Cross-Country Road Trip: Things to see?

So the wife and I decided to take a cross country road trip over Christmas Break.
Were going to drive Interstate 40, from California to Memphis, TN.
Here's what we have planned so far...if you think I need to add stuff, please suggest it!

Day1:
Modesto, CA to Williams, AZ.
Day2:
Williams, AZ to Albuquerque, NM.
-visiting Grand Canyon
-visiting Petrified Forest
-visiting Albuquerque Casinos :evillaugh
Day3:
Albuquerque, NM to Oklahoma City, OK.
-visiting Sandia Peak Tramway
-visiting Old Town Albuquerque
-visiting Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo, TX.
Day4:
Oklahoma City, OK to Tunica, MS.
-??? Anything off I40 in Arkansas?
Day5:
Tunica, MS to Oklahoma City, OK.
-visiting Tunica Casinos
-visiting Graceland
-visiting Beale Street / Memphis Area

The rest will be the trip in Reverse, coming home, except instead of Williams, AZ, were staying in Laughlin, NV, and visiting Hoover Dam.

Anything else I need to add??
Thanks!

 

See the big meteor crater in there somewhere.

LOL, is this the one where they have that huge steak which is free if you eat it in a certain time?

 

Visit the Cadillac ranch in TX and spray the VMB on there for us!

 

You ditching the Meetup?

https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?113210-December-VMB-Meetup!-12-27-2014-at-MainStreet-Station!

 

as long as the weather holds out, then yeah...cant pass up the opportunity for a trip like this...Been to Vegas more times than I can count.

 

More time.

That's a bit of a tall order and you are going to be "seeing" many of these attractions essentially through the window of a moving car. Sure, without weather, Williams to Albuquerque, for instance, is only five hours, and for we Californians a five-hour drive is simply a warm up. But if you plan to actually stop and experience, sightsee, with the shortest daylight part of the year added in, it seems to me more of a slug than a vacation getaway.

Not a slam. Just not how we choose to travel. (And we did this kinda stuff all the times as kids. Go Nova wagon and the cross-country jaunt!)

A few of the things I'd suggest detouring for or seeing will add time and might be weather-affected, but: Museum of Northern Arizona, in Flag; Acoma pueblo, Canyon de Chelly, Wupatki, Walnut Canyon, the obligatory "standing on the corner" photo op in Winslow, Range Cafe in Bernalillo, eat Christmas chile at the counter at Duran Central Pharmacy. (Between the Sandia Mountains and the gulf coast, I'm an airborne guy.)

Safe travels! Check that weather report closely.

 

Don't miss Sun Studio in Memphis. If Graceland is up your alley, Sun won't disappoint.

 

In Memphis, PIG on Beale, Central BBQ and Randevous are all good. Rendevous is the touristy one but tasty while Central is a local favorite. Gus's Fried Chicken is damn good too especially if you like soul food sides like greens and okra.

Along I-40 in ar-Kansas....there's little Rock and the Bill Clinton Presidential Library which looks like a double wide trailer. Haha.

 

I would skip Albuquerque and go to Santa Fe. Much nicer town.

 

Maybe some people on here who live in that Arkansas,Tenn. area can advise you about the possibility of snow or ice storms there. Also other places along your route.
I'm not trying to poo-poo your idea,just want you to be safe.

 

I actually did this drive from Chicago to tunica then to Phoenix and Vegas along a similar path in early 2011. It was a blast. Didn't stop for all that stuff, but I did buy a losing lottery ticket in each state. Have fun!

 

I made a similar reverse road trip a few years ago when I moved from the east coast to west coast. Drove I-40 from the heart of North Carolina to SoCal. I took a detour to Dallas, to visit family. We were in a mad dash, as it was winter and we did not want to hit any snow, which we did...in Flagstaff. If I had more time to be able to stop at various places along the way, I am sure it would have been more fun than it was. All told, my trip was pretty boring until I got out of Texas.

 

The funny part..I made this trip with Family in 1995..and the ONLY place we hit "bad snow" was ALSO in Flagstaff! LOL!
I'm just hoping we get past that part early on and don't see any more bad snow!

 

Yup...i don't know why, but I was not expecting snow there...the snow was coming down so fast, I could not tell if I was driving on the actual road or the shoulder and I was driving a uhaul...pretty damn scary.

 

I will be at Harrah's in Kansas City Dec 26-29 if you can make a small 350 mile detour.

 

LoL, tack on a 700 mile detour (350 miles each way, lol)
I asked Kris if she wanted to go to St.Louis instead of Memphis, and she said HELL NO, lol (Damnit, I wanted to see the Gateway To The West)

 

Swing through Winslow Az and take a picture at the "standing on a corner" park. Take the team to top of Sandia Peak. Petrified Forest in Az.

 

Yes, yes, and yes.

 

sounds like a fun trip timspeed have a fun and safe trip.

 

If you want cheap eats while passing through Tulsa, look up Webers Root Beer Stand for an awesome root beer float and burgers...and if you like chili, gotta go to Ike's Chili House for a 3 way