pa to az
 

We are thinking of driving from pa to arizona to spend about 3 weeks there. we have all the time in the world to drive there and would like some ideas as to how to make the trip interesting. from pa to az. once in az, we have manyy ideas. also we will travel in mid february. thanks

My choices would be -
Reading to Mill Run PA - less than 4 hours
Visit Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob

Mill Run to Mammoth Cave - less than 8 hours
Visit Mammoth Cave
Maybe do the Bourbon Trail if you haven't

Mammoth Cave to Little Rock - about 6 hours
Visit the Clinton Presidential Library

Little Rock to Amarillo - about 8 hours
Just a decent place to spend the night

Amarillo to Santa Fe - about 4 hours
Spend a couple of days in the area around Santa Fe
Lots to see and do

Santa Fe to the south rim of the Grand Canyon -
less than 7 hours, but do more sightseeing in the area and spend a couple of days there

GC to Sedona - 2 hours
Spend a couple of days in the area too

Sedona to wherever it is you are going in AZ - not far

Go to Taliesin West outside Scottsdale AZ. The night tour is a great time to see the house and the desert night sky

Those are drive times to break up the trip. Add time in the stops to see things (with the exception of Amarillo)

Thank you so much,Starrs. Those short jaunts work well for us since we both have joint replacements.Is any part of this plan route 66?

Amarillo is only a place to sleep. We ordered pizza delivery to hotel room as we didn't even want to drive around. You may want to get south of I-40 sooner to avoid winter weather, ice storms.
Where in AZ do you plan to stay? Phoenix/Scottsdale area, then I-40 is best as far as mileage but still can have severe winter conditions. If south in Tucson, Take I-25 south of I-40 to I-10, accessing it via the Hatch cutoff down to Deming,to be driving in safer conditions weather wise.
Have you considered flying and getting a long term car rental?

If you want to drive a section of the old US 66 in New Mexico, it will have to be between Seligman (se- LIG - man) and Kingman north of I-40. I-40 covers the old route except for this section. Along the route you can stop to see Grand Canyon Caverns near Yampai.

We enjoyed driving a short section of Route 66 and stayed in a teepee hotel room at the Wig Wam motel.
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66..._holbrook.html

http://www.galerie-kokopelli.com/wigwam/

To be honest, a little bit of Route 66 was enough for us.

This site may be helpful -
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/listofsites66.html

No flight. I heard 66 is a letdown,, too. We may stay near sedona because my brother is there.

If you have no particular destination in mind, consider the area around Strawberry if you just want to hang out in a quiet place. We drove down from Winslow to Scottsdale on back roads and I loved the high country and Tonto National Forest. Check out vrbo.com for some rental options. When I go back again, I'd love to rent a place in the area.

is strawberry near a bigger town? flagstaff is too cold.

I just read about Strawberry and lodging and it looks great, but it is at 600 feet and will be 20-30 degrees cooler than Phoenix, etc. Is there a place nearby at a lower elevation? Then we could spend days there, but not stay there.

Well, that's pretty much the rest of AZ.

Browse vrbo.

I meant is there another low altitude area, warmer, that you really like?

Someone else may have suggestions.

ok

AZ is very mountainous and night temperatures plummet in the desert.
Sedona may have snow. I've been in a snowstorm there in March.
Phoenix will be warmer but it is winter. AZ is not tropical.

Tucson is at a higher altitude than Phoenix and the border at Nogales is even higher.

I'll add some to starrs list

Consider Corvette Museum and Corvette Factory in Bowling Green, not far from Mammoth Cave. The Wild Cave tour at Mammoth is spectacular, but isn't for everyone. The Lantern Tour at night is also a good one with a lot of historical emphasis.

If you haven't been to Nashville, it is worth a couple of days.
See Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman, perhaps take in a Grand Ole Opry Show, Don't miss The Hermitage(Andrew Jackson home)
Good eats--Nashville is known for Hot Chicken. I like The Loveless Cafe. Las Paletas(popsicles-yes, they are that good)

If you haven't been to Memphis
See Graceland/Elvis, Sun Studio, Beale Street, The Peabody Ducks
Places to Eat-Blues City Cafe, Peabody Sunday Brunch, Gus's Fried Chicken, Rendevouz BBQ, Huey's

There are some interesting place in Arkansas.
Clinton Library-already mentioned
Petit Jean State Park--See Cedar Falls
Buffalo National River-This is my very favorite hidden gem in the US. Upper River is the best, and in Feb. the waterfalls are normally running very nicely. I can list many hikes at different levels, if you are interested.

I'm not that crazy about Hot Springs, but a lot of people love it. Horse Racing there is going at that time of year. Plus, the National Park, and visit the Bathe Houses. Eat at McClouds' BBQ, a favorite of Clinton.

Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas is free and fabulous. Has been open a couple of years and fully funded by Walmart/Waltons.

In Oklahoma City--see the Bombing Memorial
Eat at Big Truck Taco(now in a building) or Cattlemen's Steakhouse

If you go south/Tucson, then come back the southern route.
See Carlsbad Caverns(much much better than Mammoth-I've been to both multiple times. Again, the 2 wild cave tours here are great. There are many different tours both here and at Mammoth. I've done all of them, some of them 4 or 5 times.
Also visit Guadalupe National Park, which is less than an hour away from Carlsbad. One of the least visited national parks in lower 48.

The one thing you could get into is snow/ice in Feb. coming through I-40. If so, then travel is horrific, as the snowplowing/ice clearing isn't much. Things usually clear within 48 hours though. Just be weather aware and you won't have any problems.

We are going to Tucson/Saguaro National Park at the end of March. We plan on seeing Sabino Canyon(Seven Falls), Karchtner Caverns, Saquaro West and East, The Sonoran Museum(which is really more like a zoo), Mount Lemmon "night sky" observatory, the Farmers Market, Mission San Xavier.

Yuma has about the lowest elevation you will find in Arizona.
I'm planning on being there for several days in February.

spiro, thanks so much, many items of interest. we will have 2 dogs with us, so not so much museums as seeing natural wonders, eating, and hiking.

Most National Parks don't allow dogs.

I have driven a lot of this route in winter and want you to be aware of bad driving conditions, especially ice, as you travel.
Check each states highway conditions report and take alternative routes as needed.
Dogs are not allowed in Sabino Canyon or at Seven Falls. There is a lot of wildlife and I wouldn't taking my dog even if it were allowed. Same for Saguaro NP.

A comment re the state of Oklahoma. I drove across Interstate 40 a few months ago and not ONE rest stop was open across the entire state.

You can of course find a restroom if you get off the highway but I found it a bit annoying that every rest stop shown on my GPS turned out to be closed. When you gotta pee, yah gotta pee. Seems Oklahoma is either real short of money or doesn't care about travellers in their state.

Contrast that to Iowa which has some of the best rest stops I've ever seen. In fact, I'd give them first place but I can't say how every other state compares these days.

Iowa has some new rest stops that are each individually educational. One on the Underground Railroad, another on Wind farms, etc.

Have to add one comment re "Yuma has the lowest elevation". That may be so but Yuma is about the last place I would ever visit by choice. It has one redeeming feature besides warm weather, it's about the cheapest place for 'snowbirds' to park their RV for the winter. Consequently, you see mile after mile of RV parks. It's just not a place I would spend valuable vacation time in. No offense intended Tomfuller but have you been there before?

We don't pee in Oklahoma.

I don't think that many of them are closed. The ones in Oklahoma do seem to be outdated more than most states.



The dogs will really really really put a damper on what you can see/do. You can probably scratch all of my list and starrs list too.

Yuma does not make my list of places to visit in Arizona either.

We visited Acadia and walked all over the place with the dogs on leash. Is the no dogs a recent ruling?

Each park has it's own rules re: dogs. It seems many here in southwest do not allow them. You would need to check each one you are interested in visiting.

Best one- grand canyon.

If you do go from Santa Fe to the canyon, please stop off here in the Four Corners (Farmington) we have wonderful ancient ruins, beautiful scenery and awesome mexican food!

The Grand Canyon South Rim offers kennels. The other parks may as well.

I just looked at the NPS website. The only park that I know of that really allows dogs is The Great Sand Dunes. Well, now I know two parks. Acadia does allow pets on a lot of the trails.

Most of the parks allow pets in very very few places and absolutely never on trails.


If you do go to several National Parks. Buy a National Park Pass. Or better yet, if you are a senior, then buy a Senior Pass

Spirobulldog, ALL of them on Interstate 40 were closed when I drove across a couple of months ago. The only exception was right at both the east and west state borders.

Maribethp, dog owners never seem to understand that dogs are not always welcome everywhere. I happen to like dogs although I am not a dog owner but I most definitely do not think dogs should be allowed in a national park.

A national park is by definition a wild area. A dog is both a predator and prey for wildlife. Since the park is there to provide a safe and protected area for the wildlife, then it should be clear what the priority will be. The wildlife's interests trump your (the human dog owner) interests. Simple as that.

It is not discriminating against dogs or dog owners, it is protecting the wildlife first and coincidently also protecting your dog and your life as well. But you and the dog are secondary.

http://usparks.about.com/library/weekly/aa042598.htm

So the question I would ask you is do you want to visit national parks or do you want to visit places where a dog is allowed? Given your interest in natural wonders and hiking, you have a problem. As already noted above, the dogs will severely limit your ability to visit national parks.

You can't leave them at your hotel or in your car (I'm sure you know why that's a bad idea). So it's find a kennel every time (and pay for it) or drive on by.

What surprises me is that you are not already aware of the restrictions travelling with pets impose. Even hotels often do not allow dogs. Are you relatively new to travelling?

>>If you want to drive a section of the old US 66 in New Mexico, it will have to be between Seligman (se- LIG - man) and Kingman north of I-40. I-40 covers the old route except for this section.<<

These towns are in Arizona.

You can drive parts of old Route 66 in New Mexico. Some of it has been replaced by I-40 and I-25, but there are bits in Tucumcari, Santa Rosa, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, to name a few places. The section from Santa Rosa to Santa Fe would be pretty if the weather is good; otherwise, stick to I-40.
http://www.historic66.com/new-mexico/det-nm2.html

Lee Ann

First, check out http://www.dogfriendly.com/ -- should be helpful!

Route 66: What is it about Rt. 66 that interests you? You can still see some of the decrepit old motels along Central Avenue in Albuquerque, but as someone wrote, it's pretty depressing!

Alternative to I-40: Go further south to I-10. Texas did get some ice and snow, but it's a whole lot less likely than on 40. Stops could include the hill country towns around Austin, Alpine and Fort Davis historic towns, Marfa, where the whole town has been turned into a kind of art installation. NYT has a piece on Amarillo this week, I believe, so maybe there's something to relieve the dreariness of that stretch after all.

NM has a Spaceport now --I think you can still reserve seats on Virgin Galactic's second trip into space (first is sold out at $200k a ticket.) Silver City is an old mining town getting duded up like Santa Fe (maybe like it was 50 years ago), and is probably the nearest worthwhile place to stay. Truth or Consequences has hot springs (its old name) would be next on my list.

It's definitely worth the drive north in New Mexico to stop in Santa Fe -- more to do in and around our small (dog-loving) city than most places in the U.S., indoors and outdoors.

Great bird-watching just south of Albuquerque on I-25: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Check newmexico.org for the Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail.

Arizona: Meteor Cave on I-40 is worth the walk. Petrified Forest has been denuded of so much fossilized wood by tourists, it's almost unrecognizable to anyone who was there long ago, but it's still worth the driving loop.

The fairly recently discovered Kartcher Caves are out of the way on the southern third of NM-AZ border, but are reputed to be even more spectacular than Carlsbad.

Have a fabulous trip!

I misremembered where the article about the attractions of Amarillo -- not the NYT, but here: http://www.dreamplango.com/showcase/...o-cow-town-wow