Virginia to California, any tips/tricks to a great road trip. (1 Viewer)

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LAX to ROA flight is booked. I believe I will meet my son somewhere along the way back when he leaves LA. Maybe Denver? Maybe Dallas?
 
I've traveled across this amazing continent 10x in/on various vehicles.

I could wax on and off...see this, go there, many of those are simply personal choices on what/where one wants to see on their trip across. I've gone south, north and thru the middle, you can find wonderful places, most depends on your mindset in my opinion. The last trip with my OCD ex, I wouldn't allow reservations to be made until after noon the night we were planning to stay. That way, if we liked someplace, we would stay or wander somewhere else instead of sticking to a rigid plan.

My first few times, I did just that and if I had to get across in a time frame, I'd still do that. However, if you have the luxury of time, take it and don't be afraid to get lost.

With that said...Mexican Hat/Valley of the Gods/Moki Dugway/Monument Valley are fantastic can be hit going to or from Moab, Ouray/Telluride are often missed, driving Highway 50 across the west is an isolating experience but I enjoy hitting the small towns of America. The northern extreme is just as fantastic as the south, the northern plains into the rockies, Mt Rushmore/Black Hills- Coeur d'Alene - Custer National Forest/Big Horn Canyon, Beartooth Highway (on a motorcycle) are wonderful as well.

As I mentioned above, my experience has found rigid schedules make for less enjoyable trips...enjoy
 
Rigid schedule will not be tolerated on this trip. I need to get to the West as soon as possible to take my time while I’m there. I have seen everything from Little Rock east. TN-the view never changes on I-40. Two left turns and I am in Little Rock. So lookin forward to the time with my son. He has the same “get outta home as fast as possible” gene I had at his age.
 
Two weeks and counting. Southern route. Cannonball to Oklahoma City Day 1. Cruise nice and slow the rest of the time.
 
Two weeks and counting. Southern route. Cannonball to Oklahoma City Day 1. Cruise nice and slow the rest of the time.
Take LOTS of pictures. I think I had 600+ photos from our trip. I still love looking through them.

Page AZ with Glen Canyon Dam
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Horseshoe Bend
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Slot Canyon
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Food. That’s how we apparently roll.

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That's a great place; Sarah and I went there that last pre-covid December. You'll find a pretty good breakfast place on Beale Street at Miss Polly's Soul City Café but it looks like they open at 10am this weekend instead of 8am. FYI, it's cash only.
 
@JohnVee Breakfast would be incredible there except for one thing, we are leaving Memphis at 0600 for Oklahoma City. Then off to Amarillo by evening. I know that 0600 is foreign to some...keep the suggestions coming.
 
Made it to Amarillo. Staying in Canyon last night. Hitting the road shortly.
 
Valley of the Gods...BLM land open, not reservation land that may be closed to see majestic venues, you can traverse the reservation land if that region is of interest, not food but amazing vistas, from the porch of the Valley of the Gods B&B...
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When you get to Albuquerque you can drive up to the sandia mountains lookout. Just off I40 right before you get into town.
 
The 16th was a blur. We started in Canyon, TX yesterday morning. Had donuts at the Donut Stop (47 years in business), fueled up at Wal-Mart (fuel and apples) and toured the Palo Duro Canyon. After that we traveled to Cadillac Ranch where we graffiti five of the Cadillacs with purely juvenile pictures. Kept looking for a Whataburger but only found Alotaburger. Caught a quick picture at the Apache Motel (only because I saw @lumbee1 Did it). Jumped into Blue Hole in Santa Rosa and ended up eating lunch at the Hot Dog stand in Breaking Bad in Albuquerqu, NM. Interweb showed that the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque was open late on Sunday, only to find out it closes early due to, yep you guessed it-COVID. Regrouping, we ended our day ended in Los Alamos, NM in an AirBnB.

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I do hate MUD. The Camry is doing great for a go-cart like ride. Fuel mileage is getting close to 30mpg-not familiar with those numbers daily driving the 100 series.

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The 16th was a blur. We started in Canyon, TX yesterday morning. Had donuts at the Donut Stop (47 years in business), fueled up at Wal-Mart (fuel and apples) and toured the Palo Duro Canyon. After that we traveled to Cadillac Ranch where we graffiti five of the Cadillacs with purely juvenile pictures. Kept looking for a Whataburger but only found Alotaburger. Caught a quick picture at the Apache Motel (only because I saw @lumbee1 Did it). Jumped into Blue Hole in Santa Rosa and ended up eating lunch at the Hot Dog stand in Breaking Bad in Albuquerqu, NM. Interweb showed that the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque was open late on Sunday, only to find out it closes early due to, yep you guessed it-COVID. Regrouping, we ended our day ended in Los Alamos, NM in an AirBnB.

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We drove over to the blue hole but decided against actually going in.
 
We drove over to the blue hole but decided against actually going in.
It looked like a bunch of locals at Blue Hole. Son looked at dad and said “We are here, we are getting in.” @JohnVee it gets better, Nowhere really to change so I bared it all in the parking lot (being a s modest as an old man can be). It was as cold as advertised. Haven’t you heard? The Fat Boys Are Back!

Driving down the interstate, I am awakened in the passenger seat two days ago by this huge boulder in the road tumbling towards our car. I inquire “Sh1t, what is that thing flying at us.....”. Son replies “Sh1t”. Here is the offending vehicle.

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