First things first. Make sure you check your car with a good
mechanic – brakes, tires, bearings etc. Get some good wipers installed and
don’t forget to fill the wiper fluid. You should at least able to check the
engine oil level.
The major stops I took were at Santa Fe (NewMexico),
Colorado Springs and Salt Lake (Utah).
Dallas (Texas) to Santa Fe (NM) – I took Route 287
and then I 40. The scenery is mostly dry and empty with what looked like old
and abandoned oil pumps and some huge farms thrown in between. It also takes
you through some small towns. So watch your speed! I took a detour to Lake Arrowhead
state park where I was surprised to see hundreds of prairie dogs. The lake was however quite dry when I went
(late August). The Caprock canyon state park also does not seem like a big
detour, though I did not take it. You will have plenty of opportunities to go
via the historic route 66 when you reach closer to New Mexico. Not to forget
the so called “ghost towns”. The experience will be surreal J There are of course
plenty of things to see in Santa Fe. I visited the Cathedral Basilica in
downtown but the Loreto Chappel was a waste of my time (the original hanging stairs has been modified
quite a bit and they just looked like a winding fleet of stairs to me). Be
aware of the toll ways at Dallas. They had a weird automatic system and there
was no way to pay cash!
Santa Fe(NM) to Colorado – I 25 in Colorado is itself
spectacular with views of the front range of the Rocky mountains. If you are short of time, take the scenic
high roads to Taos. The high road goes through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
of the Rocky range and the views are spectacular. You need to take Route 84 and
follow signs for scenic byway to Taos and then eventually join I 25 to
Colorado. You might also stop at the historic Santuario de Chimayó if time
permits. I was fortunate to meet the 95 year old priest when I visited the
church! The Rio Grande monument is another detour if you are interested. The
town Taos itself is a popular destination. The Taos pueblo is a reservation and
consists of a private, secretive and conservative population of native
Americans. Though I could not enter the pueblo (it became too late) you may try
your luck if interested. If you are spending a night at Santa Fe, you may also
start the next day by visiting the Bandelier National monument and then to High
Roads. Note that the Bandelier involves a foot trail of about 3 miles round
trip and the place is accessible only by a public bus (private cars were not
allowed). So do this only if you have enough time!
Colorado springs to Salt Lake – Garden of the gods is
a very short (less than 5 miles) scenic drive you just don’t want to miss while
you are in Colorado Springs. Take a walk if you have more time. Pike’s peak is another
consideration (they also have cog rails). If you continue on I25 (be careful
regarding weather though), you will cross Palmer Divide for a spectacular view
of the Rocky mountains. Then take I 70 near Denver (the junction is called
“mousetrap”) instead of continuing north bound. Reach Salt Lake via Glenwood
Springs and Rifle. The several tunnels and the winding route with steep grades
along the way make it a very interesting drive. Enjoy the signs posted
regarding the steep grades, warning signs for trucks and special runaway ramps
for trucks! The route is rightly considered an engineering marvel! Rifle falls
is a small detour (less than 20 miles) inside Rifle and you can get a real
close view of the falls and is hardly a walk from the parking place. Hanging
lake is another attraction near Glenwood springs that involves a not so easy
hiking trail of about a mile one way. Arches National park is just 20 miles
from I70 as you enter Utah. Ideally you need several hours to see everything in
this park. But if you don’t have so much time you could just take the scenic
drive through the park (about 20 miles) and come back to catch the highway.
North of Salt Lake city is Timpanagos cave national monument on state route 92.
To enter the cave there is a small hike (fully paved and hence easy except for
the grade) of about 1.5 miles but offers some amazing views of stalactites,
stalacmites and helictites (rock straws).
Salt Lake to California – There are many places in
Nevada where they still actively mine gold and some of these are actually open
to the public for viewing. But they are open only on Thursdays and so might
require some planning. I did not notice anything else interesting in Nevada
along I 80. Lake Tahoe is a great place to cool off as you enter CA. Of course
CA offers much more to see for a tourist!
My trip was mostly unplanned. All the above places I had
discovered were by taking detours as I saw the brown boards (for national or
state parks) or stopping by at the visitor center as I entered a new state or
by asking my friends who lived in that area. So, perhaps you can find a better
route and a better plan and if so I request you to leave a comment. Also,
please do comment if you followed this route and if it was helpful! Thanks!
