I'll be driving from Vegas to Chicago in June and plan to stop and see some of the southwest's wonders. While I have reservations made for the Grand Canyon already, is it necessary to make reservations in order to stay near the following spots? Or (and this is what I'm hoping) can I just find a cheap motel along the highway for a night? And I really don't mind them being cheap; I'm quite used to hostels so I wouldn't find a dumpy motel room to be all that shocking.

Here's the itinerary:

June 22: Page, AZ for Antelope Canyon/Horseshoe Bend
June 23: place near Mesa Verde
June 24: Sante Fe, NM for the Taos pueblos

and finally

June 25: Joplin, MO (for nothing, I just need to get back to Chicago)

I've traveled but never really driven across the county like this before. Any suggestions or help would be wonderful!

I've stayed at the Best Western in Farmington, NM., It was clean, secure and not too expensive. Think last summer it cost me about $70 a night...

The great thing is it's only like 50 Miles to 4-corners, 70 miles to Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon National Parks, and within 15-16 miles to the Aztec National Ruins park.

We drove from Vegas to Flagstaff, the took the 89/160/64 route...
There might be somewhere in Durango to stay, so your not back tracking, but we headed south to Sante Fe, Alburqerque area, so it wasn't an issue with us.

If you stay on 64 you'll hit Taos on the way to either the 25 or the 68/85 to Sante Fe.

If you are going to wing it for reservations, pick up one of the traveller magazines with discount coupons for hotels/motels at one of the visitor's centers along the hi way. The discounts are sometimes good for when you travel, but the little maps with locations of hotels/motels and what they offer for amenities-free breakfast, washing machines, etc- are good.

I've stayed in both SF and Taos. Santa Fe will probably be more expensive. If you want to spend much time at the pueblo and really get the flavor of the town, don't stay in Santa Fe. There are several newer chain motels on the outskirts of Taos. About 10 years ago we stayed in a place on the town square - Taos hotel, maybe? Anyway, its a great town.

Are you planning to head from Mesa Verde to Taos, then spend the night there or in Santa Fe?

Cortez is the nearest town to Mesa Verde, and there are a number of inexpensive motels. We stayed at the Rodeway Inn there.

There are a lot of inexpensive motels (relatively speaking - it's high season) in Santa Fe down along Cerrillos Road. There's a hostel as well on Cerrillos. You might prefer to stay in Taos, though, considering you'll have been driving a good part of the day. But then you'll have a really long haul - at least 12 hours - to Joplin the next day.

Lee Ann