will simply pick up the I-10 in New Orleans and follow it the entire way, until you reach your destination in Los Angeles.

With a road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles taking 27 hours, you are going to want to spread it out and make a few overnight stops along the way, to ensure you enjoy every second of your trip.

While there are plenty of options available, the following three choices are what we consider the best places to stop on a road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles, as they offer plenty of attractions and amenities to guarantee maximum enjoyment throughout your journey.

Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the 4th most in the United States. Located on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, it is full of iconic natural locations, historic landmarks, and abundant entertainment attractions to keep visitors of all interests happy.

Perhaps its most famous attraction is the headquarters of NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Visitors interested in outer space can learn more about how rockets work and what we have discovered in our galaxy, in a place where some of Earth’s most iconic missions have departed from.

Even if you just want to relax, Houston has some of the best beaches in the region, countless restaurants serving traditional southern and Mexican cuisines, and numerous amenities, where you can kick back and soak up the vibrant cultures the city is known for.

The Lancaster Hotel is a stunning, 4-star hotel, listed as both a Historic Hotel Of America and a Texas Historical Landmark, located in the heart of Downtown Houston.

Each of the spacious, beautifully designed guestrooms provide comfortable furnishings and a seating area with a sofa and flat screen TV, as well as a work desk, ironing facilities, and air conditioning. They also have high speed Wi-Fi, which is available throughout the property.

Other amenities at the hotel include a fitness centre, bar, coffee shop, and a restaurant serving American cuisine. A complimentary breakfast buffet is served each morning, while a cooked to order breakfast menu is also available from the restaurant.

A car service is offered to take guests to many of the attractions throughout Downtown Houston, while a multilingual concierge service is available to take care of all of your needs during your stay, no matter where you are from.

Located a little past the halfway point of our journey, El Paso is the 6th largest city in Texas, as well as the most westerly city in the state. Located on the Mexican border, only the Rio Grande river separates it from the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez.

This location means El Paso features a culture different to the majority of the United States.

With a distinctly Hispanic feel, a stop here gives you the opportunity to experience a true sense of Mexican American life, with shops, bars, and restaurants all boasting a distinctive flair.

El Paso is a also particularly great stop for foodies, as its vibrant Hispanic culture has helped the city become well-known for its fabulous Mexican cuisine. Celebrities regularly make the trip to dine at restaurants throughout the city, such is the quality of food on offer.

The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park is a superb, 4-star hotel, located in the heart of Downtown El Paso.

Its stunning, traditional style restaurant lets you enjoy the cuisine the city is known for, while a bar, fitness centre, 24-hour front desk, ATM, and evening entertainment look after you around the clock.

Each of the spacious rooms is air conditioned and boasts a seating area, flat screen satellite TV, tea and coffee making facilities, a safety deposit box, and a private bathroom with plush bathrobes, slippers, and towels. Many rooms also feature amazing views of the city.

Facilities for disabled guests are available throughout the property, while the entire site is pet friendly and offers Wi-Fi access.

Phoenix is the most populous city in Arizona, as well as its capital, and the 5th most populous in the United States.

The city receives around 300 days of sunshine per year, making it one of the sunniest cities on Earth, so it is a great stop for people who want to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather.

The deserts and mountains surrounding the city of Phoenix provide plenty of opportunities for fans of nature to go hiking and climbing, take some photos, or simply sit back and admire its majesty.

Meanwhile, an abundance of Native American culture and landmarks make it equally well suited for fans of history and culture vultures.

Combine this with ample amenities and tourist attractions, as well as a generally friendly, welcoming atmosphere, and Phoenix is a perfect place to make a stop on a road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles.

The JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is an exquisite, 5-star resort, located in north Phoenix.

It boasts an incredible range of attractions, including 2 golf courses, 5 swimming pools and waterslides, a fitness centre, spa, and lap pool, plus 5 restaurants and a branch of Starbucks.

The rooms are all fully air conditioned and provide breathtaking views of the local landscape. Among their included amenities, you will find a cable TV, coffee maker, and mini bar, and some offer a private balcony. Wi-Fi is also available throughout the property.

The best time for a road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles is between the months of April and July.

While the majority of the route you will be taking features pleasant temperatures year round, they will fluctuate, while wildfires and hurricanes are both issues to factor in on this particular trip.

The hurricane season is at its worst around the Gulf Of Mexico in August and September, while the west coast wildfire season reaches its peak between late August and the end of October.

By making your road trip between April and July, you get the perfect combination of some of the region’s best weather and temperatures, while reducing the chance of any natural disasters derailing your trip.

A road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles is a lengthy trip, so you are going to need plenty of things to do and see to keep you entertained along the way.

That is why we will now take a look at some of the top attractions on a road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles, to make sure you enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

Baton Rouge is the capital and second most populous city in the state of Louisiana. Situated on the east bank of the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge is one of the oldest cities in the United States, having first been settled in 1699.

The city is unique, as its south central Louisiana location allows it to blend the two cultures Louisiana is most synonymous with, Cajun and Creole. This diversity gives you the chance to experience two wildly different sets of iconic history and culture in a single location.

The architecture and museums detail their art and history, while the restaurants serve their traditional cuisine. Throw in attractions like the incredibly unique Louisiana State Capitol building, and Baton Rouge is a destination simply not to be missed.

The Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,000 acre wildlife preserve along the bank of the Atchafalaya River, which was established in 1986. The area is filled with beautiful bayous and towering trees, creating a stunning, scenic environment.

It was designed for the conservation of the fish and wildlife in the reserve, as well as activities like birdwatching, education, hunting, fishing, photography, trapping, scientific research, and more. Its vibrant landscapes and abundant wildlife make it a popular destination for all of these things.

The Refuge is home to more than 200 species of birds, including American woodcocks, bald eagles, Mississippi kites, ospreys, swallow tailed kites, and wood ducks, as well as over 85 species of fish, such as bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, crayfish, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, and warmouth.

There is even a number of mammals, like beavers, bobcats, coyotes, coypus, deer, foxes, minks, muskrats, opossums, otters, rabbits, racoons, skunks, and squirrels, as well as a small population of Louisiana black bears, living in the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge.

San Antonio is the 2nd most populous city in Texas and 7th most in the United States. Founded as a Spanish mission in 1718, the city is built around its most famous landmark, The Alamo mission.

The focal point of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, The Alamo was the site of the legendary Battle Of The Alamo. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Alamo alone is visited by more than 2.5 million people each year.

When combined with the iconic San Antonio Riverwalk, attractions like aquariums, urban islands, observation towers, and pro sports teams, as well as countless bars, restaurants, shops, and hotels, it makes San Antonio a great place to mix luxury and relaxation with a little bit of history.

Originally known as Camp Stockton, Fort Stockton was founded on the 12th of April 1859 at the site of one of the largest sources of spring water in Texas, Comanche Springs.

It played an important role in the American Civil war and remained a military outpost until it was abandoned on June 27th, 1886. In the years that followed, settlements began to grow around the fort, due largely to the abundance of water from the spring.

Even once that had dried up, the presence of oil and extensive farmland has allowed the area to remain a hub of both agriculture and petroleum production.

The Historic Fort Stockton remains the heart of the town, featuring 4 of the original buildings, which have been completely restored, and a museum.

It is a fabulous place for anyone interested in a first-hand experience of the evolution of the United States military of the American Civil War.

Las Cruces is a unique destination, as it has the distinction of being the second most populous city in New Mexico, while still being a relatively small town.

Aside from its vibrant, Hispanic culture, the main reason for most people to visit Las Cruces is its Historic Downtown district. The Historic Downtown district of Las Cruces is filled with an incredible collection of art galleries, museums, markets, and theatres.

These establishments allow you to learn about the history of Las Cruces, revel in its art and culture, and enjoy the foods, goods, and art created by the local people.

White Sands National Park is one of the newest additions to the US National Park Service, having gained inclusion on the 20th of December 2019.

Covering 146,344 acres in the Tularosa Basin in southern New Mexico, White Sands is the largest gypsum crystal dune field in the world. Beautiful, rolling white sand dunes spread out across the park, with some measuring up to 60 feet (18 Metres) in height.

It is also filled with beautiful flora and fauna, which includes lizards, mammals, and almost 250 species of birds.

The most abundant wildlife in White Sands are invertebrates, with over 600 different species of beetles, moths, spiders, wasps, and more. At least 45 of these species are endemic to the park too, making it a great place to see wildlife you won’t find anywhere else on Earth.

Tucson is the second most populous city in Arizona and was the capital of the historic Arizona Territory for 10 years, from 1867 to 1877.

It is known for its unique Sonoran style, with its collection of art galleries, museums, and Mexican restaurants all receiving significant acclaim. Notable unique attractions in Tucson include the Casino Del Sol Resort Tucson and the Old Tucson Studios & Theme Park.

Old Tucson was opened in the 30’s to film classic western movies and TV shows, such as Rio Bravo and Gunfight At The O.K Corral, before being transformed into the very first theme park in the US.

It lets you see filming locations while enjoying wild west entertainment, attractions, and history.

Meanwhile, the Casino Del Sol Resort gives you the opportunity to do a spot of gambling and drinking, to help you destress after a number of hours behind the wheel.

Located in southern Arizona, Saguaro National Park covers 92,867 acres, spanning both the Rincon and Tucson mountain ranges. It is filled with terrains ranging from lowland deserts to upland forests, making it a perfect representation of the entire Arizona landscape.

The park gains its name from having one of the largest, most densely populated collections of Saguaro cacti in the world. Throughout the park, there are also a number of other species of iconic desert plant life, such as barrel cacti, chollas, and prickly pears.

There is even an abundance of wildlife, with species like javelina, gila monster, desert tortoise, spotted owls, lesser long-nosed bats, and more than 200 species of birds, including roadrunners, which call Saguaro National Park home.

The Colorado River Indian Reservation covers 276,621 acres along the Arizona California border and is home to the Chemehuevi, Hopi, Mojave, and Navajo tribes.

On one hand, it is a great destination for people looking to experience and find out more about the traditional Native American way of life.

The Colorado River Indian Tribe Museum displays both contemporary and historical works of art, like jewellery, paintings, and ceramics, to help teach you about the history of the Colorado River tribes.

It also includes a shop where you can purchase recreations of the items to take home with you.

You then also have something associated with modern life on an Indian reservation, which is a casino. Something you won’t find many of on your journey, the BlueWater Resort And Casino gives you the chance to get off the road, unwind, and let your hair down for a while.

Joshua Tree National Park is the 8th largest national park in the contiguous United States. Covering more than 795,000 acres, it covers parts of the Colorado and Mojave deserts, as well as the Little San Bernadino mountains.

Its primary claim to fame are the rare Joshua Trees the park is named after, as it is home to the largest collection of them anywhere in the world.

It also boasts countless unique and iconic rock formations, as well as landscapes including mountains, sand dunes, and dried up lake basins. Despite its incredibly arid environment, Joshua Tree National Park even boasts plentiful wildlife for you to discover.

Bighorn sheep, black-tailed jackrabbits, bobcats, California tree frogs, red spotted toads, desert tortoise, and kangaroo rats all live within the park, as do various insects and more than 250 species of birds, such as golden eagles, green darners, quails, and roadrunners.

A road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles is no small feat, yet it is an endeavour that will offer hours of entertainment and enjoyment to individuals willing to take the challenge.

This article will hopefully have given you plenty of options to fill out your travel itinerary with places to stay and things to see, to make it an enjoyable journey from start to finish.

That means all that’s left is for you to start getting everything booked. That way, you can look forward to hitting the open road as soon as possible and experiencing all of the wonders it holds for yourself.

If you still haven’t been able to settle on the best places to stay during your road trip, we also have articles dedicated to both Houston and Phoenix, which may help you out even more.