Best of 2021: A Road Trip Through the Southwest
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Mary Cate: Although no one could say that everything returned completely to “normal” this year, I’m feeling grateful that 2021 was a year where many of us were able to take some steps (big or small) out into the world again. Domestic travel was more popular than ever this year, and the soul of the iconic ‘great American road trip’ was revived with new passion. This road trip from Texas to California is based off my personal experience exploring the beautiful American southwest. There’s so much to see and it would definitely be more ideal to have a week or more to spend on this route. But if you’re like me and have limited time, this is how I squeezed the must-sees into a five-day trip.
As the colder autumn and winter months approach, you may be daydreaming of cozy mountain cabins, ski slopes, and leaf peeping. But did you know that this time of the year is also one of the best chances to take a road trip through the desert?
Many places throughout the Southwest enjoy beautiful fall foliage and pleasant, cool weather starting as early as September. At this time last year, I drove from Dallas to Los Angeles in five days and saw so many beautiful destinations.
Read on for my Texas-to-California road trip itinerary, including top tips and drive times!
Day 1: Dallas, Texas to White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Drive time: 9 hrs. 20 mins.
Buckle in because the stretch through West Texas is the most brutal on any Southwest road trip. We started early so that we could arrive in New Mexico before it got dark.
Top tip: Find a good podcast on the alleged alien sightings in Roswell, New Mexico, to listen to during the long drive day then stop in the town for a snack. Roswell embraces its extraterrestrial reputation with a UFO-shaped McDonald’s and alien street lamps lining the main roads.
We checked into our Airbnb in Alamogordo, New Mexico and got to the nearby White Sands National Park in time for sunset. The sugar-white sand dunes stretch on for as far as the eye can see, making you feel like you’re on another planet. Truly magical. Bring a plastic sled to slide down the dunes!
Day 2: White Sands National Park, New Mexico to Flagstaff, Arizona
Drive time: 7 hrs. 50 mins.
After another visit to White Sands in the morning, we started the next long leg of our journey to Flagstaff, Arizona. Stop in Pie Town, which is exactly what it sounds like – a tiny town in the middle of nowhere devoted to pie. Pie Town usually hosts an annual pie festival every September, but the last two years have been canceled because of COVID-19.
If you can time it right, the next stop is the Petrified Forest National Park. Make sure you get there before the park closes and you’ll experience a geological wonderland of colorful petrified wood and ancient fossils in this lesser-known national park.
Spend the night in Flagstaff, Arizona, a hip town with lots of great dining spots to choose from for dinner.
Day 3: Flagstaff, Arizona to Scottsdale, Arizona
Drive time: 2 hrs. 20 mins.
After grabbing breakfast and a latte from one of the local coffee shops, head out to Sedona, Arizona. The cathedral-like mountains of red rock surrounding Sedona have long been a sacred area to Native Americans.
And if you Google “Sedona vortex” you’ll get plenty of information on how the area is a supposed “swirling center of energy” that many find to be “conducive to healing, meditating, and self-exploration.” On the way there, my road trip buddy and I had a bit of fun reading these explanations and cracking jokes about realigning our chakras.
Although we didn’t feel any mystical tingling as promised by one website, there was no denying that Sedona is a place of peace. Somewhere that time seems to hold its breath. We hiked Cathedral Rock Trail for a good view of the stunning scenery and then made the rest of the scenic drive to Scottsdale.
Day 4: Scottsdale, Arizona to Joshua Tree National Park, California
Drive time: 4 hrs. 37 mins.
Scottsdale is a glitzy suburb of Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert at the foot of the McDowell Mountains. Think wellness resorts, high-end shopping strips, and those iconic saguaro cacti everywhere.
Spend the first half of the day shopping or eating avocado toast at an organic cafe before heading to Joshua Tree National Park.
Day 5: Joshua Tree National Park, California to Los Angeles
Drive time: 2 hrs.
Joshua Tree National Park is home to a beautiful desert landscape of moon-like rock formations and funky, shrubby trees for which the park is named. Drive through the park, stop at the Cholla Cactus Garden and choose one of the park’s many hikes to further explore.
In the afternoon, it’s time for the last stretch of your journey into Los Angeles.
Have a road trip you want to share? Comment below!
