the North rim closes October 15 and it's a looong drive around to the South rim. you can probably drive into the park entrance on the North side but you won't see the canyon in any way from there or along the way and the aspen's will have dropped their leaves by now. so, i wouldn't go unless you're hitting the South rim.
Need help, headed to Grand Canyon
- Thread starter Pookieray
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Should he take a left at Albuquerque?
and yes I confused the Cadillac Ranch with the Chicken Ranch. Was wondering why he would take his wife there.
just in case
Currently I-40 is a parking lot from east of Santa Rosa to west of Clines Corner. Middle of New Mexico north is getting anywhere from 3” to over 2ft of snow depending on elevation so check weather before heading west. I would hit 40 to Amarillo for Cadillac Ranch, down to Roswell for the cartoonish aliens. We have experienced historic flooding in the past month but most everything is back to normal. West to Ruidoso(ski town) stopping in Lincoln (Billy The Kid and Lincoln County War) if you have an extra :30 to kill. From Ruidoso head west to White Sands National park in the middle of White Sands Missile Range. Leaving heading west to Las Cruces. Jump back on I-10 heading west. There is nothing to really look at other than distant landscape and long trains between Las Cruces and Tucson.
The absolute coolest thing you can see in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon is just west of Tuba City, AZ. Fossilized dinosaur tracks in the ground. Just a driveway on the side of the highway. Looks like nothing. No buildings. No museum. But mind blowing.
Made a similar trip with the wife a few years ago, drove from MS to California and back.
Cadillac ranch has already been mentioned a few times, I thought it was really cool. Sedona is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, did the Devil's bridge hike there. Stayed in downtown flagstaff for a few nights, good food and brewery scene. White sands, Carlsbad caverns, and Saguaro national parks were all incredible. I asked when the bats would be flying out of the cave at Carlsbad, they looked at me like an idiot and said "April, they're in South America right now." So if you're expecting to see the bats fly out, don't.
Also ended up on hwy 82 in New Mexico, I thought to myself "no way this is the same hwy 82 that runs through Starkville" well, it is. Never in my years of living in Starkville did I know that if I got on 82 towards Winona and just kept going I'd end up going through a tunnel under a mountain in New Mexico. Anyway, enjoy your trip.
Cadillac ranch has already been mentioned a few times, I thought it was really cool. Sedona is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, did the Devil's bridge hike there. Stayed in downtown flagstaff for a few nights, good food and brewery scene. White sands, Carlsbad caverns, and Saguaro national parks were all incredible. I asked when the bats would be flying out of the cave at Carlsbad, they looked at me like an idiot and said "April, they're in South America right now." So if you're expecting to see the bats fly out, don't.
Also ended up on hwy 82 in New Mexico, I thought to myself "no way this is the same hwy 82 that runs through Starkville" well, it is. Never in my years of living in Starkville did I know that if I got on 82 towards Winona and just kept going I'd end up going through a tunnel under a mountain in New Mexico. Anyway, enjoy your trip.
This is the best recommendation. I've done a lot of this myself, and you'll like just about every stop.
I have spent a lot of time in Northern New Mexico and nearly moved to Santa Fe a few years back, but like @Pilgrimdawg I just can't find anything better than the Northern Rockies.
Here are a few spots worth the time to see. Skip Albuquerque and head up to Santa Fe/Taos to explore. Great natural beauty and history in that area.
Palo Duro Canyon outside Amarillo
Taos Pueblo
Gila Cliff Dwellings
Lorreto Chapel Staircase Santa Fe
Bandalier National Monument
Valles Caldera
Is that truckload of diapers still smoldering from last July?****
Literally sat in almost that exact spot for 8 hours last summer while a truck burned and started a small wildfire. Luckily I had my RV and was able to relax, pee, and eat a meal.
This is the route I normally take from Phoenix. Head north on I-17 then 89A to Jerome. If you leave early enough get lunch at Haunted Hamburger then walk around. If you need to shorten the trip go from Phoenix to Sedona. Sedona has become a tourist trap but maybe walk a couple of trails. Continue up 89A through Oak Creek Canyon, beautiful drive. I like to spend one night in Flagstaff walking downtown and hitting breweries, they also have a killer mead hall. Next day drive to the Grand Canyon and spend the day along the south rim. With kids I recommend Bearizona in Williams. When going back to Phoenix use I17 all the way and stop at Montezuma Castle on the way. Message me if you need more info. Cheers!
I've driven that road once. I absolutely loved it. It was my first time in the Great Plains. I hit it at Salina, I came up from the south. I drove the first hour in the dark. When the sun came up, I was just in awe of the landscape. Now if I had to drive it regularly, things might be different.
There have been some great suggestions here. I'd still urge you, especially if you are serious about wanting to see Navajo land, get to Monument Valley. It's a Navajo Tribal Park that would ABSOLUTELY be a National Park if it wasn't on Navajo land. A BUNCH of John Ford westerns we shot there.
We had a great elk hunt about 20 miles from Ruidoso a few years ago. Son got a great 6x6.
I’ve only been about 100 miles on 70 in Kansas, coming from Missouri. But I was shocked that the Eastern part of Kansas is a little more hilly than I thought. I think they call that area the flint hills.
If you take I-40 the Blue hole in Santa Rosa is cool park with a deep spring fed lake (pond really but you might see scuba divers because it is deep and the same water temp year round). A good park if you have kids to let them run around. In Albuquerque try Stuffy's for a quick bite. I lived there for 35 years and a stuffed sopapilla is the food i miss most. Order the #7. If you have the time drive US highway 60 from Socorro to Phoenix. It's scenic and you pass by the Very Large Array (or whatever they call it these days).
If you go the southern route highway 82 thru west Texas is a pretty good road with very low traffic and good pavement but not much to see. Carlsbad Caverns is very cool but you need at least 4 hours to really see it plus it's off the beaten path. White Sands Nat"l Monument in Alamogordo is a great too.
If you're interested in mining the Santa Rita copper mine in Chino can be seen from state highway 152. It's off the beaten path but you look right down into a half mile deep open pit mine. The mining trucks are the size of a house but look like Tonka trucks from the overlook.
I think Roswell is hilarious. It's like a parody of tourist traps. No matter what anyone thinks about the UFO incident in 1947, the cheesy UFO museum, the shops, the restaurants....highly entertaining.
Another vote for White Sands. I've done the park a couple of times w/ the kids over the years. If you stay near there, it's incredible for sunset. And the Holiday Inn Express that is closest to the park will let you borrow plastic discs that you can use to slide down the sand dunes. It's a lot of fun and you can spend however much time you want there.
Carlsbad is also incredible but you really need to take the full hike down (take the elevator UP, but not down) so need to set aside 2-4 hours to really experience it, from what I remember.
And I'll also say Monument Valley is really cool, you can take a picture around the Forrest Gump monument, where he decided to stop running. They have a ton of turn-outs there to stop and get pics.
Carlsbad is also incredible but you really need to take the full hike down (take the elevator UP, but not down) so need to set aside 2-4 hours to really experience it, from what I remember.
And I'll also say Monument Valley is really cool, you can take a picture around the Forrest Gump monument, where he decided to stop running. They have a ton of turn-outs there to stop and get pics.
thank you, we are leaving 2 weeks from today. hope the weather isnt to bad as we are planning on getting off 40 and heading to gallup and over to Glens Canyon
The Smokey Bear museum and burial site is located in Capitan, NM. It is about 15 miles from Ruidosa. Not much to it but it is there if you want to stretch for 20 minutes. Great little local restaurant across the highway but I can’t remember the name. Had probably the best cheeseburger I have ever had.
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