Whether you live in Arizona or New Mexico or are just passing through you should grab a copy of this book. The book features 25 Scenic Side Trips. The book is filled with awesome pictures and maps, and recommended alternate routes. The Alternate routes are great, you really do not get to see much from an interstate, side rides are the way to go. The book even tells you how much extra time it will take to travel through via one of the side trips, makes it easy to adjust your travel time. Some of these side trips can take you just a few minutes out of your way.



There are all kinds of side trips if you are into geology, Native American sites, the desert and so much more. And best of all most of them only cost you a few minutes of time and little bit of gas.



Excellent book I wish there was a book like this for Florida where I live. I have lived her about 25 years and have explored a lot but I know there are so many things left to see. So if you live in Arizona or New Mexico even if you have lived there your whole life I would suggest you grab a copy and hit the road.



I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com and chose to leave this review.

Nonfiction
Adult
I love road trips! Having travelled a lot in the southwest, I know this area well for a Canadian; in fact, I estimate I’ve been on more than a third of the trips listed in this book, and for sure I will be back, thanks in no small part to the interesting places described here. There is so much to explore in this area, from historic Native cliff dwellings and the Very Large Array of radio telescopes to alien kitsch and stunning mountain scenery. As GPS has replaced mapbooks, books like this are ever so helpful for making your road trip an awesome one. How else are you supposed to discover Pie Town or Slide Rock State Park? Author Quinn spent several months and 11,000 miles exploring two states to come up with these 25 trips that will make crossing Arizona and New Mexico as memorable as possible. The book is divided into four parts, offering sidetrips as alternatives to the two main east-west and two main north-south interstates: I10 from Van Horn, TX to Phoenix, AZ; I40 from Kingman, AZ to Albuquerque, NM; I17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff, AZ; and I25 from Socorro to Raton, NM. The two east-west trips have the most sidetrips (8 each); but they are also the longer legs so that makes sense. Along with a good introduction to roadtrip planning, the start of the book offers a helpful index map that shows all the trips, giving you a chance to see where the sidetrips take you off the direct routes. Whether you have a few hours or a few days, you can plan your sidetrip selections as each sidetrip ends where the next one begins, intersecting at the interstate. That allows you to take a single sidetrip and then return to speedy travel, or if you have time, you can continue onto the next one without getting back on to the interstate. Each sidetrip entry also offers a detailed map showing the highlights you’ll find on the trip, effectively coaxing you off the interstate! Entries begin with a helpful summary of trip miles and drive time, then a brief description of the highlights of the trip. The trips are organized for travel from east to west, and from south to north, and have to be reversed for those travelling in the opposite directions. Directions are clear: “follow the frontage road to Cavern Street, TX 54, and head north toward the distant hills.” Descriptions include recommendations on what to watch for, from flora and hikes to interesting facts about the scenes in the windshield. Quinn recommends stops beyond the obvious – so not just the not-to-be-missed Carlsbad Caverns, but also the grave of the original Smokey the Bear, and the 30-foot tall World’s Largest Pistachio for those of us who enjoy quirky attractions! All locations are highlighted in bold text, and included in the index. The index is quite extensive, and will fill most readers’ needs. I’m guessing it’s a software generated one, though – there are no See references (“Mormons” did not have a See Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints); under Pistachio I found a reference to the World’s Largest Pistachio, but not to the McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch which is indexed under M only. My thanks to publisher Imbrifex Books for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38735730

Love this book. My husband and I are planning an RV trip out west sometime next year and this was so much better than a lot of the travel guides I've read about Arizona and New Mexico. It wasn't half a book full of hikes around the Grand Canyon. Very highly recommended.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

What a wonderful guide to a section of the West I love the most. RoadTrip America's Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips by author Rick Quinn takes you on stunning day-trips, providing full-color maps and photos for scenic routes. I’m getting the car ready now for my first trip from the guide. Hurrah! 5/5

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Imbrifex Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#ScenicSideTrips #NetGalley

I live in Arizona and there’s some places I’ve been to and now after reading this some places I now am going to plan a road trip to go to .....great insight and well put together

I appreciate the acceptance of my request to read this, Netgalley and publisher, but I've not been able to download this to my Kindle but I'm pretty sure it would've been really helpful for our road trip and I can honestly say that the front cover does a great job of portraying the beautiful colours in Arizona that we saw.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As someone from Arizona, I was interested in seeing what other people recommend doing other than just the Grand Canyon. This book is filled with great ideas including so many places to visit in Phoenix when its too hot to be outdoors in the heat of the summer.

I have spent a lot of time in both New Mexico and Arizona over the past 50 years and this guide covers both states very well. These scenic trips get you off the interstate highways to see some of the best sites. The boxes with information are especially helpful. I also appreciated the color photos. Some physical features of the Southwest are not always visible unless you know what you are looking for. The online features add to the value of the guide.

Review: ROAD TRIP AMERICA ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO: 25 SCENIC SIDE TRIPS by Rick Quinn, RoadTrip America

Wow! This book is packed with so much information, it's a traveller's education in itself. It's got me champing at the bit to try out these junkets, and I'll definitely be keeping it close for future reference.

The scenic beauty of the American Southwest is unparalleled anywhere, and author Rick Quinn, a veteran of road trips all over North and South America spanning several decades, directs eager readers "off the beaten track," specifically off Interstates, all the better to discover the views and vistas, the untold secrets, of "the real Southwest." He weaves in historical input as well, in a delightful, exciting, and educational guidebook. Don't miss!

As the title tells ya, here’s side trips off what can be boring landscapes along the main throughways, in a vehicle the author named the Dirty Queen. Sounds like an oxymoron, but okay.
The first part features side trips off Interstate 10, which is a great idea, as long stretches of this road can lull you to sleep, especially when driving.
Some highlights:
Carlsbad Caverns is an oldie but goodie.
For Roswell there’s a green alien dressed as a mariachi playing a trumpet. That’s an image I’ll never get out of my head, thanks a lot.
I feel an urge to go see the world’s largest pistachio. . . right now!
The thing about the spelling of “chile” and Texas was hilarious.
Spaceport is cool, but not for four hours, as I recall. I’d rather spend that time at the cliff dwellings.
The Coronado Scenic Trail byway looks like just the thing to make me throw up, but if you like roller coasters, this one’s free.
Given a choice between photographing hoodoos and the Shootout at the OK Corral. . . well, I think the choice is obvious. I do find it hilarious that the Tombstone newspaper is called “The Epitaph.”
I need to go see Oak Creek Canyon NOW!
I’ve traveled extensively through both states, and this book told me about places I haven’t seen, and now want to visit. For that alone this book is worth the money.

I am so pleased to see this book receiving great reviews. It is definitely one of the best travel guides for anyone wanting to explore the side and back roads of Arizona and New Mexico. When I moved to Arizona for the winter, I searched high and low for books that would give me details on little-known trips in the state, but while I found a few that helped, nothing was as detailed as this book. This is packed with beautiful photos (that don't get in the way) and an easy-to-read format with fabulous maps. Whether you will be visiting or are a resident of either state, definitely buy this book to refer to again and again. I'm looking forward to more in the Roadtrip America series and fingers crossed the next title will be for Utah.

A very good guide to those who will be traveling through the Southwest. I used it to plan a trip for later this year and found the information provided to be interesting and accurate. A lot of hard work went into compiling it all so we don't have to do all the work. Great job. Highly suggest this be read before traveling through the area. I hope to post more after the trip.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE a good road trip. Actually, I love all road trips! The best are on roads I have never taken, to interesting and sometimes beautiful places. I appreciate receiving a copy of Rick Quinn's Road Trip America Arizona and New Mexico from Imbriflex Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My sister and I went to Spring Training in Arizona, and I kept seeing signs for places that sounded interesting. I was familiar with places including Prescott, Jerome, and Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon, having visited there or at least passed through on previous trips...but looking though this book makes me want to return because there are so many places that sound (and look) awesome! I checked my own knowledge against the book for places I have been, just to check what he wrote against what I know. I did this for the AZ sites named above, and places in Northern New Mexico around Santa Fe and Taos -- and this book is TERRIFIC!

In addition just basic travel info, there are phone numbers, web addresses, etc for parks and attractions, and tips for staying safe. It can be a bit unsettling to take off on side trips without having any clue where you are going (perhaps I have read a bit too much true crime?) but this book made me feel totally read to roll! As if all that isn't enough, there is a website where you can download maps. Well done! Five stars.

Excellent road trip travel book for Arizona and New Mexico. Love the photos, maps and suggestions for scenic side trips. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

RoadTrip America Arizona & New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips by Rick Quinn from Imbrifex Books has amazing photographs, road trips with directions and scenic side trips for 25 beautiful locations in the Southwest. This book is loaded with valuable information. Rick Quinn provides alternate routes, side trips and contact information for the highlights of each road trip but best of all he even advises when an RV is not a good idea. As a newbie RVer, that is valuable information. I could easily become an armchair traveler with this book but after all the information and pictures in this book I'm ready to hit the road. This is a wonderful road trip guide book and I will definitely purchase a hard copy for our next road trip.
Thank you Rick Quinn, Imbrifex Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Wonderful source for travel adventures in Arizona and New Mexico.

This book came at just the right time! I am road tripping from Chicago to Mesa this spring. This book gave me some ideas on different routes to go and scenic sites to see. I love that there are also hotel recommendations in it. The time of travel and distance also is a great thing for me. I have this book marked for when we are traveling to go back to. I love that this book contains all of what we have planned to drive through. I would definitely look into other books by this author for my traveling needs and Interests.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review and view this book.

Very informative and well-designed travel book full of important and interesting information. Highly recommend.