When? Where to? How many?

[Ashley Hodges]

Hey, I'm tryin to plan a summer road trip out west, but I'm not sure when and where I should go in the summer? June? July? How long? Where? How many should go? I want it to be both fun and relaxing. Trying to get away from home stuff, maybe a month would be good...hmmm??

Narrow this down a bit & you'll get more responses.

A month would be GREAT if you have the time.

Give us the idea of WHERE you call "west" and is this a solo trip or family?

Check out the national parks website for starters www.nps.gov/parks.html

[Ashley Hodges]

Well I guess I would like to travel through Nevada and Arizona definitely and oh..I would be starting from Tennessee. I want to go through places that are both quiet and amazing, places that have some hidden history but are revealed when you're just standing there looking at all thats around you. I absolutely know that this will not be a family trip, but I can't decide if i should take my sister. She's 13 (one reason I don't know if she should come or not because she is immature and only cares about stupid things right now) and thinks that we should bring three other people, but I don't think she understands that I want, for me at least, it to be relaxing and fun. You know get away for awhile and clear my mind...take a journey and figure things out. Now that I have started thinking of it like that should I go solo?? There would be no1 there to enjoy it with unless I went only with my sis, she's not that immature when it's just the two of us. And what if I stopped in Las Vegas and met with this friend I know there?? All these things and questions just keep popping up in my mind. I really need to make a definite decision of whether or not I should go as soon as possible because there's another thing that I have to take care of but all of these things that I have to figure out are freaking me out and it's about to make me lose my mind. So...just please let me know of anything, anything at all.....

From sounds of it, I'd leave little Sis at home. Enjoy your freedom. No hassles. No "are we there yet"s!

You talk about quiet & amazing.

Yes - go to Arizona.

How 'bout driving down & across Louisiana, Mississippi into Texas?

Spend a couple days at BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK in Texas.

Go to CARLSBAD CAVERNS National Park in New Mexico (on the border of Texas). Take a couple tours (reserve in advance).

Then head across the amazing NEW MEXICO and into ARIZONA. See the cotton fields, see the desert, head to CANYON DE CHELLEY, the PAINTED DESERT / PETRIFIED FOREST, MONUMENT VALLEY, GRAND CANYON.

That is probably enough for a month. Drive back on a different interstate for variety - more direct - straight across back to Tennessee.

[Ashley Hodges]

Thanx for the info...I guess I'm still thinking about some stuff but this helps out a lot!! Also is the gas supposed to go up this summer??

[RoadTripper Brad]

When I took a roadtrip while moving between Washington and Arizona, I took my younger brother, who was quite immature as well. Surprisingly he grew up on that trip, and it was a wonderful experience getting to spend some time together, just me and him, as I was leaving home.
Bring the sister, sounds like you two need to reconnect, and there is nothing like a roadtrip with just you and your sister. Trust me. You will actually regret not taking the chance to spend some time alone with her, just getting to know each other.
For some reason, the road seems to bring out the best in people (some times the worst, but usually the better), and you may find that you two have more in common than you think.
Trust me, as Baz Luhrmann wrote in the "song" Everyone's Free (to wear sun screen): "Be nice to your siblings; They're your best link to your past, and the people most likely to stick with you in the future".
Take the sister, just reminder if she gets out of hand, gear can sit in the front seat, she can have the trunk! (kidding, but it worked with my brother).
Brad M.

[Ashley Hodges]

How much should i plan on taking?

[Ashley Hodges]

Well, what should i stop and see in Louisiana and Mississippi? And are there any of those sights with the "largest...." that i pass by?

[Ashley Hodges]

Also, is there any way that I would be able to see some historic sites of 66?? or something like that?

[Mark Sedenquist]

There are probably more guides, maps and songs about Hwy 66 than just about any highway in America. Some of the best of the best for web links and resources can be found on the <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/links/route66.htm">RTA Route 66 page<a/>.

Plus, a couple of RTA's contributors have written aritcles about traveling on route 66. Check out <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/rv/Route-66.htm">Jaimie Hall<a/> and <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/drives/Arizona-Route-66.htm">Robert Schaller's articles<a/>. There are also a number of really great route 66 guidebooks. For information about some of the best check out our <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/read/Route-66.htm">reviews<a/>.... and <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/read/bookreviews.htm#highwayguides">other guides<a/>.