There’s about 1400 miles between the Grand Canyon and Galveston. That can be a hard drive to plot out without lots of fun stops along the way. Luckily, my family just made that trip and is here to help you plan yours and pack in loads of good times and memories.
Day 1: Flagstaff, AZ to Roswell, NM (stopping for lunch in Albuquerque, NM)
Drivetime: About 8.5 hours (not counting the lunch stop)
Chances are if you’re going to the Grand Canyon, you’re going to stay in nearby Flagstaff (I-40 Exit 195), which is where we happen to live. (I’ll review Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon in seperate articles later.) From there it’s a pretty easy drive to Albuquerque, about 4.5 hours away.
Along I-40 there’s lots of cool stops for kids between the two spots, like the Meteor Crater at Exit 233 and the Petrified National Forest at Exit 311.
If you want to make it a really long trip and want to stay the night in Albuquerque I recommend staying at one of the many hotels off Coors Road (Exit 155). You can find coupons for BIG discounts on many of them in the roadside traveler magazines which are available at most gas stations along the way.
Pick up a bottle of Rudy's "sause" while you're there
If you just want to stop for lunch, I 100% recommend Rudy’s BBQ (on the north side of Exit 160), which is Texas style BBQ. It’s a franchise of the Texas chain based in the Austin area and hands down the best BBQ I’ve had anywhere in the world. No joke. Buy a bottle of their “sause” to go and impress your family with your home BBQ skills too! Rudy’s is right off the highway for easy access, at 2321 Carlisle Blvd, NE.
Now onto Roswell, which is about four more hours down the road…
Get back on I-40 and head east. You’ll be on a straight shot until you get to Clines Corners, NM (which is where you should get gas because there’s basically NOTHING until you get into Roswell!)
That’s where you catch 285 South, which takes you to Roswell. This may not look like much of a road on the map, but it’s really great. It’s got two lanes each direction with a huge median and not too many truckers so it’s a pretty open road. Boring, but open. Nothing to stop and see so it’s a good thing the kiddos will be full and tired from your big BBQ lunch!
Outside of Starchild, wearing "Hug me I'm an alien" tees
In Roswell, most things are located on Main Street. You can find discounts on hotels in a coupon booklet that is available at Denny’s only (200 N. Main St.). I found this out the hard way! But luckily some locals were able to point me in the right direction! We’re talking up to half off, so it’s worth grabbing a copy.
You’ll want to stop and gawk and the weirdest Walmart in the world – it’s alien-themed of course! Worth a photo op. So’s the McDonalds, which has an indoor playground to get out some of the kid’s energy if need be. (Check out some photos of Roswell HERE.)
I have to recommend eating at Portofino’s (701 S. Main St., Roswell, NM). It doesn’t look like much from the outside but WOW! I was so impressed by this local joint. Decent prices, high quality food, quick friendly service. A MUST visit! I got the pasta primavera and my husband got the lobster raviolli. Both were great! The bread they serve as a free apetizer is also fantastic. I wish this place was in my hometown! Its a great as some of the good italian restaurants we visited every week when we lived in Chicago!
My fav spot in town to pick up souvenirs is Starchild (108 W. 1st St., Roswell, NM), which was the first alien-themed gift store in town. They have THE cutest kids shirts for about $8. Much cheaper prices on kids tees than other stores in town too! (For more info, go HERE.)
Day 2: Roswell, NM to San Antonio, TX (Click HERE)
Out West Road Trip 