Go West ... But, Can I Get Back...

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by sourdough

NM is a beautiful state, lived there for 29 years and then owned a vacation home in the mountains for 25. I have not pulled it up this evening but I believe the gov has mandated a 14 day quarantine if you come there depending on where you come from. They definitely don't want you coming in from "out of state" and running around.

https://cv.nmhealth.org/travel-recommendations/

That’s troubling. We have reservations in Albuquerque and in Ruiduso for several days.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by adeakins

Since we’re not going to the Rockies, what should I know about Arizona, Utah, Texas or New Mexico mountains on my path?

Taking I10 it's pretty well flat from Florida to the west coast & 883 miles from Orange Texas to El Paso & nothing but highway between San Antonio & El Paso. There is a nice KOA in Ft Stockton that's about 1/2 way from SA to EP.

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

If traveling I-10, stop in El Paso for the night, fill up with fuel while there then haul butt through NM without stopping, 4-5 hours, if they're that unfriendly, Arizona is still open. IMHO I don't think any state can legally prevent you from driving through without declaring marshall law & closing the borders, I don't think this BS has come to that..........yet.
After full-time for 10+ years I'd also recommend don't rush, only one night at each stop gets old very quickly. Our plan was 2x2x2, travel 200 miles, stop by 2pm & stay 2 days, worked very well. If we stopped some place that looked interesting or other sites within a few hours drive we'd stay a week, much easier to see the sites in your vehicle without dragging the rv.

I like that plan a lot. I may even borrow it. But, in states like AZ, NM, UT decent parks often are more than 200 miles apart. My operating plan for this trip is 250 miles. That eats the better part of a tank of gas. (We have an F350 dually w/ 7.3 gas and 50gal tank).

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Taking I10 it's pretty well flat from Florida to the west coast & 883 miles from Orange Texas to El Paso & nothing but highway between San Antonio & El Paso. There is a nice KOA in Ft Stockton that's about 1/2 way from SA to EP.

So happens we are staying at that Ft Stockton KOA.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by adeakins

Thanks. We are going to the South Rim.

There are several nice rv parks in Williams, a quant little old Route 66 town with lots to see & good places to eat, about a 2 hour drive to the south rim or take the train.

[JRTJH]

There's a concern raised about New Mexico and what's open/closed/restricted in that state.

We haven't done any extensive travel since this COVID thing began, but the few things we have done were, in some places, critically affected.

In Michigan, for example, ALL indoor dining has been closed. That means you can't stop at McDonald's for lunch, and in some gas stations/truck stops, you can refuel, but not go inside to the bathroom. As recently as 2 weeks ago, we went to Traverse City to shop. There was no place to eat (other than fast food drive through windows) and no place to stop to pee as all "indoor facilities are closed", even at McD's and Arby's.... So....

To expand a bit, many areas of interest, like museums, art galleries, flea markets, even local tourist sites are either closed or restricted. Even things like the Air Force Museum in Dayton are operating on a "week to week basis".

I suppose what I'm trying to convey is that you might want to consider your trip based not on what you find interesting along the way, but rather plan your trip based on what might be closed when you get there...

For us, we made the choice to delay our big trips for now. The price of fuel, camping, food away from home, etc is not cheap. We'd rather save the expense until we can be reasonably assured that we're actually going to get into the attractions we want to see along the way...

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

There are several nice rv parks in Williams, a quant little old Route 66 town with lots to see & good places to eat, about a 2 hour drive to the south rim or take the train.

We stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway Campground in Williams. It's right around the corner from downtown and a 1 block walk to the train station, if you decide to take the train to the canyon. I'd recommend that trip, not because of the "train robbery on the way back" but because of the relaxed trip focused on scenery not on crazy people driving on the road LOL

There are lots of great restaurants in Williams and it is a part of the old RT 66, so lots of "tourist trap" types of shops to explore.....

The only disadvantage, at least for us, was the train tracks that run between the campground and downtown. Depending on traffic and trains, you might spend more time than anticipated between the trailer and the restaurant of your choice. Otherwise, Williams is a neat place to spend a few days with lots of things to see and do.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by adeakins

That’s troubling. We have reservations in Albuquerque and in Ruiduso for several days.

You may want to keep a close eye on the restrictions the NM gov keeps handing down. If I recall out of staters were not allowed in any NM park plus indoor dining etc. was either greatly curtailed or prohibited - that's in addition to the quarantine. I've spent a LOT of time in Ruidoso and our mountain home was 42 miles away in Cloudcroft. It's pretty nice and warrants a little time if you have it, but, it's more of a tourist trap than anything. Do your homework on Albuquerque; it has/has had the highest crime rate in NM so take care in where you stay and what you do.

[dutchmensport]

Agree with other posters above. You need to stop and spend an entire day at each place. Day 1, drive find a stopping place. Day 2. Explore the area. Day 3 drive t next destination. Day 4, explore the area. Day 5 drive again reach the next destination... repeat, repeat, and repeat. Otherwise you will be doing nothing but driving and spending nights on asphalt and moving on. Just my 2 cents worth.

About the Natchez? Speed limit is 50 mph. You do NOT want to speed... at all! Ever! on that road. If you are really interested, there are several stops along the route that are absolutely filled with the history of the Trace. Grave Yards, buildings, pull off spots. Get a flier at the beginning of the Trace, which ever end you start on, and if you actually stop at each of the locations along the journey, take the mini-tours, listen to the history, read the signs posted, you can easily take 2 or 3 days traveling just this 440 (some) miles journey and walk away with a very rich and new understanding of piece of American History that you probably knew nothing about.

Just my suggestion.... It's NOT about how much distance you can cover and travel, it's about what you do along the journey.

[dutchmensport]

OK, anyone who's ever attempted to keep up with my posts know that I just LOVE to ramble on and on... So I'll add a bit more here.

Here's some thought about length of stay in one location. We've always been the "transient" traveler. Meaning, the longest we've ever stayed anywhere was 2 weeks in a state park. We do like to travel and at a minimum we stay 3 days at any single location, unless traveling and truly just need an over-night. (which we've done many times too).

So we tried something different. For the entire month of Jan 2021, we have been camped in Cullman, Alabama. We are both working from home, have company issued laptops and not permitted to return to our offices until this china disease passes.

So, we came here for a month (actually 5 weeks, one full week in February too). Now, we are from Indiana, and we picked this location for a number of reasons, but mostly because .... well ... in 65 years of life, I'd never heard of Cullman, Alabama. We've never head anything about them in the National news, they are not on any top 10 must see travel brochures. And when you look up, "Things to do in Cullman, Alabama" on the internet, there's really nothing earth shattering, wow-and pazzaz, glow in the dark, or rockets streaming in the air that says .... HEY AMERICA ... COME HERE! Nope. Nothing like that.

We thought, what a great place to go. If there is any crime in the area, it's sure not on the national news. There's no earth quakes, no hurricanes, no forest fires here. It seems to be a spot in the USA that is ... well ... uneventful! Quiet, peaceful, Southern living. THATS where we wanted to go.

So, we got here on Jan 1, 2021. And one would think after you've seen the Ava Maria Grotto, there's nothing left to do or see. Well, let me tell you ... we were wrong. Quiet, peaceful, Southern living, and some of the most delightful and wonderful people we've ever met! We've learned about the culture here, the heritage here, the history here, all sorts of things. Do we want to leave and return home this Saturday..... no. This location, this part of the USA is a little gem.

Had we just driven through, spend a night and moved on ... how much we would have missed. I think we need another 5 weeks here. There's too many things we did NOT get to do.

Think about it, it will change your perspective on how and where you travel.

[sourdough]

I have to wholeheartedly agree. After spending my life getting from A to B I considered anything and everything in between a nuisance and irritation.

I was that way until the last few years after a situation like you describe. The place we ended up in FL wasn't by choice due to the family and would never have dreamed of going there, but we did. Like your example nothing stand out, earth shattering - nothing to make it special in any way. After staying there for a few months, learning the folks, learning about the area and learning to "settle down" we found that we had been wasting a lot of years doing what I used to do and missed immeasurable knowledge, experiences and memories I'm sure. It was hard to do but we actually look forward to each stop vs just the end of the trip. If a person has the time, take it and use it to absorb some of the road less traveled.

[notanlines]

David any chance y'all are staying at the Cullman RV Park, just northwest a few miles? We've stayed there two or three times, hell to get to and from, but nice people and very neat park.

[Canonman]

Adeakins,

Are you more interested just the major tourist stops in Utah? Any interest in some of the less visited but very interesting and unique spots?
How much time have you alloted for this part of your trip?
I'd be happy to help with suggestions.

[Cascadia]

It's unfortunate that you have to turn back before getting to the west coast, it's magnificent! The Sierras, the north coast of California through the redwoods then up the Oregon coast...the Washington coast...The Olympic national forest and Puget Sound...maybe next time...but don't miss it!

Happy trails!

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by Cascadia

It's unfortunate that you have to turn back before getting to the west coast, it's magnificent! The Sierras, the north coast of California through the redwoods then up the Oregon coast...the Washington coast...The Olympic national forest and Puget Sound...maybe next time...but don't miss it!

Happy trails!

I lived in Palos Verdes, California for several years and have been up and down the coastline a few times. I’ve also spent a good bit of time travelling the northwest - Washington, Oregon up through British Columbia - all areas one can never visit enough. But, I’ve not travelled the world(s) in-between … that north-south swatch of states from Arizona and New Mexico up through the Dakotas including Iowa and Idaho. Once Covid moves into history, we also want to spend a year travelling Canada, if possible.

[saltyturtle]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

If traveling I-10, stop in El Paso for the night, fill up with fuel while there then haul butt through NM without stopping, 4-5 hours, if they're that unfriendly, Arizona is still open. IMHO I don't think any state can legally prevent you from driving through without declaring marshall law & closing the borders, I don't think this BS has come to that..........yet.
After full-time for 10+ years I'd also recommend don't rush, only one night at each stop gets old very quickly. Our plan was 2x2x2, travel 200 miles, stop by 2pm & stay 2 days, worked very well. If we stopped some place that looked interesting or other sites within a few hours drive we'd stay a week, much easier to see the sites in your vehicle without dragging the rv.

Definitely avoid NM. We also do the 2x2x2 method. Take time to smell the roses.

[CedarCreekWoody]

I've crossed NM on I-10 several times with no problem. We are staying in Deming NM, on I-10 next week. No problem getting overnight reservations.

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by Canonman

Adeakins,

Are you more interested just the major tourist stops in Utah? Any interest in some of the less visited but very interesting and unique spots?
How much time have you alloted for this part of your trip?
I'd be happy to help with suggestions.

We are limited to a quick look at Utah this trip. Next year, we plan a more in-depth and expansive visit. I’m a history buff and (rank) amateur photographer. And, yes; we love the less well known places. Of course and unfortunately access has to be commensurate with our age ... I’m 75, but still up for 5 mile hikes but not much more.

[adeakins]

Originally Posted by saltyturtle

Definitely avoid NM. We also do the 2x2x2 method. Take time to smell the roses.

Right now, we are (“base camping) which is to say that we like to find a few “strategic” locations where we can park the ‘beast’ and explore an area catching as many points of interest as time and our budget allow. In between, we park for one or two nights. As for time and miles between parking, I don’t do well with back-in parking this trailer in the dark, so I limit our hops to no more than 250 miles depending on terrain, road quality and weather (particularly wind). I’ve had to push that envelope a few times but never by much. Our rig rides well enough for what it is, but it still wears on you.

[edgarg]

Check the NPS website for cautions for RVs on the Natchez Trace Parkway and be cautious about bridge clearances on side roads where you will be going for services. There are enough side trip options if you need a change of pace from the serenity of the Parkway. Regarding I-10, check for updates on construction. Expect delays!