A couple of friends and I are planning on making the trip to Lubbock this weekend for the game and were wondering what the best route to take from College Station to Lubbock would be. I've mapquested it and found one that takes you almost to Fort Worth to 20, and another route that takes you through Temple then Abilene and then to Lubbock. We're going to leave about 3:30 on Thursday. Thanks!

I'd suggest taking HW 21 to Caldwell, then HW 36 North up through Temple and to Abilene. From Abilene, Take 20W until you hit I believe HW 84 N to Lubbock (the turn-off is just west of Sweetwater).

Going through Dallas might be the route with fewest stops (since it's the interstate), but it will add at least 50 miles to your trip. Just my 2 cents.

BCS to Abilene is about 4.5 hours, and Abilene to Lubbut is about 2.5 hours, so it should take you around 7 hours all things told.

[This message has been edited by ZooGuy (edited 10/9/2007 9:17a).]

In the past 50+ years I have made the trip to Abilene about 500+ times and the route suggested by ZooGuy is the best and fastest and least scenic of all possibles. I have tried the route up Hwy 6 to Waco, to Eastland, I-20 west to Abilene and it may be a bit more scenic but takes longer.

Yeah, it is definitely the least scenic. Driving through all the small towns is a bit annoying, but then again, I never see many DPS cars at all, and usually go at least 75 most of the way with no problems. Also, much less traffic than any other way.

The DPS troopers work the interstate really hard when the Ags are going to Lubbock. So stay under 75. If you are not going too fast the Tech troopers will let you go if you get your guns up and say "Go Tech." The one Aggie trooper will let you go if your speed is reasonable.

One warning about speedtraps on Hwy 36 ... Rogers (about 20 miles south of Temple.) A little fat local sits near the one red light and scoops up drivers who fail to note a speed limit drop to 30 about 3 blocks from the red light. There is only one sign and if a truck is beside you in the outside lane you cannot see it.

Another area to watch the speed limit is between Cross Plains and Abilene. DPS.

The only sights worth noting are on the north side of the highway between Gatesville and Hamilton. Going toward Hamilton after you pass a Caterpillar company on the northside of the highway start looking into the ranchland on the northside for an Elephant and a Giraffe. That accomplished, start looking at ranch signs on the south side of the highway ... the most notable is Deep Sh** Cattle Company.

Edit: Also, about 4 miles west of Hamilton on the south side of the highway is a newly built world class Roping? Rodeo? Horse Show? Sale? Arena and complex the likes of which I have never seen before. Big bucks sunk into that for sure.

It will be the loooooooooongest 1,000-1,200 mile trip you will ever endure.

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 10/9/2007 9:39p).]

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 10/10/2007 9:55a).]

Lots of State Troopers around Sweetwater, Roscoe, & Snyder also.

6 to Hearne

FM 485 is the Zabcikville speedway
Stop at Green's Sausage house for dried beef sticks
and a chunk of cheese

53 into Temple
we always go through Temple that should be just as
fast as around Temple there are only a few lights

36 to Abilene
loop 322 around east side of town to I-20
honk when you drive through town

I-20 to almost Roscoe where you pick up 84 into Lubbock

for me, the traffic on 6 to Waco and from there on
to I-20 always tipped the scale away from that route

and the towns on 36 are just about nothing, you go
around gatesville, hamilton is one or two lights
downtown, Comanche requires a turn or two and a
couple of stop lights, rising star and cross plains
have blinking yellow lights

4.5 hours from CS to Abilene by the above route
2.0+ a little bit hours from Abilene to Lubbock

I already told you about Green's sausage house

Hamilton used to have a drive through beer barn, and
I think the Storm's hamburger joint is still there.
Thats worth a stop

between Comanche and Rising Star is Cook's fish
house - an institution in that part of the world

in Abilene you have Joe Allen's or his ex-wife's
Sharon Allen's steak houses and bbq joints both of
them easy to and from highway 36 and loop 322 - I
vote for Sharon's places

at Post, turn right at downtown and you'll find the
last liquor store before lubbock on the east side of
town.

just before you get to lubbock, turn west on FM 1585
at the Posey gin to cut over to The Strip. Thats
where the lubbockites buy their beer and liquor.

Then you can just run north up the Tahoka highway to
downtown lubbock and TT - we do that anyway to avoid
the last 15 miles of 84 and several stop lights and
interchanges at the loop and 84.

Yeah, Sharon's places are much better in my opinion than Joe Allens. That place has really gone down the crapper.