gustav213

Hi all! We are in the start of planning our first big road trip for this summer and will definitely need some help. I have been lurking around the forums seeing what other people have done in the past to see how I can best plan this trip.

The trip will start from Dallas, Texas on June 23rd and can last up to two weeks. It will just be 2 of us in the car and we will be meeting some people along the way but dates for the stops are very flexible. I have a rough schedule for the first week or so but would love any input you all have.

Day 1 - Leave Dallas - Night one in Amarillo (leave right after work)
Day 2 - Leave Amarillo - drive to Holbrook AZ
N2 - stay in a wigwam (just sounds like a super cool thing!)
Day 3 - Petrified Forest NP, Meteor Crater
drive to Sedona
N3 - Sedona
Day 4 - see Sedona and drive to Grand Canyon
N4 - Grand Canyon
Day 5 - Grand Canyon
N5 - Grand Canyon
(maybe 3 days)
Day 6 - Drive to Kayenta for Monument Valley
N6 Kayenta
Day 7 - Drive to Durango
Mesa Verde and 4 Corners
N7 Durango
Day 8 - Drive to Ridgeway CO
N8 Ridgeway
(Maybe 2 days since we will have family camping in this area)
Day 9 - Drive to Santa Fe
N9 Santa Fe
Day 10 - Drive to Roswell (I am just a nerd and want to visit the UFO museum)
N10 Roswell
Day 11 - Drive to Dallas

This is the rough plan we have right now and any suggestions are welcome. I am also curious on what sites along the way people recommend for us to see, since that is the main reason we want to do this road trip. I don't see us making a road trip through this area again anytime soon, so want to make sure we stop and see everything!

We also are looking to camp at a few of the places we are going too and I am working on a list of equipment we will need to make this road trip comfortable (again any suggestions for must have road trip essentials are welcomed!).

Thank you all for any feedback, this is our first big trip so want to get everything planned as best we can!

emalloy

Are you planning to camp along the way or just with the family? In any case you may need a reservation to stay at some areas along the way.

I would do one overnight at Grand Canyon, plan to get there before sunset, hike a bit,spend the night, see sunrise, hike a bit, head for Monument Valley.

Use the extra day to head up to Moab for at least a drive through of Arches and the next morning Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands before heading to Mesa Verde.

Try to get lodging in Mesa Verde or camp in the park, to avoid the drive in/out in the dark on that steep curvy longer than you expect road.

Consider a quick stop in Roswell and a bit longer down the road at Carlsbad Caverns.

Make sure the car, tires, belts, etc are in good shape with fresh oil change.

Always fill your gas tank when it gets to half and you see a station.

Keep a cooler with food and drinks in the car.

Drink about ten times as much water as you think you need.

Since it is to be in summer, when you are not in the high mountains, hike in the early morning or late afternoon and do your car driving in the middle of the day in your air conditioned car.

Try to do all your driving in daylight. There are animals like deer, elk, antelope, and in the open range areas, cattle and horses, that sometimes cross the roads. Many of the roads in this area are steep and curvy, with limited lines of sight.

We also saw a car on its roof when a hailstorm deposited an inch of ice on the road on an otherwise lovely warm day. Just slow down.

Have a great trip.

BigRuss

Go to your mechanic before you hit road and ensure the AC is fully operational and needs no replenishing. It's going to be effing hot.

jayne1973

I would give Grand Canyon two nights unless you get there very early on the first day.

jill_h

Grand Canyon to Sedona -- I recommend the drive along Hwy 89A just outside of Flagstaff. Great views, very scenic.