Live2Ride Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 We are planning a trip out west. Places we want to see are the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, but I need to find more places along our routes to stop and visit. We can take up to three weeks for this trip...what do you fellow hivers recommend we stop and see? Quirky things are fun too. I'll be compiling a list of ideas and then mapping it out to see what is doable. We will be driving from Louisiana! Yeah it's going to be an adventure! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 If you are going to the Moab, Utah area to see the arches, there is also an area close by that my family LOVES...Goblin Valley. There are amazing rock formations that you can climb and play on....it's almost like nature's playground. Here is a link: http://www.utah.com/stateparks/goblin_valley.htm I'm assuming you will stop at Temple Square in SLC....love it there! (I served my mission there....) Sounds like a fun trip! Three weeks...you can see a lot in that time! Tons of national parks out here. We went to Yellowstone last year and loved it. This year we are thinking of going to the Redwoods in CA, seeing Crater Lake and the caves in Oregon. But we only have a week to cram things in! Happy Planning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 If you are going to the Moab, Utah area to see the arches, there is also an area close by that my family LOVES...Goblin Valley. There are amazing rock formations that you can climb and play on....it's almost like nature's playground. Here is a link: http://www.utah.com/stateparks/goblin_valley.htm I'm assuming you will stop at Temple Square in SLC....love it there! (I served my mission there....) Sounds like a fun trip! Three weeks...you can see a lot in that time! Tons of national parks out here. We went to Yellowstone last year and loved it. This year we are thinking of going to the Redwoods in CA, seeing Crater Lake and the caves in Oregon. But we only have a week to cram things in! Happy Planning! Yep, we'll stop in Salt Lake! I can say that I think we're going to be exhausted by the time we return! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Will you be visiting Oregon or California? The redwoods are awesome and the Oregon coast is fabulous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 There is a National Park (or State Park) Meteor Crater in Winslow AZ. If you go in the fall (October), Albuquerque NM has a fantastic hot air ballon fiesta. The pictures at the top are from near Page, AZ. I don't know how you go see this area it might be hiking and I am fairly sure at least one of these is on a reservation but I have always wanted to go to these places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 If you are stopping by Grand Canyon, I *highly* recommend taking a flight. It might seem pricey, but it really puts the whole thing in perspective! Go for a helicopter tour over an airplane tour and get the longest one you can afford. Also, be sure to see the Imax at Grand Canyon. Sedona is absolutely beautiful and is visited by more people than Grand Canyon. Zion National Park is fabulous for families. What time of the year will you be in Arizona? It's been an extremely dry winter for us, and that usually translates into lots of forest fires in the late spring/summer. It gets really smokey and nasty when that happens, and you may decide to travel somewhere else. I don't mean to be argumentative, but I wouldn't stop at Meteor Crater. It's privately owned, expensive, and very disappointing. Instead, check out some of these quirky places: Waputki National Monument, Montezuma's Castle, Jerome, Sunset Crater, or Petrified Forest. Are you renting an RV? Cruise America has a fabulous deal right now for rentals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Anna Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 If at all possible, don't leave out Yosemite Nat'l Park! I've heard wonderful things about the tide pools at Monterey, CA, and that their aquarium is amazing. (We didn't have kids when we lived in the Bay area, and didn't end up going ourselves.) If you can, just experience a nice, partially cloudy sunset over the Pacific Ocean on Highway 1 somewhere north of San Francisco. Mama Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 My parents did the same when I was younger! Colorado: Garden of the Gods (very aptly named) Pike's Peak New Mexico: Carlsbad Caverns California: The redwoods Lake Tahoe Disneyland The Golden Gate bridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thea Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Definitely hit Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 What routes will you be taking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudyionk Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 not sure of your route, but Mesa Verde in far SW Colorado is great and very educational. we enjoyed the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, a little more mountain-like, cooler, etc. I believe its less visited, so not as busy. if you are going to Yellowstone, take the time to enjoy Cody, WY. dh and I would move there permanently if we could!!! lots of fun stuff in that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 When we went out west, the meteor crater was one of my ds's favorite stops. It's a quick one, and just off I 40 on the way to the Grand Canyon. We loved Santa Fe and Rocky Mountain National Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Rhylolite, NV is a very cool ghost town and artist community about 90 minutes outside of Vegas. It has partially standing buildings, a glass bottle house, and a rail road depot. You can't actually enter the bigger buildings but you can go in what's left of the jail and the, um, 2 room house of ill repute. Depending on which way you go, you could hit it, then Death Valley on your way to California. Death Valley is incredible the first time you see it, if you haven't had the chance. You come over this ridge and it is just utter desolation for miles and miles. I can't even imagine that sadness and desperation those poor pioneers felt when they saw it. About 4-5 hours from Death Valley you can get to LegoLand, Disneyland, SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, La Brea Tar Pits, and lots and lots of museums. Have fun on your trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Ditto on Mesa Verde and the North Rim. We enjoyed both of those when we went west a couple years ago. We also took the train up to Silverton and stayed overnight. We saw Arches National Park but decided afterward it could have been skipped. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I loved Meteor Crater! The rim tour is very good. Winslow Arizona - home of La Posada, a Harvey Hotel, designed by Mary Colter Petrified Forest & Painted Desert Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Biosphere - including the tour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 When we did Yellowstone we spent a night in Jackson, first, to see the Tetons, then drove in Yellowstone the southern entrance. Leaving, we went the route that goes to Cody, WY as the Buffalo Bill Museums there came highly recommended here - and they are GREAT! Try and fit a day or two in Cody on your trip. Devil's Tower (watch Close Encounters before you go) is another must see - as is Mt. Rushmore. We also took time to find the Oregon Trail, which crops up here and there (remaining wheel ruts still exist!) and was cool. Deadwood is a major tourist trap and not that kid friendly - we were sorry to have stopped there, except for the caves nearby (Wind and Jewel). If you make it to California, try for the giant redwoods - I am partial to the Wawona grove of giant sequoias by Yosemite, which I also love. I was born and raised in S. California - you could spend and entire month in that state and not see it all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycalling Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Biosphere - including the tour :iagree:This is the one place I regret we missed on our move from CA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 We used to camp out west every summer as a kid. It was great. Arches National Park, just cool. Devil's Tower in WY is cool too, not sure how far north you're wanting to go. Going horseback riding mountains was a thrill when we were kids. Mesa Verde is good too. Carlsbad too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Not sure of the route yet. It really depends on what we are planning on seeing. These are great places to stop at. I am writing them down and mapping them out with pictures (on a large map) to see what the kids and DH would like to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Sedona is absolutely beautiful and is visited by more people than Grand Canyon. Friends told us it was the most beautiful place they'd ever been (and they've been everywhere!). Seems to me they also went to a national park in the area for a tour of an old mine - said their whole family loved it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 [ATTACH]7927[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]7928[/ATTACH] There is a National Park (or State Park) Meteor Crater in Winslow AZ. There is also the telescope in Flagstaff, which my fellows really enjoyed. It is kid-friendly. Consider Mesa Verde. I remember it vividly from my childhood. The road inside CO going south from Yellowstone to Mesa Verde is a decent 2 lane. From there you can cut south then west, and hit the petrified forest, the crater, and the telescope. There is a state part just south of Flagstaff with fun creeks, if you are going when it is not winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverFamily Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 (edited) My family went on a guided raft tour in the grand canyon. It was a lot of fun, something I will never forget. You could look into that. I think there were two options of raft rides one was a more wild raft ride (I think it is called white water rafting) and one is a calm raft ride. We did the calm option! It was just fun and relaxing! It was a neat experience driving down a tunnel to get to the bottom of the grand canyon as well. Another great place to visit is Mesa Verde in Colorado. Also, I second Temple Square in SLC, Ut as well as This is the Place monument and park. Good luck on your trip planning! ETA: I don't know if this is the rype of thing you are looking for but Thanksgiving Point in Lehi Ut has a great Dino Museum. And there is a dinosaur national museum in vernal Ut. I wouldn't go out of my way to go see the dino nationl museum but if you are driving through there anyways you could stop and see it. It has been a while since I have been there but imho the dino museum at thanksgiving point is more exciting to see. Also the kennecott mine in Utah is fun to see as well. Good Luck! Edited February 11, 2012 by ForeverFamily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 You all are awesome! That's all! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Well, I don't think you'll go through Wyoming, but in case you decide to do that, Devil's Tower and the Badlands are great places to visit. The Black Hills area is also terrific (Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park). If you can go into Yellowstone through Cody, Wyoming, I think that the museum there is one of the very best containing Western artifacts of all sorts (lots of Native American stuff, too). It's worth a day on its own, in my opinion! If you're going up through Utah, then check out the many red rock parks like Zion or Bryce. In Nevada, there's Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 And if you're going through Colorado, I'd try to see Mesa Verde, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverFamily Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 One more thing to add and then I will be quiet;)! In the summer Sliver Lake up big cottonwood canyon is fun to walk around ( you can fish there too if you want, but it is also fun to just walk around on the walkway) and you can also go to snowbird (up little cottonwood canyon) and ride the tram. If you go up big or little cottonwood canyon in the winter you can skii, but I personally prefer them in the summer. Can't you tell I love Utah!;) Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 (edited) If you come to Utah county, I'm totally looking forward to the upcoming exhibit on Islamic Art at the BYU MOA. Fits into the whole SOTW cycle and all!;) You didn't mention dates, but if you are here at the right time of year, you could hit Cedar City and the Shakespeare festival. Even if you don't spring for tickets, the free greenshow is fun and family friendly. So are the production seminars (IMO, the costume one is the best.) I'll second Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. My kids loved it when we were there in October. It has various types of trails for various ability levels. We choose paved, even-the-20-month-old-could-walk-on-her-own types. ETA: And my son will never forgive me if I don't add the Heber Valley Railroad to the list. (We used to call it the Heber Creeper, if you've been here in the distant past.) Edited February 11, 2012 by Maus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Well, I don't think you'll go through Wyoming, but in case you decide to do that, Devil's Tower and the Badlands are great places to visit. The Black Hills area is also terrific (Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park). If you can go into Yellowstone through Cody, Wyoming, I think that the museum there is one of the very best containing Western artifacts of all sorts (lots of Native American stuff, too). It's worth a day on its own, in my opinion! If you're going up through Utah, then check out the many red rock parks like Zion or Bryce. In Nevada, there's Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon.... I second this. We drove through this area when I was a kid and I will never forget this!! I also love Yellowstone, and would definitely spend several days there, and around the Tetons/Jackson Hole area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 ETA: And my son will never forgive me if I don't add the Heber Valley Railroad to the list. (We used to call it the Heber Creeper, if you've been here in the distant past.) I need the story behind that one, lol. I'm beginnng to think I need to take a month! We may have to plan this one in two parts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Some of our favorites: Mesa Verde, CO Sedona, AZ Grand Canyon (North Rim preferred) Zion National Park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 You can pick an ultimate destination, then plan your drive in a loop, not taking the same route there and back again. That is what we do on our big road trips, to fit in as many different sites as possible. Maybe Wyoming/S. Dakota could be the northern "arm" of your trip??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Mount Evans scenic byway! http://www.mountevans.com/ It's the highest paved road in the US. And so pretty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 You can pick an ultimate destination, then plan your drive in a loop, not taking the same route there and back again. That is what we do on our big road trips, to fit in as many different sites as possible. Maybe Wyoming/S. Dakota could be the northern "arm" of your trip??? That's the way we normally plan it too! If your going to drive to sitesee, why take the same roads back...trust me, I do.not.want.to travel across Texas more than once in a trip. I hear it can be pretty dull after a while :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I haven't read all of the responses, so I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but my family had a great time in Las Vegas! Really. We did all the National Parks in the area too, but we splurged and stayed in a really nice suite (bigger than my house!) for a night at the Venetian. There is a TON of free things to do. I would have loved another night or two there, actually! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb in NZ Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 (edited) Bryce Canyon is beautiful, as is Zion national park. Make sure you see the north side of the Grand Canyon as well. Mesa Verde is facinating. Cody, WY is well worth a visit. We went to a animal park that had bears, wolves, etc. that was a nice break for the kids. I think it was in SD near the BadLands. Edited February 12, 2012 by Deb in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 ETA: And my son will never forgive me if I don't add the Heber Valley Railroad to the list. (We used to call it the Heber Creeper, if you've been here in the distant past.) I need the story behind that one, lol. I'm beginnng to think I need to take a month! We may have to plan this one in two parts! :D Which part, the name or why he wouldn't forgive me? The name was given to the train back when it was a "real" train in regular service. It ran down the canyon from Heber to Provo and had to go so slowly (15 miles per hour, or so) that the locals dubbed it the Heber Creeper. When it was restored as an excursion train, the owners could not get the locals to call it anything else for years. The part about my son? He has been obsessed with trains since he could walk. We took a big circle trip in our RV from Utah to St. Joseph, Missouri this summer so my husband could attend Harmony University there. I-70 out and I-80 back. Our son was working on the "Family Travel" belt loop for cubs at the time, so we told him he could research and plan what we would see at each stop along the way. He got out his "Tourist guide to excursion railroads" book and that's what we saw: every engine now parked in a park, every railroad museum, every observation tower, etc. :lol: Baby sister likes trains, too, but DD7 started complaining. (We directed what we saw while we were in the St. Joe to KC, Mo. area, so she got the most say in what we saw there. We went to Science City twice at her request.) There were a couple that the whole family enjoyed. The Depot Museum in Cheyenne has a hands-on exhibit upstairs that shows what train travel was like in about the 1910-1930 time period. The tiny little Trails and Rails museum in Kearney, Nebraska also has a little "village" of Mormon trail era homes and buildings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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