roadtrip from nj to az

[cobee]

I am relocating to arizona this june and I figured I would make the most out of getting there. My husband and I are planning to head to Chicago and Denver on our way to phoenix but we don't just want to tour cities. We would like to include some natural beauty as well, maybe even do a little hiking. Any suggestions of some spots along the way. thanks.

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum! For natural beauty and hiking, its hard to beat Colorado and Utah. Your only real limit will be how much time you have to spend.

I'd probably go through Rocky Mountain N.P., then get back on I-70 and head to Grand Junction, where I'd head south toward Durango and the Million Dollar Highway, perhaps swinging through Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, or the Grand Canyon before continuing onto Phoenix.

You could also go south on I-25, cutting over to Sand Dunes N.P., then head south through the Taos, NM area, before getting back on the interstate.

Or there's always the plethora of amazing National Parks in Utah that could be reached without going sigificantly out of your way.

The search function of this forum will also give you lots of other great suggestions in this area.

Good luck!

[AZBuck]

Besides the locations Midwestern_Michael has pointed out in the west, there will be a number of great hiking locations along the way. Don't overlook these spots in the east early in your journey: Cuyahoga Valley National Park outside Cleveland, Buffalo Rock State Park along the Illinois River west of Chicago, and for a different kind of hike the Amana Colonies in Iowa, and try some of the historic landmarks along the Oregon Trail at Chimney Rock, Courthouse and Jail Rocks, and Scotts Bluff and imagine hiking the entire breadth of the continent, which many if not most of the pioneers did.

AZBuck

[cobee]

thanks for the info-- you both gave me a lot of great ideas to research. I am going to try to incorporate as many as i can. thanks again