Could use some help planning a trip from the southwest state guys

[Hatedbysheeple]

In 6 weeks I am driving from Gulfport, MS, to San Diego, CA. My original plan was to straight shot it as I was going alone, but now my girlfriend is flying in to do the drive with me, she has never really traveled much and I would like to give her a trip to remember. I have 8 days to do this trip, I don't need to go in a straight line but don't want crazy detours either. Grand Canyon is a must, but I honestly don't know much about the area or route, I was think Alamo, grand canyon, Hoover damn. Is the four corners worth seeing, are there any hidden gems worth seeing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[NewbieAKguy]

+1 to the Alamo. Went down there in March for vacation. VERY inspiring and just to imagine what had happened there. The River Walk is nice too. Would Gunsite be out of the way? LOL

[ltorlo64]

Now that you are on active duty, if you can stay at a Navy Gateway or an Airforce/Army base it saves money. Not in the Navy Lodge, which is like a hotel, but in the Navy Gateway or the Airforce Inns. These are Space Available and since you are on orders you have a higher priority. The Gateway and Airforce Inns typically cost less than half what you pay for a hotel, while the Navy Lodge will be about 2/3. I traveled from Bremerton to Pensacola when I got commissioned and found that there was an Airforce or Army base about every 10-12 hours. I would check that and see what is close.

I would definately see the Grand Canyon though. I say this having never made it there myself, but it is a goal that I will accomplish someday.

[ltorlo64]

Forgot to give you the link to the DOD Lodging site. It is http://dodlodging.net/# or just Google DOD Lodging. You can make reservations online or they have the phone numbers, and you can see pictures of what they have available. Generally they are like a Best Western type room. The last place I stayed at even had a free continental breakfast.

[Integratedj]

If you like playing twister or seeing your girlfriend down on all fours then the 4 corners is interesting. Otherwise it's nothing special.
Monument valley is worth seeing, as is Canyon de Chelly. I think they are both as cool as the Grand Canyon, but with a hell of a lot less tourists. Also check out Antelope Canyon or any of the other slot canyons that are on the way to the grand canyon. Look at the pictures on www.arizonahighways.com. to me some of them surpass the grand canyon, but you need time to hike into them. If you have a day or two to kill in the area they are well worth the time. You need a Navajo guide though to go into a lot of those areas.

[stinker]

I assume you're driving across I10. You have to go see "the thing" in Dragoon,AZ.

No cheating and looking it up. Just go. You can't miss the signs.

[ATAK, Inc.]

Also, don't forget Zion NP in SW Utah. Was just there yesterday and it is breathtaking, to say the least!

Let me know if you are going to go thru Las Vegas. If so, I'll buy you a beer!

[Mark Ducati]

I once drove I-10 from Mobile to San Diego in about 22 hours... and then San Diego to Detroit in about 28 hrs...

Saw two cops in Texas... one in Houston and the other in El Paso... those are the only two cops in TX, the rest in the middle is clean.... once you hit the desert, you can set the cruise on about 130 mph. However, be aware that your front end and windshield will be sand blasted by the time you're done with your trip.

If driving at night through the desert, bring a towel... stop on the side of the road and literally lay down looking up at the stars... its like the bridge of the Enterprise on Star Trek with all the stars you can see once away from the city.

[stinker]

Saw two cops in Texas... one in Houston and the other in El Paso... those are the only two cops in TX, the rest in the middle is clean.... once you hit the desert, you can set the cruise on about 130 mph.
Must've been quite a while since you did that. I would highly advise against that now. DPS works out there all the time now and they will pull you over. You have the border patrol check points now too as well as them running around all over the place.
Don't get pulled over in new mexico either. F:censored:kers are dirty, especially around Lordsburg.

However, be aware that your front end and windshield will be sand blasted by the time you're done with your trip.
Not likely. There aren't that many sand storms out there that often anymore. I run I 10 all the time and my best friend does it every week.


If driving at night through the desert, bring a towel... stop on the side of the road and literally lay down looking up at the stars... its like the bridge of the Enterprise on Star Trek with all the stars you can see once away from the city.
That NEVER gets old :thumbspbig:

[davepool]

If you like interesting geology take I-40 into arizona, it will take you through the painted desert and the petrified forest on your way to flagstaff and the grand canyon. After the canyon head south to the I-40 again toward kingman and from there north to the hoover dam and vegas. There are a lot of cool out of the way places in arizona, but with only eight days to make the trip i would focus on the big stuff.

Don't be surprised when you pass signs in arizona that say you are in a national forest and you don't see any trees :)

[El Laton Caliente]

I just lost a fifteen minute post... CRAP!!!!!

[Oswald Bastable]

If you're doing the Grand Canyon, you'll definitely want to hit southern Utah, near Moab, and check out both Arches National Monument (if you go, be sure to check out both Delicate Arch and The Fiery Furnace) and Dead Horse Point.

[Oswald Bastable]

Also, don't forget Zion NP in SW Utah. Was just there yesterday and it is breathtaking, to say the least!

Let me know if you are going to go thru Las Vegas. If so, I'll buy you a beer!

Zion is cool, but I think Arches has it beat.

Another awesome Utah sight is Goblin Valley, though that may be a bit out of the way as it's closer to central Utah. If you ever saw the movie Galaxy Quest, the scene shot in the desert with all the strange rock formations, where Tim Allen fought the pig-lizard and the Grignak, that was Goblin Valley. The strangeness of Goblin Valley really didn't come through in the movie, you have to walk through it to believe it.

[ATAK, Inc.]

Zion is cool, but I think Arches has it beat.

Another awesome Utah sight is Goblin Valley, though that may be a bit out of the way as it's closer to central Utah. If you ever saw the movie Galaxy Quest, the scene shot in the desert with all the strange rock formations, where Tim Allen fought the pig-lizard and the Grignak, that was Goblin Valley. The strangeness of Goblin Valley really didn't come through in the movie, you have to walk through it to believe it.


I gotta agree about the arches, but I really like the trails thru Zion.

There is so much natural beauty in the southwest...











... As I noticed at the Golden Nugget pool today!:naughty::cool:

[JTHunter]

Several people have made excellent suggestions already: Alamo & the Riverwalk, the artist colonies in Taos and Albequerque, NM, Arches, the Navaho and Hopi Indian reservations, Canyon de Chelly, Barringer Meteor Crater, Painted Desert (both on the way to Flagstaff and Grand Canyon), Lake Mead and Vegas, are all good.
The problem is, with only 8 days to make this trip, the first thing you should do is sit down and have a good cry because you are going to miss so much!
:crying_small: