Leaving Sat July 24th

Hey guys!
Leaving this saturday from San Antonio to San Francisco. Planning on traveling to Roswell and then hooking up to I10 to Tucson thru Phoenix and up to Flagstaff to camp out for a few days and then catch I40 and weave my way to San Fran.
Anybody have any suggestions as to what to see as well as Meteor Crater, Red Rock, Grand Canyon?? All suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

[Robert Schaller]

You might check out Billy the Kid country in Lincoln County NM -- then the Chiricahua Mountains in SE AZ and Cochise Stronghold (campground there is very nice, although not as cool as some others at higher altitudes, tolerable, though if you like warm and the nights will be nice once the heat leaves the ground -- after 10 PM usually).

When you get to Flagstaff, you might try camping at Sunset Crater Natl Monument (north of town on US89) -- quite often when other areas are full, Sunset still has spaces available. Also, above downtown Flag, you can take a tour of the Lowell Observatory where Percival Lowell studied Martian life in the 1890's (then lectured about the civilization (he imagined he saw there) all over the country, & you can see the "blink comparator" which Clyde Tombaugh, janitor turned self-educated astonomer, used to discover Pluto! Also in Flagstaff (near NAU), take the State Parks Department's tour of the Riordan Mansion -- it is a "do not miss" for turn of the century log-cabin mansions! Don't pre-judge, you will enjoy it and be fascinated.

If you arrive on a weekday, and early, in Oak Creek Canyon it is hard to beat the Cave Springs campground (other times you'll have difficulty finding a spot) -- it sits farther back off the highway than the others so is quieter, and there is a neat swimming hole there. It is closer to the head of the canyon than it is to Sedona. In Oak Creek Canyon, watch for Indian Gardens, and if you stop, look for the foundation of the old skating rink -- when I was a kid this was THE place to be in the canyon on a summer evening!

North of Flagstaff, Wupatki National Mon is also worth a look -- and be sure to check out the "blow-hole" there. It's pretty cool -- or hot, depending on the time of day. ;)

South of the Grand Canyon on SR64 (between Tusayan and Williams, at the junction of SR64 and US180, stop at Valle (pronounced VALLEY) and see the Planes of Fame Museum there. The tour of the Lockheed Constellation is worth the extra cost, so don't pass it up.

Another place few people other than locals ever see is near Kingman, on I-40. Ask a local for directions to Hualapai Mountain Park, and when you get there, take a hike on the loop or circumference trail. You don't have to go very far to find old growth Ponderosas that will be as big around as some buildings. These trees are 400-500 years old. Lest the temperature in Kingman dissuade you from this little jaunt, the Hualapais are a good example of a "sky island" -- and in the neighborhood of 8000 to 9000 feet MSL. It'll be cool up there as long as you're in the shade!

That ought to get you started. Bob