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If traveling from Springfield to Los Angeles, I recommend the following plans.
Plan A. Four Day leisurely drive with scenic stops on I-40.Day 1. Leave Springfield at 9:00 a.m. Stop in Saint Louis for an hour around 11:00 a.m., continuing on at noon. Stop in Springfield, Missouri for an hour break around 3:30 p.m. Continue on around 4:30 p.m. Arrive in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 7:30 p.m. Spend the night there. Day 2. If itÕs not a Monday, visit either the Gilcrease Museum of the Americas or else the Philbrook Museum of Art from 10:00 a.m. to noon, and then depart Tulsa. Stop for a 30 minute break in Weatherford, Oklahoma, which should be reached by 2:45, and can be departed by 3:15 p.m. Stop for dinner in Shamrock, Texas around 5:00 p.m. Depart at 6:00 p.m. Arrive in Santa Rosa, New Mexico for the second night. You should arrive to check into a hotel by 10:30 p.m., which would be 9:30 p.m. by Mountain time zone. Day 3. Depart Santa Rosa after breakfast, around 9:00 a.m. (Mountain time, or 10:00 a.m. Central time) and head west toward Albuquerque. Drive through Albuquerque. Stop in Gallup, NM for gas and lunch around 1:00 p.m. (Mountain time). Continue west toward Arizona around 2:00 p.m. Around 2:10 p.m. exit the Interstate-40 Freeway to drive through the Petrified Forest National Park. ItÕs a 45 mile drive to Holbrook through the Petrified Forest, but with frequent stops for hikes and a very slow drive, it should take nearly three hours, and Holbrook will be reached around 5:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Stop in Flagstaff for Dinner around 6:30 p.m. Depart Flagstaff at 7:30 p.m. Arrive in Laughlin, NV at 10:30 p.m. [Mountain Time, but 9:30 Pacific Time), and check into a motel such as the Tropicana Express or the Golden Nugget Laughlin. Day 4. Depart Laughlin, NV at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time (9:00 a.m. Pacific Time). This allows an arrival in the Los Angeles area around 2:00 p.m., before the afternoon rush hour. Possibly stop in Victorville, California before descending the Cajon Pass, for a lunch around 12:30, but donÕt hang around in Victorville past 1:30 p.m., as a later departure risks an encounter with afternoon rush hour traffic in Los Angeles.
Plan A-2. The four-day drive back to Springfield.Day one. Depart Los Angeles at 10:00 a.m., after rush hour. Arrive in Needles around 2:00 p.m. (Pacific time, but 3:00 p.m. Mountain time). Have a late lunch there, and get back on the road at 3:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. Mountain time). Stop for the night in Grand Canyon Village, Arizona, arriving there around 8:00 p.m. (Mountain time). Day two. Spend the morning looking at the Grand Canyon. Leave the National Park around 11:00 a.m., and get to Flagstaff before 1:00 p.m. Have lunch in Flagstaff, and depart around 2:00 p.m. Around 3:00 get off I-40 and take Meteor Crater Road to the Meteor Crater before getting to Winslow, Arizona. This is a 90 minute diversion. Finish seeing the Meteor Crater around 4:30, and continue east. Arrive in Albuquerque around 9:00 p.m., and spend the night there. Day three. Morning to see something in Albuquerque. Depart Albuquerque after lunch, around 12:30 p.m. Stop in Amarillo, Texas for gas around 6:00 p.m. (Central time, as itÕs still only 5:00 p.m. Mountain time). Get back on the road by 6:30 p.m. Stop in Shamrock, Texas for dinner around 8:00 p.m. (Central time). Depart around 9:00 p.m. Stop for the night in Weatherford, Oklahoma, arriving there at 10:45 p.m. (Central time, which is like 9:45 p.m. Mountain time). Day four. Depart Weatherford at 9:15 a.m. Stop in Oklahoma City to see something, arriving there around 10:30 a.m. Depart Oklahoma City after lunch, around 12:30 p.m. Stop in Springfield, Missouri for about 30 minutes around 4:00 p.m., and continue on at 4:30 p.m. Stop in Saint Louis for an hour, from 8:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Get back on the road to Springfield around 9:00 p.m. Arrive in Springfield around 11:00 p.m.
Plan B. Five Day leisurely drive with scenic stops on I-70.Day 1. Leave Springfield at 9:00 a.m. Head for Hannibal, MO. Drive through Hannibal and continue west on US-36 to Macon, Missouri. Arrive in Macon, Missouri at about noon, and take lunch there. Depart at 1:00 p.m. to continue west on US-36. At about 2:45 reach Cameron, Missouri, and head south on I-35 rather than continuing west on US-36. At about 4:15 p.m. reach Lawrence Kansas, and perhaps stop for gas. Depart at 4:30 p.m. and continue west. At 6:30 p.m. arrive in Abilene, Kansas, and stop there for the night. Day 2. Spend a couple hours in the morning at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Museum and Library, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., or else visit the Seelye Mansion in Abilene. After seeing the mansion or Presidential Library, pick up stuff or a picnic lunch and drive north. Arrive at Rock City near Minneapolis, KS around noon. Have a picnic lunch there, and play around the strange round boulders for an hour or so. 1:00 p.m., leave Rock City and head toward Hays, Kansas. Possibly stop for gas in Hays around 3:00 p.m., departing to continue west around 3:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. (Mountain time, as itÕs actually 6:30 in Central time) stop in Burlington, Colorado for dinner. Continue on around 6:30 p.m. (which is 7:30 in Central time). Arrive in Denver shortly after 9:00 p.m., and stop there for the night. Day 3. Spend the morning visiting one of DenverÕs attractions, and depart Denver around 11:00 a.m., heading west on I-70. Stop at Glenwood Springs at about 3:00 p.m. Swim in the hot springs there for a couple hours, and have dinner around 5:00 p.m., and then depart Glenwood Hot Springs around 6:30 p.m. Around 8:00 p.m. arrive in Fruita (near Grand Junction) Colorado. Spend the night there. Day 4. See museum in Fruita or Grand Junction in the morning, and depart Fruita around 11:30 a.m. Stop in Green River, Utah for a lunch around 1:00 p.m., and depart at 2:00 p.m. Stop in Richfield, Utah for gas around 4:00 p.m. Depart at 4:20 p.m. Arrive in Las Vegas, NV at 8:00 p.m. (itÕs actually 9:00 p.m. Mountain time, but Las Vegas is on Pacific time, so itÕs an hour earlier). Spend the night in Las Vegas. Day 5. Depart Las Vegas around 10:00 a.m. to arrive in Las Angeles around 2:30 p.m., so as to avoid traffic. It is okay to stop for a short lunch in Barstow, California around 12:30, but donÕt stay more than 30 minutes there, and get back on the interstate freeway toward Los Angeles by 1:00 to avoid the rush hour, which will catch you if you reach Las Angeles much after 3:00 p.m.
Plan B-2. The five-day drive back to Springfield on I-70.Day one. Depart Los Angeles at 10:00 a.m., after rush hour. Get to Las Vegas around 2:30 p.m. (Pacific time). Stay there for the first night. Day two. Depart Las Vegas at 10:00 a.m., after a good breakfast. Arrive in Zion National Park at 2:00 p.m. (Mountain time, but only 1:00 p.m. Pacific time). Spend a few hours in Zion National Park, and leave at 5:00 p.m., taking US-89 north. Stop for dinner in Circleville, Utah, or nearby, around 7:00 p.m. Get gas as well. Leave at 8:00 p.m. Arrive in Green River, Utah at around 10:45 p.m. (Mountain time), and spend the night there.
Day three. Depart Green River at 9:00 a.m., and drive down to Moab, Utah, and then enter Arches National Park around 10:30 a.m. Spend a few hours driving around and hiking in Arches National Park. Leave there around 2:00 p.m. Be sure to take State Highway 128 to get back to I-70. Arrive in Fruita around 4:00 p.m. Spend an hour at a museum in Fruita or Grand Junction, and then have dinner, leaving around 6:00 p.m. Arrive in Glenwood Springs, Colorado at 7:30 p.m. Check into the Glenwood Springs Lodge, and spend the evening in the hot springs pool. Day four. Depart Glenwood Springs around 10:00 a.m. Arrive in Denver, Colorado around 2:00 p.m. Spend a few hours at a museum or the zoo. Leave Denver around 5:00 p.m., heading east. Stop for dinner in Limon, Colorado around 7:00, but make it a short stop for gas and food, and get back on the road at 7:30 p.m. Stop for the night in Colby, Kansas. Arrive there around 9:45 p.m. (Mountain time still). Day five. Depart Colby, Kansas around 9:00 a.m. (which is 10:00 a.m. Central time). Stop in Topeka, Kansas for an hour to get gas and see the state capitol around 3:00 p.m. (Central time). Depart at 4:00 p.m. Stop in Kansas City at 5:00 for dinner. Stay until 6:10 p.m., and then head north on I-35. Stop in Chillicothe, Missouri around 7:30 p.m. to get some gas. Make a final stop in Hannibal, Missouri around 9:30 p.m. for gas and a snack before crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois. Get back on the road at 10:00 p.m. Arrive in Springfield around 11:40 p.m.
Plan C. 3-day race to Los Angeles without stopping.Day 1: Depart Springfield at 8:00 a.m. Arrive in Rolla, Missouri at 11:30 a.m. Take a 30 minute break to get gas and have a short lunch. Be back on the road by noon. Arrive in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 4:45 p.m., and stop for a 1 hour break to eat dinner and get gas. Get back on the road by 5:45 p.m. Take a break for 30 minutes in Weatherford, Oklahoma around 8:30 p.m. Get back on the road around 9:00 p.m. Stop in Erick, Oklahoma for the night, arriving at 10:15 p.m. Day 2: Depart Erick, Oklahoma at 8:00 a.m. without having breakfast Stop in Shamrock, Texas for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Leave Shamrock at 9:30 a.m. Arrive in Santa Rosa, New Mexico at 2 p.m. (Central time, as it will be 1:00 p.m. Mountain time). Take a 30 minute break to get gas and have a short lunch. Be back on the road by 2:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. Mountain time). Arrive in Gallup, New Mexico at 5:30 p.m. (Mountain time), and stop for a 1 hour break to eat dinner and get gas. Get back on the road by 6:30 p.m. Take a break for 30 minutes in Winslow, Arizona around 8:30 p.m. Get back on the road around 9:00 p.m. Stop in Flagstaff, Arizona for the night, arriving at 10:00 p.m. (Mountain time) Day 3: Depart Flagstaff at 9:00 a.m. Stop for lunch in Needles, California, arriving around 11:30 a.m. (Pacific time, as itÕs 12:30 p.m. in Mountain time), and finishing lunch and continuing west around 12:30 p.m. (Pacific time). Descend the Cajon Pass (I-15) into the Las Angeles Basin around 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), to arrive in Rancho Cucamonga. ItÕs rush hour, but most traffic from Los Angeles will be headed east, so driving into Los Angeles may be feasible at this hour. More likely, one ought to eat dinner in Ontario or Pomona and hang out until 6:00 p.m. or so, and then drive on to Los Angeles after rush hour traffic has diminished.
Plan C-2. The three-day race back to Springfield.Day one. Depart Los Angeles at 10:00 a.m., after rush hour. Arrive in Needles around 2:00 p.m. (Pacific time, but 3:00 p.m. Mountain time). Have a late lunch there, and get back on the road at 3:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. Mountain time). Stop for a 30 minute rest in Flagstaff around 7:30 p.m., but get back on the road after getting gas and some dinner by 8:00 p.m. (weÕre in Pacific time now). Stop for the night in Holbrook, Arizona, arriving there by 9:30 p.m. Day two. Depart Holbrook at 9:00 a.m., after breakfast. Stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico at 1:00 p.m. for lunch. Depart Albuquerque at 2:00 p.m. Stop in Amarillo, Texas at 6:30 p.m. Mountain time (but 7:30 p.m. Central time) for gas and a quick dinner. Get back on the road by 7:00 p.m. (Mountain time, but 8:00 p.m. Central time). Stop for the night in Elk City, Oklahoma, arriving there at 10:30 p.m. (Central time). Day three. Depart Elk City at 9:00 a.m. Stop in Oklahoma City for 90 minutes from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to have lunch, get gas, and see something in the city. Get back on the road at 12:30 p.m. Stop in Springfield, Missouri for about 30 minutes around 4:00 p.m., and continue on at 4:30 p.m. Stop in Saint Louis for an hour, from 8:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Get back on the road to Springfield around 9:00 p.m. Arrive in Springfield around 11:00 p.m.
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