Leisurely Car Trip from Atlanta to Sacramento?
 

Hi Everyone-

I'm heading west from Atlanta, GA to Sacramento, CA in September and I have a window of about 10 days to make the trip. This is my first time driving cross country, and I was wondering if anybody had ideas on how to make the trip enjoyable, both scenery-wise and/or culture-wise? I'm big into hiking and art museums, among other things.

The I-40 route of course makes sense, maybe there are a few detours along that basic route?

Thanks so much?

One art museum to put on your list is the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ--great collection of Native American art. Some of the Las Vegas casinos also have good art collections if a stopover there appeals to you. You could Google art museums in major cities to get an idea of more.

If you go the northern route and end up on I-80, check out the Auto Museum in Reno, Detour to Lake Tahoe, and check out the Donner Memorial in Truckee.

And Santa Fe has Georgia O'Keefe museum. https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/

Bandelier was our daughter's favorite place in that part of the country. https://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm

Does your 10 days include a return to Atlanta? How long do you intend to stay in Sacramento?
If this is a solo trip, I would suggest taking trains instead of a huge amount of driving.
The logical Amtrak route would be the Crescent from Atlanta to New Orleans with an overnight in NOL.
Next day get on the "City of New Orleans" to Chicago (arrives in CHI in the morning).
Take the California Zephyr (leaves at 2PM) west all the way to Sacramento. Coach seats are tolerable to sleep in if you can't afford a roomette.

He says "leisurely" for ten days of museum going and hiking and scenery--not going by at 80MPH. I think he realizes that would not be a return trip to Atlanta.
There is nothing about a train trip that is leisurely, except the late trains.

Petit Jean State Park NW of Little Rock in Arkansas is pretty--I don't remember how serious hiking is there.
Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque is interesting as is Bandelier near Los Alamos. Museum at Los Alamos interesting, but not art.
Grand Canyon?
Sedona?

Alternative is to go up to I-70 and catch some trails in Colorado, Utah, and Lake Tahoe.
Not sure of art museums in St Louis, Kansas City, or Denver.