The Epic Roadtrip: Advice Wanted!

Jack and I are driving across the US in May and we want advice from US food bloggers (or anyone who has made a similar drive across the US) about places we shouldn't miss along our route. This all started when my Mom, who lives in Arizona, recently decided to let go of some precious pieces of furniture handed down to her by my grandmother. When we looked into what it would cost to have it trucked out to east coast we were astounded, so it all went into storage until we could figure out what to do with it. This isn't the sort of stuff you give away if there's any choice in the matter.

I wrote a little about my grandparents for the first Apples & Thyme event, describing their lives as cattle ranchers. Integral to raising beef cattle was a massive old Boos butcher block (the work surface is about three feet thick) that always stood in their kitchen. There is a little oak secretary, an old chair with a needlepoint seat cover made by my grandmother, and a game table with matching chairs she always played bridge on. There are a few other pieces, as well as some boxed kitchen items. Not surprising that my sister and I want to make sure these things stay in the family.

I've always wanted to find the time to drive across the country with Jack. During his time here in the US he's seen a fair amount of the east and west coasts, but very little else. So the Epic Road Trip came into being.

We plan to fly into San Francisco and rent a car with a brief run up to Sonoma to pick up some cases of wine from two or three of our favorite wineries, and then to drive across Nevada via The Loneliest Road, dropping down to The Grand Canyon and then to Tucson, where we'll swap the car for a small truck, visiting my parents for a few days and loading in the furniture. We've got this piece pretty well planned.

From Arizona we have no real itinerary and we want advice! If you know the area along any of the following legs of our journey, we'd love to hear about it. great roadside diners, things to see and do, the must-not-miss oddities... please tell us! We're avoiding large cities, as we'll have the hassle of needing to park a truck, so we don't need advice on what to see in Saint Louis or Chicago, please.

Here is the tentative plan, organized by major routes, stops to sleep not included:

Route 10 from Tucson to Las Cruces, New Mexico

Route 25 to Albuquerque (with a side trip to Santa Fe)

Route 40 through Amarillo, Texas to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Route 44 through Tulsa and into Missouri, all the way up to Stanton

Route 70 to Joliet, Illinois (we plan to skip Chicago)

I 80 to Sandusky, Ohio at the bottom of Lake Erie

Then we'll hug the Lake Erie shore through Ohio and Pennsylvania, before heading east to the Finger Lakes area of New York

From there we'll abandon the major highways in favor of small roads into Vermont (and a stop in Bennington to see my daughter)

Finally, we wind our way across Vermont to New Hampshire, stopping in Nashua to deliver my sister's share of the furniture

So what do you know? What's your advice? Where is that fabulous little cafe? How about goat farms producing cheese? We want to know about all of it!

Comments

[Manggy]

I obviously can't contribute very much but I am excited for you! You might want to drop by the eGullet Forums-- there's plenty of very specific threads dedicated to each part of the United States.

[mimi]

another bi-coastal who can't help you with the inside of the country, but just wanted to say what a great trip this will be for you! so jealous! in a good way :)

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

Take the high road from Albuquerque to Santa Fe (not the highway, the old road). Stop at Tinkertown, the most amazing "museum"; then, in Espaniola, you'll see a roadside stand that sells the most amazing beans, corn and flour. Be sure to get some chiles (peppers and ground) in Chimayo, from the woman who runs the little stand near the church. Go to the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe. Visit Taos Pueblo, and have some fry bread. In Amarillo, be sure to stop along Rt. 66 at Cadillac Ranch, especially towards the end of the day when the light is just about to fade. In Oklahoma City, don't miss the National Cowboy Museum -- it's one of a kind -- and right near there is a pretty decent barbeque place that looks like it would be very touristy, but is actually quite good.

[Deborah]

I don't have any words of wisdom for you, but can I just tell you how jealous I am? I have ALWAYS wanted to do this!

[Susan from Food Blogga]

I know I have some places, but I'll have to get back to you. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous trip.

[Julie]

I'm yet another one who doesn't have any recommendations at all (although I think Manggy's idea about checking eGullet forums is excellent -- also check Chowhound) but I just wanted to say I think the whole trip sounds fabulous and exciting and I've always wanted to do a cross-country drive.

On second thought I do have one recommendation: read On The Road before beginning your trip. Best road trip book ever.

[Adele]

No advice of my own... but let me check in with a Californian friend who has done a fair amount of roadtripping, and I'll get back to you.

[Bellini Valli]

I sure wish I could help you with this one. It has been over 20 years since I drove the Northern route in the States through the Badlands and into Wisconsin. It sounds like a wonderful adventure in the making:D

[Aran]

Ann... that sounds like such a fantastic idea... I really wish I could tell you about places along the way but I'm not very familiar with where you are going. I have yet to visit New England. My dream is to go to Vermont and spend a weekend with an artisan cheese maker... I can't wait to hear about your trip. Will you be blogging on the road?

[Susan]

Can't help w/ personal recommendations (I know Maine to Florida inside out), but there's a site, "Roadtrip America," that lists a few outstanding guidebooks for some of the roads and towns less traveled. Hope you have a blast. I *love* roadtrips!

[Neen]

Some immediate thoughts: If you drive near Independence, MO, check out the Harry S Truman Memorial Library. It's a pretty cool look back through time at a very Middle-America President that served from the end of WW2 through the beginning of the Cold War and the Korean War. And when else are you going to be remotely near Independence MO?

While avoiding Chicago, be sure to stop at the Indiana dunes for a picnic lunch or something. You'll be able to see the city, but it's this huge underpopulated, protected beach with large sand dunes. It's really beautiful.

My Dad and I are doing a similar coast-to-coast road trip this summer, because Do and I are moving to the Bay Area, we need to drive the car out, and I decided that it would be a great opportunity to do a father-daughter road trip. We're going through the South East to see family, but it's completely up in the air where we go between Austin and San Francisco. I hope you guys have a lot of fun!

And, you are AWESOME for stopping to pick up some cases of wine outside San Francisco. That's one of the reasons we're really excited about moving out there!

[Nicisme]

No advice, but I am looking forward to reading about this great adventure. I would love to come too...

[Susan from Food Blogga]

One of the best meals I have ever had was at Antonio's in Taos, NM. We even talked with the chef for about 20 minutes that night. He is a lovely man. If you're near Taos, I hope you stop there. It's quite memorable. Here's the web address: http://www.antoniosoftaos.com/about1.html

I wrote about Macy's Coffee House in this post. It's in Flagstaff near the Grand Canyon and is a great place to get a healthy breakfast or quick veg lunch. http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2008/02/vegetarian-breakfast-quinoa-and-bears.html

The Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe is a beautiful restaurant for a delicious dinner. We also had the most amazing breakfast a small eatery in downtown Santa Fe. I just spent 10 min trying to find it, but w/out pics I simply can't remember the name. I do know it had an outdoor eating area in the back of the restaurant and was surrounded by cotton trees (little poofs of cotton were floating in the air around us and we were they at the beg. of May too); we had blue corn French toast. If you see that on a menu and it's got a deck, then stay and eat! You won't be disappointed.

In Albuquerque we had a fabulous breakfast at the Flying Saucer DIner. It's a fun, hip eatery that has amazingly delicious and filling Mexican breakfasts. We went there both mornings we were there! It's fun, inexpensive, and oh-so-good.

Well, that's about it. I hope you have a glorious time, Ann! Be safe! -Susan

[We Are Never Full]

don't miss some of utah and colorado. the national parks there are amazing (bryce canyon, arches, canyonland, rocky mountain, etc.). don't forget to eat buffalo while you're in the southwest!

not sure if you're going north at all - but one of the things that impressed me when i drove cross country was the Badlands. Ahhhh, you're going to have a great time. nothing like the open road.

[Pennie]

When I lived in New Mexico and Arizona, (it was quite a few years ago) I was always amazed at how good the food was in the most out of the way places. Whether it be a truck stop at 3:00 AM with great huevos rancheros or a Mexican combination plate or a nice restaurant with Natillas that was like a cloud and warm sopaipillas. And don't forget to buy some chilis and other groceries while there. I recommend the anasazi beans and a chili garland.