Southwest USA in August: possible or not with the heat?

Hi everyone.

For 2026, I’m considering what might be my last long trip to the States.

A loop from Dallas back to Dallas via Houston, San Antonio, Tucson, Albuquerque...

Simple question: Is it doable in August with the extreme heat?

Best,

Hi Michel,

I did it in August, no problem with the heat. That said, I’m not a big hiker—I stuck to the classic walks.

Hi Michel,

I did it in August, no problem with the heat. That said, I'm not much of a hiker—I stick to the classic walks.

At my age, I’m more into museums than hikes too. Thanks for the message.

Hello everyone! The preliminary itinerary for the Texas, New Mexico, Arizona road trip in 2026.

Day 1: Departing from Montpellier to Dallas via CDG, then driving to Fort Worth for 2 nights with the usual sights and, most importantly, the Longhorns! Cows are my passion—both looking at them and on my plate! Day 2: Exploring Fort Worth Day 3 to Day 4: Houston, with the NASA museums and sites, of course Day 5 to Day 6: San Antonio and the missions Day 7: Fort Stockton as a stopover, unless I find something better Day 8 to Day 10: El Paso, the surrounding area, and White Sands Day 11 to Day 12: Tucson and everything related to aviation, plus Tombstone Day 13 to Day 15: Phoenix Day 16 to Day 17: Sedona Day 18 to Day 20: Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Los Alamos (the museums) Day 21 to Day 22: Amarillo and the surrounding area Day 23 to Day 24: Dallas and its ruthless universe Day 25: Back home! !

If you go in August and can coordinate your itinerary, the Santa Fe Indian Market is an absolute must-do. https://www.swaia.org/santa-fe-indian-market

Houston, if you’ve already been, Cape Canaveral is pretty disappointing. The museum feels outdated. That said, I did a semi-private tour back in the day called the "Level 9 Tour," which was amazing because we got to go "behind the scenes." But I can’t find it on their site anymore.

Amarillo—I don’t think it’s worth two days. Honestly, aside from a few remnants of the Mother Road and, of course, the Cadillac Ranch, there’s not much else.

The Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson: YEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!

If you go in August and can coordinate your trip, the Santa Fe Indian Market is an absolute must-do. https://www.swaia.org/santa-fe-indian-market

Houston, if you've already done it, Cape Canaveral is really disappointing. The museum feels outdated. However, I did a semi-private tour back then called the "Level 9 Tour," which was amazing because we got to go "behind the scenes." But I can't find it on their website anymore.

Amarillo, I don’t think it’s worth 2 days. Actually, apart from a few remnants of the Mother Road and, of course, the Cadillac Ranch, there isn’t much else.

The Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson; YEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!

Hello!

Okay for the Native American Market in Santa Fe, but it’s not my priority. Okay for Houston and the semi-private tour. Amarillo is just a stopover between Albuquerque and Dallas. About thirty minutes away by car, there’s Palo Duro Canyon...

Nothing’s really set in stone yet, though.

Thanks for the tips.

OK for the Santa Fe Indian Market, but it's not my priority. Amarillo is a stopover city between Albuquerque and Dallas.

Nothing really set in stone yet, though.

Yeah, I see you're roughly mapping out a big route for now and will refine it as you go. What I found exceptional about the Santa Fe Indian Market is that it’s absolutely not a tourist trap. Beyond the market for local crafts (there’s a certification process for artisans, who are checked on the origin of their products), there are also Native American regalia contests and other events. It’s really about authenticity and cultural sharing. Out of over twenty trips to the USA, this was the only time I strayed from my road book to attend this event, and we didn’t regret it!

I can’t be bothered to check if it’s on your route, but on our Texas-to-California circuit, we visited these two sites that I also think are worth seeing: Carlsbad Caverns and Big Bend National Park.

Okay for the Native American market in Santa Fe, but it's not my priority. Amarillo is a stopover city between Albuquerque and Dallas.

Nothing really set in stone yet, anyway.

Yeah, I see you're currently planning a rough outline of the route and will refine it as you go. What I found exceptional about the Santa Fe Indian Market is that it's absolutely not a tourist trap. Beyond the market for local crafts (there’s a certification process for artisans to verify the origin of their products), there are also competitions for traditional Native American outfits, dances, and more. It’s truly about authenticity and cultural sharing—not just a market. Out of over twenty trips to the USA, this was the only time I strayed from my roadbook to attend this event, and we didn’t regret it!

Also: I’m too lazy to check if it’s on your route, but on our Texas-to-California trip, we visited these two sites that I think are also worth seeing: Carlsbad Caverns and Big Bend National Park.

Oops, sorry for the duplicate. I rewrote my message to correct a few mistakes, but I couldn't delete the first one!