June 28, 2006
Memphis to Portland American road trip
I recently received this road trip from Memphis to Portland. To me the absolute best part of this would be seeing some Native American culture, in this road trip the Navajo rain dances. If anyone has any information on staying on reservations or otherwise learning about Native American culture while traveling, please share!
I wish I could get the chance to road trip again. Here’s what I’d do:
Every American must see Graceland in Memphis. Its hysterical, weird, and great like know other place I know. Next, on to Santa Fe. Then head North out of Santa Fe 100 miles to the Four Corners of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Go to Mesa Grande National Park. Then head west across northern Arizona to Monument Valley national park.
Keep going west across the Navaho lands to Black Mesa to witness the summer rain dances. Then keep west to Lake Powell at Page Arizona. Enjoy some of the greatest rainbow trout fishing in NA in the Colorado River south of Glen Canyon.
Follow the River south from Page through the road through the Vermillion Cliffs National Park until you get to the isolated North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is more beautiful and deeper than the South Rim with many less nutty tourists getting between you and the canyon for pictures.
Now go through the Hoover Dam to Vegas before turning west to California. Turn north when you get to California and skirt the Sierra Nevada Mountains and go through Yosemite National Park before turning West again through the Imperial Valley to reach San Francisco.
Then go North above Frisco and run up the coast which is magnificent this time of year as you get to Point Reyes. Montceito, and finally the Giant redwood forests of the Northern California coast. Go as far as Eureka California and see Mt Shasta. Hug the Mountains north through the Willamette River valley before reaching Portland Oregon.
Posted by James Trotta at June 28, 2006 4:24 AM