Northern Arizona Canyons

84.2 miles: 1 hours, 52 minutes

Setting off from Flagstaff, you'll motor through pine forests, high-desert plains and the national park gateway town of Tusayan en route to Grand Canyon's South Rim Village. Here, you'll marvel at one of Mother Nature's masterpieces, and in summer, a crush of cars and tourists. Stash your wheels at the village and use the park's shuttle system to get around.

90.7 miles: 2 hours, 3 minutes

Departing South Rim Village, the road occasionally travels near the canyon's edge. Stop at the roadside overlooks for pictures, and if time allows, hike into the canyon itself. Exiting the national park, you're off to Wupatki National Monument. The fascinating Wupatki Pueblo ruins are what you're here to see; budget at least an hour to visit the site.

67.8 miles: 1 hours, 49 minutes

From Wupatki, wheeling back to the highway, you'll encounter Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, where a 1,120-foot-high cinder cone and hardened lava fields make for a beautifully bleak landscape. Heading down to Sedona, the exceptionally steep and twisty drive through wooded Oak Creek Canyon will knock your socks off. Ahead lies Sedona.

31.6 miles: 0 hours, 56 minutes

Brilliant red sandstone formations provide Sedona one of the prettiest backdrops in the desert Southwest. From town, short drives lead to landmarks like Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock, where hiking and mountain biking opportunities abound. Head back to Flagstaff via Oak Creek Canyon and explore the city's historic downtown, chock-a-block with shops and eateries.