Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with southwest

The Friday Night Lights experience?

ganseki — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:22:59 -0800

I'm a foreigner who wants to go to a US high school football game in the South West, but needs some advice I'm going to be in the South West in the next few weeks and I'd like to go to a high school football game for the whole Hollywood cliche experience (cheerleaders, marching band, big crowds). Does anything like this actually exist? If so, can anyone recommend a good team to go and watch?

I'll be in Flagstaff, AZ on Friday 25 September and Santa Fe, NM on Friday 2 October.

RoadTripFilter: In search of wide open spaces

The Shiny Thing — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:50:36 -0800

Another "where to go in America" question (who needs a travel agent when you've got Mefi?). This time, it's a road trip - I want to get away from the cramped little island I'm living on, and the Southwest seems like the place to go. Where should I go and what should I see? The general plan is for a 10-day drive across the Southwest and west into California, avoiding the interstates for the smaller roads, staying in quiet little towns with quiet little BnBs, and stopping every five minutes to gape at the scenery and get my Ansel Adams on - and then finish up with the drive up CA-1 to San Francisco.

My original plan was to start in Dallas and head west toward El Paso - but apparently that's six hundred miles of not very much? Would it be better to start in Phoenix or Vegas or somewhere similar?

After that, the plan was to head north through New Mexico, make a left toin at Albuquoique, head through Flagstaff (and see Meteor Crater), through the Grand Canyon and Vegas and Mojave, then hit the coast somewhere around Santa Barbara (carefully avoiding LA traffic) and take the coast road north to San Francisco.

So, the questions:
1) Is the drive west from Dallas worth it, or should I start from Phoenix and head east then north? It adds up to about 2,000 miles either way, which sounds do-able in 10 days.
2) What's on the NM-AZ-NV-CA section of the route that I absolutely shouldn't miss? Mind-meltingly expansive scenery is the main thing I'm after - wide open spaces and big blue sky and long open roads, all that sort of thing.
3) I'm thinking of early-mid October for this little escapade - what's the driving like around that time of year? Is there any danger of snow and ice and such?

Thanks in advance,

Chicago to New York for cheap with a week of notice?

jordanlewis — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:26:00 -0800

Please help me find the cheapest way to get from Chicago to New York late next week! I need to travel from Chicago to New York on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of next week to celebrate my father's birthday. I don't have a car. Is there a cheaper way of doing this than taking the major train/bus/plane carriers? The prices I've found are:

JetBlue: $199
Southwest: $199
Amtrak: $~130 (and super slow, according to this question)
Greyhound: $77

What I'm wondering is whether there is a sneakier way of traveling, perhaps using multiple cheaper carriers. For example, a MegaBus to Cleveland is only $35, and perhaps there is a cheap way of getting from Cleveland to New York that I am unaware of. Do you know of any routes like this?

All suggestions are welcome.

What to do in the Southwest that doesn't involve looking at rocks?

abcde — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:21:53 -0800

Somehow, a friend has roped me into an eight-day, old-school Southwestern road trip, from Kansas to Arizona and back, on July 22-30. What's good to see on this route? The pins mark overnight stays. We're already seeing the following:

Painted Desert and Meteor Crater, AZ
Arcosanti (the future, as envisioned by the 1970's)
Sedona, AZ (to "explore the red rock formations and new age nutjob culture")
Grand Canyon
Navajo National Monument
(drive through) Monument Valley
Goosenecks State Park
Arches National Park
Cisco, UT
Pikes Peak
Garden of the Gods Park

Can you tell he's a geography major? Anyway, I'm a hardline college-town Northeasterner, and my idea of a tourist attraction is more like the Rose Center or Toscanini's. Does the hive mind have any thoughts on how to balance this trip out a bit with some cool additional destinations? I might even be able to convince him to jettison something if you guys come up with something really juicy. Good places to eat are especially welcome, because we won't be packing much food of our own. I'm also especially eager to find some decent out-in-the-boonies attractions to break up the insanely long drives between the bigger destinations. Thanks in advance.

Great views in the southern US?

EnormousTalkingOnion — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:11:50 -0800

What are the best views you've experienced in the American South or Southwest? Specifically Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.

6 Days to Drive from Denver to Las Vegas?

14580 — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:23:28 -0800

We live in the East and have never visited the mountain states or the southwest. Our plan is to fly to Denver in mid-September and then drive to Las Vegas via southern Utah, where we hope to see some of the major sights like Bryce Canyon, Zion NP and Monument Valley. We're going to have six or seven days for that part of our trip, plus another four days to spend in Las Vegas and the surrounding area before we fly home.

Does this sound like a reasonable plan? And, given the amount of time we have, what are the most important things that we should see and do?

We're middle-aged, we usually like to avoid crowds and tourist traps, and we're probably not going to want to hike for more than three or four hours at a time.

Southwest roadtrip with kids

I_drew_an_angelfish — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:20:32 -0800

Family friendly places to stay from Phoenix to El Paso? In the next few weeks I will be flying into Phoenix, AZ with my two kids under 3. We will be renting a car and driving to meet up with family somewhere around El Paso, TX. We'll be spending the night somewhere around Tucson or within an hour or two east of there. Do you know of any interesting places to stop with the kids along the way? Restaurants, rest stops, parks, etc? As I am a woman traveling alone with two little ones I would like some safe suggestions. Also I am looking for a hotel/motel suggestion in an interesting/safe town.
I have never been to this part of the country and I can hardly wait to get roadtrippin.

Am I safe to solo camp without a tent?

crazy finger — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:02:26 -0800

Solo tent-less camping - safety tips? I'll be doing field surveys in the southwest US: deserts, forests, mountains, usually near water sources. I intend to try going tent-less to save time, weight, etc... but since I'll be all alone and in the middle of nowhere, I'm a little concerned about the possibility of animals wandering into camp.

The reason this comes up, two stories:

1. A friend woke up with a rattlesnake in her bag once (tentless).

2. Another friend, camping in the same region, has often found Mountain Lion tracks near camp in the morning.

So that's all I've got. Two anecdotes that don't sound too frightening, but my bigger concern would be something along the lines of a Mountain Lion coming and snuffing me out in my sleep. Bears aren't a huge concern and I'm not really worried about them anyway, but I suppose if they were hungry and I was asleep... Thoughts?

What's a good destination in the U.S. Southwest for a weekend get-together?

Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:33:55 -0800

What are some good destinations in the Southwest (U.S.) for a weekend get-together for four guys? We are coming from No. California, So. California, and Southwestern Arizona and would like someplace central and easily reached by car. (Vegas is the easternmost limit.) Vegas is the obvious choice, but we are open for more exciting and different suggestions. There are some caveats inside. At least one of us is out of shape, so anything that requires strenuous activity (climbing, long hikes) is not recommended. A cabin somewhere might work, if it doesn't require a long trek, but the date is in February and we don't want to freeze. We do not have camping gear, and do not want to purchase any. We would also like "neutral" ground, so L.A., the Bay Area, and San Diego are out (Southern Arizona is okay, though). Are there places on the coast that would be fun? Skiing is an option, but where? (None of us is familiar with this region.) Thanks in advance for all your ideas!

Where should I go in the US Southwest?

nonmerci — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:46:26 -0800

I'm planning a road trip this spring break originating in Portland, Oregon and ending up somewhere within 900 miles one-way; I am particularly drawn to the Southwest, and Utah/Arizona. Can you help me think of interesting or less obvious ideas? I've thought of Great Basin, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon (been there before but it's been a long time), Glen Canyon...I'm interested in less-obvious ideas, or anyone with a strong familiarity with the more remote parts of Utah, Arizona and Nevada. Colorado and Wyoming are also possibilities, so long as they are within 900 miles one-way.

Additionally, camping possibilities are a plus, though I don't think we are looking to really *rough it*.

Thanks!

Weeklong trip to SW America: advice?

cgs — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:22:59 -0800

Travel Filter: 7 day trip to SW America during holidays. Suggestions? I apologize for being so lazy, but you all rocked it last winter for my trip to Mexico, so I've come back for more:
- I have a week off (12/28 - 1/4) and want to go to the Southwest (traveling from NYC).
- I've been to Vegas and the Hoover dam, but that's it.
- I'm down for camping, hiking, white water rafting, mountain biking... all that.
- I'd love to see the Grand Canyon or Painted Canyon, Arches, whatever you think is worth it. It is all new to me.
- Ideally someplace warm.
- I will be traveling alone, and am down for solo stuff (as long as I can find my way back) or group package deals.
- Budget $1000 - 1500
- I can rent a car.

Thanks for your help!
-cgs

Pay Grades at SWA

polexxia — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:36:02 -0800

Does anyone know what a pay grade 136 at Southwest Airlines pays? I hate applying for jobs hen I don't even know if the position pays enough to make it worth accepting the job, and the information doesn't seem to be anywhere on their site.

You can't get that from here.

Lou Stuells — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:08:17 -0800

What goodies do we need from Phoenix, AZ? Husband is going there for a few days in July, and we're trying to think of what treats he ought to bring back to New England - stuff we can't find here at home. Cactus Cooler soda and prickly pear jelly/candy are all I can think of. See's Candies would be wonderful, but would not travel well. Any other regional favorites? Thanks in advance!

Sights and activities for a two week trip to New Mexico for a budget traveller bumming a free ride.

ageispolis — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:50:41 -0800

Last minute trip down to New Mexico came out of no where but I'm leaving tomorrow with a backpack and wanted to know what one could do for a couple weeks. I don't even have enough time to grab a guidebook and my only plans so far are to read The Border Trilogy. The ride is stopping overnight somewhere Utah then finally in Taos. I've got little money to spend regardless, what should I see and do here? I'm looking for a relaxed, unique, authentic Southwest American experience.

Music recommendations for a desert road trip?

Roman Graves — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:34:22 -0800

Music for the Great American Southwest? In a couple of months I'll be taking my first road trip through the Southwest (West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona). Help me set the mood. What's some of your favorite music for long desert days and nights on the road? Individual song and album recommendations appreciated.

Guide us on our great South Western road trip

ZackTM — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:18:17 -0800

Road trip from Raleigh, NC to San Deigo California. Long schedule inside, please provide any insights you have! So we're taking a road trip all the way from Raleigh, NC to San Diego, CA. I need your advice for breathtaking sights, awesome bars, incredible hikes, delicious food, etc.

This is a 10 day road trip starting on Thursday, April 24th (this week!). We (25 year old guy, girl, and dog) are both really outgoing people who appreciate nature and having a good time. We plan on getting hotels for some of the trip but the bulk of it will be camping. We don't really know where we should camp or anything else so everything you can tell us helps!

Here's the tentative schedule:

Thurs 24 - Raleigh, NC to Savannah, GA
What should we do in Savannah? Tours, bars, restaurants? Is there any good camping nearby or should we get a hotel? If we get a hotel, we'll probably want to go out drinking, so where should we go?

Friday 25th - Savannah, GA to New Orleans, LA
We want to take in as much local culture as possible, so whats the best restaurants and sights we should visit? We will be staying in a hotel in the French Quarter because we want to go out and see what it's like to party in New Orleans. Where should we go?

Sat 26th - New Orleans, LA to Austin, TX
We will be spending Saturday - Monday in Austin. What should we do? We both are thinking about one day moving to Austin so we'd like to get a real feel for the city so we can see if it fits our personalities. Any one know any good concerts there this weekend?

Monday Evening 28th and on
We are pretty wide open from this point on. We want to stick to a southern-western route and hit up all the awesome places to hike, camp, and visit. We don't need to be in San Diego until Friday evening so we have a lot of flexibility. What things did you do in New Mexico / Arizona that took your breath away? Are there places we just HAVE to camp? I think we want to see the Grand Canyon for sure, so that might need to be incorporated into the route too.

Please include any anecdotes, links, stories, pictures, whatever! We are taking laptops with internet access the whole way so we're gonna make it up as we go along and we need all the advice we can get. Any supplies we need to bring that we might not have thought of? Are there any other places we should post this question in order to get the best info possible?

Bonus question:
Do you know any good books or whatever that can serve as conversation starters? I'm picturing a book that has questions like "Do you believe in God?" that we just take turns asking each other and learning about one another. Good bonding stuff to make the trip less monotonous.

Politics and environmental issues in the US Southwest: good sources for news and gossip?

salvia — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:55:14 -0800

Anyone follow environmental issues or general politics in the US Southwest (AZ, NM, UT, CO)? I'm trying to get a crash course about what's happening in the region and then stay up to speed. What are the best sources for political gossip? For environmental news about the region? All I've got so far are the major newspapers, High Country News, and a couple (rarely updated) blogs.

I'm most curious about the key environmental and regional planning issues in the southwest now. Who are the big players (nonprofits, state agencies, cities, others), and what are they working on?

I realize this is a broad question, but anything will be much appreciated. I work on these sorts of issues in the Bay Area, and since I love the US Southwest, I wish I had a better understanding of what is going on down there.

Forced to buy second seat on Southwest Airlines?

shiny blue object — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:10:36 -0800

I am a fat woman (oh, excuse me, “customer of size”) who will be taking five separate flights on Southwest in the next month. If you’re fat and you’ve flown Southwest, did you have to buy a second seat? Although Southwest is the only airline that routinely forces their “customers of size” to buy a second seat, they don’t have any clear criteria that I can use to determine if I will fall into this category (their Guidelines and Q&A aren't at all specific). Everything I’ve found says the decision is at the gate agent’s discretion. I need data, dammit. If you had to buy a second seat on Southwest (or if you consider yourself fat, but didn’t have to shell out), I would appreciate knowing your stats: weight, height, hip measurement. I’m willing to set aside extra funds for this trip, but I’d like to have a clue as to what I can expect. If it matters, the flights are DTW-SAN, SAN-LAS, LAS-SAN, SAN-MDW, and MDW-DTW. Thanks!

my limited gardening options, let me show you them

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:37:41 -0800

Where should I put my garden? I live in Albuquerque, NM, at about 5,000 feet. My backyard is basically a north-to-south rectangle, roughly 60'X30', with two tall ash trees, surrounded by 6-foot block walls. Here is a crude mspaint map.

In past years, I have done container gardening of herbs, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers. I'm not a natural gardener, but I'm trying to turn a brown thumb at least a greenish shade of brown.

This year, I want to clear a 15'X20'ish east-to-west garden, at one end of the yard or the other. This garden would be automatically irrigated with drip lines.

Unfortunately, because of tree roots in the center, I'm limited to two environmental extremes for this garden.

The north end is not shaded at all during the summer, and gets hot.

The south end is shaded by the north-facing wall, and gets dappled sunlight through the two rather scraggly trees and a massive grape vine that hangs on the wall and is creeping over a clothesline. Because of the relative coolness at this end, rainwater pools, grass grows oddly there, and even mushrooms pop up from time to time.

From moving my container gardens around, I've found some plants like the full sun, but some don't.

If you had to put a garden at one end or the other, which would you choose?

Indie rock travel in the southwest...good guides?

octavia — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:44:29 -0800

Looking for good online or printed travel guides featuring local indie rock venues in the American Southwest...any recommendations? Should I write one? I have some time and money to travel around the southwest for a couple of months. I really enjoy indie rock and would like to check out local offerings in Arizona, California, Utah and New Mexico. Anyone know of good resources for finding stuff like that? I've found a few that were ok, but mostly for larger international cities. It seems like there's a million great Web 2.0 websites popping up every day for these types of things...is there something I've missed? If not, I'm considering putting something together...

To check or not to check?

indyz — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:29:50 -0800

Will Southwest Airlines count my messenger bag as a "personal type item" or as another carry-on item? I'm flying Southwest from Chicago to Phoenix for three days early next month. Southwest allows one bag up to 10x16x24 inches as well as one "personal-type item" which includes "purses, briefcases, cameras, food containers, or laptops (case included)". I am going to be packing my clothes in a small rolling suitcase, which easily fits the carry-on size limits. I also usually carry a messenger bag with my laptop, MP3 player, camera, and a couple of books. It is one of the medium messenger sized bags, about the size of a briefcase, and smaller than many backpack-type laptop cases.

Will I be able claim the suitcase as a carry-on item and the messenger bag as my personal item? Or will I be forced to check the suitcase? I know that it might come down to a particular screener or gate agent making an on-the-spot decision, but has anybody had any recent experience with a situation like this, especially with Southwest?

Too much rain, need sun and fun

strangeleftydoublethink — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:01:07 -0800

Mid-February one-week vacation in the southwest U.S. Daughter will be turning five and we want to focus on awe-inspiring natural areas (accessible to non-hiking inclined girl) and sunshine. Ideas? We hope to fly in to a city where we will not have to drive too far to get to natural areas. If possible, would like to hit a ghost town for fun (or a Western set).

Where to look for instructional design jobs?

Jupiter Jones — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 13:05:33 -0800

Looking for help finding work as an instructional designer in social services fields in the American Southwest. I’m asking this for a friend of mine who is looking for a specific type of work in the Southwest. Here’s her question:

I am an instructional designer interested in developing curriculum and training materials in the law and social services field, specifically in the area of behavioral health, cultural competency, juvenile justice, adult corrections or border protection. I am looking for companies or government agencies in Arizona, Nevada (Las Vegas), or California (San Francisco, Silicon Valley or San Diego) that might hire instructional designers in this area. I'm not sure where to begin my research in order to find these career opportunities. Any ideas, suggestions or leads would be greatly appreciated.

where can I find more Shinro puzzles?

rezaman — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:53:34 -0800

PuzzleFilter: I flew Southwest earlier this month and they had this really fun puzzle in their in-flight magazine. Anyone know where I can find more of these online?

Good places to live in the US southwest

salvia — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:26:56 -0800

What would be a good place to live, work, and start a family in the US Southwest? Smaller towns are particularly welcome. I've always wanted to live in the US southwest and am looking ahead to potentially moving there in a few years. I'd be moving there to settle down and start the next phase of life, which will hopefully include starting a family at some point in the future.

I'd consider everything east of the Sierras (Lone Pine, Big Pine, Joshua Tree), west of Amarillo, TX (couldn't do Austin), or from Denver heading south. I'm not that into mountains and snow, but I'm not ruling anything out (especially because I'm assuming everywhere will get a little warmer and dryer than it is now).

My favorite places are small towns where you can bike from one end to the other and potentially live without a car. I would consider larger places like Albuquerque and Tucson if I lived downtown.

I'm hoping for a diverse place. I'm fairly political and would like to be part of a progressive community, but I'd rather not live in a complete bubble of white, rich, well-educated liberals. I also have this pet peeve: rock climbing, yoga, mountain biking, snowboarding, detoxifying my body via lemon juice fasts -- I like these things and all, but conversations about gear and the backcountry put me to sleep in short order. It's also important that the town's economy extends at least slightly beyond just tourism. Even art sold to tourists would be a welcome relief from restaurants and souvenir shops. I'd consider it a bonus if there are environmental nonprofits where I could potentially work, but that's not my only option. To sum up, by looking for a place with a diverse socioeconomy and some civic engagement, I'm hoping I'll find a good place to work and some friends I relate to.

Then there is that wild card of "starting a family." I'm not on the verge of this by any means, but I am looking ahead at things like being able to afford a house and having it be a decent place for a kid to grow up. In my earlier freewheeling travels, I didn't think at all about things like schools or what it'd be like to be a kid in a place like that. Since I'm not prepared to examine those factors, I'd at least like it to be a place with a fair number of families (not just ski bums and retirees), and a fair number of people my age (almost 30) kinda headed in the same direction.

I'm most eying Paonia, Flagstaff, Tucson (I hear such good things but have been unimpressed in my visits... I must be missing the good side), Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Moab (any economy beyond the mountain bike scene yet?), Manitou Springs (? never been there, just saw the Colorado Springs thread), Bishop, and Joshua Tree. I suspect there are a bunch of possibilities in Colorado I don't know yet, but for some reason I have not been that excited by most places I've been in the state (including Denver, Boulder, Durango, Crested Butte, and Telluride). Thanks for your thoughts.