Anaheim to Colorado Springs

[San Onofre Guy]

My wife in in Colorado awaiting the birth of our first grandchild. My plan is that when she thinks that she is close to outwearing her welcome, I will drive there, spend a few days and the. We will spend three days returning.

i plan to leave Anaheim around lunchtime, drive till I want to sleep and then arrive early afternoon the next day. I have done the I-40 route both ways and this time I plan to go through Pagosa Springs and over Wolf Creek Pass as I have not seen that part of the state.

Should I plan on spending the night in Gallup or Farmington and do you think I should stay on I-40 all the way to Gallup, or from Flagstaff should I go on state roads through Tuba City to Four Corners?

Any must sees along the way, I am not sightseeing but given that should I plan to take a thirty minute break to see anything?. I have been to four corners and Mesa Verde

[nswef]

Gallup had a lovey park outside of it- east side I think- big amphitheater, I think it was a state park. We enjoyed a bit of time there.

[mtnlaurel]

This suggestion may not be for this specific trip, but more if you had a spare few days to kill & could get off you path a little....
One of my most favorite places is the San Juan Mountains.
The Million Dollar Hwy north of Durango to Ouray is just amazing... and then on over to Telluride.
Love that place.
It gets to snowing early there though.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28927-d104148-Reviews-Million_Dollar_Highway-Colorado.html

[Spartana]

It doesn't sound like you have much time but if you can swing a few more days you might like this route. I took it years ago on my motorcycle and it was great! I went on I-10 to AZ and then hwy 60 to 89/alt 89 via Prescott, Jerome, Cottonwood, and then to Sedona. From there I took 89 to Flagstaff(with a side stop at the GC) and then hwy`160 thru Monument Valley to Four Corners. From there to Mesa Verde, Durango, Pagosa Springs and over Wolf creek Pass to the Great Sand Dunes Nat Park. From there you can go on hwy 160 to Pueblo and then CS or take a northern route and go east to CS on hwy 24. I went north though thru the San Juans to all those cool ski towns to I-70 and eventually to Denver then down to Colorado Springs. It's a very scenic drive with lots of cool places to check out along the way.

Otherwise, if I was in a hurry, I'd probably take I-15 to St George, Utah and then go thru Zion to 89 and take that until it hooks up with I-70 and stay on that until I got to Denver and then go south to CS and do a return trip taking I-25 south with a drive thru Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque to I-40 and home.

Or if you want to go on I-40, I'd probably go north from Gallup (nice Red Rock Park) to Cortez to Durango, etc..to CS and then do a different return route. I've never been on that road between Gallup and Farmington Cortez (old hwy 666 :-)!) but I have been on hwy 84 from Santa Fe to Chama and to Pagosa Springs (over the Continental Divide) is a really nice route. Of course, if it was me and I had such limited time, I'd opt to fly and rent a car (probably cheaper then driving with gas prices and wear and tear on you car) so as to have more time in Colorado seeing the sights then on the road. Have fun whatever way you go.