East to West

Barryrv wrote:
Wife and I will be traveling from Philadelphia area west first to Grand Canyon for a few days then on to Los Angeles,CA. Trip to start mid-September. Returning to Wilmington North Carolina late October after a stop in Phoenix AZ.

Anyone have ideas for the best routes for taking us there in a Ford F350 pulling a 40"fifth-wheel??

I'd need a larger fifth wheel (40"):S But that aside - Think about Heading to Colorado to possible catch the Aspen at the end of September first. If you clicked on the link you can see how you would be rewarded.

Depending on your time frame this could be a quick drive through or a Great extension to your trip. Generally the last week of September is the big show - BUT - it is Colorado and things are always a Plus or Minus on the dates.

IMHO Rt 36 from Hannibal to Denver is the easiest Route. Then out of Golden to Leadville - Gunnison - Ouray - Mesa Verde - Monument Valley - to the East entrance of the Grand Canyon - and on to LA.

Hope this is of some help.

BOL,

Mountain Directory West.
Hopefully the main reason for you to go is NOT to see the Grand Canyon's South Rim for three days. Search this Forum for `Grand Canyon' for more posts. Unless you hike there is no way to spend that much time at the South Rim unless you hit both rims.

If you are just headed to GC and beyond then take the interstates. There are many alternate routes and places to see. Do you have a plan/interest besides what you posted?

If you take Busskipper's route West consider coming back East on I-40. In the Flagstaff area are Sunset Crater National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, and Walnut Canyon National Monument. Sedona/Camp Verde/Cottonwood are about an hour South of Flagstaff with Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well National Monuments, Tuzigoot National Monument, Palatki and Honaki Ruins, V-Bar-V Heritage Site, Verde Canyon Railroad, Fort Verde State Park, Cathedral Rock, Gold King Mine, Jerome State Historic Park in the area. Going East on I-40 from Flagstaff are Homolovi Ruins State Park near Winslow where you can stand on the corner. Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest National Park are not far from the New Mexico Border.

In New Mexico, Acoma Sky City is said to be the longest occuppied location in the U.S. They give tours of the pueblo and there is an RV park next to the casino. In Albuquerque, the Pueblo Cultural Center and Petroglyph National Monument are worth visiting in my opinion. In Grants, there is the Mining Museum. Just South of I-40 going West from Grants are El Malpais National Monument, El Moro National Monument and the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano. Santa Rosa is an old Route 66 town and has the The Blue Hole and Santa Rosa Lake State Park which has a nice campground. Tucumcari still has dinners along Historic Route 66 and numerous murals painted on buildings plus other attractions.

In Amarillo, there is Palo Duro Canyon State Park and the Big Texan on Old Route 66. In Oklahoma, there is the Oklahoma City National Monument. Then there is Memphis with a lot to see and do.

With a rig that large, I think you are stuck with the Interstates for such a long distance. It doesn't really matter which, but by late October I'd be choosing the most southerly route I could.

Busskipper wrote:

Barryrv wrote:
Wife and I will be traveling from Philadelphia area west first to Grand Canyon for a few days then on to Los Angeles,CA. Trip to start mid-September. Returning to Wilmington North Carolina late October after a stop in Phoenix AZ.

Anyone have ideas for the best routes for taking us there in a Ford F350 pulling a 40"fifth-wheel??

I'd need a larger fifth wheel (40"):S

Maybe Barryrv is the name the Geico Gecko uses on RV.NET so a 40" RV is just perfect! ;)

OOPS! Sorry, I meant a 40'(foot) 5th wheel...I need to remember to never send messages before my 2nd cup of coffee in the morning