2006-09-04 09:30:27 · 8 answers · asked by Bernie 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Other - United States
There are a lot of neat little interesting spots (and short side-trips) off I-40 through the southwest. Depending on your time and interests, here are my recommendations (from east to west):
West Texas - Hit the gas and get through it as soon as possible. Personally, I think there is something meditational about the stark beauty of empty plains and desert, but hour after hour after hour is a bit much.
Santa Rosa, NM - Check out the 'Blue Hole': an artisan well in town that has created this deep natural well of cold flowing water - it goes something like 80 feet deep and looks like this blue water-filled cave. Located in park in town.
If you have the time, I would recommend a little detour of taking US84 north to I-25 and the historic western town of Las Vegas, NM, then follow I-25 to Santa Fe (where you could easily spend a day checking out the art galleries, museums, cafes, and historic buildings) before hooking back up with I-40 at Albuquerque. It is a much more scenic drive. If you really have time, take the NM14 backroad from Santa Fe to Albq which runs through old mining towns-turned-artist colonies like Madrid and Cerillos (where much of the movie 'Young Guns' was filmed).
Albuquerque - As others have mentioned, you could take the tram to the top of the Sandia Mtns. Also Old Town Albuquerque (the old spanish part of town near where I-40 and I-25 meet) has neat little tourist shops and cafes. Numerous good Mexican food places in Albq.
Acoma Pueblo (south of I-40, east of Grants) - Ancient pueblo indian village located on a mesa top. You can take guided tours several times per day. Very cool and well worth it.
Gallup - The largest of the 'reservation towns' around the Navajo reservation. Many old buildings, art galleries, and trading posts. Check out the historic 'El Rancho' hotel with its grand lobby - where many movie stars stayed while filming westerns in the 1930s and 40s.
Holbrook, AZ - Old Route 66 town with famous 'tee pee' hotel along main drag through town.
Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Park, AZ - I-40 cuts right through the middle of it. Well worth the stop (especially the petrified forest portion) which has whole landscapes covered with petrified logs as well as many prehistoric ruins and petroglyphs.
Winslow, AZ - Old Route 66 railroad town. Check out the recently restored 1930 La Posada hotel - one of the last of the grand Fred Harvey railroad hotels built for the Santa Fe RR during the height of rail travel. A wonderful building on beautiful grounds and the hotel resturant is one of the best in northern AZ.
Meteor Crateor, AZ - Mile-wide crater created by a meteor impact 50,000 years ago. Few miles south of I-40 west of Winslow.
Flagstaff, AZ - Historic Route 66, lumber, and railroad town. Nicely restored downtown area with many historic buildings, art galleries and cafes. Visit Lowell Observatory (overlooking down town) where ex-planet Pluto was discovered in 1930. Also the Museum of Northern Arizona (north of town) is an excellent museum for Native American history and local nature and geology info.
Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ - Along I-40 just west of Flagstaff. You can walk among ancient Sinagua prehistoric cliff dwellings in a pretty canyon.
Seligman, AZ - Small railroad and Route 66 town. Visit the 'Sno Cap' soda shop - a famous Route 66 business. Also from here, I would recommend that you detour off of I-40 to take the longest remaining intact stretch of old Route 66 up through Peach Springs and Hackberry to reconnect with I-40 at Kingman. This is a GREAT drive - much more scenic and interesting than I-40 and you could visit 'Grand Canyon Caverns' along the way.
Oatman, AZ - Just west of Kingman, I would again highly recommend taking a little detour off I-40 to follow another great old stretch of Route 66 up through the Black Mountains and the historic mining camps of Goldroad (now a ghost town) and Oatman (an interesting old mining camp, turned tourist attraction). Oatman is famous for having semi-wild burros left over from the mining days wandering the streets. It was also where scenes from 'Where the West was Won' was filmed. Very scenic mountain drive along winding roads. Route 66 reconnects with I-40 just before the Colorado River and California border.
I-40 through Eastern California - Hit the gas again. A whole lot of nothing until you get to the developed areas nearer the coast.
2006-09-04 11:47:00 · answer #1 · answered by sascoaz 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In Texas, go south of Amarillo a bit and see Palo Duro Canyon State Park. In Arizona, visit the Painted Desert or Meteor Crater in Arizona. And when you're passing through Albuquerque, take a ride on the Sandia Peak Tramway.
http://www.sandiapeak.com/
JMB
2006-09-04 09:37:26 · answer #2 · answered by levyrat 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You sound awful mean when asking a favor- jerk
Take the Thelma & Louise tour of the Grand Canyon
Put the car in gear and FLOOR it!
2006-09-04 09:37:28 · answer #3 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Petrified Forest in Arizona?
Stand on a corner in Winslow Arizona?
2006-09-04 09:38:57 · answer #4 · answered by C K Platypus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there is a little town between waco and dallas called"Lot" someone has bought most of the all stores and put doors between them to connect them all together. each building has a different kind of western ware in that building. they have a great selection of western boots.
2014-09-01 07:25:54 · answer #5 · answered by Ford Man 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Been, and would have to pay me to go back. Have the same thing in Florida, and we have a Venice Beach also, water is warmer, and beaches nicer.
2016-03-26 22:03:39 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when i travel i always site see..or look at things in museums..foxi
2006-09-04 09:36:14 · answer #7 · answered by psychicfiles 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go eat somewhere.
2006-09-07 14:31:19 · answer #8 · answered by King of the Round Table 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋