I Road-tripped Over 4,000 Miles and These Are My Favorite Stops

It’s not often these days that we get to slow down and just live for the moment. My husband and I don’t often take long, planned out vacations for so many reasons, but mainly it has to do with work and money. Our goal for the first part of 2018 was to change that! After much debate and indecisiveness, we decided to drive to Phoenix, Arizona all the way from where we reside in Ormond Beach, Florida.

Maybe I am crazy, but my love for long road trips runs deep! I love the adventure, the new sights, the way it really slows down your travel experience, and most of all the snacks! Once the decision was made, we mapped our route. We decided on a big loop that took us from Memphis all the way to Phoenix where turned around and headed to San Antonio and Baton Rouge. This trip was an incredible 14-day adventure and here I have compiled my favorite stops!

Sun Studio - Memphis, TN

One of the very first stops on our trip and it was like going back in time! Located in between downtown and the “medical district” of Memphis, this little building is packed full of music history and memorabilia. Sun Studio is the “birthplace of rock-n-roll” having seen major artists like BB King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and the king himself, Elvis Presley. They offer private tours daily where a guide will walk you through the studio, teach about its history, and play some awesome music for you. All of the guides were engaging, knowledgeable, and seemed incredibly passionate about music. Honestly, at points, it was quite chilling to be standing where musical greats began.

Sandia Peak Tramway - Albuquerque, NM

New Mexico landscape is incredibly stunning. Our first stop while in New Mexico was Albuquerque. I am sure most have heard of it since it was the setting of that really popular tv show Breaking Bad, but if you haven’t heard of it you should most definitely check it out. Not only do they have delicious foods (green chile forever!) they also have one of the most picturesque backdrops I have ever seen, the Sandia Mountains. To get to the top of the mountain we rode the tramway, where you ascend 4,000 feet in about 15 minutes and from the top, you can see 11,000 square miles on the clearest of days! It is incredible! We were lucky enough to go in February where it was around 50 degrees at the bottom of the mountain and around 20 degrees at the top with a few feet of snow. This part of the trip will always be one of my fondest memories because there are just no words to describe the beauty!

The Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest - Arizona

I am a sucker for national parks and this one is by far my favorite! The drive through the park is 28 miles long and there are plenty of stopping points along the way to get out of the car and explore a little. After paying to enter the park, we drove up a hill and that is when our jaws dropped. My husband and I looked at each other and we were just in complete shock. The vibrant colors, the bluest sky we have ever seen and just the vastness took the words right from us. There are so many great stops and the landscape changes so much you do not get bored, even for a second because there is just so much to see. Along with the views comes the chance to see some petrified logs and ya’ll let me tell you, you will never see anything like it. Mother nature is the coolest and gives us the best gifts. If you are road tripping or in the area, definitely pack a lunch, some snacks and drive on through. I can promise you will not be disappointed.

White Sands National Park - New Mexico

I grew up in Las Cruces, which is about an hour away from White Sands and my grandfather worked on the missile range there, so this wasn’t my first time visiting, but it was my husband's. The contrast of the white sand and the blue sky is just amazing. Driving through this park is great, but the best thing to do here is to go dune sledding! On your way into the park, stop at the gift shop and buy a sled and don’t forget to buy the wax too (yes, it makes a difference). Once you do that, all you have to do is pick a spot to park, find a dune and prepare to feel like a kid again. Yes, you will get sandy but you will forget all about it when you are cruising down and laughing so hard your belly hurts. Also, you have an excuse to take a break because the views are just WOW!

Carlsbad Caverns - New Mexico

This was another stop that I had been to before, but it doesn’t make any less magical. Visiting the caverns makes you feel like you are on a different planet and it's quite possible you might also feel like you are in one of those horror films with things lurking in the dark. Trust me though, you are safe! You have the option of hiking down from the opening of the cave or utilizing the elevator (which takes you back no matter which way you choose to enter). If you are physically able, I would definitely say to opt for the hike. It is pretty tough, but it’s also a great experience. There are plenty of stops and lights so you don’t have to worry about tripping, but even with lights, you are going to want to wear some good shoes, bring a jacket and prepare for the moisture. Don’t be alarmed if you just feel generally damp by the end of your walk through and enjoy another art installation by mother nature!

Road trips can be a great way to travel and see a ton of different stuff along the way. These stops are so much fun and really helped me to appreciate the world around me. If you are going to be near any of these stops or need an idea of places to visit, please consider stopping by one or all of them. I promise you won’t be disappointed and you will cherish the memories you create at all of them.

Enjoy the adventure, always!