Saint Louis road trip THREE
Plan made in the mid-1990s for someone who wanted to take a two week road trip from St. Louis to see some of the Southwest.
|
Where one spends the night |
Hours of driving that day |
|
St. Louis |
|
|
Marengo, IA |
7 |
|
Omaha, NE |
5 |
|
Osborne, KS |
4 |
|
Dodge City |
5 |
|
Clayton, NM |
4 |
|
Pilar, NM |
6 |
|
Aztec, NM |
8 |
|
Chinle, AZ |
4 |
|
Grand Canyon |
4 |
|
Phoenix, AZ |
5 |
|
Lordsburg, NM |
4 |
|
Carlsbad, NM |
5 |
|
Dallas, TX |
9 |
|
St. Louis |
13 |
TRIP THREE
DAY 1:
Morning drive to Hannibal, MO. See Mark Twain stuff there.
Afternoon and evening continue north into Iowa to Marengo, Iowa where you can stay at Loy’s Bed and Breakfast (call 1-319-642-7787 for reservations right now).
DAY 2
Drive across Iowa to Omaha, NE where you should see the Zoo and the Joslyn Art Museum. Stay at Jones Bed and Breakfast (call 1-402-397-0721 for a reservation right now).
DAY 3
Drive west on I-80 to Grand Island, then south to visit Hasings Museum in Hastings and Harold Warp Pioneer Village in Mindon, NE. Then head south across the grasslands to Osborne to spend the night.
DAY 4
Stop in Lucas, KS (45 min from Osborne) to see the Garden of Eden. Then continue south to Dodge City to see about the old West. You may want to continue west on US 56 out of Dodge City and stay the night in Sublette or Hugoton.
DAY 5
Take a hike in the Cimarron National Grasslands in the morning. You probably will have time to get through Oklahoma and pass through Clayton, NM. Go to Capulin Mountain National Monument for a hike in the late afternoon if you have time. You can spend the night in Raton, NM or Cimarron, NM.
DAY 6
Drive across Philmont Scount Ranch and the Palo Felchado Pass to Taos, then go south to Pilar, NM. Call the Plum Tree Bed and Breakfast now at 1-800-678-PLUM to make reservations at this cheap B&B.
DAY 7
Visit Santa Fe in the morning, then take US 84 and US 64 to Aztec, NM where you can spend the night and see ruins. You could also take an alternative route on State highways 4 and 44, and then turn south on Indian road 45 to the Chaco Culture National Historic Park on your way to Aztec. The park’s visitors’ center closes early (4:30pm?) and it takes an hour on the dirt road from Nageezi to Pueblo Bonito, so get an early start if you want to do this.
DAY 8.
Visit Four Corners, enjoy hikes in the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Perhaps (if time allows) visit the Monument Valley.
DAY 9
See the Grand Canyon on this day.
DAY 10
Drive South to Phoenix, taking US 89A from Flagstaff to Cottonwood, then turning to Montezuma Castle National Monument. Enjoy the sights in Phoenix and stay the night there.
DAY 11
Take US 60, 89, and 70 to see mountains between Phoenix and Globe or visit Casa Grande Ruins and then take the Pinal Pioneer Parkway (US89) from Florence to Oracle Junction, drive through Tuscon and visit the Desert Museum. Then take I-10 east to New Mexico and stay in Lordsburg.
DAY 12
See White Sands in the morning, take US82 over the Sacramento Mountains to Carlsbad.
DAY 13
Take the first morning tour of Carlsbad Caverans, then spend the rest of the day driving Northeast or east to either Dallas, TX or Oklahoma City, OK.
DAY 14
Drive on to St. Louis, which will take 14 to 10 hours, depending on how far you got on