whYME's summer 2013 road trip planning thread (part 1)

[whYME]

It's that time of year again, time to get really serious about planning my cross-country road trip with my family.


I'm going NY > CA, I plan to take a more southern route this time. I have a whole big chunk of the south-central part of the country that I haven't really been to yet (Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas & New Mexico,) I plan to remedy that somewhat over the course of this trip.


I don't really have very much of a plan yet.


I'm thinking to go  NY > Great Smokey Mountains National Park > Nashville, TN and head west from there.


On the western end, I'm kinda leaning toward hitting up the four corners monument > Grand Canyon north rim > maybe a quick stop in Zion NP > LAX


My questions are:
1. Is there anything in MS, AR, MO, KS, OK or northern TX worth seeing/doing? (I'm considering possibly Crater of Diamonds State Park and/or Hot Springs National Park in AR)


2. What are the must-sees in New Mexico?


3. Other than the Grand Canyon and Sedona, what are the best sights/activities in AZ?


(for 2 & 3 I'm looking for things for which I won't need to pay a fortune to some Indian tribe...)

[bem684]

I'm a huge road trip fan.  I did a drive up to Nova Scotia right after I got married.

 http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=17878.msg258886#msg258886

I strongly recommend this website for ideas:

http://www.roadtripusa.com/

[whYME]

I did a drive up to Nova Scotia right after I got married.

Nice!

It took me quite a while until I was able to convince my wife to go on a serious road trip...

I strongly recommend this website for ideas:

http://www.roadtripusa.com/

Thanks for the link.

I figured I'd see what input I can get from fellow DDFers

[meshugener]

It's that time of year again, time to get really serious about planning my cross-country road trip with my family.


I'm going NY > CA, I plan to take a more southern route this time. I have a whole big chunk of the south-central part of the country that I haven't really been to yet (Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas & New Mexico,) I plan to remedy that somewhat over the course of this trip.


I don't really have very much of a plan yet.


I'm thinking to go  NY > Great Smokey Mountains National Park > Nashville, TN and head west from there.


On the western end, I'm kinda leaning toward hitting up the four corners monument > Grand Canyon north rim > maybe a quick stop in Zion NP > LAX


My questions are:
1. Is there anything in MS, AR, MO, KS, OK or northern TX worth seeing/doing? (I'm considering possibly Crater of Diamonds State Park and/or Hot Springs National Park in AR)


2. What are the must-sees in New Mexico?


3. Other than the Grand Canyon and Sedona, what are the best sights/activities in AZ?


(for 2 & 3 I'm looking for things for which I won't need to pay a fortune to some Indian tribe...)

With kids? What ages?

[whYME]

With kids? What ages?

2 (will be 3 in a month and a half,) 6 and almost 8.

So yeah, that does kinda limit my options somewhat...

[meshugener]

2 (will be 3 in a month and a half,) 6 and almost 8.

So yeah, that does kinda limit my options somewhat...

I have no idea how you plan on doing that.
Maybe you can give me a parenting class? 
The 2yr old strikes me the most.

[whYME]

I have no idea how you plan on doing that.
Maybe you can give me a parenting class? 
The 2yr old strikes me the most.

How? The same way I did it in the past

Basically there are 3 main "ingredients" that make it work for me:
1. I do most of the driving at night.
2. Playgrounds. Letting the kids run around and play for an hour does wonders for breaking up really long daytime drives.
3. Videos (& ipads/ cell phones etc.) are not foolproof, and only keep them busy for so long, but it definitely helps.

[DovtheBear]

How? The same way I did it in the past

Basically there are 3 main "ingredients" that make it work for me:
1. I do most of the driving at night.
2. Playgrounds. Letting the kids run around and play for an hour does wonders for breaking up really long daytime drives.
3. Videos (& ipads/ cell phones etc.) are not foolproof, and only keep them busy for so long, but it definitely helps.

No sleep?

[meshugener]

How? The same way I did it in the past

Basically there are 3 main "ingredients" that make it work for me:
1. I do most of the driving at night.
2. Playgrounds. Letting the kids run around and play for an hour does wonders for breaking up really long daytime drives.
3. Videos (& ipads/ cell phones etc.) are not foolproof, and only keep them busy for so long, but it definitely helps.

Fix the link.
Your advantage is that you have older kids, so they play with th younger 2yr old.
I dont think you could do that with just one 2yr old. Right?

[whYME]

No sleep?

Plenty of time to sleep when I get there
On a more serious note, I usually try to not spend more than 2 nights in a row driving and my wife does a few hours of driving here and there...

[DovtheBear]

Plenty of time to sleep when I get there
On a more serious note, I usually try to not spend more than 2 nights in a row driving and my wife does a few hours of driving here and there...

Ah. But that still doesn't sound like much.

[whYME]

Fix the link.
Your advantage is that you have older kids, so they play with th younger 2yr old.
I dont think you could do that with just one 2yr old. Right?

Link fixed.

I think there are advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, yes, they can play with each other, but on the other hand, you also have to worry about them fighting with each other...

[whYME]

Ah. But that still doesn't sound like much.

It's not.

Although most of the time I don't drive more than one full night at a time...

[jaywhy]

Good luck!
I am trying to convince my wife to take a long summer road trip in an RV.
When you are in Arizona, don't miss out on Lake Powell. Second biggest man-made reservoir in the world. A lot of watersports, some of which you can do with kids.

[DovtheBear]

It's not.

Although most of the time I don't drive more than one full night at a time...

Wow!

[mek]

Not sure if this is your speed but I've always wanted to see the white sands in new mexico

[whYME]

Not sure if this is your speed but I've always wanted to see the white sands in new mexico

I've been considering it.
What I really want to go see is the Trinity test site in the white sands missile range. Unfortunately they only have public tours two days a year and always on Shabbos

I guess I'll just have to settle for The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History...

[Fan of Dan]

Maybe drive along the gulf coast when you are in MS. You seem to be driving further north but the gulf coast drive, which runs right next to the water is really nice. If you go that far south you can pick up the coastal road right outside Mobile AL and take it all the way thru to New Orleans.

[Dan]

Nothing to see at 4 corners.
Smokey Mountains are nice.
Titanic Museum and other stuff in Branson, MO?

Time the trip for some KC kosher BBQ!

[Fan of Dan]

Nothing to see at 4 corners.

Funny that you mention that. When we were in the area many years back my siblings all wanted to go, and they had the hardest time believing that there is nothing to see there.