OKLAHOMA!

No, not the musical...
As I was searching for places to stop in Oklahoma, more and more were straying away from my original route which was making me frustrated until I saw where they could lead me. So NOW, I get to travel a major distance on Route 66! I've been wondering if I could squeeze Route 66 into my road trip, and now I think its possible. I'll start on 66 in Texas, take it all the way through Oklahoma, and into Missouri. But then I'm going to circle up through Missouri into Kansas, and back down into Oklahoma crossing my original path which I DO NOT particulary like, but I'll take it for the chance to get 'My Kicks on Route 66'. :)
So, along the way in OK, I'm going to stop and see:

Route 66 Museum - Clinton
Lucille's Roadhouse
Round Barn & POPS - Arcadia
Motorcycle Museum - Warwick
Chandler Route 66 Interpretive Center
The Healing Rock
The Blue Whale
Totem Pole Park - home of the world's largest totem pole
Ribbon Road
Lake Overholser Truss Bridge
Route 66 Mural Wall
Tornado Museum in Wakita
Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
GW Exotic Animal Park
Mt Olivet Cemetary - a cowboy cemetary and where Lane Frost was buried

Most of these places are on or near Route 66 but that was most of what I was finding, so I went with it. Is there anything else in OK that you have found interesting and worth stopping at and seeing?

http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2489/itinerary/79581
www.travelok.com

TEXAS

It's the Lone Star State. Remember the Alamo and call Cordell Walker, Texas Ranger. Texas is a big state with a lot of ground to cover. Maybe I'll even find myself a cowboy to take home with me. hahaha
My travels are going to take me to some great places in TX. Check 'em out:

El Paso Museum of Art
Stonehenge & Easter Island replicas
Cave Without a Name
Alamo
Padre Island
Bishop's Place
Houston Space Center
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Reunion Tower
Dealey Plaza
JFK Memorial
Nasher Sculpture Center
Fair Park
Love Civic Center
and if I find out a way to go there without traveling too far out of my way:
Cadillac Ranch
Slugbug Ranch
Route 66 Museum

So what else should I stop and see while in Texas?

www.traveltex.com

NEW MEXICO

A state full of history, but I don't have a long 'to see' list. I don't know much about New Mexico and didn't find much more in my searching. :( Can you help me find stuff to see in NM? All I've got right now:

Four Corners Monument
Loretto Chapel's Mysterious Staircase
Sandia Peak Tramway
NM Museum of Natural History
Salinas Pueblo Mission National Monument
Smokey Bear Historic Park
White Sands National Monument
Carlsbad Caverns National Park

I told you it was short.

www.newmexico.org

12 down 36 to go...

So I am 25% done with the main planning of my route. Or at least, I have gone through 12 states fairly well. I will always be adding places and removing stops. I just thought it would be interesting to post a couple statistics about my plan right now my trip is 29726.2 which will supposedly take 44 days 8 hours and 58 minutes. (I love my road planning software) But you can edit how much time you plan on stopping at every place and all that which I have yet to do. That kinda scares me to see how much time it could ACTUALLY take. hahaha
I should probably do that so I have a better idea of timing....

COLORADO

Now, being that I only grew up a state away from Colorado, I have actually been there and seen a few things. BUT, they have always been on family vacations, and none since I was in highschool. You know how you are in highschool on a family vacation. You don't want to do what your parents want to do. Also, I don't remember a lot of it. I kinda remember where we went, but not a lot about it, so I'm pretending I haven't seen any of it at all. haha SO, my CO list is as follows: (so far)

Colorado National Monument
Echo Lake
Colorado Railroad Museum
US Mint
Kit Carson County Carousel
Wonder Tower
Garden of the Gods
Monument Valley Park
Seven Falls
Royal Gorge
Mesa Verde

I know there is more to see. I'm also thinking about removing the Carousel and Tower from my route as they are both out of the way and only slighty peaked my interest. Anyways, any more suggestions?

www.cobeautiful.com

UTAH

I have never been to Utah, nor have I ever thought that it would be a place I would get to. I don't know a lot about the state and really never thought that there was much to see there. After doing a bit of research, some of the places I found look kinda cool. I'm excited about the Arches. Take a look at my UT list:

Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Bryce Canyon
Capitol Reef National Park
Arches National Park
Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Temple Square
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Bear Lake Overlook

It's not a long list. And honestly, before I found Arches National Park I was looking forward to just driving right through the middle and making Utah a quick trip state. But as always, I am always open for suggestions on what to see!

www.utah.com

Wondering

I'm new to this whole blog thing. I've never been into spending a lot of time on my computer other than mindless games. It just makes me wonder if this is the right road for me and my idea. I think my idea would be completely fabulous if I actually get the opportunity to follow through. I have had a lot of crazy ideas in my days, but this doesn't seem that crazy or unrealistic. It just needs... an angle or something. Anyways, just a little thought. Onto Utah...

ARIZONA

I'm gonna get me some ocean front property in Arizona. :)
So everyone knows the rhyme "London Bridge" but most people (at least all of us who DON'T live in AZ) probably don't know that there have actually been three London Bridges. The first had to be replace, the second was expanded and then taken down to be replaced by the third. Well, the 2nd bridge was SOLD to a man who had it shipped to AZ. I had no idea! But there it is at Lake Havasu City! It looks like a fun place to visit, among many others. Check out what AZ is gonna bring me:

London Bridge
Desert Botanical Gardens
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Sunset Crater
Meteor Crater
Petrified Desert National Park
Painted Desert
Wupatki National Monument
Grand Canyon

I also know that Route 66 goes through AZ, so I'm hoping to be able to follow that road a little while on my travels. So, is there anything else great that I should be checking out while in Arizona?

www.arizonaguide.com

NEVADA

I think everyone in my family that is over 21 has been to Vegas. Not fair. I know its just a city in a big state, but it just makes me want to go there even more because so many people have been there. Nevada is bigger than just Reno and Vegas, but I haven't discovered anything outside those two areas that peaked my interest enough to go see. So, right now here's all that I'm visiting in NV:

Reno: Wilbur Day May Center
Carson City
Lake Tahoe: Vikingsholm Castle
Area 51
Bonnie Springs Old Nevada
Las Vegas
Atomic Testing Museum
Hoover Dam

Having everything in these two little areas of the state will help with drive time, but what else does Nevada have to offer? Anyone have anymore suggestions?
www.travelnevada.com

CALIFORNIA

I'm very excited and completely dreading California. There is SO MUCH to do and see in Cali that I'm afraid its all gonna run together and I'm gonna get lost. I can't spend all the time in the world on this road trip and I have to leave a lot of things off of my list. Then, there are so many things that are so close together that there is no need to think twice about being able to go there. As I get more places on my list that I really REALLY don't want to miss, then I may have the chance to put the others back on my list because I'm already going to be nearby. Anyways, after a lot of research and digging, my CA sites are:

Redwood National Park
Folsom Prison Museum
Old Faithful
Calistoga Balloons (I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon! It could be really cool to do it over Napa Valley!!)
Napa Valley
Jelly Belly Factory
Golden Gate Bridge
Alcatraz
Haunted Bay (Alameda)
Point Montara Lighthouse
17 Mile Drive
Thousand Island Lake
Mammoth Lakes
Sequioa National Park
Death Valley
Joshua Tree National Park
Airplane Graveyard (Mojave)
Hollywood Sign
Hollywood:
Guiness Museum
Wax Museum
Chinese Theater
Kodak Theater
El Capitan Theater
Ripley's Museum
Hollywood & Highland Center
Forever Memorial Park
Museum of Death
Coronado Beach with Grunion Running

I'm already going to be spending a lot of time in California, but are there any more places that I SHOULD NOT miss?!?!

www.visitcalifornia.com