<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Traveling solo from North Carolina to Vegas this summer. What stops are must see’s along the way? I have the option of driving straight through in about 4 days or stopping along the way and taking a week. What stops do you suggest? I don’t mind going a little out of the way, just not too far.</p>
<p>So far the only thing on my list is the Grand Canyon -
Any ideas?
Thanks</p>
<p>What route are you planning on taking?</p>
<p>How far out of the way are you willing to drive for a “must see”?</p>
<p>Good question - it depends. It’s already a 33 hour drive so another 3-5 hours to see something could be worth it.</p>
<p>We absolutely LOVE Monument Valley. The Navajo have a wonderful isolated hotel there and offer their guests warm hospitality and the best view on planet earth. [The</a> View Hotel is the only hotel inside Beautiful Monument Valley](<a href=“http://www.monumentvalleyview.com/]The”>http://www.monumentvalleyview.com/)</p>
<p>BBQ in Memphis and KC.</p>
<p>I assume you’ll likely go on I-40 most of the way. Keep in mind it’ll be HOT. That doesn’t stop me from doing stuff but you do need to take it into account that the desert areas of NM, AZ, and Nevada will likely have temps in the 100s. Of course so could Texas and other areas. Make sure your A/C is in good shape and that you carry plenty of water with you in case you break down. It doesn’t take long to get into serious trouble when it’s that hot and dry if you’re not careful. </p>
<p>If you’re heading across on I-40 be sure to see - </p>
<ul>
<li>Petrified Forest and Painted Desert in Arizona. It’s right along the way.</li>
<li>You could stop to see the big meteor crater in Az if you want. It’s privately run rather than a National Park as it should be so they charge much more than expected. </li>
<li>Just south of Flagstaff is Sedona. This is a nice place to see and worth the side trip.</li>
<li>Just north of Flagstaff is Sunset crater Volcano Natl Monument. </li>
<li>You already have the Grand Canyon covered.</li>
<li><p>Hoover dam</p></li>
<li><p>Detour to Colorado - Another alternative is to detour to Durango Colorado area and see some of that. If you detour to Colo - </p></li>
<li><p>Durango and Silverton and Ouray area. If you have a 4wd there are some great trails to ride. You could also rent a jeep there to do them or just go on a jeep tour. the Durango-Silverton narrow guage RR is pretty cool.</p></li>
<li><p>Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings</p></li>
<li><p>Monument Valley and the 4 corners area (Az/NM/Colo/Utah)</p></li>
<li><p>In Utah - </p></li>
<li><p>Arches NP</p></li>
<li><p>Canyonlands NP</p></li>
<li><p>Capital Reef NP</p></li>
<li><p>Bryce Canyon NP</p></li>
<li><p>Zion NP</p></li>
<li><p>The Escalante road - hwy 12 - one of the most scenic drives in the country IMO. Along here is also Escalante State Park which has more petrified trees.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Of course it’d be hard to do all of that in one trip unless you have enough time and inclination (I’m the type that would) but it gives you some options depending on what you like to do. There are a lot of other options and variations as well of course.</p>
<p>As someone far more interested in nature than manmade monuments, the interesting part starts just past Denver. Must you stick with the interstates, or can you wander off on more interesting routes? Are you doing a round trip? It is a bit convoluted, but possible, to see the Colorado and Utah National Parks and Monuments + Monument Valley + Grand Canyon if you get off I-70. Possible stops are Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Leadville, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado National Monument, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Goblin Valley State Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Zion National Park, Antelope Canyon Tribal Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, and a couple of reservoirs with big bathtub rings. Dinosaur National Monument is well worthwhile, but considerably north of the I-70 route. The I-40 route goes near Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest National Park, Meteor Crater, Sunset Crater, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon National Monuments, as well as Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona. In winter, you would want to visit Death Valley National Park, but not in the summer months. Vegas is just a place to stop for gas and a bite to eat before heading into the wilderness for some of us! I’m happy to give details about any of these spots. If you stick to I-40, you are likely to burn up more than 3 hours getting to/from Grand Canyon.</p>
<p>I second (or third) Hoover Dam. It is awesome and take the tour that goes down into the dam.</p>
<p>The drive out is for a summer internship in Vegas. Depending on when it ends there may be some time on a return trip. The return trip could either be back to NC or maybe CT.</p>
<p>1-40 is the main route but it sounds like I need to figure out where to go to 1-70 (??) to see a lot of these places. Does that sound right.</p>
<p>So many good options - it seems like I need to pick a route and figure out what makes sense. The trip will be right before Memorial Day.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions - keep them coming!</p>
<p>I just got back from AZ/Vegas. I actually liked Jerome, AZ as much (or more) than Sedona. Unless you have time to hike and get out of the touristy stuff, Sedona isn’t that great. Jerome had neat artist stores and fun restaurants. It’s an old ghost town. I loved Sedona, don’t get me wrong, but the part you will see on a quick stop isn’t going to be much. 40 between Nashville and Little Rock doesn’t have much going for it. Do it at night!</p>
<p>rightfit:</p>
<p>Spend some time with Google maps plotting different routes to see the impact on travel times. I recently did this from San Diego to DC and found that we could go wildly different routes (north, mid, or south) and they were all within a few hours or so. Interstates allow you to cover distance quickly but in order to see something you’ll want to get off of the interstates at some point.</p>
<p>Since you’re looking at a round trip I suggest heading out one general way and back another - like I-40/I-70, especially if you have some time at both ends to look around. There’s far more to see than you have time for so go through the suggestions here, decide the types of things you like to do/see (nature, man-made, cities, etc.) and find where they all are on google maps and see how it might fit. Remember that the distances can be deceiving though - it doesn’t look like a big deal on the map but it sure is when you drive it.</p>
<p>I had some friends drive from NC to LV - they went the southern route. They used this website to find interesting places on the way.</p>
<p>[RoadTrip</a> America - Road Trip Routes](<a href=“The Great American RoadTrip Forum - Road Trip Routes”>The Great American RoadTrip Forum - Road Trip Routes)</p>
<p>I remember they went to the National POW Museum in Georgia, Andersonville, Carlsbad Caverns, Saguaro National Park, etc. They planned the route and sight seeing from information on the website.</p>
<p>Remember if you go through Phoenix there is no interstate from Phoenix to LV.</p>
<p>I don’t know which way you are going. I have driven all over the US.</p>
<p>Natural Bridge near Lexington, VA is quite beautiful.
There is a large expansion bridge in West VA. (can’t remember where, but it is amazing.)
In Kansas City, I second gettting BBQ. And remember in KC–it’s ribs or beef BBQ. Arthur Bryant’s or Gates.</p>
<p>If you go by Wichita, KS. Go to Cowtown.</p>
<p>Near, OK City, OK is a small town called Paul’s Valley. We stopped every time at Field’s diner/restaurant and got the pecan pie.</p>
<p>I’ve driven I 70 across Kansas and it can be boring after Salina. But there are cute places to stop. </p>
<p>I’ve driven along Route 66 and it is a treasure trove of fun places to stop.</p>
<p>Also recommend seeing Hoover Damn.</p>
<p>Shows my age, I know, but really to plan a road trip like this you need a paper atlas (Rand McNally is the classic, but there also are other versions out there), and a paper map of the southern half of the US. Spread the map out on your floor or dining room table and trace out some possible routes from A to B. Then, open up the atlas to the various state maps and follow your possible routes through those states. Keep your eyes peeled for those big green areas and other special symbols that indicated state and federal parks/forests/you-name-it. Once you have a feel for the possibilities, check with the various state highway departments to learn about road construction issues that you might want to try to avoid.</p>
<p>If it looks like you will hit a bazillion national parks on route, spend some time at [U.S</a>. National Park Service - Experience Your America](<a href=“http://www.nps.gov%5DU.S”>http://www.nps.gov) to learn about hours and facilities, and consider getting yourself an annual parks pass at your first stop. Check out the state park websites for each state as well.</p>
<p>And be sure to pack LOTS of water. Your trip is going to be very HOT!</p>
<p>I-70 will give you a good taste of the Rockies, and you have your choice of Great Sand Dunes or Rocky Mountain National Parks. The I-40 crossing of the continental divide is less impressive, although you will see some old lava flows and small mountain ranges in New Mexico. If you take I-40 to Flagstaff, go up US89/AZ64 to Grand Canyon, seeing Sunset Crater on the way, then cut over to Monument Valley on US163. From here, you can either head north to Moab (Arches and Canyonlands) or over to Cortez, CO (Mesa Verde), then to Moab. Jog up to I-70 for a few miles, then take Utah 24 south to Goblin Valley, and on to Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion. I-15 will then lead you to Vegas, where you can do a day trip to Hoover Dam(n).</p>