Day 1: Los Angeles – Joshua Tree National Park
Our journey begins in Los Angeles, where we will drive through the wind farms in the desert to Yucca Valley and the first unique terrain in Joshua Tree National Park.
It's important to note that Joshua Tree is not just another desert park. Its expansive plains are punctuated by unusual sculptural trees, giant granite boulders, rugged rock faces, as well as remnants of past gold mining. Although many locals refer to it as just “J-Tree,” it is a type of yucca. These unique plants grow in the ecological transition zone where the upper Mojave Desert and lower Colorado Desert converge. This fusion of elevations forms a desert plant community that is unusually rich. Joshua Tree offers a remarkable wilderness experience that is extraordinarily beautiful, with multicolored sunsets and sparkling stars in the night sky.
Joshua Tree National Park
Located in Southern California, Joshua Tree National Park was established by the U.S. Congress as a national park in 1994, after having been designated a national monument. The park is named for the large yucca plants that symbolize the Mojave Desert. The park protects ecosystems of the Mojave Desert as well as portions of the Sonoran Desert. The massive boulders and towering rock faces attract a lot of climbers.
Day 2: Joshua Tree National Park
Lake Havasu City is famous for London Bridge and receives over a million visitors from around the globe every year.
Kingman is the Heart of Route 66 and rightly so for its significance to the famous highway.
This small town has a number of interesting spots such as the Kingman Army Airfield Museum which has items from World War II; the oldest display of the town's railway history which includes 3 old locomotives and other objects from the time of the American railroad expansion; and the Mohave Museum which showcases the history and development of the northwestern part of Arizona.
U.S. Route 66
The old Route 66 used to run from Santa Monica, a coastal city, to Chicago, an inland city. It was established in November 1926 and runs through 8 different states including California, New Mexico, and Texas. It was almost 4,000 km long. With the development of the Interstate Highway System, Route 66 lost its importance and was removed from the U.S. highway system in the mid 1980s. In the late 1990s, President Clinton signed a document to preserve Route 66 which helped bring attention to it again and added it back to the traveling maps.
Day 3: Kingman - Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park has been a World Heritage Site since 1979.
The Grand Canyon is powerful not just because of it's towering pinnacles, massive cliffs, and rock columns but also because of its incredible, ever-changing colors. The rock types and minerals that compose the walls of the Grand Canyon reflect sunlight in various ways. The different types of compositions reflect bright sunlight, reflect bright sunlight. The minerals that contain iron can reflect sunlight in a variety of brilliant colors. Other oxides create deeper, muted tones. Quartz will reflect sunlight and appear white. Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. It is located in the northwestern part of Arizona. The Grand Canyon is divided into the South Rim and the North Rim. Each has its own unique features.
The South Rim has the most visitors because it is the easier of the two to explore by driving. The North Rim is at a higher elevation, with thinner air, and the skies can be a stunning blue.
Although it is not the deepest canyon in the world, the Grand Canyon has tremendous scale and astonishing scenery. It is one of America’s most iconic national parks.
Day 4: Sedona - Grand Canyon National Park
Colorado River views are especially notable at Horseshoe Bend, where it is about 300 m down, because the river almost makes a full circle there. It wraps around the red plateau like a massive ring.
Lake Powell also serves as a filming location for the movie Gravity. The last landing scene of the movie was shot at Lake Powell, but the visible shoreline in the movie is a digitally created shoreline. The best way to enjoy the gorgeous and ever-changing views of the shores of the lake is to take a boat ride.
Lake Powell is located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona and Utah. It was formed by flooding Glen Canyon after the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. Lake Powell measures 299 kilometers in length and has an area of 3,058 kilometers. It is the second largest man-made lake in the U.S.A. The lake has southern and northern sections. Along with Glen Canyon Dam, Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon, there are numerous points of interest around the lake. There are developed resorts and campgrounds around the lake to facilitate exploration of the attractions. With limited timeframe, the most practical way to gain an overview of the attractions is to take a sightseeing cruise.
Day 6: Page – Bryce Canyon – Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is located at the elevation of about 8,000 feet and features thousands of stone pillars that have been shaped by the wind, frost, rain, snow, and years of erosion.
Some, like swords, reach toward the heavens while others are more delicate with their forms. The enormity of geological time is impossible to ignore.Your next stop is Zion National Park, an oasis with massive red cliffs, flowing streams, tall pines, and glacial remnants, just off the desert inhospitable highway. You will stay the night near Zion National Park.
National Park Zion is in the southwestern region of Utah and is 229square miles. The jewel of the park is the Zion Canyon, a 15-mile-long and half a mile deep canyon that has been carved along the North Fork of the Virgin River through red and tan Navajo Sandstone. The Other features of interest are the Great White Throne, Checkerboard Mesa, Kolob Arch, Three Patriarchs and the Virgin River Narrows.
Zion is quite different from the expansive wilderness of Bryce Canyon and Joshua Tree. Zion is a park that is rich in water, green foliage and a slightly more personal feeling to the landscape. Zion is a park where streams flow, where walls tower, and where birds are heard singing from the heights of the secluded canyons above, and every corner has something to be seen.
Zion is located at the convergence of the Mojave desert, Colorado Plateau, and Great Basin, providing Zion with a variety of ecosystems. The park has 75 mammals and 289 species of birds and over 800 plants.
Day 7 Zion National Park – Valley of Fire – Las Vegas
Valley of Fire State Park gets its name for the large exposures of red Mesozoic sandstone that appear to glow fire when the sun hits them. With varying shades of red sandstone layers, extraordinary landforms, and ancient petroglyphs, this location is one of the most remarkable along the route. Valley of Fire State Park Being the first state park in Nevada, Valley of Fire’s most notable feature is the red sandstone that gives the appearance of a landscape engulfed in flames. The local Indigenous peoples once considered the area sacred. The sandstone features ancient Indigenous petroglyphs and their records of celestial events. The visitor center located at the park entrance hosts a multimedia exhibit that introduces the petroglyphs and local ecosystem. The Valley of Fire's otherworldly beauty has drawn many Hollywood science fiction films, including Transformers (2007). Here, the Southwest's fiery tones are most prominent. RV Travel Notes Driver’s license: Individuals with a domestic Class C driver's license and a notarized translation may drive. Types of RV: RVs are typically available for 2, 4, or 6 people and contain one to three double beds. Onboard Facilities: Some vehicles may have a shower, toilet, fridge, gas stove, microwave, and air conditioning. Dimensions: RVs measure approximately 6 to 7.7 meters long, 2 to 2.3 meters wide, and about 2 meters high. Overnight: RVs must be parked overnight at designated RV campgrounds and may not be parked informally on the roadside. Power: High power appliances such as kettles, heaters, microwaves, air conditioning, and electrical outlets can only be used when plugged into a power source at the campground. Water and waste: Fresh water, wastewater, and sewage must be disposed of at designated areas. If this itinerary leaves you unsatisfied, we recommend a shorter loop route. The RV Alliance has developed additional RV travel routes. Experience the liberty of RV travel within the US.
