....My husband and I are from Saskatchewan...Go Riders Go!. ..okay,back to topic., leaving for Palm Springs area, Dec 28th. We have a 2010, 34' Travel Trailer, no kids, mid 40's, have a 140lb bullmastiff that will be traveling with us. Question is, what do all you vets think is the best route to take that time of year? We are brand new to the RV lifestyle, with last year being our first year. We tried Galveston Texas last year and ended up wearing a ski-jacket on the beach, go figure. Anyway, I've done a good amount of research and have our first stop using the rv in Amarillo, Texas. We're reluctant to go the Lethbridge route for concern traveling through the mountains, but I'm turning to you folks to share your wisdom. At best, we have 2 months traveling time, so the sooner we get to our main destination, the better. That said, we want to keep our nail biting winter driving to a minimum.

Appreciate all your input and thanks in advance for taking the time to help us out!

When in Amarillo, TX stop at the Oasis RV Resort. It is a great park and you will not be disappointed. The last time we stayed there it was $25/night with the third night free. It has every amenity that you can think of.
Unfortunately the weather is not predictable. We've headed out of Florida, the last three years, for the Winter, and are actually looking for cold weather in the Western mountains.. The snow doesn't bother us either since our big dog loves it and I carry chains and a snow shovel along. This past Winter was colder than normal in the South so who knows what it will be like this Winter. We are just coming off of the hottest Summer of record. Go figure.
Enjoy your trip.

GO RIDERS GO.
I have travelled down that way a few times, but leave Lethbridge mid October. Travelling in Dec there is no route that you will escape the weather.
Check the weather forcast and be prepared to sit it out if a storm comes. Pulling a trailer on ice is more than nail biting.

If you take I 15 there are a number of passes but very good roads. You dont escape the weather until getting to Mesquite Nevada. There are a lot of places to stop if you do see bad weather coming. This is the quickest route.
Going the Texas route you dont have the mountains but it is high country across New Mexico and can get some testy weather, and is a long way around.
Another route is heading west from Lethbridge and then south to Cour de laine/Spokane and along the coast.

I think it is a FANTASTIC idea to stop in in Amarillo! Here you will find anything you can imagine to keep yourself entertained. As far as where to stay, I can certainly tell you that staying at the Oasis RV Resort would be the BIGGEST MISTAKE you could make. The park is laid out wonderfully, and one would think that it is an ideal place to stay. However, my experience has shown that in addition to being understaffed, and preference is given to customers based on the newness and size of their RV's, you will find your stay to be far less than pleasurable. The WI-FI is sporatic at best, the cable TV is fuzzy, and groundskeeping is fair to poor. I would suggest the Amarillo RV Ranch, or another park.

If weather conditions are good a quick shot down I - 15 is the quickest. But it will be COLD. So hope your TT is well insulated. If you go down to TX and turn west on I - 40 that is high desert. You can get big time snow especially in the Flagstaff area. But you can check the weather when you get to TX and if clear just shoot across. If I - 40 is not clear go south to I - 10.

Since you do not seem familiar with Palm Springs you should know that the city of Palm Springs is small and the whole area around it is an RV mecca. This includes areas such as Indio, Palm Desert, Borrego Srpings, Salton Sea, Lake Havasu and along the Colorado river, and of course Yuma. I suppose it is possible to have bad weather the time of year you are going but unlikely. We usually go out the that same area of the desert at that time and the weather is usually perfect. Warm sunny days, and coolish nights. When the sun goes down you will need a jacket.

We travel with a dog too. But yours is 3 times the size of ours and our dog is not small. Yours is HUGE. One of the largest breeds. We are dog lovers but I have to say you will likely have many RV parks that will not take your dog. Many if not most parks will not take Bulldogs & Rottweilers. And many have a weight limit. Bull Mastiffs are usually not specifically mentioned as it is a relatively rare breed. I would definitely make sure when you make reservations that a huge dog is OK. Otherwise when you bring "marmaduke" out for a stroll the camp ground host may not be happy. We have not had problems with our Airdale so far, but there have been times when we are right about at the weight limit for her. She is 55 lbs.

I'm sorry Texas was so cold last winter. It was very unusual. Hope you will give it another try sometime.