If you’re looking for a real-life, doable Southwest road trip from Texas, this is the exact route we just did for spring break—and it might be one of my favorite routes yet.
Think: desert sunsets, slot canyons, giant cacti, and lots of memories made!
Overview of the Route
Start: Dallas, TX
States: Texas → New Mexico → Arizona → back to Texas
Total Time: 6 days
Stops: Albuquerque, Tent Rocks, Canyon de Chelly, Saguaro, Chiricahua, White Sands
Day 1: Drive to Albuquerque + Sunset Views
After a long travel day from Texas, we made it to Albuquerque, NM just in time for sunset—and WOW, this is such an underrated stop.
What to do:
Head up to Sandia Crest (or nearby overlooks) for sunset
Take Dramamine if you get carsick – that road up to the peak is no joke!
Watch the mountains turn pink + gold
Why it’s worth it – This is the perfect way to kick off the trip without overpacking your first day.
Where to stay – Anywhere in Albuquerque for easy access to the next day’s drive. We stayed at Home2Suites by Hilton and had a lovely stay in a spacious room!
One of the most underrated places in the Southwest—and honestly, it surprised us.
What to do:
Hike the White House Trail (only trail you can do without a guide)
Stop at scenic overlooks along the rim
Why it’s special – You’re looking at ancient cliff dwellings AND massive canyon views—without the crowds of bigger parks.
Time needed: Half day
We drove straight to Tucson, AZ after visiting this site. We stayed two nights at Townplace Suites by Marriott in Tucson, and really enjoyed the spacious room and the breakfast was delicious! The pool was great, too!
The United States, with its vast and diverse landscape, is home to a myriad of experiences from coast to coast. Whether you’re interested in exploring vibrant cities, immersing yourself in rich history, or enjoying outdoor adventures, I’ve got you covered. Check out my list of our top 52 epic road trip adventures across the United States to help you plan the road trip of a lifetime!
It’s hard to even describe the size of these Redwoods, they are truly awe-inspiring! The hikes we took, like the trail through the Stout Memorial Grove, was very easy and had plenty of opportunities for the kids to climb on fallen logs.
3. Go dog sledding at Monarch Mountain in Colorado
Dog sledding in Monarch, Colorado
If you’re in Colorado in the wintertime, I highly suggest looking into a dog sledding adventure! The views are incredible, but we all agree that the most fun was getting to play with the dogs after our guided sledding adventure!
Start with the walk down into the cave behind the Visitor Center and then take the elevator back up! This entire 2.5 mile cave walk is absolutely amazing and a must-see if you are in New Mexico. Be sure to visit the website to purchase timed-entry tickets ahead of time.
Ouray is a stunning mountain town. It was amazing to stumble across this waterfall, just a short walk from downtown on 8th Avenue!
7. Become a Jr. Park Ranger at any National Park or National Monument
Jr. Rangers
This has become one of my youngest boy’s favorite things to do when we visit a National Park! Just head to the Visitor Center wherever you are to learn more and get the necessary booklet to complete and earn your badge.
Winter adventures are the best, especially when you live in Texas and rarely get snow. We love to snowboard together and Crested Butte is our favorite little ski town!
This stop is hilarious! If you’re near St. Roberts, Missouri I highly suggest stopping at this place for some amazing fudge, candy, and lots of laughs!
There’s nothing more that I love than adventuring with my family. It’s even better when we get to explore on our own without a guided tour. This place is fascinating and very informative. We loved climbing ladders to get a closer look at these cliff dwellings.
Seeing the Macy’s Parade has been on my bucket list for years, but I think we enjoyed walking through the parade balloons the day before even better. Here, you get an up close view of the different parade balloons as they are being inflated! Truly a unique experience. You can find this location at Columbus & 72nd St.
13. Visit a living history museum in the Historic Triangle, Virginia
Historic Jamestowne
Being a teacher, I absolutely love learning about the history of our country! The Historic Triangle is a set of three of living history museums. We explored Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestowne, and Yorktown. We enjoyed Jamestown the most!
This drive is not for the faint of heart! But, I have never seen views like this on any of our road trips. The best views can be seen from Ouray to Silverton! Use extreme caution if you’re brave enough to attempt this one!
15. Walk on the MayflowerII in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Again, I am a huge nerd! So of course, I had to make the drive to Plymouth when we were visiting Boston last summer. Walking on the Mayflower was a dream come true. Yes, I know it’s not the original, but it’s still so cool to learn more about the journey and see a replica in person!
Orange Beach in the spring is delightful. The weather is warm and the crowds are thin! Sometimes it’s just really nice to relax on the beach and have no plans. Big waves are also super cool, especially for the kiddos!
The Preserve is a truly unique experience down in the Hill Country. We had such a fantastic day learning about elephants, giving one a bath, and ultimately helping in their conservation.
Getting to walk inside Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield is a must for anyone that loves history and our 16th president. We learned so much during this tour and it sparked our love of seeing other presidential homes across the US!
20. Collect sand dollars at Enderts Beach, California
Enderts Beach
I’ve always wanted to find a sand dollar at the beach and I’ve only been successful here! The views are impressive and we loved counting all the sand dollars on our walk along the beach!
21.Take a photo in the first town in the first state in Historic Lewes, Delaware
Historic Lewes
I didn’t realize that Delaware is so full of early US history! Be sure to stop for a photo if you’re near Lewes, DE. It’s the first town in the first state in the US!
If you like adventure, then I highly suggest taking a white water rafting trip! I will admit, it’s a little scary but oh so fun. My boys loved this activity on our road trip through Colorado.
The Grand Canyon is something everyone needs to see at least once! Move away from the scenic lookout points for less crowds and views like this.
24. Explore Jesse James’s hideout in Robbers Cave, OK
Robbers Cave State Park
If you enjoy camping and hiking, take a trip to Robbers Cave. You’ll find caves, slot canyons, and a super cool hideout that outlaws like Jesse James used to hide from the law.
25.Take a tram to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri
View from inside the arch
St. Louis is a really neat town to explore. If you visit, you have to go inside the Gateway Arch. The tram ride up was a little intimidating, but super cool!
26. See the birthplace of our government in Philadelphia
Inside Independence Hall
We loved our visit to Philadelphia! If you’re there, be sure to get tickets to go inside Independence Hall. It still smells like the 1700s and the relics from that time period really take you back. I might have cried when the Park Rangers showed us some actual artifacts that were George Washington’s!
Jekyll Island is already picturesque with gorgeous beaches and moss covered trees. Driftwood Beach is a unique day trip and fun for the whole family to explore. My boys enjoyed climbing on the trees and swimming here.
28. Do all things Christmas in Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus, Indiana
Did you know that there’s a town called Santa Claus in Indiana? We visited a few years and did all the Christmas activities! We had breakfast with Santa, wrote him letters at the post office, and took all the Christmas photos around town!
Michigan is beautiful any time of the year, but I loved my trip in the fall! We explored quaint, waterfront towns and did a little hiking, too! It’s a great place for a girl’s trip.
Another city full of early American history is Boston. The 2.5 mile long Freedom Trail passes by 17 different locations that are significant in our early history.
31. Hike to Ice Lake in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Ice Lake
This is a tough hike, but the views are totally worth it! Jereme called this lake, “the Gatorade lake.” I have never seen water so blue! It’s about an 8 mile hike, and the elevation gain is comparable to hiking over two Empire State Buildings.
I have always wanted to drive through Monument Valley and finally had the chance on our way to Moab a few years ago. We stopped for a quick photo at Forest Gump Point!
This trail is one of my most favorites to date! I love exploring caves and this place is fantastic. There are around 13 caves along the trail that you are allowed to explore on your own!
34. Learn about the early days of whaling at the Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut
Seaport Museum
We enjoyed our East Coast road trip last summer. I had heard about Mystic, so we decided to stay the night there. The Seaport Museum is similar to a living history museum. We had a blast walking around and going onboard different ships.
I’ve taken the architecture tour once in Chicago and it was the highlight of the trip. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I learned a lot about the history of Chicago and the views were great!
36. Catch a game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
Happy boys at Fenway!
My boys love all things baseball. So, when we visited Boston, we knew that we had to see a game at Fenway. It was a blast and I even caught my little one a ball from a player on his birthday!
37. Stroll along the Cliff Walk trail in Newport, Rhode Island
Cliff Walk
I cannot imagine what it must be like to live in Newport. There are mansions, and breathtaking views, and a boardwalk, and amazing seafood, and shopping! The Cliff Walk was our favorite… besides eating!
The River Walk is a fun place to explore any time of year. There’s a lot of shopping and a lot of amazing restaurants. But, it’s even more amazing at Christmas because they hang millions of lights all along the trees that line the river!
39. Experience the Wild West in Virginia City, Montana
Back in the Wild West
This little town makes for a fun day trip if you’re near Yellowstone. We enjoyed our visit and exploring the area. The town is now designated as a National Historic Landmark District and the buildings along the main street are like individual museums of the time period!
40. Explore the Cliff Palace dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park
View of Cliff Palace
I felt like a little kid again climbing ladders to access the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde! It’s a truly unique experience and I highly recommend seeing this National Park. Be sure to get timed-entry tickets ahead of time if you plan to visit.
If you’re a movie fan or a baseball fan, this is a fun stop if you’re in Iowa! My boys watched the movie for the first time a few summers ago, so it made a great stop on our Midwest road trip. They had a blast playing baseball on the actual field and walking through the rows of corn stalks.
I’ve always been interested in learning about the Ice Age and other extinct animals. I recently heard about the Waco Mammoth National Monument that’s located in Texas. Here you can see 24 Colombian Mammoth fossils!
We had our very first bear encounter on a trail in the Grand Tetons a few summers ago! It was a little scary at first, but also a very cool experience. Make sure to bring bear spray! We saw several bears and cubs, deer, a fox, and moose on our trip.
Driving through the dramatic landscape of the Badlands should be on your road trip bucket list! There are many scenic overlooks, the chance to see wildlife, and even hiking trails to explore. It does get pretty hot there in the summer.
If you love waterfalls as much as I do, then be sure to find Upper Mesa Falls if you’re near Yellowstone. This waterfall is gorgeous and you can get so close to it.
One of my favorite adventures was walking among the giant sculptures of the Ruins of President’s Park. It was creepy, but we were fascinated. If you’re looking for something different, add this to your list!
Driving around the mountains in a convertible on a beautiful fall day is highly recommended! Snowbird is breathtaking, especially if you’re lucky enough to visit in the fall.
Another fun adventure was walking from Pennsylvania into New Jersey via the Ben Franklin Bridge. The views of Philly are awesome and it’s just fun to say we walked from one state to another. The walk was not long at all!
If you have kids that like dinosaurs, then you should definitely visit Dinosaur Valley State Park. There’s a large collection of dinosaur tracks in the river bed. It’s even better to visit at the end of a dry summer!
In conclusion, embarking on adventures in the USA offers a diverse array of experiences that anyone can enjoy. Whether it’s hiking in national parks or immersing oneself in the historical significance of landmarks, the USA beckons travelers with open arms. Each adventure leaves its mark, creating memories that resonate long after the journey concludes!
We road-tripped from Texas to Sedona, Arizona over Mother’s Day this past May. If you’ve never been, Sedona is awesome! This was a quick trip, but we packed a lot in and really enjoyed all the things we were able to do over the long weekend!
We started the trip from Texas and drove straight to Albuquerque, NM for the night. The drive to NM takes about 9 hours. We didn’t leave until around noon, so we didn’t stop to do much on the drive. Our main goal was to get to Sedona in time to have 2.5 full days to explore the area. So we pretty much stopped to sleep in NM and then drove about 6 hours to get to Sedona the following day. We left early in the morning and got there in the early afternoon. We all LOVED the hotel we booked in Sedona, Hotel Arabella. They had many activities on site, including two pools/hot tubs, poolside drinks & snacks, outdoor games, and plenty of spectacular views. We were upgraded upon arrival to a room with a patio leading right out to the pool. It felt like we had the place to ourselves, nobody else ever used the pool near our room! There was also a good Mexican restaurant at the hotel that offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner, both in-person dining and room service.
Below you will find a great two-day itinerary suitable for kids!
Views along the Munds Wagon Trail
Day 1: Munds Wagon Trail Hike
7:00 – Wake up, get ready for a day of hiking
7:30 – Free breakfast buffet at hotel
8:00 – Quick stop at grocery store/gas station for lunch/snacks on hike
8:30 – Arrive at trailhead
8:30-2:30 – Hike to Merry Go Round Rock via Munds Wagon Trail
2:30 – Leave trailhead
2:45 – Arrive back at hotel
3:00 – Relax in the hot tub – great for those aches and pains from hiking
4:00 – Shower, get ready for dinner
5:30 – Dinner at Javelina Catina (walking distance from hotel)
7:00 – Shopping after dinner (shops around the restaurant)
8:00 – Back at hotel/night swimming and hot tubbing
9:00 – Early bedtime for hiking the next day
Munds Wagon Trail At a Glance:
Open Season – Year-round
Length- 6.4 miles
Route Type- Out & Back
Rated- Moderate
The Munds Wagon Trail is about 8 miles out and back. AllTrails had the hike at 6.4 miles, but I clocked us at 8.1 miles. I would rate this trail as moderate if you’re hiking with kids. We needed to stop for food quite a bit. Luckily the majority of the hike is uphill on the way to Merry Go Round Rock, which makes the hike to the car mostly downhill. The views are stunning and the trail was very well marked.
Views along the Baldwin Trail to Cathedral Rock
Day 2: Cathedral Rock via Baldwin Trail
7:00 – Wake up, get ready for a day of hiking
7:30 – Free breakfast buffet at hotel
8:00 – Quick stop at grocery store/gas station for snacks on hike
8:30 – Arrive at trailhead
8:30-12:30 – Hike to Cathedral Rock
12:30-1:30 – Swimming in the river along the trail
4:00 – Explore downtown Sedona (lots of cool shops)
6:00 – Arrive back at hotel
6:00-8:00 – Night swimming/hot tubbing
8:00 – Order room service from Mole (on site restaurant)
10:00 – Bedtime for drive back home the next day
Baldwin Trail to Cathedral Rock at a Glance:
Open Season- Year-round
Length- 3.7 miles
Route Type- Out & Back
Rated- Hard (the trail isn’t hard, but the climb up Cathedral Rock is!)
Cathedral Rock is a popular area for hikers. It’s more like a rock climb, the hike is the trail that leads to the impressive rock formation! We chose not to go all the way up, we made it pretty far. But with kids I was a little nervous and wanted us to be safe.
One of the main reasons we decided to visit Sedona was because of the amazing landscape and hiking options. I had several hikes that I wanted to do, all those famous hikes like Cathedral Rock, Devil’s Bridge, etc. On Thursdays-Sundays, shuttles run to those more popular trailheads and you cannot simply just drive there on your own. I had read some mixed reviews on the shuttles, like how hard it was to find where they pick you up. So I decided to find a less popular option for our first day hike, which was on a Sunday. This plan worked out perfectly and we had an amazing hike! Then, I thought that we wouldn’t have any issues on the more popular hikes on Monday, but boy was I wrong! What nobody told me about Sedona is that there are tons of hikers and many of the popular trailheads have parking spaces for about 10 cars or less! We had a very difficult time on Monday morning finding any trails with parking spaces available. And frustratingly enough, the shuttles don’t run on Monday-Wednesday, at least not in May. So take my advice now, get up early! On Monday we were at the first trail by 8:30 and had no luck with parking and we had to drive around to five other trailheads before finally finding a place to hike! Even though we enjoyed our visit and there’s not a lot that compares to the views that Sedona offers, I was not expecting the crowds in town or in regards to hiking/parking. But don’t let that deter you from visiting! If you can’t find parking at Cathedral Rock, head to the Baldwin Trailhead. There’s a lot more parking available and the hike was one of my favorites! My boys loved the river, too!
Overall, Sedona is a beautiful destination and we enjoyed our visit. I wish that we would’ve had more time to explore the area, so I recommend going longer than for just the weekend, unless you live closer!
I have several videos (reels) on my Instagram of both hikes and our hotel if you want a better idea of exactly what the trails are like or if you want to see a peak of our room at https://www.instagram.com/road_trip_queen/
And as always, thank you for following along on our adventures!
Seeing the Grand Canyon in person has been a dream of mine for a long time. I am happy to report that we finally made that dream come true over this past Thanksgiving holiday! And it was an ideal time to visit the park, the weather was perfect and the crowds were smaller than I have heard they can be in the summer months.
We booked this trip very last minute, so we didn’t get to stay inside the park, but we had the most amazing trip with our boys. If you follow along on our adventures, you know that I like to take advantage of our school breaks. And Jake had asked to go to the Grand Canyon for his birthday… in the summer. Being how it’s super-hot at the Grand Canyon during that time, I decided to push this one off until the weather got cooler. I was wracking my brain for somewhere to go over Thanksgiving break and decided that this might be the perfect time to see the Grand Canyon. We also had Spirit Airline credits that needed to be booked before the end of the year, so the trip planning began!
Being home for Thanksgiving was really important to us, so we decided that we would travel from Sunday – Thursday morning and fly home in time for lunch and dinner with our families. Thankfully we had zero issues with our flights and our traveling days went so smoothly… well everything except for the turbulence on the way home! Eek, that’s a story for another time haha!
Our Itinerary
Sunday – Flight to Las Vegas, Nevada
Drive to Horseshoe Bend in Page, AZ
Drive to hotel in Tusayan, AZ
Monday – Grand Canyon National Park
Tuesday – Grand Canyon National Park
Wednesday – Drive back to Las Vegas, NV
Stop by Hoover Dam
Thursday – Flight home to Dallas, TX
A big goal of mine is to get my boys to all 50 states, so since we had already been to Arizona, I thought it would be cool to start this adventure in Las Vegas and mark Nevada off the list. Plus, flights into Vegas were way cheaper than flying to Phoenix or Flagstaff. We had early morning flights and made it to Vegas by 8:00 am. We were on the road in our rental car by 9:00 am! We decided to drive down the strip and show the boys where we would be staying on our last night of the trip and then we headed to Arizona.
We never claimed to be good parents ha!
Even though this stop put us about 2 hours out of the way, I knew we needed to go by Horseshoe Bend since we were so close. And that’s exactly what we did! We made it right before sunset and it did not disappoint. This site is about 4 hours from Vegas, and then we had to drive another 2 hours to our hotel in Tusayan. The boys loved exploring Horseshoe Bend and being out of the car. They always enjoy climbing rocks and there were plenty for them to crawl and climb on. But they got so cranky on the drive from Page to our hotel. I mean, we were up at 3:00 am for our flights, so I understood. Because of this, we actually decided to sleep in the next day before getting up for the Grand Canyon.
Horseshoe Bend at sunset!
We really enjoyed our stay in Tusayan. We actually drove through after dark and the town was completely decked out in holiday lights and Christmas décor! We stayed at The Red Feather Lodge and really enjoyed it. Like I said earlier, we booked this trip in October, so I didn’t get to book lodging inside the park. However, the location of The Red Feather Lodge was wonderful and it only took about 5 minutes to drive to the South Rim entrance.
Grand Canyon Day 1
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when visiting The Grand Canyon. I didn’t think we’d see forests and animals, but man did we! Tall trees and lots of elk made the drive to the lookout points really exciting. We decided to start our first day at Mather’s Point. There was lots of space to park the car and a really nice visitor center area with food and coffee options, bike rentals, and Ranger talks. This visitors center was closed when we were there, but we probably wouldn’t have visited anyway. We were way too excited to see the Grand Canyon! The trails are paved and marked very well. The first sight of the canyon is truly awe-inspiring. I always knew it was grand, but it’s almost hard to take it all in, it’s that grand! The lookout points are very crowded, so we decided to venture along the rim trail and explore more on our own away from all the other visitors.
Lookout from Mather’s Point
I really wanted to get down into the canyon, so we decided from Mather’s Point we would take the rim walk to the Kaibab Trail and hike down into the canyon to Ooh-Aah Point. If I am being honest, I would have really liked to hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon and camp and then hike back up. But that just wasn’t an option with our boys. I also looked into mule rides to the bottom, but you have to be 9 and older and Jake is only 7. So, we did the hike and trail that we thought the boys would be able to handle the best. We ended up hiking 8 total miles. The switchbacks on the start of the trail were really cool, until the hike back up! Just remember that however far you hike down, you must hike back up. And while we didn’t go that many miles down, it was very hard for me to get back up and I am in pretty decent shape. I am thankful that the weather was cooler, I cannot imagine doing that hike in the summer temps. The views were stunning and the photos will never do it justice!
There are several dining options in Tusayan, but we opted for dinner at the Mexican restaurant at our hotel. It’s called Plaza Bonita Restaurant and it was so, so delicious! Plus, we got a discount for staying at the Red Feather Lodge! We also enjoyed lunch at Foodie Club while we were there! There were several options for all of us and it was a great stop before we hiked the canyon on day two.
Grand Canyon Day 2
Our original plan for the 2nd day in Arizona was to drive about 45 minutes and visit Bearizona. But, the weather had other plans for us and there was a 90% chance of rain there for the majority of the day. So, we decided to head back to the Grand Canyon to visit the Yavapai Geology Museum and do more exploring. This day was colder and cloudier than the day before, so it was nice to have a place to warm up indoors. The views were a little different here, especially with the clouds! We walked around for a bit and then decided to just drive around the park. It was exciting to see so many elk roaming around. We pulled over into a parking lot and explored the forest area. The boys played “pine cone dodge ball” and some hide and seek. Then, we decided to go back into town and have dinner. We LOVED the restaurant, We Cook Pizza and Pasta. The boys were able to get pizza and I really enjoyed the pasta.
Las Vegas
On Wednesday morning we checked out of the hotel and started the four hour drive to Las Vegas. We made a quick stop to see the Hoover Dam on the drive. The drive was really easy and felt like it went by pretty quick. The dam is really a lot cooler than I thought it would be. We didn’t do the tour inside because this is a bucket list trip for my Dad and I wanted to wait to take it with him! But it was fun to drive over the dam and we also walked along the bridge that overlooks that area. And I got a picture with my boys in their 32 state right there on the walk up to the bridge!
Our 32nd state!
Finally, we made it to Vegas. We stayed at the Bellagio and we were all impressed with the hotel! The Christmas décor was spot on. The only downside was how crowded it was. We got our best Christmas photo at 5:30 in the morning on the way to the airport. The boys just wanted to walk around the strip and check out the different hotels and sights outside. I tried to book tickets to a magic show while we were there, but there wasn’t anything available. We did about 6 miles of walking through different hotels and then decided to head back to our room and order room service for dinner. The boys thought we were so fancy! We only spent one night here and I think the boys actually liked it better than the Grand Canyon. I can’t wait to take them back in the summer so we can enjoy the hotel pools.
Overall, we really had a good time adding a new state to our list and visiting another National Park this year. I know there is so much that we didn’t see or do while we were there. Maybe one day we can visit again when the boys are a little older. I would love to hear any tips or recommendations that you have if you’ve been there. If you’re reading this to help plan your next trip, feel free to reach out with any questions! Don’t forget to follow our fun on my IG at road.trip.queen.
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Road Trip Queen 