3 week road trip

Planning a 3 week road trip for this spring. Really wanted to do completely cross country but its not possible in our time frame and budget (If we rented a car, drive across one way and fly home it could work but $$$) So, we are driving round trip 'middle' america, figuring we can more 'easily' do the west and east coast another time.

I'd appreciate any suggestions and feedback - sites or safety tips or ideas!

There will be 7 days of no driving:

St Louis, MO - Gateway Arch/area
Sedona, AZ - recommendations?
Cortez, CO- Mesa Verde
Durango, Co – Steam Train Tour - Durango to Cascade Canyon
2 days - Chicago, IL - 31st ST BEACH, Architecture River CruiseSkydeck Chicago/sears tower, The Oprah Store
Cleveland, OH - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and boat tour of Lake Erie

and the following places we are either stopping on the way to somewhere or we will either be for at least half a day or just stopping for dinner, hotel pool!, and sleep:

Mammoth Cave, KY - a Cave Tour (the least strenuous one - driving in AM)
cumberland, maryland - maybe
Jackson, MN - sleep/hotel pool
Amarillo, TX - Cadillac Ranch route 66
Tulsa Ok - sleep/hotel pool
Santa Fe, Santa Fe Plaza - suggestions? Should arrive by 1pm
4 Corners - I know its not much but want to see it
Stop in wyoming/or nebraska on way to SD-sleep
Keystone, SD- See Mt Rushmore -going to see it and keep going

Most days driving will be about 5-6 hours (Not counting breaks and traffic) The longest distances is the first day and last day of 10 hours but I am hoping we will be gun-ho to get going and to get home! We are not camping at all. Signed up for some common hotel chains with reward programs. Have AAA.

Message edited 2/14/2010 11:18:49 AM.

Re: 3 week road trip

If you are going to Colorado you have to visit Rocky Mountain National Park! It's too beautiful to miss.

Re: 3 week road trip

Yes! We want to do something similar as well. I realllly want to hit up Yellowstone National Park though it is quite out of the way. Not sure which sites we would sacrifice to go there. Maybe keep a diary and share your experiences

Re: 3 week road trip

Posted by TuttsyLow

Yes! We want to do something similar as well. I realllly want to hit up Yellowstone National Park though it is quite out of the way. Not sure which sites we would sacrifice to go there. Maybe keep a diary and share your experiences

Re: 3 week road trip

Santa Fe - since you'll have the afternoon, I'd use it for walking around downtown. They're famous for the Loretto Chapel and its "miracle" staircase, and the San Miguel Mission (one of the oldest churches in the U.S.), and there are lots of shops and restuarants. I'd recommend the Pink Adobe restaurant for food - the attached Dragon Room bar has really good margaritas.

Four Corners - bring snacks and make sure you gas up and take bathroom breaks before you set out to get there. It's really in the middle of nowhere.

Sedona - I've only spent a few hours there on the way from Phoenix to Flagstaff, basically ate lunch, walked down the main street, took some pictures and left, but I would so take a jeep tour if I got to go back! They go off road and show you the red rocks and tell you about the area. That or spend some time at a spa for a massage or something. There's also hiking trails around the red rock park area, but I think you need passes for that.

Also in St. Louis - they have Union Station, an old train station that they turned into a mall. Might be fun if you feel like shopping or it's bad weather outside!

Have a great time! I went on a one week road trip of the southwest in '07, and it was fabulous, but exhausting.

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I'd avoid Nebraska if you can. Not much to see there.

Devil's Tower in Eastern Wyoming but not sure if you have time to see it.

Also, the Badlands in SD can't be missed. You could stop and walk around for a bit or just take photos from your car. You'll see enough to get an idea.

If you are into Laura Ingalls, you'll be passing two of her childhood homes on the way to Chicago - De Smet, SD and Walnut Grove, MN. (I've seen them both. )

The drive through SD does take a long time - 10-12 hours. I'd plan on staying somewhere in South Dakota - preferably the Western part or the very Eastern border like Sioux Falls. There isn't much in between.

A tip - if you are at 1/4 tank and you are coming up to a gas station - stop for gas! In some of these areas, gas stations are far between and some of them might not have 24 hour pumps. (We learned the hard way driving through SD and had to camp at a pump until the station opened!)

Are you going to AZ first, then up through Colorado? If time is a crunch, I'd save Sedona for another time and spend a couple more days in Colorado. After Durango, you could go up to Grand Junction and take I-70 through the Rockies..Vail, etc. Should be some fun white-water rafting in the Spring too! You could go to Denver and up I-25 to Wyoming (hit the Budweiser Brewery on the way) or cut up to Grand Lake or Estes Park to see Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park. (I've never been to Grand Lake but always wanted to go. Estes Park is beautiful - cute shopping, elk grazing in the parks, micro-breweries) Don't mind me.. I Colorado. I've literally done a loop with side excursions all around the state and lived in the Boulder area for a period.

Re: 3 week road trip

I think near Amarillo TX is the restaurant that says if you can eat a 72 oz steak it's free - not sure if Hubby is up for that?

if you are on I-40 from NM - AZ you might want to check out the petrified forest or the meteor crater.

I've done a Sedona Jeep tour - very cool. Have you been to the grand canyon? If you are going to seona you are only 3 hours away and the average stay at the GC is something like 15 minutes...it's worth a look if you've never seen it.

I've eaten at the Blue Tortilla in Sante Fe and thought it was great.

The Crazy Horse Statue is also near Mount Rushmore

Re: 3 week road trip

Posted by babymakes3

I'd avoid Nebraska if you can. Not much to see there.

Devil's Tower in Eastern Wyoming but not sure if you have time to see it.

Also, the Badlands in SD can't be missed. You could stop and walk around for a bit or just take photos from your car. You'll see enough to get an idea.

If you are into Laura Ingalls, you'll be passing two of her childhood homes on the way to Chicago - De Smet, SD and Walnut Grove, MN. (I've seen them both. )

The drive through SD does take a long time - 10-12 hours. I'd plan on staying somewhere in South Dakota - preferably the Western part or the very Eastern border like Sioux Falls. There isn't much in between.

A tip - if you are at 1/4 tank and you are coming up to a gas station - stop for gas! In some of these areas, gas stations are far between and some of them might not have 24 hour pumps. (We learned the hard way driving through SD and had to camp at a pump until the station opened!)

Are you going to AZ first, then up through Colorado? If time is a crunch, I'd save Sedona for another time and spend a couple more days in Colorado. After Durango, you could go up to Grand Junction and take I-70 through the Rockies..Vail, etc. Should be some fun white-water rafting in the Spring too! You could go to Denver and up I-25 to Wyoming (hit the Budweiser Brewery on the way) or cut up to Grand Lake or Estes Park to see Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park. (I've never been to Grand Lake but always wanted to go. Estes Park is beautiful - cute shopping, elk grazing in the parks, micro-breweries) Don't mind me.. I Colorado. I've literally done a loop with side excursions all around the state and lived in the Boulder area for a period.

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This trip sounds amazing.

Can't wait to hear all about it and see some pictures.
Will you be taking a laptop with you? If so maybe you can start a blog and link it to LIF, so we can follow it. That way it will make me feel like I'm there

Re: 3 week road trip