With the current route I have mapped out we will be passing through Oklahoma City but will probably want to stop before that possibly somewhere off 412 or 270. We like natural wonders of nature, active/adventurous outings, wacky road side attractions and things that are outside and cheap/free. Small towns are fine.
Is Woodward nice or just make a longer trek the first day to stop in Oklahoma City?
I would also be open to an alternative route from Colorado Springs to Dallas that takes us through Kansas without going too far out of the way.
Any town, lodging, food and attraction recommendations along this route? For meals we like to explore the local cuisines. We like mom and pop, one of a kind type of place. For lodging, we are more interested in the scenery outside than the decor of the room or amenities offered.
Thanks in advance!
Good one day mid-point stop btw Colorado Springs and Dallas?
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For your first route, how were planning on getting to OK City?
We have driven from the Dallas area to Colorado Springs many times. We've gone through New Mexico and west Texas and through Kansas and Oklahoma. We like the Kansas/OK route better because it is all interstates. The west Texas route is four lane but stops in every little town. The NM section is not four lane and can get really slow with RV's and trucks.
You may be just meandering through the countryside--I can't tell.
I can highly recommend the Oklahoma City Memorial in downtown OK City. It is very moving--especially at night with the special lighting they have.
I drive from Colorado Springs to Dallas frequently, and would ALWAYS go the New Mexico, Amarillo, Wichita Falls route. Amarillo can be pretty wacky - and the Palo Duro canyon sounds like your kind of place.
Thanks, I didn't even think of Amarillo and Palo Duro Canyon looks nice. That sounds like the best overnight stop. Now I have Colorado Springs to Amarillo to Oklahoma City to Dallas. It looks like Wichita Falls would take less time but it must be highway versus interstate b/c it's one hour less going over to OK City when I map it out.
Eat @ The Big Texan in Amarillo. Oklahoma panhandle, Texas panhandle, Kansas, and New Mexico, can have some pretty long boring drives. The OKC Memorial is a good stop. I live in Oklahoma, so we drive this frequently. Capulin National Monument is a good stop for a couple of hours in NM.
This is a little too close to Dallas for the overnight stop, but I would not miss the Wichita Mtns National Wildlife Refuge outside Lawton, OK on the way. Even if all you do is drive up to the top of Mount Scott (2500 ft) for the incredible view, it's worth the detour (it's not even really a detour).
Sorry for posting questions before we had our route nailed down. My husband decided he wants to stop overnight in Dodge City so now we are looking at Colorado Springs to Dodge City to Oklahoma City then skip Dallas as overnight (we've both been there a few times before) and spend the night in Natchitoches which is only 4 hours from home.
It looks like Lawton would add two hours to that so we'll have to think about it.
Thanks for helping me work through all the options.