bcla
On our rugged Eastern foothills.....
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2012
coast to coast. west to florida
- Thread starter stevechase
- Start date
VandVsmama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2011
I totally miss Santa Maria tri-tip! They don't have that here in Arizona.
CAFarmerGirl
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2011
We did that drive with our trailer....Sacramento, California to Disneyworld. We took the 10 out and the 40 back. Loved going on the 10. Texas has beautiful state parks.
We stopped at the following places going out east:
OK corral in Arizona
Missed Carlsbad Canyon
Rock hound State Park in NM
Balmorhea Springs in Texas
Palmetto State Park in Texas
Missed San Antonio
New Orleans
Destin beach (amazing!!)
And then Orlando (we did make it all the way to the coast to dip our toes in the Atlantic)
On the 40 highlights were Memphis, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and some really warm lake in Alabama? I would need to relook at my notes! We were at the end of a 4 week trip and we were all anxious to get home to our critters. So, that may be why we enjoyed the 10 more.
** oh, and we did this trip in July...it was fine! Of course, I am used to the 100 degree valley heat.
We stopped at the following places going out east:
OK corral in Arizona
Missed Carlsbad Canyon
Rock hound State Park in NM
Balmorhea Springs in Texas
Palmetto State Park in Texas
Missed San Antonio
New Orleans
Destin beach (amazing!!)
And then Orlando (we did make it all the way to the coast to dip our toes in the Atlantic)
On the 40 highlights were Memphis, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and some really warm lake in Alabama? I would need to relook at my notes! We were at the end of a 4 week trip and we were all anxious to get home to our critters. So, that may be why we enjoyed the 10 more.
** oh, and we did this trip in July...it was fine! Of course, I am used to the 100 degree valley heat.
JimMIA
There's more to life than mice...
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2005
For folks taking the 40, obviously Grand Canyon is right on the way and a must. In that same general part of Arizona, there are dozens of other great spots, but three that deserve special mention:
- Sedona, AZ is about 45 minutes of beautiful driving south of I-40 from Flagstaff. Amazing Red Rock country, artist colony, cool place with some good restaurants and shopping. But amazing views.
- Little Antelope Canyon is 2 hours north of Flagstaff, just east of Page, AZ. It's a one-hour guided walking tour through a spectacular slot canyon. The picture in my avatar is one of almost 100 cell-phone pix I took during that one-hour tour. Everywhere you turn, you see views like that...each one better than the previous. Be sure to do Little Antelope Canyon -- the walking tour -- NOT the boat tour from Lake Powell (which is okay, but not spectacular).
- Monument Valley -- about 2 1/2 miles north of Flagstaff. You could cover both driving 2 hours to Antelope Canyon, then another 1 1/2 hours to Monument Valley and spending the night at The View Hotel there. (If The View is too expensive, there are less expensive good hotels nearby in Kayenta, AZ.) Both Antelope Canyon and Monument are Navajo Nation Tribal Parks. Monument Valley is dozens of massive red rock mesas, many of which you've been seeing for years in car commercials. Another spectacular place.
jalapeno_pretzel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 13, 2015
There is no way I would go the far southern Las Vegas / Sedona / Grand Canyon route in July / August. I would see SF, Wine Country, Redwoods, Lassen, Yosemite, head east across Nevada into Utah to SLC - maybe swing down to Great Basin NP if you can route it that way. From SLC you have 2 different options - either head north to Idaho Sawtooth Mountains and over to Yellowstone and Tetons, down through Laramie WY and Medicine Bow NF, or else head east across Utah through Capitol Reef / Canyonlands / Moab (this will all be quite hot, but is beautiful scenery to drive through) then across Colorado through Colorado NM and Rocky Mountain NP. From there I would probably just want to do the remainder of the drive fairly quickly. If you head across Kentucky maybe a stop at Mammoth Caves would be a good break. Sounds like a wonderful trip!!
JimMIA
There's more to life than mice...
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2005
Well, Vegas would be boiling, probably 100 degrees or more. But we just got back from Sedona on July 20, and it was quite comfortable. It was 92-93 some days, but that dry heat really didn't bother us (we're used to Miami with 90 degrees and 90 % humidity). Grand Canyon is 7000 feet elevation and will be comfortable in the daytime and chilly at night. It never got over 82 the three days we were there (July 15-17).
The hard part would be the rest of that southern route, from Phoenix to Florida. That would be one long, hot drive and would not be my choice.
stevechase
WDW 2012
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2002
Hi guys. Sorry I wasn't ignoring your help, we are doing a lot of work on the house at the moment and had days without internet, the kids were after my blood. Anyway, thank you all so much, you guys really do travel and see your country. I like the idea of the Southern route, but there are things I really want to see, so I have asked the kids to start making a list and we will pin them on a map and see how it works out. We are best part of a year away, but I am wise enough to know that when Christmas has gone, it will soon roll round. I did want to see a MLS game too, if we could in LA, my son and I are Liverpool fans (not sure if that will mean anything to you) and it would be cool to catch Steven Gerrard in action for the Galaxy if possible.
JimMIA
There's more to life than mice...
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2005
I think your strategy of thoroughly involving the kids is a great idea. They'll come up with some stuff you haven't considered and that you'll really enjoy. I usually plan almost every aspect of our trips, book the flights, make the hotel reservations, arrange rental cars, etc. But on our vacation this year, the two BEST things we did were suggestions from DD13 and Mommy.
IF you are going to visit national parks, and stay inside the park (which is strongly recommended just about everywhere), be aware that you can usually make reservations a year out. And in some parks, especially Yosemite, the limited availability goes very quickly. If you get shut out, find out the cancellation policies and check frequently around the time people arriving the same time as you would be canceling. In other words, if a lodge has a 30 day cancellation policy to avoid loss of deposit, start checking there several times a day about 45 days out. You'll often snag a cancellation that way.
We did a Southwest US trip three years ago. Starting in SF and wanting to see the steps in LA gives you an opportunity to drive down the Pacific Coast Highway. If you're in a larger vehicle some of the curves can be tight. (It has actually been a number of years since I drove PCH.)
You have a choice of going down to San Diego and heading east or heading directly east from LA. We drove into San Diego and out of LA on our trip. I think the route from LA is more interesting. Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon (a bit of a detour), the Painted Desert are interesting.
Going through New Mexico on I-40 can be a bit boring. Some of the more interesting places, like Taos and Santa Fe are quite a bit out of the way.
I would start cutting down toward the coast at Amarillo dropping to Dallas and San Antonio/Houston possibly. To see the coastal part of the Eastern US. (The Oklahoma Bombing Museum is very well done but will take you out of the way from the coast.) New Orleans is an interesting city. A one of a kind city in the US. Most of the way is near the coast with varying types of beaches.
If you are an Elvis fan, you can keep on I-40 and hit Graceland in Memphis and then Tupelo and then head toward the coast. I don't find driving through middle Alabama and Georgia as too interesting.
You have a choice of going down to San Diego and heading east or heading directly east from LA. We drove into San Diego and out of LA on our trip. I think the route from LA is more interesting. Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon (a bit of a detour), the Painted Desert are interesting.
Going through New Mexico on I-40 can be a bit boring. Some of the more interesting places, like Taos and Santa Fe are quite a bit out of the way.
I would start cutting down toward the coast at Amarillo dropping to Dallas and San Antonio/Houston possibly. To see the coastal part of the Eastern US. (The Oklahoma Bombing Museum is very well done but will take you out of the way from the coast.) New Orleans is an interesting city. A one of a kind city in the US. Most of the way is near the coast with varying types of beaches.
If you are an Elvis fan, you can keep on I-40 and hit Graceland in Memphis and then Tupelo and then head toward the coast. I don't find driving through middle Alabama and Georgia as too interesting.
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