LA to houston

[imported_craig]

two friends and i will be driving from LA to Houston, between December 24th
and the 30th. we'd like to stop off at the grand canyon, petrified forest, and albequerque. is that too ambitious? will we be able to find lodging/campgrounds at a moments notice?
- craig

[Quebec Gen]

Personally, I don't think it is too ambitious, but it depends no how much time you guys wanted to spend in each place. Grand Canyon (South rim) is only a few hours away from Petrified Forest NM (maybe 2:30-3 hours) and once you're in Petrified the drive to Alburquerque on I-40 is not very long (maybe 3-4 hours). I once drove Santa Rosa, NM-Phoenix AZ in one day, so it's not that bad. Of course, the more time you spend in these places, the more you'll have to drive on the other days.

I don't think you will encounter any lodging problem at this time of the year. The prices might be a little higher than usual because of the holiday season and some campgrounds may be closed (they have snow in northern AZ right now), but I don't think reservations are mandatory. Look out for Mom & Pop Motels and route 66 styled motels in small towns for cheap lodging.

Have a safe trip!

Gen