I am planning a spontaneous 5 to 7-day road trip from Denver to Phoenix in the coming weeks and would welcome any recommendations or tips for attractions to explore along the journey (excluding Denver and Phoenix). My travel companion and I are both in our 50s and in good physical condition. Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

Welcome to Fodors. We moved your thread to the United States forum and added state tags

I recommend you hit as many national parks as possible: Rocky Mt., Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Arches, Canyonlands and Grand Canyon. Maybe hit Sedona along the way. Oak Creek Canyon is spectacular and the town bills itself as the “Day Hike Capital of America” and the region has more than 100 trails. Lots of outdoor activities including hiking, mt. biking and horseback riding.

I’ll add a couple of stops to the list above: Mesa Verde, Bandelier, Taos, Santa Fe, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon……..

Too many choices,

How will they have time for all those stops and national parks with only five days to one week and getting from Denver to Phoenix?