{"id":802,"date":"2020-04-17T17:36:46","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T17:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/detouron.com\/blog\/?p=802"},"modified":"2020-05-17T17:11:58","modified_gmt":"2020-05-17T17:11:58","slug":"visiting-the-american-southwest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/detouron.com\/blog\/visiting-the-american-southwest\/","title":{"rendered":"Explore America: Important things to know before visiting the American Southwest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The American Southwest roughly refers to the arid area between the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, stretching all the way south to the border with Mexico. This region is known for its breathtaking natural scenery, mostly preserved in some of the biggest and most visited national parks in the nation. When visiting for the first time, even Americans may be surprised by the grandeur of this region and its affects on daily life. No matter where you come from, you may find the below information useful before visiting the American Southwest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this will be your first time to America in general, make sure to familiarize yourself with these common practices<\/a> before setting out. Should you need it, we have car camping gear rentals in Las Vegas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Southwest US map
Rough boundaries of the American Southwest as it pertains to this article, along with precipitation averages for the United States <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The exact boundaries of the Southwest are vague as some of its characteristics overlap with its neighbors. Whenever we refer to the Southwest in this article, we are referring to the following states: Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, as well as parts of California, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, and Texas. See above map of the Southwest USA for a rough outline of the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Major cities of the US Southwest include: <\/strong>
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Denver. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Major national parks of the US Southwest include: <\/strong>
Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Saguaro, White Sands, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Mesa Verde, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Yellowstone. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Major cities and national parks of the Southwest<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Things first-time visitors should know before visiting the American Southwest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rent a car<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No doubt you\u2019ll be starting and ending your trip in a major city. Rent a car<\/a> or RV <\/a>there! The Southwest is mostly a desert, interspersed with small farming communities here and there. Residents of these communities have their own cars, or at least some version of a motorized beat up yet dependable old truck. They don’t have public transportation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What type of car should you rent? It depends on your traveling style. We’ll write a blog about it soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, here are lists of our favorite places to drive to in the Southwest in a regular passenger car<\/a> and in a 4WD vehicle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Campervan in Arches National Park, UT – Photo by Dino Reichmuth<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Passenger trains<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Trains for passenger transport are fairly useless. The Amtrak <\/a>will take you in a straight line between Albuquerque and Los Angeles. You’ll only see the Southwest if you look out from a window during daylight hours. Scenic train rides<\/a> are available but you’d still need a car to get to the start and\/or end of the journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buses and shuttles<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Greyhound buses <\/a>only travel between major cities on the main highways, making scheduled rest stops along the way. The St George Shuttle<\/a> makes regular transfers between Las Vegas, Zion, Salt Lake City, and Rexburg, ID. If you get off the bus for a toilet break, you better get back on in time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ride share and hitchhiking <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you miss the bus, you\u2019re hitchhiking, which will be extremely slow going. Gone are the days where drivers and hitchhikers trust each other. Chances are that your cell phone will not work, which wouldn\u2019t really matter because you\u2019ll be outside of Uber\/Lyft service area anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airlines<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t plan on stopping or staring out the window on the drive between the major cities of the Southwest, just fly from one city to another. Check SkyScanner <\/a>for last-minute flight deals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stock up on food, water, gas, cash, and audiobooks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Southwest is a big rural area. In fact, it’s bigger than the combined area of France and Italy! The total population of Nevada, Arizona, and Utah alone is 13 million. That’s less than the entire population of the Netherlands! Suffice it to say that supermarkets, gas stations, banks, and ATMs are few and far between and driving distances are long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get used to seeing these signs on the highways – and plan ahead!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n