CatMomof3 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 We are going to Flagstaff, AZ for a 4 day weekend in a month. We really wanted to go longer BUT it is not worth the stress that it will cause if my dh is gone from the office more than 2 days. So if you had 1 FULL day at the Grand Canyon, with an 18 year old, an 11 year old, an 8 year old, a 6 year old, and a 3 year old, what would you do? We do like to hike but really only a couple miles at a time. Also we don't really have a lot of extra money (no helicopter rides). THEN if you had 1 FULL day at Flagstaff what would you do? And would you do Grand Canyon on Saturday and Flagstaff on Sunday OR vise versa? Thanks in advance. PS - This is the first time for ANY of us to the Grand Canyon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I have only been to the Grand Canyon once - we went about 4 years ago - so our youngest was 9. There are several short hikes (1-2 miles) you can do at the Grand Canyon with varying degrees of difficulty, some guided. The rim trail has several sections that are paved and you can use a stroller, if I recall correctly. Also, if you can catch a ranger talk, those are usually well done. They often have them in the early evening. Can't really give anything about Flagstaff as we only stayed there one night on our way to Phoenix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I wouldn't do anything in Flagstaff and instead spend that day in Sedona which is only 30 to 45 min from Flagstaff. There is a visitors center that will help you find things to do there and it is incredibly beautiful, they have jeep tours, there are lots of places to walk and sightsee there. We only spent 1/2 a day there and wished we had more time. That is one place I would really like to go back to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Sedona is absolutely beautiful. When we stayed in Flagstaff it was just a launch point to go to the other places. I'd do Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 In Flagstaff, Lowell Observatory is good. You might enjoy Sunset Crater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 We did Arizona in 4 days and had a great time! Do you have the Frommer's guide for Arizona yet? You should get it. Go through the library and check out an e-version if you have to. It comes with a map. Not Fodors, Frommers. For us, we flew into Phoenix, ate lunch here The Farm at South Mountain , drove up to Flagstaff, stopping at Montezuma's Castle along the way. Next day we woke up REALLY EARLY, drove straight north to go into the GC from the *east* (I know this sounds screwy), and ate a 2nd breakfast at the lodge overlooking the canyon. The Frommer's guide will tell you all this (what to eat there, etc.). Then take the busses and do all the stops. We didn't hike. Would have been nice, but we didn't. When we were there, they were doing prescribed burns, which filled the canyon with smoke, so we decided to head NORTH from the GC and go toward Tuba to see the dinosaur tracks. That was AWESOME, highly, highly recommend. On the way back down, we ate dinner at the indian place the Frommer's guide recommends. It's gross, but it's a memory. Next day, we did Sedona. You need to make all your reservations for Sedona ahead, and you'll pretty much kick yourself if you don't get out on the red rocks. The "Pink Jeep" tour is the traditional thing to do, and if you can at all scour up the money, you'll be glad you did. It's pretty rough for the 3 yo though, and I don't know how that would work with car seats? Dd was 6 at the time. There are restaurants in the strip there for lunch that are fun. If you're going to be there all day, then do Javelina Cantina-Sedona, Voted Sedona's Best Mexican Food ... for dinner. Then in the evening we headed back and did the observatory in Flagstaff for free. Lowell Observatory, Home of the Discovery Channel Telescope The line was long but it was a neat experience. Next day we drove out to Hoover Dam. Yes, you read that right, lol. We took a boat tour on the river there, and dh did a free tour of the dam and its operations. He LOVED the tour of the dam. It was a serious highlight of the trip for him. You can imagine the GC, and it may or may not be clear and pretty that day, but the Hoover Dam is always pretty wow to an engineer. ;) Looks like a long way from Flagstaff, but the roads are fast if you leave super early in the morning. We must have had unlimited miles on the rental car, lol. We ate at a super little mexican restaurant tucked onto a side road there. The shopping there is neat too, with shops with rocks and all sorts of fun stuff. Final day, we did a train ride your family might enjoy. Verde Canyon Railroad: Verde Canyon Sedona Area Tours I seemed to remember thinking it was affordable, but I could be all wet. It's not the expensive chintzy one that goes into the GC. This is one the locals actually do because it's so nice. It's a couple hours, very peaceful. You can do it on the way back down to Phoenix. There are some historical sites you can hit on the way into the RR station. You'll see the signs for them and they're marked in that Frommer's guide. I was surprised to find all the history stuff in AZ. It was an angle I really hadn't anticipated. I guess whatever you like is there. If you just want to hang, there are places for that. If you like history, hit the indian stuff, petroglyphs, etc. If you like science, you can do dinosaurs, the crater, etc. I'd put your emphasis on the things you like and not really assume you have to spend a lot of time in a particular place. If you really want to do Hoover Dam, maybe scratch the main lodge area of the GC and go down to the western end with the cantilevered bridge and sort of funnel your driving efforts, kwim? It's a HUGE state. I wish we had had more time to do the 4 Corners region. That would have been amazing. You'll probably find yourself wishing you had more time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 My family was just there last month. It was also our first time. We have 2 boys, 9 & 10. These are the things that came up at our trip debrief: Day 1: Both boys said the GC was good, but not what they hoped for. It was good to *look* at, but, since I was unwilling to hike down into the canyon, they quickly became bored with the view. It is a good clip from Flagstaff, so it took the whole day, & they felt it was just okay. I thought it was an amazing sight to behold & was so awed. Its scope & scale just can't be imagined. It has to be seen. My guys just only wanted to see it for 15 minutes ;). "Hello, it looks the same from this spot over here, go figure. If we can't hike down it I'm ready to head on..." :) Day 2: We drove to the Meteor Crater. Interesting, but pricey & nothing but a big hole in the ground. Would not recommend. On the way to we stopped into Walnut Canyon NM. EXCELLENT. They boys loved, loved this. We hiked down & looked at cliff dwellings & hiked back up. Like, 1 mile or so round trip. Perfect. They now felt they had seen & experienced a REAL canyon. Not a giant chasm that goes on forever & ever & ever.... Haha. On the way back we stopped in at Sunset Crater Volcano NM to see the lava fields. Also EXCELLENT. Short hikes through the lava fields. Or long ones up the cinder cones if you like (we passed). At this point the boys were much happier with day 2 than day 1. Go figure. It was more interactive & little boys are all about active ;). Day 3: Driving to Phoenix & left in plenty of time to drive through & do a couple of short hikes in Sedona. EXCELLENT. We picked a couple of short hikes where they could climb up to some lookouts. They loved this. The giant red rocks are really beautiful. Highly recommend. After Sedona, the boys ranked their experiences 1)Sedona hikes 2)Walnut Canyon hike 3)Sunset crater lava field hike/Waputki (sp) hike (these are connected by a beautiful drive. You can see the Painted Desert way off in the distance) 4)Meteor Crater 5)Grand Canyon. Yes, even the expensive, big, boring hole in the ground ranked higher than that massive canyon that I was so mesmerized with. I guess it's age & perspective that makes a difference. Plus, there was snow/ice on the ground so I was a super-freak about not letting them get monkey-ish on the rim trails at the Grand Canyon. No snow in the other places, so I was much more relaxed. I was *so* hoping to get in a trip to the Lowell Observatory while there, & if I had checked the hours & show times AHEAD of time, I could've made it happen. As it went, I waited until the day I hoped to go, hopped online, & discovered the hours/showtimes are different on different days & they have night viewing only on certain nights. It was our last day & I had already missed it. If Lowell is a possibility, check out the schedule ahead of time. We also stopped at the grocer the night we got to town & bought lunch fixins & a cheap-o cooler & packed lunches for our outings so we didn't have to search for lunch spots. :) It helped save time to be able to grab a sandwich in the car or have a picnic beside the trail. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 … On the way back down, we ate dinner at the indian place the Frommer's guide recommends. It's gross, but it's a memory. We need more details! Please! Also, Meteor Crater is a great experience. The rim tour is very good. They also have a small museum. Well worth the time and $ (The price includes the lookout points, the rim tour, and the museum) If your familiar with the song Take It Easy, you can drive by the statue "standin' on the corner" when you're in Winslow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Oh it wasn't really astounding. It was Indian Fry Bread, which to us was Bisquick with meat and cheese and jalapeños on top, kwim? It was right on the main drag going north toward Tuba, and it certainly wasn't something to drive out of your way for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 We were at the Grand Canyon just last week! Here's my blog post about it (for mobile devices): http://coach-and-six.blogspot.com/2014/03/grand-canyon.html?m=1 Loved the pictures on your blog. Thanks for sharing. We are going in May (staying at Mather Campground), and I'm so excited! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Second Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill. Has neat stuff to see for kids and adults. Ds was about 12/13 and enjoyed it immensely. There is the Reardon House that tells the history of Flagstaff and the founding brothers - but likely not as exciting for the little ones. Downtown was fun. Hot Dog wagons on corners and bookstores on opposite corners. :) Check out if the university has a free show or something. It could be worth it. Can you split up so the 18yo can see something he/she is interested in? City bus service is excellent. Dh and ds had the car and I took the bus everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I don't think I saw Bearizona mentioned here yet. It's about an hour south of the Grand Canyon. We went there for the first time this past December and it was SO cool! I didn't know that kind of place existed in Arizona. We aren't big hikers, so we go and take pictures at GC and then we're done. I enjoyed Meteor Crater, but it's been years. Out of Africa is also down by Meteor Crater, I believe. I also love The Farm at South Mountain that OhElizabeth mentioned, but it's very out of the way from where you'll be. Flagstaff is a bathroom stop and a play-in-the-snow stop, otherwise I would spend my time elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I don't think I saw Bearizona mentioned here yet. It's about an hour south of the Grand Canyon. We went there for the first time this past December and it was SO cool! I didn't know that kind of place existed in Arizona. We aren't big hikers, so we go and take pictures at GC and then we're done. I enjoyed Meteor Crater, but it's been years. Out of Africa is also down by Meteor Crater, I believe. I also love The Farm at South Mountain that OhElizabeth mentioned, but it's very out of the way from where you'll be. Flagstaff is a bathroom stop and a play-in-the-snow stop, otherwise I would spend my time elsewhere. Oh, thanks for mentioning this. I am desperate to see some of the wild sheep, and this might be my only opportunity since seeing them in the wild is not guaranteed. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Bumping this thread for others who may be traveling to the SW this summer. I had to search for this thread in order to print some things out. Good suggestions, here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Bumping this thread for others who may be traveling to the SW this summer. I had to search for this thread in order to print some things out. Good suggestions, here! I am glad you did:) We will be traveling through later this summer on our long road trip. I am trying to lay out at least rough ideas along the way, so this is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 GO TO SLIDE ROCK! It is super awesome fun, super cheap, and just unique and fabulous. Go early to get parking. It's a blast. DO IT! Kids & I did a 6-7 week road trip 3 summers ago, and did zillions of super awesome things, and that was definitely on our HITS list of favorite days. Unique, beautiful, fun, wet. AWESOME! http://azstateparks.com/Parks/slRO/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimtaxi234 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Posted 12 March 2014 - 10:34 PM We were at the Grand Canyon just last week! Here's my blog post about it (for mobile devices): http://coach-and-six...canyon.html?m=1 Kinsa - thanks for the link. I am going to enjoy looking through your blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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