From Southern California to Eastern Pennsylvania in January

[lisasharyn]

Hi,

My husband and I are driving this route in a new Honda Civic just after New Years. Not a four-wheel-drive vehicle, needless to say, but it's what we'll be driving.

We have about 10 days - 2 weeks. Our planned stops include: L.A to Vegas for the first night, then onto the south rim of the grand canyon (yes, we know it's an iffy time of year, but we want to see it anyway!). From there, Santa Fe, NM, Amarillo, TX, Oklahoma City, OK (friends to see), Little Rock, AK, Memphis, TN (Graceland!), somewhere thru KY, then up to WV, Pittsburgh, PA (have some family there)to Philadelphia, PA.

Any suggestions at all will be very helpful. What should we avoid? What shouldn't we miss? Going a little out of the way for worthwhile sightseeing of beautiful not-to-miss places is okay.

Thanks in advance!

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I think you've got a pretty good plan laid out in front of you.

First, winter is a great time to see the grand canyon. If you can put up with the cool weather, you get to enjoy the experience without all of the summer crowds.

Heading back down to I-40, a trip through the Petrified Forest could be a nice detour. And when you are in OK City, I'm told the Bombing Memorial is quite powerful. Continuing west, Hot Springs Arkansas might be worth a visit. In Kentucky, Mamoth Cave could be along the way.

I wouldn't be too worried about your car either. Despite the millions of 4WD trucks on the road today, Unless you hit a major major snowstorm, 4 wheel drive won't be that helpful, and in all honestly, if you hit a storm that's so bad that you need 4 wheel drive while on a roadtrip, your best bet will almost always be to pull over and wait for the weather to clear.

[lisasharyn]

Thanks for your vote of confidence!

Yes, we are definitely planning to see the memorial in Oklahoma City. That would be like visiting New York and not seeing Ground Zero, I guess. I am not sure about Hot Springs, though. Like everything else we do, we'll have to check on the weather first.

Thanks for the reply...

[Mass Tim]

somewhere thru KY

Two of my favorite drives through Kentucky are US-68 up into Lexington especially where it crosses the Kentucky River and US-460 through the horse country that is so prevalent in the area. You'd be hard pressed to go wrong with any of the routes in that state.

I-79 through WV is similarly a nice drive with great scenery - and I've not known it to be especially crowded, either.

[AZBuck]

...of 'must see' spots along the way are Petroglyph National Monument, and Mammoth Cave National Park. Besides those, other possible stops include Walnut Canyon National Monument, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, and Hot Springs National Park. Also, if you plan to visit more than even a couple of national parks, be sure to get a National Parks Pass either before you go or at the first park you visit.

AZBuck