Los Angeles to Phoenix

[westlady]

Hello! A friend and I are driving from Los Angeles to Phoenix in a few weeks. We're taking the 10 there and the 8 back, and our only sure place we know we want to stay is a hotel in Yuma. We've made reservations there, but for the other four nights we don't have any yet. The thing is, we're thinking of not making reservations as it's becoming too complicated to coordinate. We know we don't want to stay inside Phoenix because it'll be too expensive. We may reserve one night in Scottsdale, since that's our main destination. If we hit the road in the next few weeks and plan to stop at motels in Wickenburg and Florence (or surrounding areas), will we be okay in finding a place? It doesn't have to be four star or anything like that, but I would like us to be safe. I do have AAA.

My friend and I are trying to be spontaneous! And also, is there anything you can recommend we stop and see along the way? I think the desert is just beautiful, so I know the scenery will be amazing.

Thank you in advance!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Scottsdale is actually one of the more 'upscale' cities in the metro Phoenix area, so finding a bargain there if you think the rest of Phoenix is expensive is going to prove a challenge. You'd do well, in general, to stop by your local AAA office and get the Tour Books for California and Arizona. They list all of the AAA approved properties in those states and best of all, they're free to members. You can then know what's available, both in terms of amenities and prices, wherever you end up on any given evening.

Some places you may not have considered visiting on your trip might include: detouring up through Wickenburg on the way to Phoenix; making a visit to Casa Grande by taking the 'long' way to I-8; stopping by the old (and notorious) Yuma Territorial Prison; and one of my favorite 'quirky' road side attractions, the Desert View Tower in Jacumba, although the real attraction here is the adjacent rock 'garden'.

AZBuck

[westlady]

Thank you very much for your response! I'll definitely stop by AAA to pick up one of those books. I completely forgot Scottsdale was one of the more upscale parts of Phoenix. The front of our road trip, because it's hard to explain to family and friends that we're just antsy to get out of town and on the road, is that we're driving to a restaurant in Scottsdale to eat a massive sandwich called the Sasquatch. It just seemed convenient to stay in Scottsdale, but if it's going to be too expensive I'd rather stay outside the city and make day trips in.

I'll definitely stop and check out the Desert View Tower! That sounds really cool. I had marked Gila Bend and Casa Grande on the map as possible stops.

I'm sorry if I'm asking again, but we'll be okay if we don't make reservations for a hotel as long as we have that AAA book? I know Arizona gets more crowded during the winter because of it's nice weather.

Thank you so much!

[AZBuck]

Any night that you plan to spend in a large city or in an area where there are motels built to service the travelers along an Interstate, you should be fine. Remember we are in the midst of an 'economic downturn' and discretionary travel is still depressed somewhat. The only places where you might expect problems is where there are a limited number of rooms and a highly concentrated season, such as near entrances to major national parks, well known amusement parks, and the like.

AZBuck

[westlady]

Thank you soooo much! I feel a lot better now.

[glc]

I've stayed in Casa Grande, which is less than an hour from Phoenix. It has several hotels in the $45 to $75 a night range.