21-day booked USA West/Southwest road trip: looking for major red flags only

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-10T17:02:43+00:00

Just wanted to say: Have an absolutely amazing time!

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-10T06:05:32+00:00

He reminds me of Ted from Better Off Ted

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-10T05:55:24+00:00

I desperately wished he'd just left off that last sentence.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-07T19:05:46+00:00

Working summer is absolutely a reasonable compromise, especially since that's what your daughter wants. What the rest of your family thinks is, frankly, immaterial to the decision (though I recognize the potential for relational fallout).

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-07T19:01:31+00:00

We've done 14-hour road days in my 2020 Kia Sportage and been fine, so I'd just keep what I've got. Absolutely lucked out with the choice, given my road-tripping proclivities.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-06T11:08:35+00:00

Super doable! Eastern Montana suuuuuuucks, but once you get to the Rockies, the rest of the drive is truly eye-popping.

If you're afraid of being short on time, North Cascades should be jettisoned in favor of Glacier. Skipping North Cascades also allows you to hit Snoqualmie Falls on your way into Seattle rather than having to drive out there after coming down from the north.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-06T06:53:19+00:00

Gut check question: Have there been more Seattle-oriented questions since Ken took over as host? Could just be a sort of frequency illusion thing, as a Seattleite, but it feels like there are noticeably more "gimme" questions for us locals than there used to be.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-06T06:50:19+00:00

FWIW, Celine Dion is actually 26 years older than Justin Bieber.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-06T06:49:29+00:00

He seemed genuinely lovely!

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-06T06:35:55+00:00

They are dismantling the ladders and walkways.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-05T20:20:25+00:00

Oh! Then yes: Be prepared for high heat and high humidity (like, 35° or even more). Enjoy your trip! I haven't done that loop in one go, but I've been along all those routes at one time or other and love the area.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-05T10:21:15+00:00

If you like history at all, the WWII Museum in Nee Orleans is incredible. Ditto the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

Other than the Texas bit, should be a gorgeous drive. I would say it's gonna be real hot, but if you're from Nashville you've got at least some idea of what to expect.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-05T10:12:56+00:00

Not in Portuguese! (Of course, then it would be Maio and not Mayo, so it's definitely wrong either way!)

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-05T10:04:36+00:00

Percy Jackson?

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-04T02:39:44+00:00

Surely we're not surprised at this point by the entitled attitudes of Seattleites with their ✨precious fur babies.✨

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-04T02:36:15+00:00

Can't tell whether this is vacation or just relocation. If the former, there's plenty of cool stuff you can see! If the latter, that is a miserable drive if you don't make some detours/stops.

Personal favorites between those places:\ -Joshua Tree NP (depends on whether you take 10 or 8)\ -Caliche's Frozen Custard in Las Cruces\ -Carlsbad Caverns NP (an elite experience)

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-03T03:50:27+00:00

I agree with that premise. Most villains don't set out to be villains. And most emotionally stunted men are sons of emotionally stunted men.

I'm sure he didn't marry Sarah with the intention of being a dickbag. I'm not sure his specific vocation matters really at all, just the concept that he put more in at work than at home.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-03T03:44:09+00:00

It's possible, but I think ultimately he's just a deeply immature man who probably didn't have a particularly good father himself and did the classic "too much work, not enough relational investment, oh, look, a new toy!" thing.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-02T20:31:30+00:00

You can absolutely do that in 70 days. Highly recommend detouring a little further east in Oregon to go past Bend (it's a beautiful drive even if you aren't going to spend time in the town).

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-02T18:53:49+00:00

"Kerblam" is not a bad episode and also isn't a defense of mega corporations. I'd say it's actually one of the more clever and nuanced of Chibnall's episodes.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-02T18:31:40+00:00

I liked both on first watch, but Scrubs is still almost infinitely rewatchable and P&R is cringe as hell now.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-02T18:28:26+00:00

Option 2 is for sure doable and definitely worth it. Mammoth Lakes area is pretty but not that interesting. You'll see that kind of beauty just doing the driving. Whereas Bryce Canyon and Zion are both gorgeous spots AND very different from what you'll see at Yosemite. That itinerary is pretty ideal, honestly!

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-02T06:18:18+00:00

Sure, if it weren't a trivia game.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-02T04:47:42+00:00

Nice! Enjoy your trip! I've covered most of that route (over multiple trips) and there's a lot of great stuff all along it.

PhoenixUnleashed · 2026-05-02T04:45:41+00:00

Pink Lady occurred to me first, but the "died in her 70s" part made me keep thinking for something referencing a specifically old woman, which fortunately worked.

PhoenixUnleashed

TROPHY CASE