My family consists of my husband and I and our 2 college age kids (21 and 18). We have been many places in the south and along the east coast and have also done a California coastal trip. Other than that we haven’t been west of Chicago.

I’m considering some kind of Midwestern/western road trip for next year probably in mid-May but I’m hesitating because I’m not sure it’s our style. We love big cities, cultural and historical sites, and museums. We’re not very outdoorsy or big nature buffs. We are not interested in camping or hiking. However, whenever I see a show such as “The West” or read about the Oregon Trail I feel like we should see more of the country at least once in our lives.

My other issue is that I don’t know where to start planning such a trip. We could go for no more than 2 weeks and we’d be willing to fly to a starting off point to help minimize some of the distances. Then we could do a circle or fly home from a different location.

If someone could suggest some books or websites I could start with I would greatly appreciate it. Also if anyone out there with similar tastes has taken such a trip I would greatly appreciate your insight. I apologize if this question is too vague. Thanks for any help that you can offer!

Based on what little you've said I would suggest the SW. Az & NM would make a great two week trip & w/Phx, Tucson & Abq there would be plenty of cities to keep you busy as well. Spring is beautiful out there as is the weather.

If you enjoyed the drive down Highway 1 between San Francisco and Malibut, I agree with Sanparis and would throw in the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, and Las Vegas (because it's there).

What about flying to Seattle, spending time there, going to Vancouver Island, (Or even Vancouver Canada) then down the coast and head over to Portland. Fly back from Portland.

If you like museums, National Parks always have Visitor's Centers. They usually have good displays and information.

I can't really help with where to start. And, fortunately, you seem to be getting advice from others about that.

But I just wanted to jump in to say that even though I'm not an outdoorsy person either, I've thoroughly enjoyed every trip we've ever taken to the western US. There's so much amazingly beautiful scenery you can enjoy without hiking. We're not campers either. But neither does our budget allow for upscale accomodations. However, if yours does, you won't have any trouble finding them!

And, of course, there are plenty of cities in the west that would give you all the "cultural and historical sites, and museums" you could possibly want.

I say, go for it!

The Grand Circle !! This area has the most incrediclbe scenery and you do not need to take long hikes to see it. I took my parents and they enjoyed it from the window of the car/bus. The only negative is that mid May might be chilly in some parts however, I would still go. We have gone back 3 time since on our own..its still my kids favorite place to visit!
http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/grandcircle.htm

Hi Pat,

Really our National Parks are one of the most wonderful things about our country. The west is full of variety, beauty, history, and culture - maybe just not the exact type you have experienced - so far.

Did you know that there is an annual Music Festival (Sept) in Moab? The symphony musicians get on a raft, with their priceless instruments, float down to and play in a gorgeous natural red rock amphitheater with perfect acoustics (in their river shorts and Tevas). It's expensive and you must make reservations far ahead, they sell out every year.

You can still appreciate the parks, and the amount of hiking you do is up to you! Of course, you see and appreciate more, the more you get out. How do you know if you like it or not, until you try?

All the possibilities mentioned so far are great. Of course, I live in UT and am partial to the Rockies!

Sort the thread by state and see others' trip reports. Many, many people do basically similar trips. It's a very good place to start.

Pacific northwest, UT, AZ, NM, Yellowstone, Tetons, Glacier. It's all beautiful. For May the southern UT and GC parks are perfect!

Happy planning

I can't imagine people not being thrilled by visiting great National Parks of the West and Southwest, but perhaps you are the ones.

Good grief. Either you want to see the west or you don't.

There are guidebooks that can give you ideas. You can also pay for tours.

It really isn't that difficult.

We have a beautiful country and the National Parks really should take your breath away. Maybe you could try at least just the Grand Canyon? You could spend time in Phoenix and then stay at the El Tovar for the Canyon. You don't have to hike there to enjoy it, there is a shuttle that goes to a lot of different points around the rim. You can get out and view and then walk between some stops or take the shuttle. It's small, manageable and comes frequently. There are a lot of ranger talks and movies to see there and eating at El Tovar will not feeling like roughing it at all! The more rustic lodges have more "rustic" dining but good food. And, if you go in the summertime, there will be teens working there from all over the world. It would be a terrible shame to not experience something this beautiful. I would see more than just the Grand Canyon, but if you're unsure that would be a pretty safe bet. You might also like Lake Powell as I think that could be done easily and comfortably and is pretty spectacular.

Having a bad day, Ag?

The National Parks ARE fantastic. You don't have to hike or camp, you can just look. It's well worth it.

Do any of you like baseball? Maybe you could plan your trip around baseball parks/games, visiting the cities and surrounding area. (Phoenix/Sedona/Grand Canyon or Denver/Rockies or Seattle/Pacific Northwest. Did you already visit San Diego and Los Angeles?)

Sorry CAPH, Ag is on the right track. Whose tastes are so bizarre that they can't enjoy tavelling in one of the most beautiful parts of the world?

I'm a non-hiking,non-camping city dweller and have very much enjoyed vacations in the southwest - specifically AZ and NM. Plenty of cultural & historical sites and museums, plus amazing scenery like you have never seen. Check out guide books, websites, trip reports on Santa Fe, Taos, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Sedona. I think you'll find tons of activities that match your interests.

At that time of year, the Southwest would be perfect.

Arizona and Utah alone have enough places to last you two weeks. You could also add in Death Valley in California. Pace yourself so you're not spending your time driving around. You do want to stop and enjoy each natural wonder.

Who knows? You may turn into hikers once you get to a place like Sedona. You HAVE to walk around, climb to somewhere to watch the amazing sunset.

San Francisco

Or Seattle... Just because I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest doesn't mean I am walking around in Gortex hiking and camping and cookin' on a campfire!!!

The SW one is worth it for ANYONE's tastes. Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Jerome, all around that neck of the woods, is fabulous. Lots of stops, Montezuma's Well, meteorite in the desert etc. etc.

utah is fantastic too, but the SW one is easily doable. We did it once flying into Phoenix and home from Alburqurque (sp?).

Yes - go. That said, living in the East it is so easy to fall victim to geography-deficits and think distances are small as in the East. Do not make the mistake of trying to see the entire western half of the country in 2 weeks - the "we've come so far we should really see...." and "who knows how many more family vacations we will take"

I would go to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Spend some time in Jackson Hole, see a local rodeo in Montana. We went 2 years ago with our 15 and 19 year olds - we are not hikers or campers and I hate bugs. But there was plenty to do within a short stroll (versus hike) from main road. You could fly into Salt Lake City to get your city fix - or even Denver.

Second choice is Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion. Don't really get the city thing on this itinerary, unless you count Las Vegas as a city (I consider it an amusement park).

Get a map. Go to National Park Service website and narrow it down. Or get one of the kids to do it.

Or, as a third choice - not really meeting many of your criteria - is to go to Alaska. (We are doing that this summer to celebrate HS and college grad of kids)

Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions. I'm planning to do more research and will probably be back with more specific questions.

And to those of you who made comments like "I can't imagine someone wouldn't like...", I offer a story from my husband's childhood:

My husband and his cousins would often stay overnight at his grandparents home on the lake in the summer when he was growing up. Weekday breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa's house was usually oatmeal. One morning my husband complained that he didn't like oatmeal. Grandpa pooh-poohed this and cousin Dennis sprang to my husband's defense by saying that he didn't like green peppers. Grandpa replied: "Green peppers are something you could like or dislike. But everyone likes oatmeal."