Stroll manicured gardens, lakefront paths, and shaded trails — peaceful and cooler under the trees; park usually open from early morning until dusk (check seasonal hours).
Begin the long westbound day on I-10 and later I-20; this inland route gives cooler temps than coastal interstates and varied scenery across the Deep South.
Drive across the Texas Panhandle into New Mexico; the landscape shifts from plains to wide desert skies and brings steadily cooler evenings as elevation rises.