Cross Country Road Trip
Mar 12th, 2018, 12:02 PM
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Cross Country Road Trip
As a graduation present, a few of my college friends and I are traveling from Asheville, N.C to Los Angeles CA. We are definitely stopping at the Grand Canyon, and a few other places along the way. I would love some advice, tips, places to stop, anything helpful! Thank you in advance 
Mar 12th, 2018, 01:10 PM
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I can't help you with the beginning of the trip, but if you take I-40 most of the way you can take side trips to see other parks along the way.
You are lucky to be able to travel in this beautiful country.
In New Mexico, I would go north a bit from Albuquerque and visit Santa Fe, especially if you are interested in history or art. West of Albuquerque, just a very short distance from 40 is Acoma Pueblo, a place to see Native Americans in homes that have been lived in for 1000 years. Stop at their Visitor's Center and take a tour.
As you continue west you will go right by elMorro/Inscription Rock an ancient site that has nice rock art from long ago as well as inscriptions from Spanish explorers, Civil War soldiers, and others who stopped on their road west. There is a ruin on the top of a small mesa also.
When you get to Arizona you can loop through Petrified Forrest/Painted Desert NPs.
Here is a map of the four corners area with distances and sites along the way:
Southern Utah Map - OhioHick's Travel Tips
Be sure to stop and see what's along the way and always have something to eat and drink in the car.
You are lucky to be able to travel in this beautiful country.
In New Mexico, I would go north a bit from Albuquerque and visit Santa Fe, especially if you are interested in history or art. West of Albuquerque, just a very short distance from 40 is Acoma Pueblo, a place to see Native Americans in homes that have been lived in for 1000 years. Stop at their Visitor's Center and take a tour.
As you continue west you will go right by elMorro/Inscription Rock an ancient site that has nice rock art from long ago as well as inscriptions from Spanish explorers, Civil War soldiers, and others who stopped on their road west. There is a ruin on the top of a small mesa also.
When you get to Arizona you can loop through Petrified Forrest/Painted Desert NPs.
Here is a map of the four corners area with distances and sites along the way:
Southern Utah Map - OhioHick's Travel Tips
Be sure to stop and see what's along the way and always have something to eat and drink in the car.
Mar 12th, 2018, 01:45 PM
#4
Check the map along I-40. How many days will you take to get to southern California? If you have an interest in country music, see a couple of things in Nashville at the end of the first day.
How about the Clinton Library in Arkansas or maybe look for diamonds in the State Park also in Arkansas? Spend at least a day near Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
What do you want to see after you leave the South Rim of the Grand Canyon? I'm guessing that the trip will be in mid-June sometime after graduation.
If you have plenty of time and are planning on splitting up after reaching LA, consider taking a train back instead of flying.
How about the Clinton Library in Arkansas or maybe look for diamonds in the State Park also in Arkansas? Spend at least a day near Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
What do you want to see after you leave the South Rim of the Grand Canyon? I'm guessing that the trip will be in mid-June sometime after graduation.
If you have plenty of time and are planning on splitting up after reaching LA, consider taking a train back instead of flying.
Mar 12th, 2018, 08:17 PM
#6
Do you all intend to return to North Carolina in the same vehicle? 10 days round trip or 10 days to get to southern California? If you intend to do an eastbound trip, go north to San Francisco and then east on I-80 to Salt Lake City and then south east to Moab to see Arches NP. Take I-70 east through Colorado on your way back home.
Mar 14th, 2018, 04:40 PM
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Go to: Road Trip America web site for trip assistance
Vaga
It took us a long time to find this Apache hiding cave located of I-40 at Two Guns. This is from our travel diary:
Exit 230 off I-40 for a historic site now abandoned.
By 1050, the area was occupied by Indians. Spanish Conquistador Coronado’s expedition in 1540 found this canyon impassable. By the middle 1800’s, it was named Canyon Diablo (Devil’s Canyon) since all who encountered it found it almost impossible to cross. In 1857, Lt. Edward Beale also found this canyon an obstacle for his wagon route survey and was forced north forty miles, where it meets the Little Colorado River. By 1875 about 3,000 sheep grazed this area that increased to over 10,000 by 1876.
Apache and Navajo Indians traversed this area frequently, often in conflict with each other. For example, in 1874, a wagon train was ambushed by the Apaches and members were killed. Everything was burned, including the humans. Apache raids on Navajo, including taking women and children as slaves, were frequent.
After each raid, Navajo warriors were unable to find the raiding Apaches—they vanished. An Apache raid on June, 1878 killed fifty Navajo where women and children were taken as slaves, plus property stolen. Navajo warriors, on their fastest horses, traveled south to intercept the Apaches, but they never found them. Meanwhile, the Apaches conducted another raid! Bewildered, Navajos sent many warriors to search for these Apaches.
Eventually, two Navajo scouts quietly approached the Two Guns area creeping along the canyon’s edge when suddenly a burst of warm air was felt on one of the scouts face. He discovered a crack in the earth almost directly beneath his face and heard voices. The scouts brought in the remainder of their warriors and surrounded the cave entrance and killing the entry guards. Next, a large fire was started at the cave entrance flooding the cave with smoke. Unable to escape, the Apaches tried to negotiate terms of surrender. First, the Navajo asked for their three girls as evidence of intent. The Apache could not produce these girls as they had earlier tortured and killed them for their amusement. Consequently, the Navajo built larger fires at the entrance. The Apache first used their water and then killed their horses for their blood to unsuccessfully quell the raging fires and smoke. They piled rocks and the horse flesh into the cave opening, but it was inadequate. Forty-two Apaches paid for this raid by a horrible death. Traditionally, the Navajo stripped their bodies of all valuables and left them thee to decay. That ended all Apache raids against the Navajo. It is now known as Apache Death Cave.
Originally, the Apache and their horses could simply walk into the entry that was hidden from the canyon mesa. In 1892, an earthquake collapsed the cave’s ceiling exposing its entry making it visible from the top. It is estimated that this cave is at least 5.5 miles long. To locate this cave, turn off I-40 south on Exit 230 where there are three sets of ruins. To the far right are stone buildings with a sign above advertising Mountain Lions. East of that is a concrete bridge. Stand on that bridge and look east to the canyon ledge where there are false Indian ruins on the ledge. Under those ruins is the cave. From the top of those ruins, observe where the cave ceiling collapsed in 1892 exposing its entry. The original hidden entry is to the west up a small canyon.
The cave’s GPS location is N35 06.916 W111 05.620
Vaga
It took us a long time to find this Apache hiding cave located of I-40 at Two Guns. This is from our travel diary:
Exit 230 off I-40 for a historic site now abandoned.
By 1050, the area was occupied by Indians. Spanish Conquistador Coronado’s expedition in 1540 found this canyon impassable. By the middle 1800’s, it was named Canyon Diablo (Devil’s Canyon) since all who encountered it found it almost impossible to cross. In 1857, Lt. Edward Beale also found this canyon an obstacle for his wagon route survey and was forced north forty miles, where it meets the Little Colorado River. By 1875 about 3,000 sheep grazed this area that increased to over 10,000 by 1876.
Apache and Navajo Indians traversed this area frequently, often in conflict with each other. For example, in 1874, a wagon train was ambushed by the Apaches and members were killed. Everything was burned, including the humans. Apache raids on Navajo, including taking women and children as slaves, were frequent.
After each raid, Navajo warriors were unable to find the raiding Apaches—they vanished. An Apache raid on June, 1878 killed fifty Navajo where women and children were taken as slaves, plus property stolen. Navajo warriors, on their fastest horses, traveled south to intercept the Apaches, but they never found them. Meanwhile, the Apaches conducted another raid! Bewildered, Navajos sent many warriors to search for these Apaches.
Eventually, two Navajo scouts quietly approached the Two Guns area creeping along the canyon’s edge when suddenly a burst of warm air was felt on one of the scouts face. He discovered a crack in the earth almost directly beneath his face and heard voices. The scouts brought in the remainder of their warriors and surrounded the cave entrance and killing the entry guards. Next, a large fire was started at the cave entrance flooding the cave with smoke. Unable to escape, the Apaches tried to negotiate terms of surrender. First, the Navajo asked for their three girls as evidence of intent. The Apache could not produce these girls as they had earlier tortured and killed them for their amusement. Consequently, the Navajo built larger fires at the entrance. The Apache first used their water and then killed their horses for their blood to unsuccessfully quell the raging fires and smoke. They piled rocks and the horse flesh into the cave opening, but it was inadequate. Forty-two Apaches paid for this raid by a horrible death. Traditionally, the Navajo stripped their bodies of all valuables and left them thee to decay. That ended all Apache raids against the Navajo. It is now known as Apache Death Cave.
Originally, the Apache and their horses could simply walk into the entry that was hidden from the canyon mesa. In 1892, an earthquake collapsed the cave’s ceiling exposing its entry making it visible from the top. It is estimated that this cave is at least 5.5 miles long. To locate this cave, turn off I-40 south on Exit 230 where there are three sets of ruins. To the far right are stone buildings with a sign above advertising Mountain Lions. East of that is a concrete bridge. Stand on that bridge and look east to the canyon ledge where there are false Indian ruins on the ledge. Under those ruins is the cave. From the top of those ruins, observe where the cave ceiling collapsed in 1892 exposing its entry. The original hidden entry is to the west up a small canyon.
The cave’s GPS location is N35 06.916 W111 05.620
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