Ky. To Grand Canyon on route I-40

In Oklahoma City, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum are worth a visit.

I go on line and order the travel guides from each state I travel through. It gives the highlights of museums and local attractions by zone and most have good zone specific maps for the area you are in. I have found them to be helpful.

Turn south at Grants, NM and follow NM53 through El Malpais, past Ice Cave/Bandera volcano, and over to El Moro then either turn back north to Gallup or continue west to 191 before turning north to I-40.

El Malpais is geologic sight seeing, El Moro is an inscription rock carved by explorers and settlers headed west. Grants is an old Route 66 and mining town and Gallup is a reservation town. You might take the Acoma Sky city tour at exit 108 (dancing eagle casino) west of Albuquerque, if pueblo culture interests you.

You said you were not interested in places to eat but if you do not try sopapillas and green chili cheese burgers you are missing out.

You can stand on the corner in Winslow AZ and look for a girl in a red truck and there is free dry camping at the lake out of town.

Petrified Forest NP free dry camping at store at south entrance.

Meteor Crater

Sunset Crater NP

Be sure to see the north rim of Grand Canyon.

Based upon your I40 route. For scenery, about the only secondary route I might take is to go north at Alberqurque up to Bluff Utah. Hit Shiprock. North of Bluff 41 miles is one of the most beautiful NFS campgrounds in the world called Devils Canyon. From there, at night, you can see forever (at the entrance) including down to Shiprock and the skies are unbelievable. It might seem out of the way, but the drive from that campground to Jacob Lake (five hoursish) is the actual sight to see including Monument Valley, Mexican Hat and the run to Tuba City into Jacob lake. That drive alone is worth it. So, I'd either go straight there or do that side route in. Awesome trip you have in mind.

I've been traveling that area of the world for fifty years. My family used to know "old timers" and my dad drank beer with Edward Abbey (Desert Solitaire) a few times. There is a practically unknown Canyon you can get to from Devils Canyon if you wanted to make it a two night called Montezuma Canyon. It is not a protected area, but has a lot of Anazazi ruins you can just walk up to as a day trip. My info is forty years old for that but it was special. There are a few sights I cannot even tell you about.

Oh, buy the book Desert Solitaire for the trip. It will make you want to plan around the four corners area for your next trip. You are skirting it on this one. A previous poster noted some of its sights. that's a whole different deal.

Kentucky _Jo wrote:
Heading out west in Sept. by route I-40. Plan on grand canyon, zion,bryce, canyonland, arches. Not going up to Tetons or Yellowstone this time. What other attractions along the way, would you suggest? Can only do short hikes of 1/2 mile or so. Not interested in shopping, places to eat, or fishing. Pulling 5th wheel. Willing to venture off route 40 a couple hours if it is worth it. Suggestions?

First off "Welcome to the RV World".

Sounds as if this might be your first adventure out West? I will suggest that you start by Heading out to Colorado and then slowly work your way South to the Grand Canyon, as it is still fairly warm in the SouthWest.

What might be the "Mission" of the trip - What are You Interested In? What would make this a Great Trip? What have you Heard about that makes You think this is for YOU?

I Love the Rocks - The Rockies and the Drives in and Around all the Big Mountains out West. When it gets too Cold to enjoy, Like Minus 20 (-20) we move to Utah and the Desert - the Color there will amaze most people along with the shapes of the Rocks.

So without Knowing what you are really interested in hard to steer you to anything but what I'm interested in!

So, I usually head to Hannibal, MO catch RT 36 out to Denver - Good road - Less Traffic - Fewer Trucks and just an easy drive, with small towns and friendly Locals along the way.

In Colorado we usually start in Golden - if you like beer this ia not only the Home of Coors but of many Craft brewers........along with it being right at the foot of the Rockies. From here Peak to Peak - to Estes/RMNP - Boulder and downtown Denver.

Then head out RT 6 to Idaho Springs - on through the Tunnel on I-70 to Leadville - Twin Lakes - Collegiates - Buena Vista - Browns Canyon NM - all Right off RT 24. Now on to Salida RT 50 over to Gunnison - Crested Butte - Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP - Ouray. Now depending how long it has taken you can continue in the Rockies or Head out to Moab to Catch Utah.?

South will give you Silverton and Durango along with Mesa Verde National Park. North gives you - Colorado NM - Possibly Marble and Maroon Bells, before taking RT 128 into Moab.

There you go - MY trip for You - now it will likely be late October and Cooler so you can Head on down through Utah and the Grand Canyon.

Hope this is of some help, as I've said this is MY trip for YOU.

Best of Luck,

I recommend Jacob Lake Arizona as a base camp. It sits at 8K altitude and is much cooler and nice than Kanab at 5K altitude. That place is hot as are most of the sights you want to see. Jacob Lake is only 44 miles from the North Rim and you can do most of the sights you want as day trips from there. And the inn used to have pretty good food and nice Indian blankets etc. Very nice. I'm figuratively sitting on one I bought there in 2006 at about 1400 bucks and is now worth about 5K (Wide Ruins).

This (below) from Wikipedia describes Kanab which is the breakout point for the sights if you use Jacob Lake as a base camp. And the drive from Jacob Lake down to Kanab is fun and beautiful itself. A surprising thing to go see if you like Animals is the "Best Friends" sanctuary. They own a canyon and were the animal sanctuary that took in most of the animals from Katrina. We, coincidentally, knew someone who quit their life as a genetics counselor to be an animal trainer there.

"Kanab is situated in the "Grand Circle" area, centrally located among Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, the Grand Canyon (North Rim), Zion National Park, and Lake Powell. Other nearby attractions include Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, the privately owned Moqui Cave, and the largest animal sanctuary in the United States, Best Friends Animal Society."

Memphis is full of interesting things to see and do. Tom Sawyer's RV Park in West Memphis is a great place to sit by the Mississippi River and watch the barges go by. In Arkansas, a few miles south of I-40 is Mississippi River State Park. The campground has only 17 sites, all lakefront and full hook up. Award winning BBQ in nearby Marianna. We liked it so much we went there twice. I posted about our first stay at Crowley's Ridge Parkway and the Great River Road

Little Rock is a good stopover. In Oklahoma, the only place we stayed was Red Rock Canyon State Park. There is a short drive down a fairly steep grade into the canyon but doable in a 35 foot fifth wheel. Amarillo, TX has the Cadillac Ranch and the Big Texan Steakhouse. Palo Duron Canyon is a great day trip from Amarillo or you can camp there. Albuquerque, NM is another good stopover with beautiful scenery and a couple of national monuments nearby. Stand on the corner in Winslow, AZ.

In many places along I-40 you will be traveling near towns with memorabilia from old Route 66.

Have fun!