My husband and I are renting a big car and driving home to Dallas from Anaheim in about a week. We'd like to go straight through, including Arizona, New Mexico and the panhandle.

Any suggestions? We love art, interesting food, culture, etc..

I been on a couple of road trips through these areas when I was younger. All I remember is endless hours of desert. It can be a very long drive and not very exciting.

Let's see, there are some places in Arizona, depending on what route you will be taking and how many days you have. Grand Canyon and Sedona come to mind. I do remember we drove through the Petrified Forest when I was 16. Seeing the first piece of petrified wood was kinda cool. After that, it lost its appeal. (But then, I was 16)

The only thing in New Mexico that would have anything for art would be Santa Fe (though, I've never really been there), and I've heard differing opinions on that. Albuquerque has a somewhat interesting old town section, that takes about an hour to cover and is filled with tons of souvenier shops selling Indian crafts. (many of which I believe are manufactured in China)

The panhandle of Texas? Good luck. I've been through it twice, during the summer and fall, and both times it was pouring. Nothing but mud and muck in every direction. I've yet to think of one redeeming quality of the Texas panhandle. You would do well to get across it as soon as possible.

That's a really long, very boring drive, and in about a week, you can add scorchingly hot to the list, too. Make sure that whatever you rent has a good a/c system and won't break down on the road!

Your best route will be to take I-20 west to I-10 and keep going west. You don't want to go up through the panhandle of Texas because that will add at least a day to your route, and the road is not as good. I've done the Dallas to El Paso drive before, and it is really long!

As for food along the way, in Sweetwater, there is a BBQ restaurant right off the interstate that is quite good. I can't remember the name of it, but it is a cabin-lookin building and there will be a lot of cars out front!

Fort Davis is not too far off your route, and its restored Indian Wars-era fort is worth a stop.

Stop for roadside Indian Tacos!! Lots of art in NM!

Do you have time for Taos? It is an amazing art town.