Fantasy RoadTrips

[DonnaR57]

Our reservations are at Old Faithful Lodge, I believe. Looking forward to staying there after looking the place over back a few years ago!

There are a number of great places on your fall trip, that I absolutely love. We loved Devil's Tower, so interesting to be able to hear climbers that are halfway up like they were in the same room.

Day 34 Drive 355 miles ...yeah...I know...a long driving day!

Sounds like a short one to me. :-)

Days 26-29 Explore Rocky Mountain National Park from East side near Estes Park
Days 30-33 Explore Rocky Mountain National Park from West side

I hope that one works out for you, that you can drive Trail Ridge Road! It's funny, I've been to RMNP twice and we were able to drive Trail Ridge Road on both trips. Yet I've known a few people who take 2 or 3 trips to the park before they can finally do that road. Granted, on both trips, we were rained and sleeted upon when at the top of the road. One trip, they closed the road right after we got back to our campsite. Go figure!

Day 40-41 Spend time in Torrey, Utah area including Capitol Reef
Day 42-51 Move into Capitol Reef to camp and our friends head home. We will relax & hike!

The campground in Capitol Reef is so pretty, surrounded by orchards. Lots of hiking, for sure! In the fall, the temperatures should be perfect for that! When I was a teen, our family hiked to "the tanks" as they are known. Hot hike, good soak, cooler hike back since we were still wet.

Donna

[DonnaR57]

You missed a rather nice place in North Dakota, Mark....

Day 3. Minot, North Dakota to Bismark, ND.
Real World Driving: 4.0 hours
Pride Dairy Ice Cream Parlour
International Peace Garden
Geographical Center of North America in Rugby.
Fort Totten
Icelandic State Park
Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge
National Buffalo Museum
North Dakota State Capital Tour
Lewis & Clark Riverboat Tour
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park

Just north of Bismarck, in Washburn, is the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and about a mile or two north of that, the re-created Fort Mandan. Great museum and grounds to wander.

The ND State Capitol building is not your average state capitol building, that's for sure. We didn't tour it, but passed it several times (between the hotel and the Ford diesel garage) and wondered why their capitol didn't seem to have a dome ...


Donna

[Mark Sedenquist]

Donna,

Actually RoadTrip America has been to a couple more places in North Dakota:
Fort Mandan
Fort Clark Trading Post

So far, no one has written about the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center -- maybe you should create a CP-->RA about it?

Other North Dakota articles are here.

Thanks,

Mark

[Utahtea]

Our reservations are at Old Faithful Lodge, I believe. Looking forward to staying there after looking the place over back a few years ago!

On our first trip to Yellowstone way back in 1974 we stayed at cabins near the Old Faithful Lodge....they have since been removed....for good reasons but I loved being so close to the geyser area! I really hope the park is open by the time you are to go.

There are a number of great places on your fall trip, that I absolutely love. We loved Devil's Tower, so interesting to be able to hear climbers that are halfway up like they were in the same room.

We have been to all the places before on our trip except Crazy Horse and Jewel Cave but it's been a number of years since we've been. This itinerary was for our friends who have only been to Capitol Reef before.

Our first time to Devil's Tower we lucked into the campsite with the best view of the Tower...it was so memorable I remember we had grill cheese sandwiches for lunch!

Sounds like a short one to me. :-)

I know 355 miles is not far, we have done that and more but we're getting old and DH is the only one that drives, we are retired and have all the time to travel so we don't feel the need to push ourselves any more.

I hope that one works out for you, that you can drive Trail Ridge Road! It's funny, I've been to RMNP twice and we were able to drive Trail Ridge Road on both trips. Yet I've known a few people who take 2 or 3 trips to the park before they can finally do that road. Granted, on both trips, we were rained and sleeted upon when at the top of the road. One trip, they closed the road right after we got back to our campsite. Go figure!

The two previous times we were at Rocky Mountain National Park it was so long ago that it was NO problem driving the Trail Ridge Road but I have been reading and I see how this will be a little more challenging this time!

The campground in Capitol Reef is so pretty, surrounded by orchards. Lots of hiking, for sure! In the fall, the temperatures should be perfect for that! When I was a teen, our family hiked to "the tanks" as they are known. Hot hike, good soak, cooler hike back since we were still wet.

We just love Capitol Reef! We started going in 1975 before the scenic road was even paved! We use to like to end our trips in Zion National Park, but it has become such a ZOO that we now end our trips at Capitol Reef just to relax and unwind before heading home.

Utahtea

[AZBuck]

Although I've been through this area more than once, all my trips have been just east-west segments of larger RoadTrips. Since I was born just blocks from its banks, one of my (so far) unfulfilled desires is to drive some significant portion of the Big Muddy. It might as well be where it's at its biggest and muddiest.

One Week From Memphis

Days 1-2: Memphis TN
Beale Street
Graceland
Elvis Presley Automobile Museum
National Civil Rights Museum
Mississippi River Museum
Blues Hall of Fame

Days 3-4 Drive: Memphis to New Orleans using the Great River Road and/or the Blues Highway
Real World Driving Time: About 12 hours
Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge
Vicksburg National Military Park
Overnight: Natchez
Museum of African American History and Culture
Delta Music Museum
Old River Control Structure (The Mississippi will break through someday.)
USS Kidd Veterans Museum

Day 5-7: New Orleans LA
French Quarter
Bourbon Street
Jackson Square
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
The National WWII Museum
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Venice Marina (as far down the Mississippi as you can get by car)

Days 8-9: Drive: New Orleans to Memphis
Real World Driving Time: About 10 hours
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
Mississippi Petrified Forest
Overnight: Jackson MS
Natchez Trace Parkway
Elvis' Birthplace
Holly Springs National Forest

Back in Memphis

[Mark Sedenquist]

That would be a fun trip.

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

Many of us have driven along sections of the "Great River Road" (this is way more challenging than most people might think!!!) but I think a Fantasy Trip would be to drive along the Rio Grande, crossing back and forth at will across the USA/Mexico border. It would be really fun to drive most of Nuevo Leon Hwy-2 on the sections when the corresponding US highways veer away from the border.

So... One Week from Brownsville to El Paso Along the Rio Grande

Day 1. Boca Chica State Park to Rio Grande City, Texas
Real World Driving Time: 3.0 hours (+ 3 hours for stops)
From Brownsville drive to the beach Boca Chica Blvd to Boca Chica State Park
Resaca de la Palma State Park
Progreso International Bridge
Donna Rio Bravo International Bridge
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
Las Palmas Wildlife Management Area
Fort Ringgold

Day 2. Rio Grande City, Texas to Del Rio, Texas
Real World Driving Time: 7.0 hours
Republic of the Rio Grande Museum
Piedras Negras
Fort Clark
Amistad National Recreation Area

Day 3. Del Rio, Texas to Terlingua, Texas
Real World Driving Time: 6.0 hours
Boquillas del Carmen
Bid Bend National Park
Trip Report from Peter Thody about Big Bend
Starlight Theatre


Day 4. Terlingua, Texas to El Paso, Texas
Real World Driving Time: 8.0 hours
Contrabando Film Set
Teepee Rest Stop
Fort Leaton State Historical Site
Chianti Hot Springs
Candelaria
Fort Quitman Hot Springs

[Rick Quinn]

Hey!

I definitely love this concept. Eight days (plus or minus) is a really nice amount of time, and if we’re allowed to choose any starting point we’d like, the possibilities loop all the way to the moon and back. I was going a little bit nuts trying to narrow it down, and finally elected to keep things simple by reverting to Buck’s original concept, using my home in Phoenix as my starting point. The itineraries I created for my book, Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips were all (technically) single-day excursions. Having a whole week to work with is a great opportunity to hook a few of them together, and do something really interesting.

I have a background in anthropology, and a life-long fascination with “residuum,” which is, basically, the stuff left behind by people who are no longer around. Since there’s quite a lot of that sort of thing within striking distance of Phoenix, I decided to make “Archaeology” the essential theme of my road trip, focusing on sites of historical significance that were built, painted, or scratched into the rock at least 500 years ago, before the first of the Europeans arrived on the scene. The goal: to visit as many such sites as possible in the time allotted, stringing them together like an interconnected series of seriously Scenic Side Trips!
Fair warning: I also love mountain roads with hairpin curves and switchbacks, so I’ll be throwing those in as often as possible; my way of adding a little spice to the drive!

One Week from Phoenix:

Day 1: Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ via AZ 89 and AZ 89A (Wickenburg, Prescott, Jerome, Clarkdale, Camp Verde, Sedona, and Oak Creek Canyon): Google Maps says: 248 miles/5:38; Real World Driving Time: About 10 hours

S'edav Va'aki Museum (formerly Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park)
Tuzigoot National Monument
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Drive

The first day of this trip follows the same route as Scenic Side Trip #9, which was the first route that I created when I wrote my book, and one of my personal favorites. There’s one significant deviation from the book: on this route, after stopping at Tuzigoot, I’ll proceed to Montezuma Castle before continuing on to Sedona. There are several gloriously curvy sections of road, around Yarnell and Jerome, and of course the wonderful stretch north from Sedona through Oak Creek Canyon. You might wonder why it would take ten hours to drive less than 300 miles, when Google says 5 hours and 38 minutes? That’s because the roads are slow, and so am I. I’ll be stopping often, so 10 hours is bare minimum.

Day 2: Flagstaff AZ to Monument Valley, UT: Google Maps says: 353 miles 6:38; Real World Driving Time: About 10 hours

Walnut Canyon National Monument
Sunset Crater National Monument
Wupatki National Monument
Coal Mine Canyon
Old Oraibi Hopi Village
Tsakurshovi Trading Post
Navajo National Monument
Monument Valley (sunset)

Day 2 of the trip follows part of the route taken by Scenic Side Trip #15. The stop at Coal Mine Canyon requires a permit that can be purchased in Cameron. I’ll visit the Hopi Village of Old Oraibi, then I’ll make a stop at Tsakurshovi trading post to see my friends Joe and Janice Day, and pick up a new “Don’t Worry, Be Hopi” T-shirt (since my old one is quite worn out). Turn around on AZ 264 and return to Tuba City, then head north to Navajo National Monument before ending my day at Monument Valley. With any luck? Right on time for the sunset.

Day 3: Monument Valley UT to Cortez CO via Chinle and Navajo Route 13 to Shiprock : Google Maps says: 254 miles/4:48; Real World Driving Time: About 9 hours

Monument Valley (sunrise)
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Navajo Route 13 over the Lukachukai Mountains to Shiprock

Day 3: Get an early start to catch a Monument Valley sunrise, and then drive to Chinle by way of Kayenta and Indian Service Route 59 through Many Farms. Drive the South Rim Drive at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and if I’m doing well on time, make the hike down to the White House ruin and back, to give myself a couple of hours of good exercise out of my Jeep. After the South Rim Drive, take the North Rim Drive, and after the Mummy Cave Overlook, keep going on Indian Route 64 through Tsaile, then up and over Buffalo Pass at the crest of the Lukachukai Mountains. (Portions of this section of the route follow roads described in Scenic Side Trip #16.) Take some time to admire the amazing views of Shiprock peak from Navajo Route 13, then drive north through the town of Shiprock, and on to Cortez Colorado for the night.

Day 4: Cortez CO to Farmington, NM: Google Maps says: 96 miles/1:49
Real World Driving Time: About 3 hours, leaving lots of extra time for stops

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Mesa Verde National Park
Aztec Ruins National Monument

Not as much driving on Day 4, which will allow a more relaxed pace when exploring two amazing National Monuments and a wonderful National Park. Arrive in Farmington late in the day, a very nice time to stroll around the ruins at Aztec.

Day 5: Farmington NM to Santa Fe NM Google Maps says: 262 miles/6:18
Real World Driving Time: About 11 hours

Bisti Badlands
Chaco Canyon National Historical Park
Bandelier National Monument

Get up bright and early and head south from Farmington on NM 371 to the Bisti Badlands Wilderness Area, just in time for some sunrise photos. From there, on to the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, followed by a wonderful drive through the mountains, past the Valles Caldera National Reserve, with a stop at Bandelier National Monument before continuing on to Santa Fe for the night. This day of driving utilizes sections of Scenic Side Trip #17, as well as some pieces of Scenic Side Trip #22.

Day 6: Santa Fe NM Google Maps says: 264 miles/6:07
Real World Driving Time: About 10 hours

High Road to Taos (as well as the Low Road!)
Taos Pueblo
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
Wild Rivers Visitor Center

Day 6 calls for a second night in the same hotel (what a concept!), but it won’t be a day for relaxation. I’ll drive the Low Road to Taos, where I’ll tour Taos Pueblo. From there, I’ll head toward Questa and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, where I’ll check out the Wild Rivers Visitor Center, and the breath-taking views at the end of the road. If I’m doing well time-wise, I’ll complete the amazing drive around the Enchanted Circle, and then I’ll take the one-of-a-kind High Road from Taos back to Santa Fe. This day was lifted straight out of my book: Scenic Side Trip #24 Part A and Scenic Side Trip #24 Part B. I’ll drive it just as it was written.

Day 7: Santa Fe NM to Silver City NM Google Maps says: 378 miles /7:39
Real World Driving Time: About 12 hours

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Petroglyph National Monument
Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument

Day 7: The adventure continues with a drive from Santa Fe down to Albuquerque, where I’ll check out the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and Petroglyph National Monument. Leaving Albuquerque, I’ll jump on I-25 and I’ll drive south, about 160 miles to the junction with NM 152 (the longest stretch of straight-up freeway driving on this whole trip). Then I’ll follow that fantastic curvy mountain road over Emory Pass to San Lorenzo, where I’ll pick up NM 35, which will take me to NM 15, which will take me to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, one of the most remote, least visited National Monuments in the lower 48 states. I dearly love this place: a nearly intact cliff dwelling in a gorgeous setting, and there are so few visitors, people are still allowed to enter the ruin, and view it up close. It’s a long drive, and it’s not on the way to anywhere else, but for me, that’s part of the appeal. There’s no place to stay near the National Monument, and I don’t plan to do any camping, so I’ll have to time my departure carefully to make sure I have enough daylight left for the drive south to Silver City. That’s where I’ll heave-to on the last night of my trip, in one of several historic hotels. Much of this day’s drive will follow squarely in the footsteps of Scenic Side Trip #2.

Day 8: Silver City NM to Phoenix AZ Google Maps says: 355 miles/6:47
Real World Driving Time: About 11 hours

Besh ba Gowah Archaeological Park and Museum
Tonto National Monument
Apache Trail Historic Road
Casa Grande National Monument

My last day is an old favorite: I’ll drive south from Silver City to Lordsburg, where I’ll pick up US 70, which I’ll take west to Globe. If I get an early start, before sunrise, I’ll be driving through the Gila River Valley in the golden light of dawn.(See Scenic Side Trip #4.) I’ll check out the Besh Ba Gowah ruin and Museum that’s run by the City of Globe, and then I’ll take US 60 north to Tonto National Monument. The Apache Trail Historic Road is a wonderful way to cross the mountains, following the course of the Salt River, in view of three beautiful lakes. A particularly gnarly section of the road was badly damaged during a big storm last year and there’s no certainty about the timing of the repairs. If it’s open? I’ll make that drive from Roosevelt west to Apache Junction (see Scenic Side Trip #11). Otherwise, I’ll backtrack and take US 60 west from Globe (completing SST #4). Either way, I’ll go just a tiny bit out of my way to pick up one last prehistoric ruin: Casa Grande National Monument. From there, it’s less than an hour back to Phoenix, and:

Home!


Rick

[Mark Sedenquist]

Yes, that sounds like a pretty great trip.

Mark

[Utahtea]

Rick,

We have done most of what is on your trip over the years, but I would want 2 months to do it all at one time!

Utahtea