"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
08/21/2019 at 14:27 • Filed to: Road Trip
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"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
08/21/2019 at 14:27 • Filed to: Road Trip | 3
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Okay western opponauts, I’m headed your way.
This is the route my wife, daughter, and I will be taking
We will be in Salt Lake City, Tucson, and Albuquerque for a few days each.
Is there anything along this route we should stop and see?
We will be visiting family along the route and just enjoying the scenery in general. I’d love some ideas on places to stop for a driving break that aren’t just a rest stop/gas station.
And if any oppos want to meet up let me know and I can try and get something set up.
RutRut
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 14:54 |
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Not sure of your plans but we stayed at Red Cliffs Lodge in Moab and it was incredible. Would highly recommend. Great rooms, pet friendly, decent restaurant and local wines.
dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 15:04 |
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You’ll be going through both of my homes, my hometown and my college home. I44 once you get past STL is really nice, but you’ll need to replace your spine after going through the IL side of STL
benjrblant
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 15:08 |
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Any reason for cutting across TX to OK? I25 through Southern CO isn’t too shabby, but 70 or 80 through KS or NE isn’t so hot.
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MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> benjrblant
08/21/2019 at 15:35 |
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No, that’s just the route google gave to St. Louis...though now that you mention it I should plan that leg of the trip to be along Route 66
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MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> RutRut
08/21/2019 at 15:37 |
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Right now the plan is just to drive through Moab and stop at a few places along the way to Flagstaff where we will spend the night. But nothing is set in stone.
Ash78, voting early and often
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 15:46 |
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St. Louis arch is really cool. Opponaut davesaddiction is in Tulsa, IIRC. Texas pandhandle sucks for driving. Make time for a Santa Fe daytrip while you’re in ABQ. Flagstaff is amazing, be sure to check out Mt. Humphreys while you’re there — you can hike it in half a day, moderate difficulty.
Go northwest from there, hit Grand Canyon and Zion instead of Moab?
Just thinking out loud, stream of consciousness. All depends on what you’ve done before, other plans, etc.
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MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> Ash78, voting early and often
08/21/2019 at 16:07 |
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I used to live in Tucson so I’ve done quite a bit of the big stuff in Arizona already. Been to both Grand Canyon and Zion but not Moab that’s why we’re taking that route.
Anything in specific about Santa Fe? W e’ve been through there before but basically only stopped to eat (the restaurant was fantastic though).
And yea, there’s a whole lot of nothing in this general area, at least as far as driving goes.
MrDakka
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 16:13 |
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Thats pretty ambitious
davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 16:23 |
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Awesome! You’re going to have a great time. The City Museum in St. Louis is amazing. The Gathering Place in Tulsa is awesome (as is the Philbrook Museum). The Mesalands Dinosaur Museum was a great stop west of Amarillo. Definitely get some spray paint and go to Cadillac Ranch. You’ll be close to White Sands National Monument along the way. Lots of beautiful places to see in and
around Sedona if you can go that way. The Lowell Observatory was cool if you’re in Flagstaff on a clear night. Valley of the Gods is just off your route. Looks like you’ll be hitting Arches & Canyonlands in Utah, and Mount Rushmore in SD. Devil’s Tower isn’t too far out of your way if you change your route a bit.
I’m jealous! Love a good road trip.
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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 16:26 |
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Yes! Lots of cool 66 stops to hit up along the way.
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Ash78, voting early and often
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 16:27 |
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I haven’t personally done Santa Fe, but my parents have (twice). It’s mostly for the scenery and elevation, sort of like New Mexico’s version of Sedona (which I have done, twice). Several cool national monuments in that area, lots of Native American stuff, and of course every possible
brand of hippie and new age healer selling Kokopelli merchandise from China :)
ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 16:30 |
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I'll post a longer reply when I'm at a key board, but you'll be in the area. I'm always down for an Oppo Meetup in El Paso/Las Cruces or Albuquerque. You should plan a day trip to Santa Fe.
DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 16:39 |
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Based on your route it looks like you’ll be passing through Amarillo, which is right by Palo Duro Canyon State Park. It’s not Moab, but it looks like it’s worth a visit, and it won’t be out of your way at all.
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ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 19:15 |
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When is this trip?
For that Tucson to Abq bit, there’s a couple of variations I could recommend:
Taking a detour through Silver City and driving up into the Gila national forest a bit to checkout Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is highly worthwhile. Neat to see, high enough elevation to not be hotter than balls, and the opportunity to walk around the in the forest a bit. Taking NM-152 over the B lack R ange via Emory Pass is a supremely good drive with fantastic views. It does, however, take a lot longer to drive than the distance leads you to believe . Tuscon to ABQ with a stop at the cliff dwellings and hooking to I-25 to Abq would be an entire day kind of deal.
If you don’t take the Hatch cut off to I-25 via NM-26, there’d be a beer for you all in Las Cruces. Organ Mountain Desert Peaks National Monument is right outside of town. There’s mountains , a variety of shorter hiking options and some historic stuff to see up there. Just on the other side of those mountains is White Sands National Monument. It’s worth a stop to play in the sand if you’ve never been. There’s a good space museum in nearby Alamogordo.
https://public.nrao.edu/visit/very-large-array/
Another neat detour option on the way to Abq is to take a hop out onto US60 and check out the VLA. To make a scenic loop of it, one could exit I-25 north at state road 107 and follow it to where it runs into US60 not far from the VLA. 107 is a well maintained gravel highway that takes you through some pretty country between the San Mateo Mountains and the Magdalena Mountains. Then drive US 60 back to Socorro and continue to Abq.
There are a variety of good museums in Abq, and the Unser musuem is certainly worth checking out for a gear head. O ld town is worth a walk around. Going up to Sandia Crest is highly recommended. One option is the drive up to the top via a fantastic road. The other option that I can highly recommend is taking a ride up (and back down) on the Tramway. There’s a very nice restaurant on the top. The quintessential way to do the tram is to take the tram up in the evening before sunset and enjoy the views of the mountain, eat a fine dinner at the restaurant on the top at 10,3 00ft, and then ride the tram back down in dark taking in the city lights.
Santa Fe is worth at least a day trip to. Lots of museums, and certainly take a walk around the Plaza for all the Galleries , shops and restaurants . There’s also the option of driving up to Taos, or checking Valles Caldera National preserve in the area.
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MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
08/21/2019 at 20:42 |
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This is sept 27th to oct 13th, we’d be coming through AZ and NM the last week of the trip. Thanks for the tips. I’ll see if my wife is up for meeting a random stranger from the internet lol. I’d love to grab a beer though.
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ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 21:03 |
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Awesome. You’ll also be here for the Balloon Fiesta, which is something to see. Getting up early one morning and seeing a mass asc ens ion from the field is certainly an experience, but finding a spot to park with a good view of the North Valley in the NE heights or on the Westside give you 90% of the experience.
The other thing to be aware of is that the Ballon Fiesta is the biggest event in New Mexico by an order of magnitude . Everything in the Abq/Santa Fe area will be crowded, and the traffic around the North Valley is no joke in the morning during the fiesta. I f you don’t have hotel reservations yet, don’t wait. You may find hotel rooms shockingly expensive in Abq that week.
Love-the-wagon
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/21/2019 at 22:02 |
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Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal Utah was a very unique place to go see. Also, if you are headed through Wisconsin to Minneapolis and then south I would recommend Chippewa Falls and Leinenkugels Brewery. Really nice place to check out.
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MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
08/21/2019 at 23:08 |
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Yea, my wife is excited for the balloon fest. We actually will be staying with family there so no hotels to worry about:)
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MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> Love-the-wagon
08/21/2019 at 23:14 |
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I’m up near Chippewa Falls a lot in the summer but somehow we still haven’t made it to Leine’s brewery. I’ll have to make it a point to go when we are up there for Labor Day weekend
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ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
08/22/2019 at 00:06 |
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Nice!