my boyfriend and i are going on a road trip out west this summer. we're starting in chicago, then are definitely going through missouri, to colorado, possibly over to california, back through arizona, new mexico, and back to chicago.
are there any great stops we should see out this way? things we shouldn't miss? anything we should know?
art museums?
we're both college students. this is our first road trip! we're probably going to be camping for most of the trip.
i'm looking for some great art stops, as i'm an art student.
thanks for the tips!
2007-03-15 18:42:26 · 11 answers · asked by Alexa K 5 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Other - United States
LUCKY! You will love it! First off, do you have to go thru Missouri on your way out? Its shorter to Denver if u take I-80 out to I-76, then you could hit Missouri on your way back from AZ or NM... just a suggestion. Boulder CO, Sedona, AZ, San Fran or Santa Barbara, CA, and Santa Fe, NM are all very interesting and artsy towns. There are so many natural wonders in our country,its hard to know where to start. Here's the best only: drive to top of Pike's peak in Colorado Springs, the Royal Gorge, All the mt.s in CO really, (if you are on I-70 in CO, try looping thru Leadville, thru Aspen, and back to I-70 at Glenwood springs) Love Glenwood springs, love Moab and Arches Nat. Park in Utah, Zion Nat. park in South Utah or stay up north and drive US 50 across Nevada to Lake Tahoe,CA. US 50 is desolate, loneliest road in US. Tahoe is gorgeous, along with Yosemite. San Fran is grand, But the drive south on California 1 along the coast is one of the best in the country. These are no short distances mind you. Only go all the way to the Pacific if you two REALLY like to drive. Of course hit the grand canyon! Pheonix, Tucsonand Tombstone are nice, but the Canyon is a must! Be well prepared for camping in the mountains, it can snow in Colorado any month of the year on a mountain. The CA and AZ deserts can be miserable for camping in the summer heat too. I would love to help more if you can be more specific. Email me if u want. All the places I mentioned truly are great!
2007-03-15 19:13:55 · answer #1 · answered by getting better- 35 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
there's soo much to do and see!! it's best to have some sort of plan. I just recently went from NJ to MO. I picked out some common toursit attractions but also went to a lot of state parks. Especially with fall coming, you'll have a great scenery of the outdoors. I also took 2 dogs with me so i was limited as to what i could do. If the weather permits, explore the outdoors. There's KOA campgrounds all over the US...they are cheap and a great place to stay. THey have cabins or if you're feeling real outdoorsy your can pitch a tent...but the cabins are nice with electric, some AC, shower houses and even a outdoor kitchen area! If you go as far west as California, i recommend going up to northern california...it's beautiful. Wherever you end up, ask the locals. People are always willing to tell you great places to see that you probably aren't able to google. Have fun and take lots of picture..oh and bring a gps! its a life saver on the open road.
2016-03-29 00:44:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Woohooo! Man, traveling through the middle of the country is CRAZY - you can see for miles, nothing but fields and you're the only car in sight - it's bizarre. But -
Definitely stop off in Wall Drug, in South Dakota. It's a typical stop for any cross-country road trip, and it's the crazy cultural oasis in the middle of nothing, tons of stuffed jackalopes on the walls...
I can't remember exactly what it's called, but in Colorado, the Sky Highway, maybe? It's a road at 12000 feet, and it's GORGEOUS! It's in Rocky Mountain National Park (also beautiful :)
Colorado National Monument is worth the stop - pretty amazing stone structures and you get to see them all from the edges of cliffs.
Oh, and somewhere in Colorado also - this hike called Hanging Lake and Spouting Rock. It was just this little barely-marked stop off the highway, about a four-mile hike - but maybe the highlight of my family's cross-country road trip. It's fantastic - look it up!
Someday you should check out Yellowstone - don't know if that'll fit on this roadtrip.
The camping in Kansas/Nebraska can be fabulous in the summer - lots of fire flies! Camping in the Rockies, however - watch out. The weather can turn and get crazy pretty fast; sometimes the rains are bad enough to uproot a tent. But that's just more adventure, I guess :)
Good luck - hope you have fun!
2007-03-15 18:52:31 · answer #3 · answered by Cedar 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should go to Dancing Rabbit Eco Village in north east Missouri. Also, check out the Earthship settlements in Taos NM and up in Colorado. If you're going to be in California you must go to Glendale and experience the Armenian culture. Mostly, you should have a good time just enjoying the weeks with your boyfriend and be sweet to him and make out with him all the time in many exotic places. :P
South west in July... Who came up with that idea? Lol.
2007-03-16 02:15:52 · answer #4 · answered by joecool123_us 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i went on a road trip out west about 5 years ago, and it was really awesome! i think you'll have a lot of fun! here are places we went to that i would suggest:
the badlands in colorado
mount rushmore
DON'T go to jackson hole, wyoming - that was a waste of time
salt lake city - even if you're not mormon, the architecture of the temple and surrounding buildings are gorgeous, and the scenery is too - and there's an olympic training place that's fun to see
the grand canyon
we also went to san francisco and huntington beach in california - those were cool places
and then on a separate trip to california i went to yosemite national park, which was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful!
hope you have fun on your trip!
2007-03-15 18:49:31 · answer #5 · answered by mighty_power7 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sedona!!!
http://www.biddingtons.com/content/bentleysouthwest.html
2007-03-15 19:07:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For Art...I wouldn't miss Santa Fe, New Mexico for anything.
Taos, New Mexico is also great.
2007-03-15 18:52:26 · answer #7 · answered by T H 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sante Fe, Nm and Pueblo, Co. are must stop ats for art students. Put them on your list, you won't regret stopping there.
2007-03-15 19:15:53 · answer #8 · answered by old wizard 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Az...Motezuma's palace in Flagstaff, Tombstone, Tubak *I should know how to spell that*, umm Old Tucson, and where ever you happen to run into. Random is best! good luck have a lot of fun!!
2007-03-15 18:46:58 · answer #9 · answered by Jaroo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like you are going to have fun. Just go get lost for a little while.
2007-03-15 18:45:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋