I am literally overwhelmed by all the good advice, with even a different one about taking the train thrown into the mix, definitely worth considering, thanks for the thought!

I will now have to consider (and price) everything very thoroughly and doubt whether we can still do all the planning and booking for October, so May might be best. We're not that bothered about seeing Vegas, so the Phoenix or Tucson idea might be good too.

Anyway, I am certainly a lot better informed about the possibilities (and pros and cons) of the best places to go than I was before I discovered this forum. Sorry I can't really reply to everybody individually but thanks a lot to all of you! It's a big help.

Karoline in the UK

Take a look at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch near Stanley, ID. I think you would love a week there. I did a trip report of my visit which you can find by clicking on my screenname. Have fun!

If you go in May, and time it right, Mule Days in Bishop CA would be great. Parts of California are still cowboy country. Northeastern California( Susanville and Alturas), east of the Sierra Navada(Bishop), and Nevada. That time of year is also when the cows are calving.

Mule Days is so much fun. If you can go, reserve a motel early. You will see real cowboys in town, at events, bars. They have a dance. So fun. Start in AZ and swing up thru Nevada and eastern Californis. So beautiful. Many of the old western TV shows shot in this area on occasion.

http://www.muledays.org/

If you are lucky, Tioga Pass may be open and you can pop over to Yosemite!

Sounds like a proper adventure, enjoy.

Also just come across this gem, maybe handy.

http://www.lifed.com/9-wild-west-vac...before-you-die

If you make it to the Phoenix area- check out Fillie's Roadhouse in Apache Junction. Country western music and dancing- we were there on on Sunday afternoon- it was packed with people and there are two parking lots- 1 for cars and 1 for horses. People ride their horses in, tie up to the hitching post, have a few drinks or dances and ride home.

When we were there, there were at least 8 horses tied up at the hitching post waiting for their owners. I thought it was kind of a fun place- bring your cowboy boots and hats!

If you make it out to CA, many westerns were filmed in the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine (not that far south of Bishop) and there's a small western film museum in town (we just left there). And if you end up coming in October, they have a film festival. We're actually on our way to Mammoth for a horseback pack trip in the Eastern Sierras.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9CT7UlW...%3D9CT7UlWSWkI

Patty, have you been to Mule Days? Soooo much fun! I haven't been in many years. This is making me want to go again!

No but I've heard stories. Sounds like fun. This area is still very much cowboy country.

I know you're focusing mainly on the Southwest for a May trip but I thought I'd throw out something quite different, if for no other reason than to highlight the huge variety of options available.

This route - http://goo.gl/maps/4Fr4B - would be fabulous in the spring. I've done it (more or less) with some British friends (who had never "road-tripped" in the US) and they <i>loved</i> it. It's a real "road west" sampler, including:

The Nebraska Sandhills - http://gardyloo.us/xcountry%20145asm.JPG and http://gardyloo.us/xcountry%20146asm.JPG - often overlooked but very beautiful.

Deadwood and the Black Hills. Visit the side-by-side graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane in the Mount Moriah cemetery, see Mount Rushmore, lots of roadside history. http://gardyloo.us/xcountry%20149bsm.JPG

Sheridan Wyoming, home of Buffalo Bill, and an interesting little town. You could also detour to Devil's Tower to see if those nice (also music-loving) alien people are still around.

Take the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway across Wyoming to Yellowstone, one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the mountain west.

Yellowstone in the spring is uncrowded, the waterfalls will be roaring with snowmelt, baby animals appearing... great. So what if the weather isn't perfect every day? The geysers still spout and the mud pots still burble.

Helena, Montana. Montana's capital city is a gem of historic buildings, Old West lore, and Last Chance Gulch.

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho - a lovely town on a beautiful lake, great for relaxing for a day.

Palouse Falls, Washington. I've included Palouse Falls because (a) the Palouse region of eastern Washington is stunningly beautiful and definitely "under the radar" for most visitors - http://gardyloo.us/20130409_190a.JPG (b) for those interested in western history, the Palouse is where Appaloosa horses get their name, and (c) the Falls themselves are fantastic - out in the middle of the sagebrush, they feel like your own little discovery. http://gardyloo.us/20130409_300a.JPG Again, in the spring the falls will be full of water.

Finally, the Columbia River Gorge. More waterfalls, scenic vistas, Mount Hood looming over the flowering orchards - http://gardyloo.us/20100509_5a.JPG and http://gardyloo.us/20100509_85a.JPG Remember the "Oregon Trail" was what it was all about.

It's a longish road trip, maybe more than you want to bite off. But if you want some real exposure to the American West, it delivers the goods. And how.

Just happened on this thread and while I'm not the OP, reading this has given me the itch to go see every single one of these places. OP you are a lucky person to be able to do one of these adventures!

If you do include Mule Days, the bristlecone pine forest is not far. Heading north on 395, you will pass Mono Lake and the ghost town of Bodie. You could also hit Lake Tahoe before heading east to more cowboy country, Yellowstone.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/s...telprdb5129900

Gardyloo, thanks for your very detailed suggestions! And everybody else as well of course :-)

Go to Bryce Canyon and do the horse (or mule) ride through the canyon. If you don't feel like you're in an old Western movie, there's no hope for you. It's amazing.