Blogposts from our 2024 southwest winter road trip are finally complete. This post provides an outline of where we went, what we saw and links to posts associated with each stop.

If you haven’t seen any of the posts, you may want to start at the beginning. Near the bottom of each post, there is a green link that will take you to what’s “Up next: Enjoy!”

Our itinerary:

Return to the Red Rocks 2024
Cedar Rapids, IA (1 night) Homewood Suites. Time with my brother with a quick exit to avoid a winter storm. Branson, MO (2 nights) The Falls Village. Rain!! Amarillo, TX (1 night) Comfort Inn & Suites. The Big Texan, Cadillac Ranch. UFO Spacewalk and a sandstorm en route to Deming, NM (1 night) Comfort Inn & Suites.

Our Casita in the Desert
Tucson, AZ (7 nights) Raven Ridge Ranch. We settled in and enjoyed our patio for coffee, cocktails, and bird-watching. A return trip to Saguaro National Park (east) for a drive, hike, and Visitor Center stop. We checked out several watering holes – especially for a great place to watch the Packers beat the Cowboys! J❤️10

All Around Tucson
As our stay in Tucson winds down, this post covers a few nice walks at Saguaro NP (east and west). We discovered an otter-copter at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and had a night on the town at a brewery with a food truck and a concert at the Fox Tucson Theatre. And Mission San Xavier Del Bac’s renovation is complete!

At Home in Phoenix
Florence, AZ (2 nights) Stayed with friends with lots of catching up, sightseeing, and a museum. We ventured north to Peoria, AZ (20 nights) Cibola Vista Resort & Spa. We relaxed a lot with friends and family as tour guides and dinner dates. West Valley Art Museum, MIM, and a hot air balloon landing was a great ending to our stay.

A Postcard Around Every Corner
Sedona, AZ (7 nights) The Ridge on Sedona Golf Resort, then (7 nights) Sedona Pines. A friend said she was a descendent of the Schneblys from Sedona! We enjoyed stunning views from Airport Overlook and the Sedona View Trail, we found our favorite Happy Hour spot, some great restaurants, and we did some shopping!

One of Seven Natural Wonders
Our stay in Sedona continues with a trip to Grand Canyon. Gazing into the Canyon with mid-February’s brisk winds was not ideal, but the sun shined brightly and traces of snow were beautiful on the red rock. In Sedona we were only two hours from the Canyon, so a day trip worked well, especially with some closed viewpoints.

Some Highlights of Sedona
Our stay in Sedona continues with a visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a stop at the Red Rock Visitor Center, and a refreshing hike around Bell Rock Loop to get closer to Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. Next was a shorter hike up Yavapai Vista Trail to see Yavapai Overlook. A whole lotta mountains can be seen from there!

Along Oak Creek Canyon
Just south of Flagstaff, SR 89A descends a breathtaking series of switchbacks into Oak Creek Canyon – famous for its spectacular scenery. We started at the Vista with visits to Slide Rock State Park, Midgley Bridge, and Indian Gardens. On another day we hiked around Boynton Vista Trail.

A Solemn Day in OKC
Edgewood, NM (1 night) Comfort Inn & Suites, then El Reno, OK (1 night) Home2 Suites, then a stop at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum en route to our next stop. There was not enough time to see the Museum, but the Memorial was absolutely beautiful and very moving.

Relaxing in Ridgedale
Ridgedale, MO (14 nights) Wilderness Club at Big Cedar. We have been here a lot, so sometimes we don’t even leave the resort – but sometimes we do! Lots of pictures of activities in Ridgedale with a visit to the fantastic Dogwood Canyon.

Another great road trip is officially in the books!

Up Next: xx

Happy trails,
Barb