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And so we begin- 6k miles part deux

Starting this Tuesday, we begin our Southwest trip. My daughter and I will see Route 66 wares including The Meteor Crater, Standing on a Corner in Winslow, AZ, and a few other stops before we meet my bride who will fly into Sky Harbor for a couple days in our favorite cities. We spent about 6 weeks in the area the year we were married (1998!) and we've been looking to get back.

From there, we hit Sedona for awhile, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Southern Utah, Monument Valley, 4 Corners, white water on the Royal Gorge, and Pikes Peak. The girls fly home from Denver and I stop by a few friend's places on the way home.

21 days and 6,000 miles in the 4.8is. We loved our trip on the northern loop last year, so we're looking forward to good times! I'll try to stop in with pics on the way! :usa:

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OMG I love your threads like these.

My wife and I have been itching to do some real traveling and we were going to do Grand Canyon/4 Corners/etc in the next year or two. Will use your route and thread for reference when planning :)

I dig these threads. Don't know you but I wish you guys a great trip. I did this with my sister (Boston to SLO) a few years and documented it on bimmerforums. It was well worth taking the time to do because I still go back and look at it from time to time. I look forward to the updates!

Wishing you a fun, safe great adventure with your Daughter!
I love Road Trips!
GL, mD

PS: Not being an editor on your points of interest, but having been to the Four Corners a few times, it is completely skip able, imo, unless you/your daughter simply have to have a pic of your feet on the metal plaque showing the 'four corners.

-Monument Valley: to really 'see it', hire a Navaho guide to drive you two into the heart of the Valley. Easy to cop a rez, not expensive, about half a day, and you will see stuff one simply cannot see from the main road. And, don't drive your X into the dirt road that is available, imo.

-Mesa Verde Nat Park in SW CO, (looks like you are going right past it), is an excellent half day, guided into the heart of the cliff dwelling ruins, which are not 'ruined'.

-No travel guide, but I have done 5 m'cycle trips all around your planned travel area, and an extensive 13,000 mile Vette car trip in same, a couple summers ago. If you want more opins, let me know. ;)

Sounds like a great trip!

I am in the Phoenix area. Please reach out if I can be of any help while you are here!

That's quiet the road trip! Have fun and drive safe

Quote:

Originally Posted by motordavid (Post 1044553)

Awesome! Thanks! We are doing a guide through Antelope, so I will check into Monument Valley. Do you think that and Mesa Verde can be done in a day with a stop by 4 corners?

You guessed correctly. My daughter has to see 4 corners. I went when I was her age and was impressed only with having been there rather than what I saw.

And we're doing Mesa Verde (I think that's #24), but Roadtrippers only allows 31 way points on a trip, so I had to break them up. I'm kind of a planning nut, so I even have one with places we intend to eat. I have Calendar invites with all the hotel reservation info, jeep tours, and addresses of dinners and even lunches.

The Roadtrippers plan with Route 66 is nearly filled with all the weird stuff we may want to see. Diners, gift shops, Cadillac Ranch, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PropellerHead (Post 1044561)

Awesome! Thanks! We are doing a guide through Antelope, so I will check into Monument Valley. Do you think that and Mesa Verde can be done in a day with a stop by 4 corners?

Doable, as it's under 200 miles, but that is hauling azz and not spending much time at either one, Mon or Mesa.

The Four Corners deal is as you may recall, a hour tops. It is considerably different than when you last saw it, as the actual metal plaque area is now surrounded by Native American descendants selling all kinds of junque...I am 1/8th Oglala Sioux and I was embarrassed. Like a bad ethnic flea mkt...

NEway, I am jealous of your Antelope Valley excursion; it was booked and pouring when we went by. Hope you get a dry day for that. If you see that, then Mon Valley could just a drive by, but the best 'view' on a drive by is coming from the north, the usual postcard pic, see below.

So, maybe a drive through Mon Valley, skipping interior tour, haul to 4 Corners and roll to Mesa Verde. But, I highly rec'd the tour in Mesa Verde and it requires some walking, slight climbing, but is remarkable.

You guessed correctly. My daughter has to see 4 corners. I went when I was her age and was impressed only with having been there rather than what I saw.

And we're doing Mesa Verde (I think that's #24), but Roadtrippers only allows 31 way points on a trip, so I had to break them up. I'm kind of a planning nut, so I even have one with places we intend to eat. I have Calendar invites with all the hotel reservation info, jeep tours, and addresses of dinners and even lunches.

The Roadtrippers plan with Route 66 is nearly filled with all the weird stuff we may want to see. Diners, gift shops, Cadillac Ranch, etc.
Having done Rt 66 a few times, I find it just so-so, with a few interesting/'iconic' stops and the rest is just a boring two lane vs fine azz curvy mtn two lanes, but I understand your trip partners' wishes. ;)

Winslow: It's worth the drive for a pic. I did 5 days/nights in the county jail there, summer of '65. Long story, but it taught me that I am never, ever going back to 'jail', let alone prison. :(

The planning is fun, but my advice is to remain flexible, and if something catches your eye on the road, or on the GOOG map on your smart phone, why not pull over and look...

We avoided hard, fast, cast in bronze motel or even town destination stops, as time flies and rather than have to 'be at the next town by din din/committed motel rez', we usually just floated to where we could get to that afternoon, hit the smart phone for motels/din din joints in that 'next town', hit the motel site on the phone, copped a room and rolled in. Then we would either 'eat next door' or close by, based on rec'd, but not drive far for those medicinal cocktails and dinner.

My point is flexibility is rec'd vs 'we gotta be 200 miles down the fookin road and it's already 3:30 in the afternoon!"

My 50Cts...GL, mD

OMG.. I was on a road that straight in Eastern Colorado. I couldn't stay out of triple digits... :cool:

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