First Road Trip to AZ & NM

It's a southern loop through the Sonora desert. Lots of good options there too and it looks like a good start.

Note that you would drive thru Wupatki between GC and Sunset Crater.

I've never been to Aztec ruins but I have to say four corners isn't all that thrilling, except for the concept I guess.

I think you want to allow a fair amount of time at the Grand Canyon. Try to get at least one sunset and/or sunrise.

The possibilities I'd add to your list of things to consider along this route are:

Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon
Jerome
Tombstone
Mission San Xavier del Bac in the Tucson area.
Tucson Mountain Park (Old Tucson Movie Studio, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum)
Carlsbad Caverns (may be too off-course)

Here is a longer timeline that is possible to be changed


1 Tulsa to Albuquerque or up to Taos

2 Morning in Taos then over to the aztec ruins and and spend the night somewhere around there

3 Head toward the Grand Canyon and go by Monument valley and spend the night over by the Grand Canyon

4 Morning/Afternoon in Grand Canyon then down to flagstaff for the night

5 up to see sunset crater, walnut canyon and back to flagstaff

6 down to see montezuma castle/well and tuzigoot then night in phoenix

7 down to see casa grande and maybe tumacacori then night in tuscon

8 maybe stop and see chiricahua or someplace else in the morning and continue to las cruces to stay the night

9 up to white sands for the afternoon and up to albuquerque for the night

10 maybe see petroglyph national monument and head back to tulsa that afternoon

Santa Fe and Albuquerque are going to each be a 9 1/2 hour drive, plus stops. Taos will be closer to 11 hours, plus stops.

The good news is you'll be fresh, and can have an early start(?), but that first day is longer than a lot of people want to drive; over 600 miles. I also suspect much of the scenery will be pretty boring.

If you decide you're up to it, my vote is Santa Fe... puts you closer to where you're going on day two, is a historic town (16th century), and generally more fun.

Note: sometimes on a road trip I get a jump by leaving late afternoon of the day before the "official" start, and putting a couple hundred miles behind me (in my case to Reno or Bakersfield or Redding, depending on the direction I'm heading). Any chance you could slip out early and hit Oklahoma City? That cuts your next day down to an 8 hour (plus stops) drive.

Hello,

Those extra days certainly make a difference and you have obviously been planning well, but the start and finish of your trip are very long legs. To get from home in Tulsa to Albu in 9 1/2 hours would mean you would have to be pretty much on the speed limit from the time you pulled off your drive to the moment you were in the Motel parking lot without stopping for Gas, food or bathroom breaks. In reality it is going to be over 11 hours to and from Albuquerque. Blues suggestion of getting a few hours in the night before is a good option, even by leaving between 5-6pm you could travel for 4 hours and find a road side Motel and it would be within your normal waking hours.
I think it would also be possible to move on a little more between Flagstaff and White sands so that you can get beyond Albu for your final leg home.

Night Before - Tulsa to at least Oklahoma City maybe a little farther

1 Somewhere around Oklahoma City to Santa Fe

2 Morning in Taos then over to the aztec ruins and and spend the night around Farmington

3 Head toward the Grand Canyon and go by Monument valley and spend the night over by the Grand Canyon

4 Morning/Afternoon in Grand Canyon and pass by Waputki National Monument and the night in Flagstaff

5 up to see sunset crater, walnut canyon in the morning and night in Sedona

6 down to see tuzigoot and montezuma castle/well then night in phoenix

7 down to see casa grande and maybe tumacacori then night in tucson

8 Old Tucson Studio in the morning and continue to las cruces to stay the night

9 up to white sands for the afternoon and up through Roswell and spend the night by portales or clovis

10 up to Amarillo and head back home


Does this timeline make more sense? And have more time for sightseeing and pictures? Also are there any good extra museums that would be cool to see?
Thanks everyone for your help!

As long as you are aware that it is going to be a busy schedule then I think you will be OK. You should certainly be able to hit your destinations each night, even if you have to adjust the things you visit in between as you go, as you might want to spend longer in one place and miss another.
You have enough to keep you busy already I would say, but a couple of options not to far off your path would be Red rock State park near Sedona and Saguaro NP in the Tucson area or Kartchner Caverns and even Tombstone.