Flying to Vegas in a couple weeks to help a buddy drive a couple cars home.

Honestly, I have zero interest in Vegas and we’ll be pulling out the morning after I arrive, but I will check out the town the afternoon and evening of my arrival. That should be enough.

What I’m looking for is suggestions on good places to stop on the way back. We’ll have the hammer down but if there’s something good we’ll make time for it. We already have plans to take a side trip to Sedona and stop at a steak place in Amarillo. Otherwise, it’ll be a straight run through OK and St. Louis to Chicago to pick up another car, then home through Port Huron, Michigan.

So, any suggestions of interesting stuff along that route would be appreciated.

Check the newspaper in St Louis to see if any riots are scheduled. They can be entertaining.

Yes, go hiking out in the dry terrible desert.

Maybe you could spot a lizard or a dumb ass bush.

Just remember, what happens in Vegas…..


turned 13 last month!

LOL!

Headed to the Big Texan are ya? You gonna do the 72oz steak?

Well, if you're turning South to go to Sedona and TX, you'll go over the "new" bridge and bypass the Dam. Newish overlook on the AZ side.

Sunset Crater near Flasgstaff, Walnut Canyon ruins, Petrified Forest as you get to New Mexico border area.

We had some decent Mexican food in El Reno OK.

After that, you're on your own!

Oh, cars usually go South from LV to Mexico, not North to Canukia. Your buddy moving back?

Well lets see...

Everyone needs to hit Death Valley in August at least once.
There is the Grand Canyon, I prefer the North Rim; higher elevation and cooler in August.
If you head to the North Rim you will be going right through Zion Natl. Park, worth seeing but crowded.
Wupatki Natl. Monument and Sunset Crater Natl. Monument (I see Geno mentioned that) are worth the short side trips heading south to Flagstaff.
Sedona is a circus, but lots of great red rock country surrounding it to see.

West side lilos in Seligman for breakfast/lunch (chicken fried steak). Grand canyon. Dam is cool to look at but won't see much off the new highway bridge, have to make a small detour to see it. Not sure if they are letting people drive over it. Have to check and see.

Could always take a Pink Jeep Tour, eh?

Meteor crater east of Flag about 37 miles?

Worth the short detour.

He bought two condos back in 2010 during the crunch. Sold one a couple years ago, the other last year. Made good coin on both.

He’s picking up the Mercedes he had down there, and another he’s had the engine rebuilt just north of Chicago. The 2nd is running 900bhp.

I figure it’s a cheap holiday where I get to see a part of the US I’ve never been.



Yeah, he figures I can eat it. I’ll try it, just to say I did.

Thanks for all the good suggestions. Keep ‘em coming!

Sunset Crater is volcanic. Is there a meteor crater too?

And speaks Spanglish

Ya betcha. 37 miles east of Flag on I-40.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_Crater

Just looked up sunset crater and jogged my memory. When we were there during spring break a few years ago, we hit that cinder cone too. Very cool.

I'm old, and forgetful too.

Probably have them mixed up.

I do that sometimes, but I'm not ready for the glue works yet.

I like Bullhead/Laughlin, the pawn shops are usually loaded with stuff the gamblers gave up to finance the casinos. Vegas for the most part is horrible to me. The wife and i did enjoy Freemont Street. I-40 from Kingman to Williams is rougher than a cob, a poor excuse for a paved road. The Museum Club in Flag can be fun, or not. Sedona-Jerome-Cottonwood then to whiskey row in Prescott:). Really a lot of interesting stops to be made, just depends on how long you plan to mosey around. I have always disliked fast trips, you get ideas about what to do and see but never have the time to actually do. You promise yourself that you will be back, but it never happens......

Really zero interest in Vegas. He and his wife are leaving a week earlier so he can throw some of his money away. No interest in hookers (particularly since his wife is Slavyanka’s best friend). I would like to look at some pawn shops and some of the other places mentioned will be good, so long as it’s not a huge detour.

No reason to gamble, but there are some pretty KEWL hoteIs on the strip.
Shows the way it used to be when developers apparently said 'cost was not a problem, just build it'!
Is there a reason to drop clear down to 40 (Amarillo) rather across on 70?
Just the steak place?

I have not checked, but it seems like extra miles/hours on the road?

One of the worst “Steak Houses” in TX.

Sunset crater (cinder cone volcano) is just 15 miles N of Flag, and meteor crater is 37 miles east of Flag. Close and easy to get to.

The meteor was 300,000 tons moving 24,000 mph!

Well worth the time, IMO.

I'll have to check it out next time I head south.

Agreed.

They serve a tough roast, and call it "steak"...

Nothing but a novelty roadside attraction. But I reckon it's paid off well for them.

Wonder if they still have the once a year steak eating contest? Knew a guy from my home town who won it in the '70's after eating 12 ribeye's. Most people drop out after 3 or 4 steaks. The rules were simple: Who ever eats the most steaks without barfing, wins.

H Upmann and an 18 yr old Macallan at the Montecristo cigar bar, Caesar’s Resort

Damn. 51 bucks for a 1.5 ounce pour for that Scotch Whisky, there.

Yeah, found out when I got the bill. Spendy place.

Dang, if you are driving south across the dam to I 40, you are going to miss Barstow, CA - a strange jewel of the west.

Not much to see across I 40 in AZ except nice high desert country and then higher, until you get to those craters near Flag (Grand Canyon is an hour of driving north from Williams, AZ). Sedona has some lovely natural features, but is a major tourist trap. Palo Duro Canyon in W. TX is interesting. There was a very good steakhouse in Amarillo in the 60s and early 70s (on Amarillo Blvd. before the freeway through town was built) but I think it is gone. After that - OK, MO, IL, etc. and I have no reccs for those.