wildblueyonder,

the overlook for zabriske is right where you park your car. You can do a small hike that's easy if you like but it's right there. The same with aguerberry point. You can actually drive through most of the stuff to see - actually, there is hiking of course but not necessary. Artiste palette same thing and badwater, same thing. Even Devil's (or is it Dante's) view point you can drive to. Heck, you can take pictures from your car if you can't stand the heat. DV is VERY doable according to what you want to see and do. If you want to see Death Valley, then I say do it and don't worry about the heat too much, just prepare for it. Make sure you jave plenty of water for you and your car and just don't use the A/C when you're going up extreme hills (it will have signs warning you anyway). Like I said, we did it in July and yes, it was very hot and feels much like a convection oven but if you are prepared for it both with gear and psychologically, DV is spectacular not to miss. If you love the desert like I do and it sounds like you do, DV is not to be missed. Honestly. I remember we talked about going to DV when we were at the GC south rim (with my ex) and I rememeber thinking he was nuts. It turned out to be one of my most favorite desert trips. Go, enjoy.

Oh, and I like SB as a choice but expensive there. Never been to Palm Springs and will be there in November. Always wanted to visit the Katalina islands. DOn't know how good an option that is but it can be reached from Laguna area....

meant Catalina with a C, not a K - off the coast of Cali.

Oh, just a tip. You know what we did as a special preparation for our DV trip? We bought 2 disposable coolers. Filled one with ice and water and the other one with just ice too. I made a habit of carrying ice in the camelbak and when we hiked, i would constantly take some out and put it on my head under my cap. That helped alot.

maria_so

Your recommendation to go out to the playa with the movable rocks in the middle of June needs to be addressed. This area is called the Racetrack. It's in a remote part of DVNP and you need a rugged vehicle to get there. It's not regularly patroled in the summer and if they had any vehicle problems out there they could become feed for the vultures. This is a great area to go in the cooler months with proper preparation.

wildblueyonder

You don't want to have a car in NYC or Chicago. I have no idea why you want to visit Cleveland. St. Louis and Memphis can be miserable in June. The hot days never cool off. The rest of your trip is fly-over country until you get to Santa Fe. I'd fly from NY to Chicago and then fly to Denver or Albuquerque and start your Western drive. Then you might have more time to see these incredible parks. One other park to consider is Mesa Verde. It's near Durango and on your way from Santa Fe to Moab.

Thanks maria - a cooler is a good idea. We bought one (and left it behind) last time we went (it 90+ degs in Seattle, amazingly!!) I have to drink tons of water anyway, so we're never without a good supply - will make sure it's even more when we go to DV! Have a great time in Palm Springs!

I haven't read all the details of the posts but I do want to comment on Fallbrook. It is lovely there but in summer it is extremely hot as well. I would opt for a place on the water north of San Diego (Carlsbad, Encinitis, solana Beach, Del Mar etc)

Hi Supercilious
We won't be hiring a car until after NY and we'll park it up and leave it for a couple of days for Chicago. I don't want to visit Cleveland - it's just the requirement of a night's sleep somewhere! It might not be Cleveland. Yes, we could fly, but we want to drive the distance (and my hub hates flying - it takes all my efforts to get him to fly there and back, without extras!). I doubt we will stop in cities (apart from NY and Chicago), because we prefer the countryside - St Louis and Memphis are routes, rather than destinations really. I don't particularly want to see NY or Chicago either - I'd be happy amongst the rocks - but I'm not going alone; there are others to consider and I'm trying to sort out a trip to suit all.
Yes, Mesa Verde is 'on my list', although I've heard it takes a long time to drive to, so it might not be a good idea. I've thought of spending the night there (instead of Durango area), but the accommodation doesn't appear to be all that great (according to the reviews).

On our recent Arizona trip, we bought a disposable cooler but found water seeping through the plastic foam and soaking the car seat. Then we transferred all the ice from the original bag into several ziplock bags (2 gal each) and not a drop escaped as the ice melted. We put one bag in the bottom, then a layer of water and soda cans/bottles, more ice, more beverages, topped with the last bag of ice.

Hi traveller69
Fallbrook is hot too? Darn! I looked up today's weather and it said 80, which would be ideal. I'd love to stay on the coast, but, unfortunately, all the rentals (which we've really set our hearts on for 3 or 4 days, to rest up a bit after our long trip) are either for minimum 1 week or are far too expensive.
Back to the drawing board!

great tip, kayd - thanks!

Wildblue - Fallbrook isn't as bad as some places - don't want to mislead you there and there are some shady areas of course. I've spent a lot of very hot summers there and have escaped to the coast. Have you looked at VRBO.com? There are a lot of private rentals on the coastal areas.

Hi traveller69
Yes, I've trawled right through the vrbo site until my eyes have gone crossed - that's where I found Fallbrook. Yes, there are loads of lovely places by the ocean - unfortunately (though not unreasonably) they ask for weekly rentals in the summer (apart from one or two, which are either extortionately priced or closets!) We would really like a private pool too.

wildblueyonder, sorry, i didn't mean think about the car to the racetrack in DV (the rangers also referred to it as the playa). We did have a 4x4 when we went and was warned of possibly not seeing anyone at all while we were out there. It is gorgeous though.

maria_so

Yes, the Racetrack is a wonder. Can't wait to get back out there this November. Have you been to Saline Valley? If you have the nerve and right vehicle, you can drive up from Saline right by the Racetrack. Not for the faint-hearted though.

wildblueyonder

We have trains in the US. Take the train from NY to Chicago and then on to Denver where you can pick up a car.
I've driven across the mid-section of the country four times because of relocation and it is not that much fun. Better to spend your days in the scenic part of the country.

Saline Valley - noted and thanks! Never been but looks like something right up my alley.

The trouble with trains is that you cannot get off and explore - you lose your freedom. There is plenty of interest to be found in all places, if you look for it. Mark Twain's birthplace (Becky Thatcher's picket fence!), The Long Walk, Elvis's kitch hotel, The Big Texan Steak Ranch(!!). I know precisely what you mean about spending time in the beatifully scenic areas, because, although we've only spent 6 short weeks of our lives touring the western states, we've been completely bowled over by the stunning places we've visited. But we would like to savour the full diversity of the country - warts and all!

...and i think that's what's why you take the trouble too, wildblueyonder. That's why you drive endless miles sometimes, to see these quirky things. I agree a train ride can be fun but I like being in control of when I go, where I go, and how much time to spend there.

Was at Canyon de Chelly last year and did not take the tour however, we really enjoyed talking with the folks in the park.... learned alot about the land, history, customs, etc. Very enjoyable - and picked up some great handmade souvenirs ! More meaningful than buying something off a shelf in a store/shop ! I know everything about my 'souvneirs' - from start to finish, where the material came from used to make them, etc. Enjoy ! It was not a planned part of the trip but 'happened' to be close enough that we made the side trip - and it was my favorite - other than the Grand Canyon !

Sure, there are plenty of interesting things to see in the Mid-West and Great Plains but the driving between these points is not as scenic as the drives out west.

I could give you a 2 week itinerary of interesting places to visit starting in St. Louis and traveling through Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee. Places like Daniel Boone's home in Defiance, MO, Cahokia Mounds, Fort Kaskaskia, Lincoln's birthplace, Mammoth Caves, Lincoln's home in Springfield, etc.

One neat place to visit in Ohio is Put-In Bay on Lake Erie. This is the site of Perry's victory over the British and there's a awesome memorial here. There's tons of stuff to see in the Great Lakes region. I could also give you a two week itinerary for upper Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario as part of a circle tour of Lake Superior.

The point is that you only have three weeks and by driving across the country while trying to see everything along the way will not be a very relaxing trip and you will not really experience these places if you dont spend some time at each.