ROAD TRIP....VA-CA, help me plan my stops

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EmilyRanae22
EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hello Everyone!
I will be driving from Roanoke, VA to Sacramento, CA in February. I will be taking the southern route to avoid too much snow. Where should I stop? We are definitely stopping in NOLA and the Grand Canyon.

Anyone have some sweet recommendations of cool places to go?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • SVCat
    SVCat Posts: 1,483 Member
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    If you can roll through Denver and can plan to attend a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater...you'll die a happy woman. Amazing scenery, the best natural amphitheater anywyere. Simply gorgeous...and only the best play there.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    If you can roll through Denver and can plan to attend a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater...you'll die a happy woman. Amazing scenery, the best natural amphitheater anywyere. Simply gorgeous...and only the best play there.

    it's closed during the winter. we get most of our snow in Feb/Mar/Apr.

    http://www.redrocksonline.com
  • SVCat
    SVCat Posts: 1,483 Member
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    If you can roll through Denver and can plan to attend a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater...you'll die a happy woman. Amazing scenery, the best natural amphitheater anywyere. Simply gorgeous...and only the best play there.

    it's closed during the winter. we get most of our snow in Feb/Mar/Apr.

    http://www.redrocksonline.com

    A shame...definitely worthy of driving through there. Love that city.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Vegas?
  • EmilyRanae22
    EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
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    That sounds so fun! bummer they are closed though! i really want to go through CO because I have friends there and I hear it's beautiful but neither my husband nor myself are super accustomed to driving in snow so I'm kinda weary of verturing up there....I'm a wimp I know!
  • SVCat
    SVCat Posts: 1,483 Member
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    Vegas?

    Stop at the Bunny Ranch...your hubby will die a happy man.
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,198 Member
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    Vegas?

    Stop at the Bunny Ranch...your hubby will die a happy man.

    The Bunny Ranch is near Carson City...
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    I made almost this exact drive twice this summer: Fairfax, VA to San Diego, CA. It was awesome. I did go the southern route, and loved New Orleans and (go figure) New Mexico. Most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen in my life. Iwent all the way to Galveston TX and visited NASA and the space museum, which was really interesting, but I am kind of a dork who liked that kind of stuff. I kept track of the number of police cars I saw in each state, too, because I am a dork and also a speeder, so PM me if you want info for most/least heavily policed states :p
  • EmilyRanae22
    EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
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    SVCat I don't appreciate you trying to kill us all off on the drive across country. the goal is to make it to CA in one piece ;)
  • EmilyRanae22
    EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
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    I made almost this exact drive twice this summer: Fairfax, VA to San Diego, CA. It was awesome. I did go the southern route, and loved New Orleans and (go figure) New Mexico. Most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen in my life. Iwent all the way to Galveston TX and visited NASA and the space museum, which was really interesting, but I am kind of a dork who liked that kind of stuff. I kept track of the number of police cars I saw in each state, too, because I am a dork and also a speeder, so PM me if you want info for most/least heavily policed states :p

    you sound like my kinda dork! NASA and the space museaum would be a fun visit! I did this drive a few years ago, but basically we picked 3 or 4 places we absolutely wanted to see any just trucked through to the next stop (wherever we stopped in TX to NOLA was the worst being like 15 hours) this time we don't want to drive move than 8 hours a day. We'll have my cat, dog and I'll be 7 months pregnanant...but we still plan to make it fun!
  • SVCat
    SVCat Posts: 1,483 Member
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    I made almost this exact drive twice this summer: Fairfax, VA to San Diego, CA. It was awesome. I did go the southern route, and loved New Orleans and (go figure) New Mexico. Most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen in my life. Iwent all the way to Galveston TX and visited NASA and the space museum, which was really interesting, but I am kind of a dork who liked that kind of stuff. I kept track of the number of police cars I saw in each state, too, because I am a dork and also a speeder, so PM me if you want info for most/least heavily policed states :p

    you sound like my kinda dork! NASA and the space museaum would be a fun visit! I did this drive a few years ago, but basically we picked 3 or 4 places we absolutely wanted to see any just trucked through to the next stop (wherever we stopped in TX to NOLA was the worst being like 15 hours) this time we don't want to drive move than 8 hours a day. We'll have my cat, dog and I'll be 7 months pregnanant...but we still plan to make it fun!

    If you drive on I-10 and through Las Cruces...you may want to check out White Sands Missile Range. There is an area where you can do some Sand Ski'ing and the sunsets from here are simply amazing because of the white sands. And there is also a NASA center in that area...in case you don't make it to the one in Galveston.
  • EmilyRanae22
    EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
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    SAND SKIING?!?! How cool is that!
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
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    Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands NM, Hoover Dam, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite, Vegas....depends on which route you take....
  • EmilyRanae22
    EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
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    If you drive on I-10 and through Las Cruces...you may want to check out White Sands Missile Range. There is an area where you can do some Sand Ski'ing and the sunsets from here are simply amazing because of the white sands. And there is also a NASA center in that area...in case you don't make it to the one in Galveston.

    Is Las Cruces in TX and is that in El Paso? cause I'm not finding it in Map Quest....as people are recommending places I'm entering them into my route and considering them

    Anyone have a place to recommend in Alabama? currently i'm thinking Burmingham simple b/c we need a place to stop in that area
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
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    I second Carlsbad Caverns. That was pretty awesome. Also: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/

    I bought the app for that for my Garmin and it would randomly tell me when a point of interest was near. Or I could open it and it would tell me all that was around the area I was in. It made my last few road trips way more entertaining and random.
  • tdhighfill
    tdhighfill Posts: 200 Member
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    Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands NM, Hoover Dam, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite, Vegas....depends on which route you take....

    pretty close to this....start in Vegas, drive through Death Valley (along the way hit up 3 mile loop Artist Drive - some nice scenery), Carlsbad and White Sands is a must if you never have been...Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon - stop and see General Sherman (biggest tree in the world I do believe) Yosemite...then San Jose, San Francisco - Muir Woods...then land yourself in Sac.
    :)
  • EmilyRanae22
    EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
    Options
    Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands NM, Hoover Dam, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite, Vegas....depends on which route you take....

    pretty close to this....start in Vegas, drive through Death Valley (along the way hit up 3 mile loop Artist Drive - some nice scenery), Carlsbad and White Sands is a must if you never have been...Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon - stop and see General Sherman (biggest tree in the world I do believe) Yosemite...then San Jose, San Francisco - Muir Woods...then land yourself in Sac.
    :)

    VA=virginia, but that's a great layout and I'll definitely have to check out Calsbad and White Sands. I haven't been to Sequoia national part since I was a kid so it would definitely be fun to check out again
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
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    Once you hit cali, go to Malibu, and the santa Monica pier. Gum alley in san louis obispo and then hit the "grape vine"
    Hwy 1 sounds great, but it will be poor visibility, windy, foggy and cold. Hearst castle is seriously over priced. The grapevine is boring, so you should do that at night. I left around. 7 @ lax and hit Sacramento @ 1'ish. It will be the most boring leg of your trip. It's a straight shoot, though.

    The carlsbad caverns are really pretty. I would like to point this out.. It will be really effing cold at night.
    If i had a choice, i would hit up the N. E. Rim of the Canyon for a gorgeous sunset. Can't guarantee the day time temp, but it can get pretty cold in the desert. You might even find a snow capped Canyon which, imo would be awesome.

    Eta.; if you decide to do the sj/sf/muir Woods, be prepared with clothing. I've been in those areas in January and it's cold. (i lived in santa cruz in HS) contrary to what many people think, not all of cali is warm all year long. The reason i strongly suggest against hwy up the coast between la and sf is the winding and foggy road that is super dangerous.
  • SVCat
    SVCat Posts: 1,483 Member
    Options
    If you drive on I-10 and through Las Cruces...you may want to check out White Sands Missile Range. There is an area where you can do some Sand Ski'ing and the sunsets from here are simply amazing because of the white sands. And there is also a NASA center in that area...in case you don't make it to the one in Galveston.

    Is Las Cruces in TX and is that in El Paso? cause I'm not finding it in Map Quest....as people are recommending places I'm entering them into my route and considering them

    Anyone have a place to recommend in Alabama? currently i'm thinking Burmingham simple b/c we need a place to stop in that area

    Las Cruces, NM...about 45 minutes from El Paso. Bring a clothes pin to put over your noses as you leave TX and enter NM, they have a cattle slaughter factory that smells like cow *kitten*.
  • EmilyRanae22
    EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
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    You all have so many great ideas! Anyone know anywhere to stop in the middle of TX, it doesn't need to be super exciting but something to break up the drive a bit where we could probably get a good bite to eat and relax before getting on the road again the next day

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