A Perfect 10-Day Southwest Road Trip Itinerary

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A Perfect 10-Day Southwest Road Trip Itinerary
By Amanda/ United States/ A Dangerous Business Travel Blog/ dangerous-business.com

"If you ask me about the best way to explore the United States, I won’t hesitate to say a road trip. Road tripping is by far the best way to experience everything that America has to offer.

But, with the U.S. being such a huge country, deciding *where* to road trip can be tough. Should you tackle New England and the East Coast? The Deep South? The Pacific Northwest and California coast? Old Route 66?

There are tons of great road trip routes in the U.S. But my favorite part of the country for a short(er) road trip is definitely the American Southwest. You have deserts and mountains and some of the coolest national parks in the country. So here’s my version of a “perfect” 10-day road trip itinerary for the American Southwest, based on a road trip Elliot and I took in April 2016:..."

Richard

 

[Karen G]

Great article and great road trip, too. Thanks for posting. We've been to almost all of the places mentioned, though not all in one trip. Every place listed is spectacular. I highly recommend seeing all these places however one can do so.

 

[PStreet1]

We now live in Arizona and have done lots of shorter trips to these areas. For me, doing them all in 10 days means they begin to blur together. I'd rather do one, or two, enjoy, and remember more distinctly. For me, doing a lot of different parks--each known for its spectacular red rocks in one form or another--results in a blurring of the attributes of each individual park, though, not of course, of the trip as a whole or the impression of some spectacular sights.

 

[Blues]

It's been years now (20 maybe?). But we did a 3 week grand trip of the Southwest, mainly Utah, and I remember it like it was yesterday. If my memory serves, it included Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Page, Canyon de Chelly, Mesa Verde, Moab, Arches, and Canyonlands, among others. It was a jam-packed 3 weeks, but oh so memorable.

 

[rickandcindy23]

This past summer, Rick and I drove to Sedona from Denver, south through Durango, which kept us from all of the usual mountain treks out I-70. When we came back from Sedona, we did a backroad trip through Montrose on Highway 50. Breathtaking. Our drives to Orlando were so boring when the kids were young, but that drive, just the two of us, was absolutely wonderful.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I did a modification of this, by flying into Bozeman, MT. Starting in Yellowstone, then Tetons, then Moab for Canyonlands and Arches, then Drive through National Monuments to Page, Did Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, (skipped South to Grand Canyon) then Bryce, Zion, and drive to Vegas and fly out from there. That was a 15 day trip. It was the last trip I took with my Father (and my neice). He died exactly 1 year to the day from our trip. My father did not stop talking about the trip with everyone he knew, so I knew it was special to him. Everyone mentioned it to me in the days and weeks after his passing. It is a memory I will cherish.

I did Scottsdale, Sedona, Flagstaff, and Grand Canyon on different trip.

 

[JudyH]

My favorite trip ever, in the world. I recommend this all the time.

 

[Iggyearl]

Thank God for digital cameras!! I had to close my business in 2012. So, in 2013, we drove to Joliet, Il. and started our Route 66 journey. Two weeks out and two weeks back. The best part was the Southwest. Only 1700 pictures on my wife's digital camera. Many like the ones in the article. Our daughter did a 100 page book from Shutterfly to memorialize the trip. Then, in 2013, we flew to Las Vegas and drove to Williams, AZ and did the Grand Canyon - then Page and Lake Powell. Plus a day in Sedona. For a boy from Vermont and upstate New York, it was mind boggling. No such colors exist in the Northeast. It should be on every American's bucket list. Thanks for the reminders!

 

[DaveNV]

Timely article! I have a two week trip coming up this May that will hit a lot of these places. We're flying into Denver, and driving west on I-70 across Colorado, then cutting northwesterly to Vernal, Utah. That's where the Dinosaur National Monument is. (The greatest national park you've never heard of. It's a great place I last visited 20 years ago, and I can't wait to see it again.) From Vernal we'll cut down to Moab, to see Arches and Canyonlands, then head southeasterly across the Colorado line to Mesa Verde National Park. Leaving there, we'll head west back into Utah, drop down through Monument Valley, and work our way over through Flagstaff to Sedona, then south via Jerome and Prescott to Tucson, seeing the sites there, and some friends who live just south of there. Jumping back north to Phoenix, we'll see other friends who live there, and then fly home. Two full weeks, lots to see, and visits with great friends. Lots of driving, but a great trip, I'm sure, at a very nice time of year. I can't wait!

Dave

 

[Quilter]

I found this article searching for information on Lake Powell. We're planning a trip during Labor Day. Currently I have a 3 day reservation at the Hyatt Place. I grabbed that just to have something booked but can change to another hotel/inn if I find something better. From here we plan to see Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. We're also talking about a day trip to Zion. I'd also like to see Lake Powell and enjoy getting out on the water.

I'd appreciate any Lake Powell suggestions.

 

[Karen G]

I found this article searching for information on Lake Powell. We're planning a trip during Labor Day. Currently I have a 3 day reservation at the Hyatt Place. I grabbed that just to have something booked but can change to another hotel/inn if I find something better. From here we plan to see Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. We're also talking about a day trip to Zion. I'd also like to see Lake Powell and enjoy getting out on the water.

I'd appreciate any Lake Powell suggestions.

I believe this is the boat tour we took on Lake Powell: https://www.lakepowell.com/things-to-do/boat-tours/panoramic-lake-powell-tour/ There are others available on this website, too. If you qualify for a National Parks senior pass and don't have one, be sure to get one at the first national park you go to. I surely hope you can go to Zion, too. There's so much to see in that area of Arizona & Utah. It might be nice to stay at least one night closer to Zion & do Bryce Canyon, too. Once you get a taste of what's out there, you might want to plan another trip when you can stay longer.