Relocating from San Francisco to Chicago

We live in San Francisco. My husband has accepted (and started) a new job in Chicago. My five year old son and I will be driving out to join him in mid-November. While I will probably have a girlfriend join in the drive at least part of the way, I will probably be doing at least half on my own. I am looking for good routes that will be fun and fairly safe, especially considering that as a Californian I have NO experience driving in snow. I'll be driving an older but very well maintained sedan that doesn't give us any problems.

Here are some more considerations. We aren't in a hurry. While I'd probably like to get there in no more than 10 days, I can drive as little 4 or 5 hours a day.

I love a road trip - but my son is a bit inexperienced. I know many possibilities in the west, but post colorado / new mexico, I'm pretty clueless about what might be worth seeing. Right now I have it in my mind to drive down to LA and then head for Flagstaff (Grand Canyon) and then Santa Fe (Cliff Dwellings?) but after that its a blur.

Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Welcome!

If you are going to be going south anyway, why not make this a Route 66 Heritage trip? Route 66 has essentially been replaced by I-40/I-44/I-55, but there are some sections of old road left and quite a few old roadside attractions.

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

First of all, don't sell your son short. Five may be a little young for him to appreciate everything he'll see but he is certainly old enough to enjoy a great trip and to form memories that will last a lifetime. I'm not sure why you would want to include Los Angeles on a trip of this nature when there is so much more to see that doesn't require hours of crowded freeway driving to get in and out of. But be that as it may, if you are only going to drive 4-5 hours a day, then you are going to need pretty nearly your full 10 days for this trip, with time, of course, for visits to some of the attractions along the way. Some of the major stops would be Mojave National Preserve, the Grand Canyon, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Cadillac Ranch, the Oklahoma City National Memorial, The Arch and Museum of Westward Expansion, and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.

A few words about the National Parks/Monuments/Memorials. Think about which ones you'd like to see and check their websites for admission fees. Then check out the National Parks website for the America the Beautiful annual pass to see if it will be a better deal. But no matter how many parks or monuments you go to, be sure to ask at each one about their Junior Ranger Program. Typically, these will involve some relatively easy learning activities for your son to complete at the end of which he will be sworn in as a Junior Ranger for that park (each oath is unique) and be given a certificate, and a badge and/or patch.

Besides the major stops listed above, be sure to stop every couple of hour at state parks and national forests near the highway to let you and your son get some exercise and fresh air, and make the trip about more than just hour after hour of driving down the road and sleeping in motels.

AZBuck