Ah, the road less traveled....“No matter where you go, there you are” was the simple yet complex Zen philosophy of Buckaroo Banzai in the 1984 movie “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai”. On road trips you soon discover more than a little wisdom in these words. One of my passions is to explore back roads and highways no matter where I travel. I drove only a few miles of Interstate on my most recent 3,500 mile road trip which took me to Kansas City and back via New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The reward for those interested in the scenic route is limitless. My 1969 VW Westfalia van, affectionately known as “The Time Machine”, has introduced me to dozens of tiny towns and a long list of spectacular areas off the beaten path in Arizona. Recently my travels have been aided by my 2006 Toyota Tacoma, a back roads warrior. What started as a spare time exploration of the Sedona area soon lead from one dirt road to another, progressing onward to a few two-lane highways, and eventually the neighboring state lines were crossed. In a larger sense my road trip has never ended because I’m out there at every chance I get. May your journey be filled with happy trails.

Grease Works!
www.greaseworks.org/index.php

This is the place for renewable fuel information and networking. Grease Works! works.

Biodiesel.org
www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/biomaps/biomaps.shtm#

Going renewable? Check here for retail biodiesel sources in Arizona and the rest of the U.S. There's more sources out there that probably haven't yet hit the source sites - send them to me if you know of others.

Arizona Road Trips
www.azroadtrips.com

Join Nichole, a 5th generation Arizonan, and her family and friends on their jaunts and explorations around Arizona and the Southwest. Nichole updates her travel blog with a short synopsis of her road trip accompanied by a nice variety of photos of the area visited, just enough to wet your whistle and give you the urge to hit the road to these fabulous backroad areas. Check out her visit to Fossil Creek, an amazing natural destination on the other side of the Verde Valley from Sedona, just 30 miles or so of dirt road outside of Camp Verde. That visit shares some nice shots of the azure-blue waters of Fossil Creek, photos of the best-known roadside swim spot, and views of the Monsoon thunderstorm rains she encountered. Though this area has gotten hammered at times with crazy numbers of the summer beer party crowd, there are fairly pristine hangout areas along the creek that can be had with a short 15 minute hike away from the road.

Arizona Roads
http://www.arizonaroads.com

Hopefully your road trips will focus on off-the-beaten-path two-lane highways and a whole lot of dirt roads. If your travels take you on a major highway, interstate, or freeway you might benefit from more specific information like which exit will connect you to the back road you’ve been searching for and need as a gateway to the hidden delights further down the road. I’ve linked to the Arizona page, however this crazy cool site covers every freeway exit for 12 whole western states! Choose your freeway and receive a colorful scrolling chart listing every exit and accompanied by an aerial photo labeled with all pertinent exit info courtesy of Google maps.

For all 50 states visit Star Owl’s Highway Heaven: www.ajfroggie.com/triskele
Star Owl links back to Western Exit Guide for Arizona and to equally impressive sites for the other states.

Arizona Scenic Roads
www.arizonascenicroads.com/main.aspx

This nifty website focused on exploring of Arizona scenic byways is full of interactive maps and info. It's sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration; our tax dollars at work in a most delightful way. It offers the whole story on 23 scenic highways and roads spread across Arizona that highlight some of the most interesting vistas and scenery you'll find from the pavement. The roads themselves are exciting, too, because they represent a back-country passage through winding canyons and mountainside cliffs or through desolate and remote regions of the landscape. This website provides rich touring descriptions gleaned from personal accounts, interactive maps, points of interest along the drive, excellent photos, and a "Road Trip Planner" tool that allows you to create itineraries. If you're traveling with the kids make sure you check out the "Kid Zone" link located at the bottom of the homepage. It details places of interest for children based on themes like "Arts and Artifacts", "Outdoor Recreation", and "Archaeology and Geography". Probably something in there will make their day.