South West Trip nov-dec 2005

[wizzkitt]

Great report Gen, and it's a pleasure to come across someone else not afraid to do some serious mileage in a short space of time!

I visited the USA for the first time last November and was determined to see something of the country other than Las Vegas where I had to be for a trade show. Despite everyone telling me that I shouldn't try and do quite so many miles, I left Vegas on Monday morning, went to the Hoover Dam and then back down and drove across the Mojave, out to the coast - saw the Pacific for the first time! - visited Hearst Castle, drove up Highway One, got to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge (although I didn't have time to set foot in San Francisco), stayed with friends in Northern California and was back in Vegas for Thanksgiving dinner that Thursday. It was a blast!

I'm heading back to Vegas at the end of November, and this time I have eleven days to road trip instead of four. So, instead of planning 'on the hoof' as I did last time, I am happily spending evenings with maps spread out everywhere. So, the current plan is to go from Vegas up to Utah because I want to see the Bonneville Salt Flats, then back to Arizona and across part of Route 66 to New Mexico and possibly finish the most western part at Amarillo, before turning back south west through southern Arizona (Tombstone is a must), and up to Morgan Hill in California before heading back to Vegas...

I hate to ask idiot questions, but what is the weather like in Arizona and New Mexico in early December?

[Mark Sedenquist]

do some serious mileage in a short space of time!

Yeah, Gen really knows how to burn those miles! Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum!

I visited the USA for the first time last November and was determined to see something of the country other than Las Vegas where I had to be for a trade show

Virtually everyone who is active on this Forum is a veteran of long roadtrips, we all like doing them, but universally you will find our advice tends to focus on creating trips that high on quality of experience versus # of miles traveled. But I agree, there is something refreshing about those fast, long runs.

I'm heading back to Vegas at the end of November, and this time I have eleven days to road trip instead of four. So, instead of planning 'on the hoof' as I did last time, I am happily spending evenings with maps spread out everywhere. So, the current plan is to go from Vegas up to Utah because I want to see the Bonneville Salt Flats, then back to Arizona and across part of Route 66 to New Mexico and possibly finish the most western part at Amarillo, before turning back south west through southern Arizona (Tombstone is a must), and up to Morgan Hill in California before heading back to Vegas...

Whew! Yes, it can be done -- but it is kind of the Cliff Notes approach -- zooming past so much cool stuff, you won't much time for side trips. Here is a field report of part of your route.

I hate to ask idiot questions, but what is the weather like in Arizona and New Mexico in early December?

There are no idiot questions here.... December is early winter in the southwest and the best outlook is that is will be (FINALLY) an El Nino weather pattern (translation = plenty of rain this winter) so you should expect snow at the higher elevations and rain in the lower, with a goog mixture of both clear and cloud days. Depending where you are in those states, daytime temps can be as low as the low 30's and as high as the mid 70's.

Welcome back to America!

Mark

[wizzkitt]

Thank you so much for the welcome, Mark, and for the link (I'm still working through the huge amount of stuff on this site!). Yes, I'm battling with myself on the experience versus miles issue! Last year was my first time in America and I just wanted to see as much as possible. I'm trying to be a little more disciplined this time, but then I look at a map and think, 'Oh, I'd like to go there too...' The plans have already changed countless times, although the Arizona/New Mexico part is fairly well fixed.

For any fellow countrymen of mine who are considering a US road trip, I have to say that I did find that driving in the US is so much easier than it is over in the UK. On Thanksgiving I drove from Morgan Hill back to Vegas in one hit (which I think is something over 500 miles), arriving back in Las Vegas at 6pm, fresh as a daisy, ready for dinner and a last wander up the Strip. Here in Britain it is impossible to do that sort of mileage in a day without constant stops and arriving at your destination absolutely dog tired and stressed out.

I did write up my last Road Trip for the magazine for which I work, and I'd be happy to post it if it would be of use to anyone.