Road Trip Itinerary -advice?

[NT!]

I mentioned previously that my girlfriend and I are going out West this spring. Due to timing and priorities we are not making the far-reaching trip that I had envisioned, but I did incorporate some of the best recommendations from OOT, which I appreciated. This is our tentative itinerary. Any advice?

Also, this can double as a, "Want to meet a long-time but relatively reclusive 2+2 member, his girlfriend, and possibly let them sleep on your couch/floor?" If you find yourself in the path of this trip, and want to have lunch or dinner, hang out, or let us crash, let me know! I am especially interested in finding a free or cheap place in Vegas for one or two nights during this trip since it's really the only place we're stopping where I can't find a pretty cheap motel easily.

Leaving around May 15th.

Day 1 - Drive from MA to Asheville, NC, where I have family, stay with them and pick up I-40 to go West. We chose this over the northern route because most of the stuff we want to see is in the Southwest and it's a good jumping off point. Good or bad?

Day 2 - Drive all day on 40 and stop when we're tired, probably somewhere around Amarillo or possibly farther along.

Day 3 - Drive and end up near Death Valley National Park, which Ms. Thumb is interested in seeing. Probably stay somewhere on the NV side (near Pahrump or a little farther out) that has gambling.

Day 4 - Spend the day cruising around DVNP and end up in Las Vegas that night.

Day 5 & 6 - Vegas.

Day 7 - Leave Vegas for Bryce Canyon / Southern Utah area.

Day 8 & 9 - Hiking and taking photographs, seeing cool stuff in the desert.

And from there is where it gets murky. We were either going to swing by the Grand Canyon and head back along 40, or go up to Boulder, see a friend and head back by way of I-70. We need to be back in MA by about nightfall on Day 14. I'm leaning towards Boulder even though it sounds crazy not to see the Grand Canyon, because I think it would be cool to see the Rockies, see some very old friends, and not go back the same way we came. Thoughts?

NT

[bobman0330]

Asheville to Amarillo is really far. My gf and I made this trip coming in the other direction, and Amarillo -> Memphis took us a whole day. Asheville is another 6 hours or so.

Also, the entire states of Arizona and New Mexico are completely worthless. Oklahoma is worthwhile only as a break from the barren, radio-free wastelands that are AZ and NM... but to each his own. When we stayed in Vegas, we got a really good price at Gold Coast, I think it was under $100/night. Just search hotwire or one of those places. Def. book in advance.

I would certainly, absolutely, under no circumstances go I-40 both west and back east. It really sucks.

[NT!]

[ QUOTE ]
Asheville to Amarillo is really far.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yahoo maps says 18 hours and I usually make it faster than their estimates. We were just planning on really pushing it that day trying to give ourselves more time out West.

The only thing we thought about stopping for in AZ was the Petrified Forest since it's right on I-40. Probably won't bother with the Grand Canyon.

NT

[Dave D]

Yeah one thing, do NOT go the mapquest way to asheville I think. That is, when I used to drive to winston-salem, they'd say take 95, but that's awful. Tolls up the ass, and it's longer b/c you go thru NYC and stuff. I'm pretty sure you probably wanna take 84 to 81 basically the whole way? I know it goes thru PA.

Winston salem was about 12-13 hours for me, I pretty much only stopped for gas/very short food breaks. Asheville is 2:15 from winston, and that's going at a reasonable 75.

[NT!]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah one thing, do NOT go the mapquest way to asheville I think. That is, when I used to drive to winston-salem, they'd say take 95, but that's awful. Tolls up the ass, and it's longer b/c you go thru NYC and stuff. I'm pretty sure you probably wanna take 84 to 81 basically the whole way? I know it goes thru PA.

Winston salem was about 12-13 hours for me, I pretty much only stopped for gas/very short food breaks. Asheville is 2:15 from winston, and that's going at a reasonable 75.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I've done the MA to NC thing many times, if going to Western NC the 81 route is infinitely better. Takes 12-13 hours. Prettier too.

Anyone else? I know there are some people in the midwest and west coast with advice.

NT

[Shajen]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, the entire states of Arizona and New Mexico are completely worthless.

[/ QUOTE ]

STFU.

Op stated in his post about where he should take a trip to that they are into nature and all that.

NT, your first day drive there is pretty ambitious dude. I'd recommend you stop well before then.

[ScottieK]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, the entire states of Arizona and New Mexico are completely worthless.

[/ QUOTE ]

Better watch your mouth before we New Mexicans drop a nuclear bomb on your ass. It's our little gift to the world. Got a whole stockpile chillin' in the Sandia mountains. Turn your house into White Sands. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

To quote Shajen: STFU.

ScottieK