Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!
Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so. I know that I am!
I grew up in southern California. My Dad had a free pass for our family to travel on the Santa Fe Railway's passenger trains. Part of Dad's family lived in central Illinois so we regularly headed across the California desert, northern Arizona and New Mexico, southern Colorado, and then across Kansas and Missouri. From those trips I got to see a side of the West that's mostly vanished now.
My wife and children are Easterners and I've lived in Boston for over 40 years. I occasionally am able to persuade one or more members of the family to trek West with me, and we've had some marvelous adventures.
Your idea of a perfect trip to the West and mine are probably quite different.
If you are not from the West, let me start with a guess that when you think of various Western states, here are the locales that come to mind:
California -- Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, studio tours in Los Angeles, Yosemite, San Francisco and Lake Tahoe
Oregon -- Portland's rose gardens
Washington -- Puget Sound and Seattle
Idaho -- Sun Valley
Montana and Wyoming -- Yellowstone
Nevada -- Las Vegas and Reno
Arizona -- Grand Canyon
New Mexico -- Carlsbad Caverns
Utah -- the Great Salt Lake
Texas -- the Alamo
Colorado -- Various ski resorts in the Rockies, Pike's Peak
You'll notice that this list includes amusement parks, natural wonders, big cities and historical sites. The West offers all that and more.
Obviously, any trip West cannot hope to capture everything that you would enjoy doing. One reason is because there is so much to do. Another reason is because the distances are vast, and driving is often the best way to connect from one site to the next.
So how do you choose what to do?
I suggest that take one of two routes: Either focus on a geography (no more than a 200 miles radius) or a theme that appeals to you.
Let me suggest a few examples of both approaches that you may not have considered before.
Trip 1 -- Arizona and New Mexico's Natural Wonders
For this trip, you should probably fly into either Phoenix or El Paso, Texas and fly out of the other city. Let me start you in Phoenix. From there, I suggest that you drive north towards the Grand Canyon through Sedona, one of the prettiest geological sites in the West. Stay overnight in Sedona, and do some hiking there.
Move on to the Grand Canyon the next night. If you are in any kind of shape at all (or are willing to get into shape), I strongly recommend that you plan to hike at least part way down into the canyon. Take one of the trails from the South Rim that has plenty of water on it. Take a full 2 liter water bottle and refill it every 1,000 feet of elevation you hike. You can also hire a ranger to give you a tour of the local sights which will add a lot of value to your visit. Make reservations months ahead so you can stay at the South Rim where the trails start. If you want to stay overnight at the bottom of the canyon, you also need to make reservations well ahead for the camp grounds. The hike is a lot easier if you spread it out over 2 or 3 days, and you can do more exploring down in the canyon. Be sure to go in the spring or fall when the temperatures are not so hot. While it's always pleasant at the top, summer temperatures at the bottom can be brutal.
Next, drive across Arizona to the Four Corners area (where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado meet) to visit Monument Valley, which has most of the spectacular desert scenery you've come to associate with the West. If you have lots of time, also visit the meteorite crater along the way.
From Monument Valley, head southeast towards Carlsbad and its famous caverns. Recently, new caverns have been opened up and you can enjoy an experience more like what the early cave explorers did. But you have to book your reservation well ahead of time. Along the way, you may find it amusing to stop in Roswell, New Mexico and enjoy the various references to UFOs. Carlsbad is also well worth two days. You'll want to see the bats exit at sundown . . . one of the most amazing sights you'll ever see.
From there, it's a pretty brief trip to El Paso and your airplane home.
Possible variation: You will have passed near many famous archeological sites that will fascinate anyone who wants to know more about Native American history. The Anasazi settled in this area for hundreds of years and built quite a civilization. Here's a link to find out more about the various places you can visit: http://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/sites.htm/ I particularly recommend Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde and Canyon de Chelly. You will enjoy visiting these locations more if you make hotel reservations ahead. In peak season, rooms can be hard to find near where you want to be.
Trip 2 -- Ghost Towns in Gold and Silver Country
For this trip, you can start in either Sacramento, California or Reno, Nevada. When the mining boom hit the West beginning in 1849, towns sprang up quickly throughout the mountains. Because it's a mostly arid climate, major remnants of those towns still exist. Increasingly preservation efforts have either restored these towns to their original condition or turned them into expensive places to buy souvenirs. I prefer the former. Bed and breakfast places abound, and I recommend staying at them while you are in the area. A fun way to organize your drive is to go in the sequence that minerals were discovered. That will have you beginning at the site of Sutter's Fort and moving east into Nevada's silver strike areas, including Virginia City. For information on California ghost towns and tours, see http://www.4x4now.com/sf0997.htm. Be sure to include Bodie as part of your trip. For information on Nevada ghost towns go to http://www.travelnevada.com/nevada_mining_town.asp/.
Possible variation: You will pass near Lake Tahoe on this trip unless you deliberately choose to avoid it. That would be a terrible mistake. Plan to enjoy its beautiful shores for 2 or 3 days. While you are there, consider visiting Ponderosa Ranch where the television show Bonanza was shot many years ago.
Trip 3 -- Hug the Pacific Coast
Unlike the Atlantic Coast of the United States, the Pacific Coast has spectacular scenery that extends from San Diego to Seattle. One of the high points of my life was driving that stretch as a 16 year-old with my Mom and sister as we visited the Seattle World's Fair in 1962. If you don't have time to take in the whole coast, you would probably be pleased by starting at Santa Barbara and going north to Monterey. Follow Route 1 and you won't go far wrong. Rooms can be hard to find in some sections, so I suggest making reservations ahead. Take you time as you mosey up the coast. You'll find fascinating little villages and towns that will reward your taking time to stop (like Solvang, a Danish delight). Be sure to plan a night in romantic Carmel. Also, the ocean views are spectacular and you should stop to enjoy them often. Also, hike out among the redwood trees in Big Sur. If you travel during the winter months, the road often washes out from rainstorms. Spring is a better time to go for that reason.
Possible variation: Hearst Castle is along this route. You need to make tour reservations ahead. But if you have any interest in estates or mansions, you must see Hearst Castle. For more information, see http://www.hearstcastle.com/.
Another possible variation: If you are a golfer, you will be passing nearby the famous golf courses at the Pebble Beach resorts. Stop by and look at the courses. Or if you can afford very expensive rounds of golf, play a round or two at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay. Here is more information: http://www.pebblebeach.com/.
Yet another possible variation: Relive life in Steinbeck country. Many of John Steinbeck's novels were based near the northern end of your trip. You can easily visit Cannery Row in Monterey. This site will give you ideas of where to visit: http://www2.sjsu.edu/depts/steinbec/steincon.html
Still another possible variation: If you are a Kinsey Milhone addict as I am, you can also visit the sites in Sue Grafton's wonderful books.
I can see that I'll have to return to this subject another time. I've just begun to scratch the surface and I've already spent my budget for writing time today.
Let me know what areas you want to know more about and I will write about them in my next blog entry about visiting the West.
Tomorrow, we'll explore how you can enjoy foreign travel without spending much money.
Thursday, I'll look at providing child care for your family that's both great quality and affordable.
Friday, I will discuss ways you can use books from the library to improve the quality of your life.
Saturday, we'll take a walk together to look into the easiest, cheapest ways to enjoy healthy exercise.
Sunday, I'll look at the spiritual benefits of weight control.
Monday, we'll look into how teaching can make you smarter than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day.
Next Tuesday, let's consider ways to prepare for spending less on costly heating this winter now that oil prices are going through the roof.
Next Wednesday, I'll look more closely at how to prepare for the college football season.
Next Thursday, this blog will explore new ways of promoting your ideas for less than five dollars extra a day.
Please let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.
If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the updated table of contents entry that was posted on August 17. It will help you find earlier entries that may be of interest. I'll update this table of contents every week or so for your convenience.
August 17 was the most frequently read blog entry to date. Be sure to check it out!
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May God bless you.
Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge
Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell
