In December 1989 I took my time driving back from Redlands to St. Louis with some friends from Chicago who came out to join me on this road trip. Here was a schedule that we followed.

Day One. Drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Night in Las Vegas.

Day Two. Walk around Las Vegas. See Hoover Dam. Probably stay at a little hotel along the Interstate Freeway on the way toward Flagstaff, but before the road for the Grand Canyon.

Day Three. Morning and early afternoon in Grand Canyon National Park. Night in Holbrook

Day Four. Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Hubble Trading Post, Canyon de Chelle, Four Corners. Dinner in Shiprock. Night in Aztec, New Mexico.

Day Five. ruins in Aztec, Chaco Canyon, Night in Santa Fe

Day Six. Explore Santa Fe. Museums, churches, and historic sites. Drive toward St. Louis, stopping in Shamrock, Texas for the night, or perhaps getting as far as Clinton, Oklahoma.

Day Seven. A long drive from Texas or western Oklahoma to St. Louis. Break the long drive with stops in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Springfield.