Archie1234

I'm hoping some of you can help us. We're travelling from Australia to Dallas in November. From Dallas we're travelling to New Mexico and then California - ending in San Francisco. (Avoiding Las Angeles).

We've got about 3 1/2 weeks to do this. We prefer scenic roads to highways.

What do you think??

Jane

janisj

Depending on your route there are two or three additional states involved (other that the three you tagged -- Arizona, Utah and Nevada. Dallas to SF is a long way through some amazing scenic areas but quite a lot of it only makes sense via 'highways'.

Some sites that could be incorporated (and this is only a short list - there are many more) : Big Bend, Santa Fe, Carlsbad Caverns, the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon (though in November you'd likely hit snow) , Monument Valley, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Yosemite, some of the California coast/Monterey/Carmel/etc. Now you couldn't visit all of those in just 3.5 weeks but that does give you an idea of the variety.

So . . . What sorts of things do you enjoy?

Archie1234

Thank you for that. I should have put Arizona in my listing!

So - would you look at this route and tell me what you think? We've seen the Canyons and Las Vegas.

Dallas
Down to San Antonio (Waco and Austin on the way)
Santa Anna
Lubbock
Amarillo
Santa Rosa
Santa Fe
Albuquerque
Winslow
Kingman
Barstow
Bakersfield
San Simeon
Santa Cruz
San Francisco

janisj

I don't have time right now to absorb your list (I'll be back later this evening) but hopefully others will see your thread. But what immediately jumped out at me . . . Why (WHY) on earth are Barstow and Bakersfield included. Yes, you may have to dfrve through one or both to get where you want to go -- but they are not anything to write home about!!!!!! If your final route goes through either, you'd just want to drive through and out the other side as quickly as possible. Trust me, coming all the way from OZ to California -- Barstow or Bakersfield would not feature in the photos

Archie1234

Funny.

No - we weren't going to stay in those places - just the route to get to San Simeon. Thank you for looking at all of this.

Trongenius

Sedona, AZ is a huge tourist spot that will be somewhat on your way. That is red rock country.

oldemalloy

Between Alburquerque and Kingman there is lots to see, like Accoma Pueblo, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, etc. In November so much depends on the weather and using the highways is often safer after a snowstorm because they usually get plowed sooner. The views from the highway are spectacular in many places too.

Hope for perfect weather the whole time and have a back up plan if gets bad. Pull off the road and find a place to stay during a storm.

PrairieHikerI

Around 24 days is plenty of time to see these wonderful places (most mentioned above): Santa Fe, Acoma, Sky City, Sedona, Monument Valley, Zion National Park, Death Valley and Yosemite or Sequoia NP.

Trongenius

You will never see anything like Las Vegas down under I don't think. That could be worth the trip if it is slightly out of your way. I would hit Sedona for 2-3 days, then Grand Canyon then Vegas and onward to San Fran.

P_M

Good ideas, but the OP said they have been to the canyons and Vegas. I absolutely love Sedona. It's a bit touristy but absolutely gorgeous. If you haven't been there, i hope you will check it out.

I found driving and parking to be very difficult in San Francisco. Since it's your last stop, you might consider turning in the rental car and using public transportation.

Jean

Just so you know, you won't be able to drive Highway One the entire way from San Simeon to Santa Cruz.

https://roads.dot.ca.gov/?roadnumber=1

https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/hig...onditions.html

FYIs:
While I hope everything goes well, the week of our national election (Tuesday, Nov. 5th) could be anything but "normal" this year.
Monday, Nov. 11th, is a national holiday (Veteran's Day).
Depending on where you are Nov. 27th to Dec. 1 (Thanksgiving weekend), you could encounter a lot of road traffic.

P_M

Jean makes some excellent points about all that will be happening in November. On November 11 you might be able to enjoy a Veterans Day parade. I doubt any closures on the 11th will affect you, but it is a holiday weekend which could result in extra traffic.

Thanksgiving weekend could be a problem. A lot of places will be closed on Thanksgiving Day including most restaurants. I recommend booking Thanksgiving lunch or dinner in advance, otherwise you might end up dining at IHOP for more than just breakfast. If you can avoid driving on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after, please do. And if you must fly during that time, get to the airport at least 3 hours early.

Archie1234

Thank you so much for mentioning the possibility of a snow storm. We had not even considered that and don't want to face anything like that! As a result, we have brought our travels forward by 3 weeks.

Thank you so much!!!

jane

Archie1234

Oh Everyone! Thank you so much for your input.

We are now flying into your beautiful country on 15 October and leaving on 10 November.

AND - we're staying 2 nights in Sedona - and, would you believe, we'll be there on Halloween!!

Can't wait!!!

jane

P_M

I'm happy we could help. If you want a great breakfast or brunch in Sedona, check out a restaurant called The Coffee Pot.

bellinghamsters

I don't know how set your plans are, but there's no way you can drive from Dallas to San Antonio and see anything of Dallas, Waco, Austin and San Antonio. The traffic along I35 is beyond horrible and will take hours! I lived most of my life in Texas and will say out of those, the most interesting one is San Antonio. Austin has turned into mainly just another big city and all Waco has to offer is the Magnolia brand which became popular on TV. Lubbock and Amarillo have nothing going for them as far as anything that I would go out of my way to see. There is so much to experience in New Mexico, Arizona and California that I would just drive out of Dallas and keep going Westward!

Jean

I assumed the OP would be breaking up the drives and staying in some of these towns "along the way." Hopefully not Barstow. ;-)

I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time a poster underestimated drive times.

Archie1234

We are learning so much from y'all.

So - not only have we brought this trip forward as a result of this listing, we have included Tucumcari and Sedona in our itinerary. Perfecto!

We're now flying into Houston instead of Dallas and driving to San Antonio.

We've worked out we'll be in Sedona, AZ for your Halloween and In Pismo Beach for the election! Holey Moley!!!

Thanks again, everybody.

Jane

PrairieHikerI

San Antonio is near the Hill Country which is famous for its rolling hills, clear streams and German architecture. You might want to explore that region briefly. Bandera is the self-proclaimed "Cowboy Capital of the World" and features rodeos, saloons and guest ranches where you can go horseback riding. Eat some of Texas world-famous Chili and BBQ. Castroville has many historic Alastian style homes and buildings. You can take a walking tour of the area.

Jean

Just posting again the reminder that you won't be able to drive the coast highway between Pismo Beach and Santa Cruz. You will be passing through Castroville (mentioned by PrairieHiker1)... If you're into wine, you'll also be driving through Paso Robles, a large wine-producing area with hundreds of wineries. Just me, but I'd rather spend a night in Paso than Pismo.