Off we go...

[texaskdog]

18 day trip from Austin to El Malpais, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Zion, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Cedar Breaks NM, Bryce Canyon, Escalante, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, 4 Corners, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon, Royal Gorge, and back to Austin.  Will miss the forum but will see a lot of great things and great roads.

[Sykotyk]

Royal Gorge will be a fun half day excursion. The stretch of US50 from Montrose to Pueblo is a fun drive that takes you through various changes in scenery. Black Canyon, Monarch Pass, the windy stretch from Salida to Canon City, the desent to Pueblo, etc.

[huskeroadgeek]

That sounds like a trip I'd love to do. I've always wanted to do the Utah National Parks in one trip(I've been to Zion, but none of the others).

[CL]

That sounds like a trip I'd love to do. I've always wanted to do the Utah National Parks in one trip(I've been to Zion, but none of the others).

As have I. Heck, I live in the state and I've only been to Arches and Zion. I'll need to fix that soon.

[thenetwork]

One of the best kept secrets (at least for a little while longer) is the Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction. 

Most people blow past it thinking it's just a place to pull over and see a single marble marker, or a single building (like the Washington Monument) or a single natural formation when in actuality it is a 25+ mile two lane road that provides some of the most scenic views of rock formations, canyons and other high desert scenery in Western Colorado. 

They are very close in renaming it as a bona-fide National Park and probably will in the next year or 2.  One reason locals are pushing for it is because of the misconception as a "National Monument" and the other is that many tour group companies will not visit anything that is not labeled as a "National Park" in this area, even though it is as big or bigger in size than some of the other area "National Parks" (like Black Canyon).

If you travel through the Colorado National Monument from east-to-west, it can be a little more scary since the westbound lane of Rim Rock Drive hugs the cliffs more than the eastbound lane, and for the passenger(s) in your car who are afraid of heights, this could be a problem as there are spots in which they will be looking over the edge.  Going west-to-east is better for those who want an extra 12-15 feet "cushion" between the road and the edge of the cliffs -- plus the Visitors Center is within a few miles of the West Entrance to the park.