From L.A. to Santa Fe and back. By Car

June 20, 2007 2:10 PM

From L.A. to Santa Fe and back. By Car, necessarily. Next month. I'm planning a 1.5 day drive, a 3 day stay in Santa Fe (already taken care of, thanks), a 1.5 day drive back to L.A. Where should I sleep en route? I'm thinking Flagstaff, right? Sightseeing in or around Flagstaff? (touristy stuff is OK unless it's something horribily overcrowded or plainly for kids). Is the drive too long/boring? Any better ideas to make the trip more fun? Suggestions? Thanks.
posted by PenguinBukkake to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

I would definitely stop at Walnut Canyon. It's a few miles east of Flagstaff just off I-40, so it wouldn't be too far out of your way. It's breathtaking, the hike is relatively easy, and it's not too touristy. Meteor Crater and Sunset Crater are also just east of Flagstaff, but they've both been crowded when I've visited.

As for a place to stay, I would recommend La Posada in Winslow, about an hour further east. Winslow itself is a bit of a ghost town, but the hotel is lovely and has more character and history than anything in Flagstaff, as far as I know.
posted by arianell at 2:29 PM on June 20, 2007

http://www.byways.org/

http://www.bywaysonline.org/
posted by krautland at 2:37 PM on June 20, 2007

Second the meteor crater. You walk over to the rim and look down into this humungous hole and realize, OMG, a meteor came down from space and slammed into the Earth right HERE and made this crater! I doubt you will see a bigger or better meteor crater the rest of your life. Plus, easy access from the Interstate, and a welcome break from driving across the desert.
posted by exphysicist345 at 3:45 PM on June 20, 2007

Wupatki Natl Monument - there's a loop road to Sunset Crater
posted by A189Nut at 4:43 PM on June 20, 2007

Flagstaff is small, peaceful, and touristy in a "purposely quaint" kind of way. It's very focused on tourists who are visiting the Grand Canyon, which I think is the most kid-impressing thing in its vicinity. (If you're not avoiding the Canyon for some reason, it's the obvious cool thing near Flagstaff.)
posted by allterrainbrain at 5:48 PM on June 20, 2007

I stayed at this hostel in Flagstaff for $15. Nice place. I was in a room with two bunk beds, so there were two other women (and one empty bed). Not bad at all for a hostel.
posted by salvia at 11:00 PM on June 20, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

We had some great Thai food in Kingman of all places. Now we plan our drive around it.
posted by pointilist at 6:47 PM on June 21, 2007