Packing the family in the car and setting off for a week-long road trip is an experience of a lifetime. On a road trip, the destination isn’t the goal. The real memories are made on the journey there. America is a great country and full of incredible things to see. The Northeast feels like an entirely different country from the Southwest. It’s that different feel that makes the Southwest the perfect location for a family road trip.
The Southwest is loaded with amazing culture and sights that you can’t find elsewhere in the country. Sure it has long, barren stretches of road as well, but there are plenty of ways to make family road trips fun when the landscape becomes dull. Though, if you plan your trip well, downtime will be minimal.
The Mother Road
Good old Route 66 makes for a great road trip. Stretching nearly 2,500 miles, it covers 8 states and provides a broad overview of the Midwest and Southwest. While no longer an official U.S. highway, the road still exists in its entirety and is lined with both history and new sights to see.
Naturally, you don’t have to traverse the entire highway. Most families don’t have the patience for a 2,500 mile road trip; however, just by covering the middle sections – Oklahoma to Arizona – you get a great taste of the Southwest.
Oklahoma
Not sure what to do in Oklahoma? You may be surprised to find that the state is filled with fun family activities. About an hour south of Oklahoma City is Chickasaw Country. Drawing from its deep Native American roots, this part of the state is home to the Chickasaw Cultural Center as well as an array of art and history attractions. This area is also home to the Arbuckle Mountains where you can swim Turner Falls or take a zip line tour.
Texas
Route 66 only has a short stint in Texas and misses out on much of this great state, but this stretch of the road is home to a number of historic motels and gas stations that were in operation during the peak of the highway’s operation. As you see places like the Tower Station and Vega motel, you and your family can reflect on the past and talk about why the highway was so popular. Don’t just tell you kids about the great migration west during the dust bowl, show them what those travelers saw. Show them where they stopped for gas and to sleep.
New Mexico
If you’re willing to take a detour a couple hours north of Albuquerque, your family can visit what is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited areas in North America. The Taos Pueblo has been inhabited continuously for over 1,000 years. Archaeological evidence shows that it may have been inhabited as far back as 3,000 B.C. That’s even before the great pyramids in Egypt were built. The area is rich with history.
Like Texas, the route heading west is filled with old landmarks like Bowlin’s Old Crater Trading Post in Bluewater and El Rancho Hotel in Gallup. Places like these provide a really interesting viewport to the past.
Arizona
The route through Arizona is a stone’s throw from some of the nation’s most incredible national parks. The first that you’ll come across is Petrified Forest National Park. This area is home to perfectly preserved trees that lived 225 million years ago. Just north of here is the Painted Desert.
As you continue west, you’ll reach the heart of the state, Flagstaff, Arizona. Turn north from here and you’ll arrive at the Grand Canyon. One of the most well-known natural wonders of the world, you can’t pass up the opportunity to see this with your family.
The Road Goes On
From here, you could continue west or loop back and see the northern edge of the Southwest where the dry desert gives way to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. No matter your path, there will always be new sights to see.
Whether you follow this itinerary or another doesn’t matter. A road trip is about seeing new things and making memories as a family.