Blogposts from our 2022 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:

So Long Snow 2022
Slidell, LA (2 nights). Dubbed “End of the Road Part One”, the first stop of our getaway was a visit with my cousin near New Orleans, where most of our tours were along the Mighty Mississippi. During our stay we tried King Cake, visited Oak Alley and Laura Plantations, had a great visit at a Parish Visitor Center, and went on a somber walk through the Chalmette National Cemetery. Turns out Darlene is an awesome tour guide!

End of the Road Part Two
New Orleans, LA (5 nights) The Marquee. This post continues along the Mississippi River. Our walks to Jackson Square and back provided happy hours and oysters on a half-shell. We loved the riverfront with its iconic views and a Steamboat Lunch Cruise offered some toe-tapping music and great views of the shoreline and the skyline. On another day we headed for Venice, LA to the literal end of the road, which was pretty disappointing.

Some Time in N’awlins
Our stay in New Orleans continues with some pics of our condo. A tour of the city included an excellent cemetery tour and beignets at Café Dumonde. The coldest day of our trip was the day of our Swamp Tour with Elvis (pictured left). Drinks on a carousel at the gorgeous Monteleone Hotel will definitely be a redo. A month before Mardi Gras the city was already decked out in the colors of the season.

Alamo City
San Antonio, TX (5 nights) Élian Resort & Spa. This post has lots of photos in and around our resort and a visit to the Pearl District. We enjoyed a self-guided snoop and “restorative cocktail” at (the fabulous) Hotel Emma. The meandering Museum Reach section of the River Walk had art installations along the way, with a walk through Elsewhere, by the Museum of Art, and old brewery buildings that were really cool.

On a Mission x4
Our stay in San Antonio continues with a visit a little south of the Alamo. We spent the day on self-guided tours at the four missions in this area: Mission Concepción (most well-preserved), Mission San José (Queen of the Missions), Mission San Juan (great little museum), and Mission Espada (most beautiful grounds). Each were unique, with very different background stories.

The Wild West
After an overnight in Deming, NM (1 night), we spent the afternoon in Tombstone to see what we missed on previous trips. It was a quick drive to Sierra Vista, AZ (2 nights) Comfort Inn & Suites. Next day we went to Bisbee for a Queen Mine Tour and a little window shopping. Next morning we spent several hours at my favorite of all the missions – Tumacácori National Historical Park on the way to our next home base.

The Old Pueblo
Tucson, AZ (7 nights) Hotel Tucson City Center. This post has pics of our new digs and our beautiful and curvy, yet low-stress mountain drive to Mount Lemmon via the Catalina Highway (Sky Island Parkway). With plenty of pullouts for amazing overlooks, we took our time and enjoyed every minute. As we approached Mount Lemmon, there were remnants of a snowfall – just enough for a (very) little snowman!

Saguaro National Park
Our stay in Tucson continues with visits to both sections of Saguaro National Park. Since the sections are separated by the city of Tucson, we visited each on a separate day. With a whole park named after them, there were thousands of Saguaros, along with other cacti of varying shapes and sizes. Narrow and winding roads made this another day to take it easy and we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery.

How About a Nice Game of Chess?
Our stay in Tucson continues with a stop at the Titan Missile Museum. Once one of America’s most top secret places, this well-preserved missile site is now a National Historic Landmark, offering tours to millions of visitors. Although the technology looks antiquated by today’s standards, from 1963 to 1987 it was one of 54 sites on high alert across the United States to deter nuclear war.

San Xavier del Bac Mission
Our stay in Tucson continues with a stop at ABC. Dubbed the “white dove in the desert,” the ornate and detailed artwork is absolutely gorgeous and with today’s clouds, my pictures turned out fantastic. I have been here several times, and sections are always under “careful preservation.” It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Tucson.

In Search of Owls
Our stay in Tucson continues with some urban beauty! Although they are quite impressive, Tucson is more than just desert and saguaros. We enjoyed great restaurants, craft breweries, a dimly-lit bar in a former funeral home, and a band shell made out of flowers. And recently, a bunch of tree-huggers (meant in a good way) expanded their offices into an historic building once used by Owls!

Movin’ on Up
Florence, AZ (3 nights). As we head north to Peoria, we’ll make a stop in Florence to see some friends. In this post you’ll hear about things to watch out for in Arizona and there’s a great story about redemption. Also glamping in the Boulders, an ancestral Sonoran Desert People’s farming community with a “Great House”, and a Dwarf Car Museum. Sounds like something for everyone!

Gardens of Glass
Peoria, AZ (17 nights) Cibola Vista Resort & Spa. Here we are – back in Peoria for our longest stay of the trip. We know the area pretty well, and it doesn’t take long to feel at home at one of our favorite timeshares. A few of my favorite things converged on one lovely evening while we were here – the transition from day to night (with a full moon), a fabulous botanical garden, a stunning blown glass expedition, and family.

Day Trips x4
Our stay in Peoria continues with a chilly visit to Montezuma Castle (one of our first National Monuments) and Montezuma Well with views of the expansive desert. Another day took us to Wickenburg for a tour of the town and a Western Museum. Our longest day trip of the entire trip was two hours to Roosevelt Lake. There we visited friends and relaxed on the back of a large boat to enjoy the calm blue lake and some old friends.

Phoenix Finale
Our last few days in Phoenix included a two-night stay with friends. We did a self-guided tour of one of the classiest wigwams I’ve ever been in, a little shopping in one of the biggest antique stores I’ve ever been in, the beautiful Sahuaro Ranch Park with a peacock parade, and an historic candy company. One last night in our condo included a fabulous sunset cruise on Lake Pleasant, where great music and several beers offered a grand finale to our stay in Arizona.

In Transition
Gallup, NM (2 nights) The Historic El Rancho Hotel. Located right on Route 66, this hotel had an “old west” vibe – although clean and comfortable. Outings included a matinee at the Historic El Morro Theatre, hunting for murals, a visit to Red Rock Park with beautiful red rocks and an arena for rodeos, bull riding and other events. After Red Rock we were lured down the road by beautiful rock formations. We attempted a visit to Chaco Canyon on the way to our next stop in Grants, NM (1 night) Best Western Grants Inn.

Santa Fe, NM (2 nights) Historic Adobe Casita. Learning from a mistake on a previous trip, we scored a small casita within walking distance of the Plaza. One walk about town took us into ABC with a park next door, a little shopping, and some gawking at another fabulous hotel. We only did a drive-by of Museum Hill when we decided to check out early to shorten the 13-hour drive to our next resort stay. Turns out we grossly miscalculated its fantasticness and will have to return for a third time.

Ridgedale, MO (7 5 nights) Wilderness Club at Big Cedar. Our stay in a two-bedroom cabin was cut short when lots of sleeping and a Covid diagnosis brought about an abrupt end to this otherwise fabulous winter road trip.

Another great road trip is officially in the books!

Up Next: Bay State Getaway 2022

Happy trails,
Barb