ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Goin' Where The Climate Suits My Clothes
Jan 4, 2016, 12:48 pm
#61
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 11
Seat2A, you've really outdone yourself this time. They ought to make a movie out of this trip!
"Thousands of volumes have been written about aviation, but we do not automatically have thousands of true and special friends in their authors. That rare writer who comes alive on a page does it by giving of himself, by writing of meanings, and not just of fact or of things that have happened to him. The writers of flight who have done this are usually found together in a special section on private bookshelves."
Richard Bach, 'The Pleasure of Their Company,' in Flying magazine, April 1968.
I’ll add you to this list. Here’s a well-deserved pat on the back and the next drink’s on me. It was great to see you last month. Come back soon!
"Thousands of volumes have been written about aviation, but we do not automatically have thousands of true and special friends in their authors. That rare writer who comes alive on a page does it by giving of himself, by writing of meanings, and not just of fact or of things that have happened to him. The writers of flight who have done this are usually found together in a special section on private bookshelves."
Richard Bach, 'The Pleasure of Their Company,' in Flying magazine, April 1968.
I’ll add you to this list. Here’s a well-deserved pat on the back and the next drink’s on me. It was great to see you last month. Come back soon!
Jan 4, 2016, 7:02 pm
#63
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Just wanted to thank you.. I've barely scratched the surface on the TR but hope there will be some bourbon drinking at some point! (and no Jack Daniels doesn't count.. well kind of...)
Always love your work... epic is probably the most appropriate word....
FDW
Always love your work... epic is probably the most appropriate word....
FDW
Jan 5, 2016, 11:09 am
#64
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP, AS MVPG
Posts: 226
2A - another echo of thanks for a wonderful read. It took a few nights, but what a great report. I was beginning to think that the drab nature of 2015 flying had gotten the best of your trip reporting.
Based on all of your train reports, I've decided to try out an Amtrak bedroom with my wife from Seattle to New Orleans, stopping in Sacramento and Chicago. Looking forward to it and glad we got it in before the devaluation!
Hopefully it won't be a year till the next great adventure, keep us posted.
Based on all of your train reports, I've decided to try out an Amtrak bedroom with my wife from Seattle to New Orleans, stopping in Sacramento and Chicago. Looking forward to it and glad we got it in before the devaluation!
Hopefully it won't be a year till the next great adventure, keep us posted.
Jan 5, 2016, 2:52 pm
#65
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
My oh my, this took me some time to read and it helped to kill some time at the office! 
Wonderful TR like all the previous ones you have written and also well thought out and written. Cheers to you and looking forward to more in the future.
Wonderful TR like all the previous ones you have written and also well thought out and written. Cheers to you and looking forward to more in the future.
Jan 5, 2016, 8:45 pm
#66
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Thank you for another fabulous trip report, Seat 2A. I've been a keen reader of yours right since the beginning, so it was extremely fortuitous to find these as I hunkered down in my sick bed for a few days with a very unseasonal deluge outside. The amazing diversity of your trip was the best possible distraction from my fever and body ache. Now I just have an ache to be setting out on another intrepid itinerary!
I remember that many of your earlier trip reports featured Australia and New Zealand, and your various references to travel prior to that often mention the South Pacific, while your more recent ones (excluding North American reports) have frequently featured South America and South Africa. Do you find that your travel preferences and tastes just change over time? Or is it also driven by whatever exotic airlines your miles can take you to? Or perhaps the changing level of affordability of different places due to foreign exchange or increasing development or inflation?
I too would love to add that elusive line crossing the South Atlantic to my travel map, and with Sao Paolo airport and its Star Alliance lounge looking so much improved from the dingy and overcrowded bunkers I recall, perhaps now is the time to do it. (Plus it's now possible to do an all Star Alliance RTW exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, thanks to AirNZ's new AKL-EZE route plugging the South Pacific gap.)
Finally, I completely agree with you about the joy of travelling America's backroads, especially in the West. I've done a fair bit of that myself, most recently a thoroughly enjoyable couple of weeks spent mostly camping and taking backroads, beginning in Vegas and finishing in Rapid City, but it's something I never seem to tire of. You mentioned having a favourite loop from Springvale/Zion in Utah to Death Valley - do you have a cunning way to do that which avoids Las Vegas and the interstate?
Once again, thanks for the entertainment and congrats on the self discipline of producing such a monster report!
I remember that many of your earlier trip reports featured Australia and New Zealand, and your various references to travel prior to that often mention the South Pacific, while your more recent ones (excluding North American reports) have frequently featured South America and South Africa. Do you find that your travel preferences and tastes just change over time? Or is it also driven by whatever exotic airlines your miles can take you to? Or perhaps the changing level of affordability of different places due to foreign exchange or increasing development or inflation?
I too would love to add that elusive line crossing the South Atlantic to my travel map, and with Sao Paolo airport and its Star Alliance lounge looking so much improved from the dingy and overcrowded bunkers I recall, perhaps now is the time to do it. (Plus it's now possible to do an all Star Alliance RTW exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, thanks to AirNZ's new AKL-EZE route plugging the South Pacific gap.)
Finally, I completely agree with you about the joy of travelling America's backroads, especially in the West. I've done a fair bit of that myself, most recently a thoroughly enjoyable couple of weeks spent mostly camping and taking backroads, beginning in Vegas and finishing in Rapid City, but it's something I never seem to tire of. You mentioned having a favourite loop from Springvale/Zion in Utah to Death Valley - do you have a cunning way to do that which avoids Las Vegas and the interstate?
Once again, thanks for the entertainment and congrats on the self discipline of producing such a monster report!
Jan 7, 2016, 3:04 pm
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Good morning, everyone! It's a crisp 1°F day here in the forests outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, with a warming trend on the way. That's right - we'll see temperatures approaching 15°F this weekend! I'm so excited that I'm packing my bags and heading down to the Lower 48 for a train ride. If you've been following the weather down there, it's been everything from blizzards to massive flooding, so this should be interesting. But enough of that for now. On to your comments!
I'm envious! If I could go back in time I'd stop in at Castro on the day when I was about to board the luxury sleeper bus with all those great flights ahead of me. Have a great read!
Thank you, LC. I'm looking forward to reading your latest road trips later this week.
Thank you, Mr. G! Perhaps I could write about getting there, and you could write about the parade. Your report of your road trip from Newark, NJ to Seattle remains one of my favorites.
Thank you so much, FLYGVA! We are birds of a feather. While I definitely appreciate the attraction to and benefits of a photo report, I derive so much excitement and enjoyment from the service and the experiences enroute that writing in combination with photographs is for me the best way to effectively convey that excitement and enjoyment. Pictures alone would leave the story half told.
A few years ago I wrote an article about Logging Flights that I published here at Flyertalk. With more and more people logging their flights via sites like Flight Memory, I hope it provides inspiration.
Finally, I haven't yet gotten around to printing out this report but I am curious - some people speak of transferring it to PDF file format. Does that also transmit pictures? Someday I'd like to go through the best of my reports and turn them into book or magazine form. For now at least I wouldn't know where to start but I do know it is possible.
Thank you, 13A! The Amtrak Forum here at Flyertalk has some good information and Amtrak's new credit card offer will net you 20000 points after charging your first $1000.00. On the whole, traveling by sleeper on Amtrak is far more affordable than it is in other developed countries. Here's wishing you a great ride!
I know so many people right here in the Fairbanks area that haven't been "Outside" in ten years or more. No doubt it's easier for me given that I don't have the responsibility of family - and the seasonal nature of my work allows me a lot more free time than most. That said, it all starts with desire. If you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to get there - be it Fairbanks or French Polynesia. Bon Voyage!
I'm glad to hear of your upcoming travels, WhisperjetYYZ. SAA will look after you nicely (Are you in Business Class) and you'll have a great time in Johannesburg. Heinz is great at getting you booked for things like a day trip to Soweto or the Apartheid Museum and your fellow housemates should prove an entertaining resource as well - especially over a cold Windhoek Lager or two at the poolside bar. Saturdays can be fun when Heinz lets a bunch of the local kids come over and swim in the pool. Have a great trip and please give my regards to Heinz and Chris.
P.S. Perth is a great place but when it came to accommodations I really enjoyed the small town feel of nearby Fremantle. Perth and its many attractions were only a short commuter train ride away...
Originally Posted by Loose Cannon
Thanks for another excellent Trip Report.
Originally Posted by Gardyloo
I think we should nominate places for you to go so we can journey with you. My vote is Up-Helly-Aa in Shetland.
Originally Posted by FLYGVA
As usual with your reports, I print them and read them offline (this one was 155 pages). It took me some time to finally read it but I enjoyed every single page. Your descriptions and information are very helpful and informative, especially the reports of your train trips, that there is not really a need for pictures.
To me, a picture just shows an image. But I want to hear the additional information, how it was served, the quality among other things. In your reports, I not only get this kind of information, it is also compared with your experience onboard other airlines and also comported to the time in the past (which is also interesting to read [my first flight was only 1993]).
And like you, I like to track, on which planes I have been and how old a plane is. Quite often, the plane has its history or story to tell. And the registration as well as the Boeing customer code can tell quite a few things about a plane.
To me, a picture just shows an image. But I want to hear the additional information, how it was served, the quality among other things. In your reports, I not only get this kind of information, it is also compared with your experience onboard other airlines and also comported to the time in the past (which is also interesting to read [my first flight was only 1993]).
And like you, I like to track, on which planes I have been and how old a plane is. Quite often, the plane has its history or story to tell. And the registration as well as the Boeing customer code can tell quite a few things about a plane.
A few years ago I wrote an article about Logging Flights that I published here at Flyertalk. With more and more people logging their flights via sites like Flight Memory, I hope it provides inspiration.
Finally, I haven't yet gotten around to printing out this report but I am curious - some people speak of transferring it to PDF file format. Does that also transmit pictures? Someday I'd like to go through the best of my reports and turn them into book or magazine form. For now at least I wouldn't know where to start but I do know it is possible.
Originally Posted by Crampedin13A
Thanks Seat 2A for an absolutely fantastic TR. Livened up this whole dreary January morning in Toronto reading it and hoping at sometime in the near future I'll be able to have the time to do something similar. Especially the train parts in North America which would be for me a totally new experience.
Originally Posted by AKDan
I am a lifelong Alaskan that has mostly lived on the Kenai Peninsula, I have truly seen very little of this state and appreciate seeing some of it through your eyes. Sadly, I must admit that I have not yet made it up to your neck of the woods near Fairbanks.
Originally Posted by WhisperjetYYZ
Another stellar report Seat 2A! And one that in addition to being a great read over the first weekend of the new year, helped answer two questions I was pondering: what to expect on my SA flight this February (albeit I am on the late departure) from GRU to JNB and where to stay in JNB. The later was solved easily after your comments and I have just exchanged emails with Heinz confirming 4 nights at Ghandis Backpackers! Now any accommodation suggestions for Perth WA?
P.S. Perth is a great place but when it came to accommodations I really enjoyed the small town feel of nearby Fremantle. Perth and its many attractions were only a short commuter train ride away...
Last edited by Seat 2A; Jan 7, 2016 at 5:12 pm
Jan 9, 2016, 6:10 am
#70
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bargara Australia
Programs: VA, SQ, IHG, HH,ALL, Europcar
Posts: 1,530
Awesome read as usual Seat 2A.
Its taken me a few night shifts at work to get thru the whole journey, I love your mixture of narrative and great pictures.
Looking forward to your next adventures
Its taken me a few night shifts at work to get thru the whole journey, I love your mixture of narrative and great pictures.
Looking forward to your next adventures
Jan 10, 2016, 2:10 pm
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Seat2A, you've really outdone yourself this time. They ought to make a movie out of this trip!
"Thousands of volumes have been written about aviation, but we do not automatically have thousands of true and special friends in their authors. That rare writer who comes alive on a page does it by giving of himself, by writing of meanings, and not just of fact or of things that have happened to him. The writers of flight who have done this are usually found together in a special section on private bookshelves."
Richard Bach, 'The Pleasure of Their Company,' in Flying magazine, April 1968.
I’ll add you to this list. Here’s a well-deserved pat on the back and the next drink’s on me. It was great to see you last month. Come back soon!
"Thousands of volumes have been written about aviation, but we do not automatically have thousands of true and special friends in their authors. That rare writer who comes alive on a page does it by giving of himself, by writing of meanings, and not just of fact or of things that have happened to him. The writers of flight who have done this are usually found together in a special section on private bookshelves."
Richard Bach, 'The Pleasure of Their Company,' in Flying magazine, April 1968.
I’ll add you to this list. Here’s a well-deserved pat on the back and the next drink’s on me. It was great to see you last month. Come back soon!
I hope we can get together again next October. Meanwhile, good luck to your Seahawks in chilly Minneapolis today! It's reported that the temperature with windchill on the field is -23°F
Originally Posted by WelshGirl
Thanks for taking us all as your travelling companions!
Just what was needed on a miserable rainy January afternoon.
Just what was needed on a miserable rainy January afternoon.
Originally Posted by FlyingDoctorwu
Just wanted to thank you.. I've barely scratched the surface on the TR but hope there will be some bourbon drinking at some point! (and no Jack Daniels doesn't count.. well kind of...)
Originally Posted by flycal312
Based on all of your train reports, I've decided to try out an Amtrak bedroom with my wife from Seattle to New Orleans, stopping in Sacramento and Chicago. Looking forward to it and glad we got it in before the devaluation!
Scenery wise, you should be in for a great trip. Most people consider the California Zephyr which you'll ride between Sacramento and Chicago as the continent's most scenic long distance train ride.
Originally Posted by injian
My oh my, this took me some time to read and it helped to kill some time at the office!
Originally Posted by mad_atta
I remember that many of your earlier trip reports featured Australia and New Zealand, and your various references to travel prior to that often mention the South Pacific, while your more recent ones (excluding North American reports) have frequently featured South America and South Africa. Do you find that your travel preferences and tastes just change over time? Or is it also driven by whatever exotic airlines your miles can take you to? Or perhaps the changing level of affordability of different places due to foreign exchange or increasing development or inflation?
Back in the eighties I used to spend 1-2 months at a time in Australia. It's such a big country and I never had any problem trying to see and experience somewhere or something new or different each time I returned. Additionally, the exchange rate notwithstanding the cost of day to day life used to be far more reasonable than it is today. It is amazing to me how expensive Australia has become, so that definitely has something to do with it.
Since joining Flyertalk in 2001, most of my early trips to Australia were inspired by the 150000 mile First Class award on British Airways via Alaska's Mileage Plan. That award offered a routing (LAX-LHR-SIN-MEL and back) that gave me six long flights featuring international standard First Class service. I know many here lament the inconsistencies associated with BA's First, but from my experience (30 flights worth on BA) all but two of those flights were very good.
I would love to return to Australia again someday. My last trip was in economy, a quick trip down for a wedding. I'd love to try Qantas' First Class on the A380 someday. Unfortunately, powerball lottery participants have better odds than I do of finding a seat in Qantas First Class via Alaska's Mileage Plan.
Originally Posted by mad_atta
I completely agree with you about the joy of travelling America's backroads, especially in the West. I've done a fair bit of that myself, most recently a thoroughly enjoyable couple of weeks spent mostly camping and taking backroads, beginning in Vegas and finishing in Rapid City, but it's something I never seem to tire of. You mentioned having a favourite loop from Springvale/Zion in Utah to Death Valley - do you have a cunning way to do that which avoids Las Vegas and the interstate?
For visitors who've already seen the California coast and/or want to experience a bit of the Desert Southwest / Rocky Mountain West, here's what I think would be a great itinerary:
Day 1: Las Vegas to Shoshone, CA (Drive NV 160W 90 miles. Stay in the old Shoshone Motel with dinner at the Crow Bar across the street)
DAY 2: Shoshone to Needles, CA via Death Valley, NP (Drive north out of Shoshone on CA 127N, then head into Death Valley NP on CA190W. Lunch in Furnace Creek and then drive south on Badwater Road through Badwater Basin - The lowest point in North America at 288' below sea level. Continue on over Jubilee Pass to Shoshone, then head down CA 127 to Baker, CA. Take Kelbaker Road through Mojave National Monument to Kelso, check out the old train station there, and then continue south on down Kelso Road to I-40 and west to Needles for the night. Total driving distance: 310 miles
DAY 3: Needles, CA to Flagstaff, AZ (Head out of Needles on old Route 66, up over Sitgreaves Pass, down into Kingman, AZ. Rt. 66 continues past Kingman Airport which is one of the five major southwest airliner boneyards. Continue on RT. 66 through Peach Springs to Seligman, turn west on I-40 to Flagstaff, AZ for the night. Total driving distance: 220 miles
DAY 4: Flagstaff, AZ to Page, AZ via Grand Canyon National Park (Take US180 North 80 miles up to the Grand Canyon. Enjoy the park for the day and then continue east on AZ 64 to Cameron, AZ, turn north on US89 and overnight in Page, AZ. Conversely overnight in Grand Canyon N.P.. Total driving distance to Page: 220 miles
DAY 5: Page, AZ to Cortez, CO via Monument Valley (Take AZ98 66 miles down to Kaibito on US160. Turn left and head 31 miles to Kayenta. Turn north on US163 up to Utah via Monument Valley - awesome place! Stay on US163 to Bluff, UT. Head east on UT262 and US 160 to Cortez, CO. Total driving distance: 240 miles
DAY 6: Cortez to Durango, CO via Mesa Verde, NP (Take US160 east out of Cortez, enjoy a few hours at Mesa Verde, then continue on to Durango for the night. Total driving distance: 80 miles
DAY 7: Day in Durango. Ride the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge train, go fishing, take a hike, enjoy Durango.
DAY 8: Durango, CO to Moab, UT (Drive north out of Durango on US550, up over Molas Pass to Silverton, then over Red Mountain Pass to Ouray. Very scenic route. Continue on to Ridgeway, CO and turn west on CO 62 and follow the natural progression of roads to Utah. You'll meet up with US 191, head north to Moab. Total driving distance: 220 miles
DAY 9: Moab, UT to Blanding, UT (A relaxed day in central Utah enjoying Arches National Park and/or Canyonlands National Park or any number of other activities in the area. The only highway you'll drive is US 191. Overnight in Blanding. Total driving distance: 75-120 miles
DAY 10: Blanding to Kanab, UT: Head west out of Blanding on UT 95. Scenic Frye Canyon awaits. The road goes through Capitol Reef National Park. Take a short drive around if you like. At Hanksville pick up UT 24 west to Torrey, then UT 12 south through the Escalante National Monument. Bryce Canyon is at the end of highway 12. This is a long day - you probably can't see everything but you might consider stretching this out and making the trip over two days if you want to see more. From Bryce Canyon National Park head south on US 89 to Kanab - or if you're more adventurous continue 12 miles on down to Fredonia, AZ for the night. Total driving distance: 360 miles
DAY 11: Kanab, UT to Las Vegas, NV via Zion National Park (Take US 89 north a short distance to Mt. Carmel Jct., turn west through Zion National Park. Spend the day in the park and overnight nearby in Springdale or Hurricane or continue on down to Las Vegas. Total driving distance to Las Vegas: 210 miles
Originally Posted by aw
Thank you Seat2A for sharing this outstanding report
Originally Posted by Forrest Bump
Reading your report on a 12+12 hours Y flights made for the best IFE one could hope.
Originally Posted by adampenrith
Its taken me a few night shifts at work to get thru the whole journey, I love your mixture of narrative and great pictures. Looking forward to your next adventures
Jan 10, 2016, 7:00 pm
#72
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
My favorite loop starts out of Las Vegas, goes down to Needles via Death Valley and/or Mojave Nat'l. Preserve, then continues on to Flagstaff via old route 66, then up to Durango, Colorado via US 160, then on to Grand Junction on US 550 and west to Green River, UT on I-70. From there it's on to Kanab/Fredonia (just outside Zion N.P.) via I-70 and US 89 and finally back to Las Vegas.
For visitors who've already seen the California coast and/or want to experience a bit of the Desert Southwest / Rocky Mountain West, here's what I think would be a great itinerary:
Day 1: Las Vegas to Shoshone, CA (Drive NV 160W 90 miles. Stay in the old Shoshone Motel with dinner at the Crow Bar across the street)
DAY 2: Shoshone to Needles, CA via Death Valley, NP (Drive north out of Shoshone on CA 127N, then head into Death Valley NP on CA190W. Lunch in Furnace Creek and then drive south on Badwater Road through Badwater Basin - The lowest point in North America at 288' below sea level. Continue on over Jubilee Pass to Shoshone, then head down CA 127 to Baker, CA. Take Kelbaker Road through Mojave National Monument to Kelso, check out the old train station there, and then continue south on down Kelso Road to I-40 and west to Needles for the night. Total driving distance: 310 miles
DAY 3: Needles, CA to Flagstaff, AZ (Head out of Needles on old Route 66, up over Sitgreaves Pass, down into Kingman, AZ. Rt. 66 continues past Kingman Airport which is one of the five major southwest airliner boneyards. Continue on RT. 66 through Peach Springs to Seligman, turn west on I-40 to Flagstaff, AZ for the night. Total driving distance: 220 miles
DAY 4: Flagstaff, AZ to Page, AZ via Grand Canyon National Park (Take US180 North 80 miles up to the Grand Canyon. Enjoy the park for the day and then continue east on AZ 64 to Cameron, AZ, turn north on US89 and overnight in Page, AZ. Conversely overnight in Grand Canyon N.P.. Total driving distance to Page: 220 miles
DAY 5: Page, AZ to Cortez, CO via Monument Valley (Take AZ98 66 miles down to Kaibito on US160. Turn left and head 31 miles to Kayenta. Turn north on US163 up to Utah via Monument Valley - awesome place! Stay on US163 to Bluff, UT. Head east on UT262 and US 160 to Cortez, CO. Total driving distance: 240 miles
DAY 6: Cortez to Durango, CO via Mesa Verde, NP (Take US160 east out of Cortez, enjoy a few hours at Mesa Verde, then continue on to Durango for the night. Total driving distance: 80 miles
DAY 7: Day in Durango. Ride the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge train, go fishing, take a hike, enjoy Durango.
DAY 8: Durango, CO to Moab, UT (Drive north out of Durango on US550, up over Molas Pass to Silverton, then over Red Mountain Pass to Ouray. Very scenic route. Continue on to Ridgeway, CO and turn west on CO 62 and follow the natural progression of roads to Utah. You'll meet up with US 191, head north to Moab. Total driving distance: 220 miles
DAY 9: Moab, UT to Blanding, UT (A relaxed day in central Utah enjoying Arches National Park and/or Canyonlands National Park or any number of other activities in the area. The only highway you'll drive is US 191. Overnight in Blanding. Total driving distance: 75-120 miles
DAY 10: Blanding to Kanab, UT: Head west out of Blanding on UT 95. Scenic Frye Canyon awaits. The road goes through Capitol Reef National Park. Take a short drive around if you like. At Hanksville pick up UT 24 west to Torrey, then UT 12 south through the Escalante National Monument. Bryce Canyon is at the end of highway 12. This is a long day - you probably can't see everything but you might consider stretching this out and making the trip over two days if you want to see more. From Bryce Canyon National Park head south on US 89 to Kanab - or if you're more adventurous continue 12 miles on down to Fredonia, AZ for the night. Total driving distance: 360 miles
DAY 11: Kanab, UT to Las Vegas, NV via Zion National Park (Take US 89 north a short distance to Mt. Carmel Jct., turn west through Zion National Park. Spend the day in the park and overnight nearby in Springdale or Hurricane or continue on down to Las Vegas. Total driving distance to Las Vegas: 210 miles
For visitors who've already seen the California coast and/or want to experience a bit of the Desert Southwest / Rocky Mountain West, here's what I think would be a great itinerary:
Day 1: Las Vegas to Shoshone, CA (Drive NV 160W 90 miles. Stay in the old Shoshone Motel with dinner at the Crow Bar across the street)
DAY 2: Shoshone to Needles, CA via Death Valley, NP (Drive north out of Shoshone on CA 127N, then head into Death Valley NP on CA190W. Lunch in Furnace Creek and then drive south on Badwater Road through Badwater Basin - The lowest point in North America at 288' below sea level. Continue on over Jubilee Pass to Shoshone, then head down CA 127 to Baker, CA. Take Kelbaker Road through Mojave National Monument to Kelso, check out the old train station there, and then continue south on down Kelso Road to I-40 and west to Needles for the night. Total driving distance: 310 miles
DAY 3: Needles, CA to Flagstaff, AZ (Head out of Needles on old Route 66, up over Sitgreaves Pass, down into Kingman, AZ. Rt. 66 continues past Kingman Airport which is one of the five major southwest airliner boneyards. Continue on RT. 66 through Peach Springs to Seligman, turn west on I-40 to Flagstaff, AZ for the night. Total driving distance: 220 miles
DAY 4: Flagstaff, AZ to Page, AZ via Grand Canyon National Park (Take US180 North 80 miles up to the Grand Canyon. Enjoy the park for the day and then continue east on AZ 64 to Cameron, AZ, turn north on US89 and overnight in Page, AZ. Conversely overnight in Grand Canyon N.P.. Total driving distance to Page: 220 miles
DAY 5: Page, AZ to Cortez, CO via Monument Valley (Take AZ98 66 miles down to Kaibito on US160. Turn left and head 31 miles to Kayenta. Turn north on US163 up to Utah via Monument Valley - awesome place! Stay on US163 to Bluff, UT. Head east on UT262 and US 160 to Cortez, CO. Total driving distance: 240 miles
DAY 6: Cortez to Durango, CO via Mesa Verde, NP (Take US160 east out of Cortez, enjoy a few hours at Mesa Verde, then continue on to Durango for the night. Total driving distance: 80 miles
DAY 7: Day in Durango. Ride the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge train, go fishing, take a hike, enjoy Durango.
DAY 8: Durango, CO to Moab, UT (Drive north out of Durango on US550, up over Molas Pass to Silverton, then over Red Mountain Pass to Ouray. Very scenic route. Continue on to Ridgeway, CO and turn west on CO 62 and follow the natural progression of roads to Utah. You'll meet up with US 191, head north to Moab. Total driving distance: 220 miles
DAY 9: Moab, UT to Blanding, UT (A relaxed day in central Utah enjoying Arches National Park and/or Canyonlands National Park or any number of other activities in the area. The only highway you'll drive is US 191. Overnight in Blanding. Total driving distance: 75-120 miles
DAY 10: Blanding to Kanab, UT: Head west out of Blanding on UT 95. Scenic Frye Canyon awaits. The road goes through Capitol Reef National Park. Take a short drive around if you like. At Hanksville pick up UT 24 west to Torrey, then UT 12 south through the Escalante National Monument. Bryce Canyon is at the end of highway 12. This is a long day - you probably can't see everything but you might consider stretching this out and making the trip over two days if you want to see more. From Bryce Canyon National Park head south on US 89 to Kanab - or if you're more adventurous continue 12 miles on down to Fredonia, AZ for the night. Total driving distance: 360 miles
DAY 11: Kanab, UT to Las Vegas, NV via Zion National Park (Take US 89 north a short distance to Mt. Carmel Jct., turn west through Zion National Park. Spend the day in the park and overnight nearby in Springdale or Hurricane or continue on down to Las Vegas. Total driving distance to Las Vegas: 210 miles
I haven't taken that back road from Badwater down to Shoshone, so I shall have to bear that in mind for next time. Plus the one glaring omission from my roadtripping list is that I have never driven the classic US24/US12 combination from Hanksville to Bryce Canyon. It really is a remarkable part of the world. My goal next time would be to have a proper 4WD to do one of the famous backcountry trails like the Burr Trail and combine it with US12. We tried to to the Cottonwood Canyon drive in our rented Ford Explorer last year, but an unfortunate combination of unseasonal spring/early summer rain (read: mud) plus road tyres/bad ground clearance plus a complete lack of suitable equipment saw us deciding that discretion was the better part of valour and turning around at about the 15 mile mark. Next time perhaps we need something better than a soccer mom SUV! However even what we saw on that stretch was amazing.
Such a stunning part of the world!
Jan 11, 2016, 7:31 am
#74
Join Date: May 2008
Location: BOS. Postings are my personal observations and opinions only and do not reflect the official position of JetBlue Airways.
Programs: Hhonors Diamond, Hertz PC, Amtrak Guest Rewards, Bonvoy Ambassador
Posts: 76
Seat 2A, your literary skills have enthralled me since I first started reading your Trip Reports seven or eight years ago. Bravo, and thank you for taking us along with you!
Jan 11, 2016, 1:57 pm
#75
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: NAP
Programs: LH, BA, TK
Posts: 2,409
I'm searching for a full list of your TRs Seat 2A, not only rail TRs or the selection here on page 1.
Did you ever list them all somewhere?
I'd love to have such quality time again on my future flights.
Thanks.
Did you ever list them all somewhere?
I'd love to have such quality time again on my future flights.
Thanks.