Sierra

TanyaL had a lot of good suggestions. Texas has nothing to interest us, too much of the same, too big, too dull, (even the Alamo was overcommercial and underdone, but that was some years ago), but Arizona and New Mexico and Utah (and a dip up into Colorado for Mesa Verde) are all fantastic. Taos area has wonderful museums (a fantastic folk art museum) and they are all on the same hill. The towns in New Mexico on the main highway from Taos to Albuquerque are not cities, but towns that are proud of who they are and very interesting. Acra, the oldest continuous town in the U.S. (maybe) is worth going to see. Out of Tucson be sure to go through the Sonora Desert. Stop at San Javaier Mission (ancient church, full of the flavor of the area). If you go far sourth and west enough you can spend a day or so at the Organ Pipe National Monument but if you are pressed for time go to the outdoor museums in the Tucson area. Don't miss the aviary where local birds come to stay as well as the exotic birds in huge aviaries. Phoenix area is a huge retirement and snow bird area and its museums are deadly (the ones we went to anyway... the public ones); the only reason for going there is if you are into bicycling (best paths ever!) or if you golf (but you can do both almost anywhere in a town area of Arizona). The canyons of N. Arizona and Utah are awe inspiring beyong expectations. There are a couple of dinosaur parks in the areas. Get a AAA map of the areas because they highlight a lot of the good places, but they also highlight upper end places to stay and to eat. It would be worth it to buy a lonely planet guide book, or similar, as well as a good map of the 3 states (New Mexico, Arizona and Utah). You could route your trip and get a feel for how many days you might want to stay in each area. ENJOY!