Driving from Kentucky to California in Nov

[BizKit]

My hubby and I are in the process of planning a big trip after is job ends in November. We are planning for about 3 weeks and we want to see as much as possible. Most of our route is going to be I-40. So far the big things we want to do are the Grand Canyon, Six Flags over Texas, and Louisiana Renaissance Festival (not in that order). I am an aspiring photographer and would like to get some great landscapes. I'm sure there is plenty to do and see but wanted to hear any tips or recommendations. This is my first road trip and I'm very excited to hit the road!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

As you 'guessed' there are plenty of things to see and do along I-40, as there are along most of America's trans-continental highways. Things you should be sure to consider include Mammoth Cave close to home; a wildlife refuge or two on the Mississippi; the Oklahoma City Memorial; Black Kettle National Grasslands; Santa Fe (a bit of a detour, but you have time); Petroglyph National Monument; Petrified Forest National Park; Monument Valley (another detour but absolutely worth it); the Grand Canyon; and the Mojave National Preserve. Those are just the highlights, but further recommendations would depend on your specific interests and whether this is a one-way or round trip.
AZBuck

[BizKit]

Thanks for the recommendations! We want to camp as much as possible... we will probably get a room some of the time. If there is any good camping spots I'd love to hear about it! I'm really not interested in shopping or night life.We are more into hiking and nature, history, and natural/unique landmarks. Its a round trip but I'm not sure what our route will be to head back home. We talked about going through Colorado but it will be late Nov or early Dec by then and I don't want to get stuck in some snow up there.... We'll have more details once we figure out our route though.

[AZBuck]

Looking a bit more closely at your proposed stops, some more appropriate 'stops' (instead of the OKC memorial and Black Kettle) would be the Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez itself, parts of the Creole Nature Trail, perhaps Gibsland, LA where Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down, the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, and then as before. Additionally, and especially if you decide to include Monument Valley in your plans, look into visiting a few Anasazi sites such as Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly and Walnut Canyon, where the history is old enough to be called archaeology.

As for good campgrounds, probably your best bets are the various state park systems and the national forests. Each state and the NFS run extensive websites listing their campgrounds, fees and amenities. In addition many national forests support distributed or dispersed camping where, with certain restrictions, you can set up camp away from established sites. You will need to check with each forest as to what's allowed where, but it can be a very tranquil and low cost alternative to 'camping' with the crowd.

AZBuck