Dallas - Las Vegas (Grand Canyon) - LA Road Trip thread...

[whoistheg]

Hi All,

With QF flying into Dallas now and me about to do this trip/route i figure
why not start a thread with all the info to help other people out.

My initial plan is to drive pretty much along i40 until Flagstaff

Dallas - Oklahoma - Amarillo - Albuquerque - Flagstaff to Utah on Highway 89 - Bryce Canyon - Moab - Vegas - LA

At Flagstaff ill turn off and head up Highway 89 to somewhere in Utah around Zion
National Park and then do a loop over to Moab and check out Death Valley etc

Then back to Vegas and onto LA. I have 3 weeks to do this in.

If anyone has any tips/stops/hotels anything useful please post.

BTW im doing this in mid July-Aug am i nuts doing this in the middle of their
summer ?

 

[cove]

AAA is very helpful and I recommend them.
If you are an RAC/NRMA member look on the back of your card for your AAA affiliated membership number.Mine is 397 for RACWA.
With air conditioning working you should be fine. We did the 40 and the 80 and lots in between and it was a fantastic journey. Work out the hire car drop off charge as that can be a killer.
I always start and finish at the same point to avoid drop charges if they are high. My record is 12,200 miles in 28 days so anywhere is possible on those divided interstate highways.
The lights should be shining at Elvis Presley's home.

 

[burrco]

I did a full I40 based coast to coast (returned via I10) trip a few years back - and it was very enjoyable. Looking at your trip I was wondering if you had any particular reason for going via Oklahoma City.

I'm a big fan of Texas so I'd be tempted to get to Amarillo from Dallas through Texas as a straight shot up 287, or even better (but longer) DFW to Lubbock then up to Amarillo. (On the trip referenced I did Amarillo down to Lubbock then across to Roswell and up to Alberq.)

Getting from DFW to Alberq. my actual preferred means would be the more Southern way - I20 then I10 through Texas and Big Bend Park through to Las Cruses with side trips to Carslbad Cavern & White Sands up to Alberq. Slightly longer but the higher speed limit on I10 in Texas would mean actual driving time would be very similar.

You've only got three weeks though - so you'll mostly have at least a week taken up with DFW,LAS & Lax leaving only two weeks - I'd almost be tempted to spend a few days in Texas and then pick up a cheap flight to Vegas and do a grand loop from there, esp if you're looking at large one way rental fees.

Depending on your budget, I normally find low end Hilton chain members such as Hilton Garden Inn & Homewood suites to be very reliable accommodation options in non-major cities.

 

[borsa]

If you're driving through Albuquerque, you might want to consider a short side trip from there to Santa Fe, or even stay there rather than overnighting in Albuquerque.