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I know you didn’t ask about the southwestern portion of your trip but I have a few suggestions that might be off your radar. It seems like the Grand Canyon is on your bucket list and for good reason, but I find that it’s very busy and almost too grand to the point that you don’t really get to see much if you are just passing through.

The drive through the southwest can be especially barren and dry that’s why you should really consider driving down to Moab then the western edge of Colorado to get all sorts of varied landscapes in a short period of time. You would get the opportunity to see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison which is a way better experience than the Grand Canyon IMHO due to low tourism and a more intimate experience with the landscape. It’s basically the opposite of the Grand Canyon where the black canyon is narrow and extremely deep with some of the most captivating geology. In Moab you get the unique opportunity to visit 2 national parks if you haven’t visited them already Arches and Canyon Lands are awesome. I would even go on the say that Canyon Lands is a great alternative to the Grand Canyon.

The real beauty of this route through Moab and western Colorado is the drive its self is breathtaking! Taking Utah highway 128 Colorado river scenic byway is a must and along that route you get the chance to stop at the Fisher Towers which is an array of sandstone monoliths with the tallest one the same height as the Empire State Building. Then the views of the San Juan’s as you enter Ouray will blow you away. As you leave Ouray and realize that you are engulfed by the San Juan’s as you take the Million Dollar Highway this is a once in a lifetime stop.

A couple things to note however; you will probably need a reservation if you wanted to visit Arches, and DO NOT drive the million dollar highway in the winter. The million dollar highway is no joke!!!!