ULTIMATE SOUTHWEST

 

GUIDE *

 
 
 

 

 L.A. > 29 PALMS > FLAGSTAFF > MONUMENT VALLEY > SANTA FE > TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES > MARFA

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DAY 1: L.A. TO 29 PALMS ↓

While we love Pioneertown and Joshua Tree (we used to live in Pioneertown, ask us about it someday!) we recommend driving past the crowds to a place a bit more mellow and under the radar in the beautiful Mohave: 29 Palms

DRIVING TIME

2 1/2 hours

STAY

29 Palms Inn

29 Palms Inn is a true oasis in the desert. Remodeled multi-colored adobes and cottages dot the 70 acre landscape, lush with vibrant desert scrub, palm trees, and the Oasis of Mara at the center of it all.

EAT & DRINK

29 Palms Inn boasts an organic farm that supplies the restaurant with it’s produce, and dinner and a cocktail by the pool can’t be beat, but for those of you who want to wander outside of this oasis, there are a few other local spots:

Palms Restaurant & Bar

Burgers, margaritas, and all the other perfect desert weirdness you’d expect from a place in the middle of Wonder Valley

Campbell Hill Bakery

Great coffee and pastries to load up on before you continue your adventures out of town.

Out There Bar

A new bar opened by some great folks. Expect excellent tunes, good drinks, and friendly faces.

SEE

Joshua Tree National Park

That’s right, there’s an entire other entrance over here, and we may be biased, but it’s the best entrance by far, with way less traffic.

Sky’s The Limit Observatory

A meditation garden, solar calendar, telescope lab, and prime stargazing opportunities can be found on the observatory campus.

SHOP

White Label Vinyl

Awesome record store with a great selection of new & used vinyl.

Habitat

Home goods store with a good selection of desert themed home decor and furniture.

Raven’s Book Shoppe

The best used bookstore in the Mohave! If your’e lucky you may meet the shoppe bunny who often can be found hopping around the store.

 
 
 
 

DAY 2: 29 PALMS TO FLAGSTAFF ↓

Usually overshadowed by its more popular neighbor city, Sedona, Flagstaff is one of our favorite places to stop in Arizona. The crisp, alpine elevation combined with its friendly residents and great food make it a perfect place to spend the night on a Southwestern journey.

DRIVING TIME

5 hours, 45 minutes without stops

STOP

STAY

The Weatherford

If you’re looking for a fancy (read: bougie) hotel in Flagstaff, you aint’ gonna find it, but if you’re looking for a historic, haunted hotel with a lot of character and possibly some ghost sightings and creaky floors, The Weatherford is the best in town. It’s located right downtown, which makes it convenient for exploring and walking around town. If you’re not into ghosts, there’s a reliable Marriott also located downtown.

EAT & DRINK

Pizzicletta

When we tell people that there is GREAT pizza in the Southwest, people look at us like we don’t know what we’re talking about, but Chris grew up in New York and used to be a chef, so we’ve got at least two pizza knowledge points. Pizzicletta is one of our absolute favorites, and you can’t go wrong with any of their Neapolitan wood fired pies. They also have an excellent wine list and their house made gelato is chef’s kiss

Macy’s European Coffeehouse

Macy’s is everything you want from a coffeeshop/diner: great coffee, an excellent selection of breakfast standards, and amazing pastries. It’s also especially cozy in the wintertime.

Proper Meats & Provisions

Our favorite sandwich shop/butcher shop in town. Local, sustainably raised whole animal butchery and they make a mean sandwich to take on the road for lunch (we love the Italian cold cut sandwich and the vegetarian muffuletta).

SEE

Museum of Northern Arizona

A wonderful museum exploring the history and anthropology of the Colorado Plateau.

Lowell Observatory

Founded in 1894, Lowell Observatory is one of the best observatories in the country with tours of the refractor and Pluto telescope. Also boasts an incredible view overlooking Flagstaff.

 
 
 
 
 
 

DAY 3: FLAGSTAFF TO MONUMENT VALLEY↓

DRIVING TIME

4 1/2 hours without stops

THINGS TO NOTE

Monument Valley is located within Navajo Nation (as is most of this day’s drive) and is part of a sacred tribal park. Please travel with consideration, humbleness, and respect throughout this landscape, and take notice of tribal laws. While you can see the famous Monument Valley mittens from multiple vista points and along the road, a pass is required to enter the tribal park itself, which you can purchase ahead of time here.

STOP

Grand Canyon National Park

STAY

The View Hotel

29 Palms Inn is a true oasis in the desert. Remodeled multi-colored adobes and cottages dot the 70 acre landscape, lush with vibrant desert scrub, palm trees, and the Oasis of Mara at the center of it all.

EAT & DRINK

It’s best to plan ahead for this day’s drive as far as food and snacks, as there are limited options along the route and in Monument Valley/Kayenta. There are a few dining options at The Grand Canyon, but they are incredibly expensive. Stocking up in the morning in Flagstaff is your best bet! Outside of Monument Valley, there are several roadside Navajo Taco stands (which we recommend trying if you’ve never had one before- fry bread is life changing), and there are also a handful of fast food places. Gouldings Lodge also has its own grocery store. Navajo Nation prohibits alcohol, so please keep this in mind when making plans or shopping for groceries.

SEE

Joshua Tree National Park

That’s right, there’s an entire other entrance over here, and we may be biased, but it’s the best entrance by far, with way less traffic.

Sky’s The Limit Observatory

A meditation garden, solar calendar, telescope lab, and prime stargazing opportunities can be found on the observatory campus.

 
 
 
 

DAY 4: MONUMENT VALLEY TO SANTA FE ↓

Santa Fe is our old stomping grounds and also where we met, and while we could write an entire guide dedicated solely to recommendations for this place that is so special to us, for the purposes of this guide, we’re just going to include our top spots that you can easily squeeze into a morning or afternoon before you continue on your journey.

DRIVING TIME

5 hours, 45 minutes

STAY

Inn of The Anasazi

29 Palms Inn is a true oasis in the desert. Remodeled multi-colored adobes and cottages dot the 70 acre landscape, lush with vibrant desert scrub, palm trees, and the Oasis of Mara at the center of it all.

EAT & DRINK

Plaza Cafe

Burgers, margaritas, and all the other perfect desert weirdness you’d expect from a place in the middle of Wonder Valley

The Shed

Great coffee and pastries to load up on before you continue your adventures out of town

Opuntia

A new bar opened by some great folks. Expect excellent tunes, good drinks, and friendly faces.

El Secreto Bar

Cowgirl

True story: Santa Fe local George R.R. Martin once turned Wendy down when she asked him to sing “I’ve Got You Babe” as a duet at Thursday night karaoke. You may see him there, but we don’t recommend approaching him or mentioning Sonny & Cher. This is a real deal locals spot during the weeknights, and they have the best margaritas in town.

SEE

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

That’s right, there’s an entire other entrance over here, and we may be biased, but it’s the best entrance by far, with way less traffic.

Santa Fe National Forest

A meditation garden, solar calendar, telescope lab, and prime stargazing opportunities can be found on the observatory campus.

Turquoise Trail

SHOP

Shiprock

Awesome record store with a great selection of new & used vinyl

Habitat

Home goods store with a good selection of desert themed home decor and furniture

Raven’s Book Shoppe

The best used bookstore in the Mohave! If your’e lucky you may meet the shoppe bunny who often can be found hopping around the store.

 
 
 
 
 
 

DAY 5: SANTA FE TO TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES↓

DRIVING TIME

4 1/2 hours without stops

THINGS TO NOTE

Monument Valley is located within Navajo Nation (as is most of this day’s drive) and is part of a sacred tribal park. Please travel with consideration, humbleness, and respect throughout this landscape, and take notice of tribal laws. While you can see the famous Monument Valley mittens from multiple vista points and along the road, a pass is required to enter the tribal park itself, which you can purchase ahead of time here.

STOP

Grand Canyon National Park

STAY

The View Hotel

29 Palms Inn is a true oasis in the desert. Remodeled multi-colored adobes and cottages dot the 70 acre landscape, lush with vibrant desert scrub, palm trees, and the Oasis of Mara at the center of it all.

EAT & DRINK

It’s best to plan ahead for this day’s drive as far as food and snacks, as there are limited options along the route and in Monument Valley/Kayenta. There are a few dining options at The Grand Canyon, but they are incredibly expensive. Stocking up in the morning in Flagstaff is your best bet! Outside of Monument Valley, there are several roadside Navajo Taco stands (which we recommend trying if you’ve never had one before- fry bread is life changing), and there are also a handful of fast food places. Gouldings Lodge also has its own grocery store. Navajo Nation prohibits alcohol, so please keep this in mind when making plans or shopping for groceries.

SEE

Joshua Tree National Park

That’s right, there’s an entire other entrance over here, and we may be biased, but it’s the best entrance by far, with way less traffic.

Sky’s The Limit Observatory

A meditation garden, solar calendar, telescope lab, and prime stargazing opportunities can be found on the observatory campus.

 
 
 
 
 
 

DAY 6: TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES TO MARFA↓

DRIVING TIME

4 1/2 hours without stops

THINGS TO NOTE

Monument Valley is located within Navajo Nation (as is most of this day’s drive) and is part of a sacred tribal park. Please travel with consideration, humbleness, and respect throughout this landscape, and take notice of tribal laws. While you can see the famous Monument Valley mittens from multiple vista points and along the road, a pass is required to enter the tribal park itself, which you can purchase ahead of time here.

STOP

Grand Canyon National Park

STAY

The View Hotel

29 Palms Inn is a true oasis in the desert. Remodeled multi-colored adobes and cottages dot the 70 acre landscape, lush with vibrant desert scrub, palm trees, and the Oasis of Mara at the center of it all.

EAT & DRINK

It’s best to plan ahead for this day’s drive as far as food and snacks, as there are limited options along the route and in Monument Valley/Kayenta. There are a few dining options at The Grand Canyon, but they are incredibly expensive. Stocking up in the morning in Flagstaff is your best bet! Outside of Monument Valley, there are several roadside Navajo Taco stands (which we recommend trying if you’ve never had one before- fry bread is life changing), and there are also a handful of fast food places. Gouldings Lodge also has its own grocery store. Navajo Nation prohibits alcohol, so please keep this in mind when making plans or shopping for groceries.

SEE

Joshua Tree National Park

That’s right, there’s an entire other entrance over here, and we may be biased, but it’s the best entrance by far, with way less traffic.

Sky’s The Limit Observatory

A meditation garden, solar calendar, telescope lab, and prime stargazing opportunities can be found on the observatory campus.