Fantasy RoadTrips

[AZBuck]

I've been going a little stir crazy lately with all the sheltering in place. I've had to cancel two trips planned for this spring and summer, and will probably not get on the road again until next year. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy some of the other aspects of RoadTripping. In particular, I and others have occasionally made the point that planning for a RoadTrip is almost as much fun as actually taking one. with that in mind, I've spent the last few days 'planning' a hypothetical one week RoadTrip from my home in Tucson AZ. I had a few criteria such as: 'one week' actually meant nine days with both weekends; there should be no more than three days' worth of driving; a preference for two separate stopping points with a short driving day between each stop. Below is the outline (with links) for when I can get back on the road again. Obviously one wouldn't have time to do everything listed below. That's not the point. Knowing what's out there to make this, or any similar, trip interesting and enjoyable IS.

One Week From Tucson

Day 1: Tucson AZ to Shiprock/Farmington NM
Real World Driving Time: About 8 hours
Salt River Canyon
Petrified Forest National Park (NP)
Neither of these 'stops' takes very long.
Indeed both can be done as just scenic parts of the drive.

Days 2-4: Shiprock/Farmington NM
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (NM)
Mesa Verde NP
Chaco Canyon National Historical Park (NHP)
Durango
Navajo Lake State Park (SP)

Day 5: Shiprock/Farmington to Taos NM via US-64
Real World Driving Time: About 5 hours
Salmon Ruins Museum
Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert
Carson National Forest

Days 5-7: Taos NM
Chimney Rock NM
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
Eagle Nest Lake SP
San Francisco De Asis Mission Church
Kit Carson Home

Days 8-9: Taos NM to Tucson AZ
Real World Driving Time: About 11 hours
Santa Fe:
Georgia O'Keefe Museum
Hyde Memorial SP
Santa Fe Botanical Garden
Albuquerque:
Petroglyph NM
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
Overnight: Socorro NM
Elephant Butte Lake SP
Lake Valley Historic Townsite and Backcountry Byway

Home!

AZBuck