Dallas to Grand Canyon Road Trip

Ford provided the vehicle driven on this Dallas to Grand Canyon road trip.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve always wanted to see the Grand Canyon and when we decided to make the Dallas to Grand Canyon road trip this summer, my goal was to make the road trip part of the adventure.  Driving endlessly to reach a destination only to see it and turn around and drive back isn’t much fun and definitely isn’t relaxing.  This road trip was designed to have no more than about six and a half hours of driving a day {a number of days have less} and include a fun destination and activity each day, some of them a bit on the quirky side, and many including some outdoor time … and who doesn’t want to be outside after hours in the car?  At the end of this epic road trip, although we had covered over 2500 miles and were ready to get home, we had no regrets, loved the route we chose, and created amazing memories.  If you’re planning a similar road trip, check out our route and quirky roadside stops.

{This post contains the highlights of the road trip but I’ll be sharing individual posts about Albuquerque, the Grand Canyon, White Sands National Monument, and Palo Duro Canyon in future posts along with a post all about road trip tips and tricks that we learned along the way.}

Dallas to Grand Canyon Road Trip

{Note: mileage and drive times were based on google maps and our experience but may be altered due to construction, traffic, or other re-routing}

Day One :: Dallas, Texas to Amarillo, Texas

{364 miles, 5 hours and 16 minutes}

We left Dallas mid-morning on day one of our trip, after the delivery of a 2019 Ford Edge ST AWD.  We threw everything in the car, buckled up, pressed play on our vacation playlist, and hit the road.  The Ford Edge was part of what made our road trip so successful and I’ll tell you all about that further down in this post.

Because of the timing of our drive, we stopped for lunch along the way but otherwise, this leg of the trip is really manageable with minimal stops, depending on the age of your group.

We ate at a chain restaurant the first night because many local restaurants were closed {it was a Monday} and stayed at an AirBnB.  For more information on hotels versus AirBnB stays, check out the road trip tips and tricks post.

As quirky as it is, we’ve always wanted to go to Cadillac Ranch, a public art installation and sculpture made up of ten Cadillacs half-buried in the ground, to see and spray paint the cars.  We stopped in after our drive, wandered around {be prepared for possible mud and puddles if there’s been any recent rain}, left our mark with spray paint {we brought our own spray paint but there were half-used cans everywhere}, and took a pile of photos.

After dinner, we also stopped to see Ozymandias on the Plains, a sculpture of gigantic legs standing in the field.  This sculpture is not accessible for public painting although that hasn’t stopped the vandalism over the years.  While we were there, the legs were covered in a pile of spray paint and at various times, they’ve even been painted to look like they’re wearing sports socks.

Day Two :: Amarillo, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico

{289 miles, 4 hours and 16 minutes}

We left fairly early on day two, had donuts at Donut Stop {a chain throughout Amarillo} and drove to Albuquerque where we drove along the Musical Highway on our way to the Sandia Peak Tramway.

The Musical Highway is so fun and definitely not to be missed.  While it lasts for just seconds, driving over a highway at 45 miles per hour while your tires play America the Beautiful is awesome.  Be sure to roll down the windows, get the phones ready to record, and listen well. 

We stopped for lunch then drove to the Sandia Peak Tramway where we rode 2.7 miles up the mountain, walked some of the paths at the top, and enjoyed the incredible panoramic view.  Despite warm temperatures at the bottom of the mountain, it was really chilly near the top, so dress appropriately.

{You can read all the details about our time in Albuquerque by reading this post: What to Do in Albuquerque in One Day.}

Day Three :: Albuquerque, New Mexico to the Grand Canyon South Rim

{410 miles, 5 hours and 46 minutes}

On day three, we got up, ate a quick breakfast, and spent a few hours at ABQ BioPark Zoo.  We were able to see all of the zoo in that amount of time and really enjoyed watching the animals in their habitats.  Because it was morning, many of the animals were really active, but we did notice that not all animals were out when the zoo opened so be prepared for a wait on some of them.

We grabbed lunch after the zoo then hit the road for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  When we arrived, we went directly to our hotel to check in.  We stayed right outside the park gates in Grand Canyon Village.  It was expensive but convenient and we loved the hotel and the fact that it had a pool so the kids could get some exercise and wear off some energy.

After eating dinner in Grand Canyon Village {I found the restaurant choices to be somewhat limited and fairly expensive, even for fast food, but that’s to be expected in a tourist area}, we drove into the national park and got our first peek at the Grand Canyon.  I may have cried {wink}.  It was remarkable and we had that feeling of awe the entire time we were there.

We watched the sunset from Mather Point {right near the Visitor’s Center by the primary parking lot}, watched the elk wander around, then crashed for the night at our hotel.

{I’ll be sharing a full post about tips and tricks for visiting the Grand Canyon in another post so check back!}

Day Four :: the Grand Canyon South Rim to Holbrook, Arizona

{178 miles, 2 hours and 31 minutes}

We got up at the crack of dawn on day four so we could watch the sun rise over the Grand Canyon.  We drove back to the park and watched the sun rise from Mather Point, the same place we had watched it set.  I’ve read that there are other points further along that have better viewing but that would have meant getting up even earlier and a four o’clock wake up time was early enough for my bunch.  If you plan to get up to watch the sunrise, be sure to check the predicted temperatures.  While it was beautiful once the sun was up, it was super chilly and windy beforehand, and we were thankful for long pants, jackets, and blankets.

After the sun rise, we had to wait a short time until the cafe {in the bike rental place near the Visitor’s Center} opened.  We grabbed breakfast {there’s no place to eat inside the cafe so we ate in our car to keep warm} then started wandering the South Rim. 

There are free shuttles that run all along the rim and maps that will help you figure out which one you want to get on.  They run very regularly and stop in all the best spots.  We walked miles on paths along the rim {all well marked with mileage so you know what you’re getting into} and caught shuttles at various points to take us further.  If you’re able, I would highly recommend walking the rim as much as possible.  Some of the most amazing views were seen along those trails.  However, if you’re unable to walk, you’ll still obviously see spectacular sights at the main observation points.

We spent about eight hours at the Grand Canyon that day and really felt like we saw the entire South Rim.  If you’re planning long hikes or other tours, you’ll obviously need more time.  Besides breakfast, we also didn’t eat at the Grand Canyon.  We did grab a snack at the snack bar at Hermits Rest but that was it.

We left mid to late afternoon, stopped at MartAnne’s Burrito Palace in Flagstaff to have something to eat {a really fun, quirky restaurant with delicious food} then drove on to Holbrook for the night.

Our reason for stopping in Holbrook was to stay in the Wigwam Motel, a concrete teepee village made famous by many different movies, including Cars {it’s called the Crazy Cone Motel in Cars}.  While the motel is not at all fancy {it’s like being at summer camp}, the novelty of staying in a wigwam was really fun.  Complete with vintage cars parked in front of the structures, it really felt like we had stepped back in time.

Unfortunately, the rest of Holbrook is not enjoying the same fame as the hotel and we found very little to do there.  We saw some recommendations of a restaurant online but nothing had rave reviews and the highlight of Holbrook remained the Wigwam motel.

Day Five :: Holbrook, Arizona to White Sands National Monument and Las Cruces, New Mexico

{385 miles, 5 hours and 59 minutes to White Sands National Monument plus 52 miles, 53 minutes to Las Cruces}

We woke up on day five and headed toward White Sands National Monument.  On the way, we randomly ran across my dream spot {wink} in Springerville, Arizona: a fabulous antique and coffee shop {the most winning combination ever!} called Junk & Java.  It was full of beautiful treasures and I loved wandering through the rooms.  If you love coffee and/or vintage treasures, it’s definitely worth a stop.

After that not-so-quick stop, we drove straight to White Sands National Monument, an area with wave-like dunes of gypsum sand that covers 275 square miles of desert, creating the world’s largest gypsum dunefield.  As you drive in, the dunes are small and covered with greenery but the further you go, the higher the dunes get and the less greenery you see.  It’s incredible!  We wandered along a boardwalk but the highlight was sledding down the dunes!  We brought our own sleds but you can also buy them in the gift shop along with wax to wax the bottom of the sled.  The best sledding happens on the high, steep dunes, so be prepared to trek across the sand to get to those.  It’s worth it!  We had so many laughs {and wipeouts} sledding down!

Alamogordo is the closest place to stay overnight near the monument but we drove to Las Cruces and we were so glad we did!  I randomly chose Las Cruces on the map, having known nothing about it, and it turned out to be a gem.  With jagged mountain peaks in the distance, lots of local and chain restaurants, and piles of hotels, it’s a great place to stay!  I haven’t mentioned specific hotels or AirBnB’s in this post but we stayed overnight at a Hilton Garden Inn on Don Roser Drive in Las Cruces and it bears mentioning.  It was a vacation highlight, especially coming at the end of our trip when we were tired {and had spent the previous night in a wigwam}.  With a gorgeous pool, fresh cookies waiting in the lobby along with dispensers of lemon water, it felt much more luxurious than some of our other accommodations and we loved it!

There are piles of restaurants in Las Cruces but we ate at Chala’s Wood Fire Grill and the food was fantastic.  We sat on the outdoor patio under string lights and a beautiful New Mexico sunset and it was the perfect ending to the day.

{You can read all the details about our time at the White Sands National Monument by reading this post: White Sands National Monument (What You Need to Know).}

Day Six :: Las Cruces, New Mexico to Palo Duro Canyon/Amarillo, Texas

{417 miles, 6 hours and 29 minutes}

Day six brought a somewhat long drive from Las Cruces to Palo Duro Canyon with a night in Amarillo but first, we made a stop at McGinn’s PistachioLand in Alamogordo to see the world’s largest pistachio, check out pistachio trees, and enjoy the best pistachio ice cream {blended with almonds} that I’ve ever had.

We also made a quick lunch stop in Roswell, famous for the alleged UFO incident, just to claim we had been there {it’s a good almost-halfway point between Las Cruces and Amarillo}.

It might feel a bit anticlimactic to visit Palo Duro Canyon after the Grand Canyon but Palo Duro is definitely a sight to see.  It’s incredibly wide and long but is much more shallow than the Grand Canyon.  This lessens the impact a bit but also means you can drive down into it which is kind of fun.  We wandered a bit, took lots of photos, saw a longhorn grazing in the field {the most Texas thing ever}, and really enjoyed the scenery.

That night we ate at Coyote Bluff Cafe, a pretty famous joint in Amarillo.  It’s a tiny, kitschy, hole in the wall, but the burgers were great, and the environment was a lot of fun!

Day Seven :: Amarillo, Texas to Dallas, Texas

{364 miles, 5 hours and 16 minutes}

We left Amarillo on day seven, grabbed coffee at Urbana Coffee Works, and headed home, making a stop at a roadside stand for fresh fruit, and a quick stop for lunch.

And that’s it!  It really was an epic, super fun road trip.  I’d love to hear if you take this route or just grab some of the ideas for stops along your own route.  

2019 Ford Edge ST

I was really fortunate to partner with Ford and drive a 2019 Ford Edge ST AWD on this road trip.  I was initially a little worried about the size because three of my kids would be side by side in the back seat but it ended up being fantastic!  Even with three across, the back seat had plenty of room, the vehicle had lots of leg room {even for my super tall teen son}, and the cargo space was more than ample.

Much of this road trip wound through Route 66 which meant some great photo opportunities and we took advantage.  After all, a car that looks this good with its pretty white platinum paint and black painted mesh grille should be photographed!

A lot of our trip also took us up and down through hills and mountains and the car handled like a dream.  It had amazing power and drove so smoothly, whether on regular highways, dirt roads, or sand-covered roads in the White Sands National Monument.  And with excellent fuel economy, we were able to travel long distances without filling up.

The kids loved the reclining back seats and FordPass Connect which allowed them to have 4G WiFi on the trip!  Being able to watch movies, play games, and connect with friends made even the long driving days fly by.  A wireless charging pad and USB ports also meant our devices stayed charged during the trip.

We used both the heated seats and the cooled front seats during our trip, experiencing a range of temperatures at various altitudes, and we drove through high winds and some rain.  The rain-sensing wipers and wiper-activated headlamps made it so easy to concentrate on driving rather than worrying about turning on wipers and headlights.

My favorite part of driving the Ford Edge on this trip were the intuitive, driver-assist features the car has.  I drove most of the trip in cruise control and the car would automatically slow any time someone in front of us was moving slower or pulled out in front then accelerate again when everyone was back to speed.  That, combined with the lane-keeping system and blind spot information made driving a breeze, even on crazy turns through mountain roads.

I didn’t want to give it back at the end of our trip and it’s on my list of cars I want.  If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, the Ford Edge ST AWD is one to check out!