OKC - LA 5 week roadtrip.

[Vern]

Hi guys... I find myself with 5 weeks to get from Oklahoma City to LA with a standard car at the end of next month.

My plan is to take I40 to Albuquerque then drop down New Mexico thro T&C onto Silver City, through to Tuscan and up through Arizona to Flagstaff and back to explore the Four Corners area.

After that I'm unsure whether to go up thro Moab and over the North Rim and down the I93 to Vegas or to head onto LA via Vegas on what's left of R66.

I'm traveling solo and will hopefully camp or look for budget motels or hostels along the route to hook up with other travellers. I'm hoping not to rely on reservations to remain flexible on my trip though realise it'll be peak season when I set off.

I've had a look thro this site and it's given me some great info. Still I'm wondering what's practical to cover and which places to allow more time throughout the 5 weeks so any advice is welcome, as is variations on my idea for the trip.

Cheers!
Vern

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

5 weeks is a whole heck of a lot of time for this trip, which is a great thing. A lot of people do entire loops around the US in 4-5 weeks, so you've got tons of time to really dig in and explore.

My advice right now is just to really think big at thing about every place you'd like to stop in the region. With your time, you really should be able to do it all - or at least a lot of it all. The point being, at this stage of your planning, I don't think you really should have to be putting yourself into "either/or" situations.

[Southwest Dave]

Hi Vern,

That really is a heck of a lot of time for the journey and I'm not jealous at all ! ;-)
You certainly have time to go up to Moab and Arches NP as well as exploring some more of Utah's finest, Capitol reef, Bryce canyon and Zion NP on the way to the North or South rim. You could even decide to visit parts of Colorado and/or from Vegas head across Death valley and North and West through Yosemite to San Fran and the Pacific coast highway, the world, or at least the West is your oyster !
Carry on using the search button and tags to find info throughout the forums and road trip planning pages, get the map out and also have a look at the NPS site for more info on some of the natural wonders of the area. If you want to visit 4 or more it usually works out cheaper to buy an annual pass for $80 which is available at the kiosk of the first park you visit. All info is available on their website but it doesn't include camping or other activities. As a matter of fact you will find most parks fully booked for camping but some have "walk in" non reservable spots but you have to get in early morning to secure one.