NFT: Planning a trip to the Southwest...

When my family finishes theirs up this summer

Congratulations, I've finally found someone as anal as I am :)

If you’re in New Mexico you should either be in Santa Fe or Taos or over Gila National Forrest. Nothing much to see in Albuquerque.

Any idea yet about your route?

there's not much in Sedona for kids, and that time of year it'll be pretty warm other than early morning. Unless you're really into art, Santa Fe is just worth 1 or 2 days. You should consider Bryce/Zion on your route.

especially with the monsoon in full swing by then

1. Yosemite (California)
2. Grand Canyon (Arizona)
3. Zion (Utah)
4. Sequoia & King's Canyon (California)
6. Yellowstone/Grand Teton (Montana/Wyoming)
7. Crater Lake (Oregon)
8. El Capitan State Park (California)
9. Pismo (California)
10. Camp Pendleton (If you're a retired or disabled vet)

Ocean Views ...

1. Big Sur (California)
2. Carmel (California)
3. Laguna Niguel (California)

Museums & Grounds ...

1. Norton-Simon (Pasadena)
2. Huntington Museum & Gardens
3. de Young Museum (Golden Gate Park, San Francisco)
4. Hearts Castle (San Simeon California)

Best Beaches ...

1. Huntington State Beach (California)
2. Coronado Island (California)
3. Newport (California)
4. El Capitan State Beach (California)

Best Winter Haven ...

Palm Springs - Enjoy great golf and hanging out in a warm pool, while enjoying the views of snow-capped peaks all around you

The rest - Calico & Brody ghost towns, Disneyland, Sea World

In comment 15709742 OdellBeckhamJr said:

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especially with the monsoon in full swing by then

Not to mention the temperature

Kind of out of your way related to the other places you mentioned and not much to see really. Can be kinda sketchy in some areas. Lot of petty crime.
Add Zion NP and Hoover Dam (go real early). Both close to Vegas.

unfortunately, with school schedules - July and August are the only times that we have that much flexibility.

right nearby is a place called Dead Horse Point. It’s spectacular, like Grand Canyon good. Definitely worth it.
Dead Horse Point - ( New Window )

a 2nd for Dead Horse Point, in Moab

From Moab consider heading over to Lake Powell for the slot canyons. Than head over to Kanab. Depending on your route, Zion is nearby as is Bryce. Consider a trip on Utah Highway 12, see link below. You pass by Utah park Red Canyon, which is worth a stop in it's own right. You need to take route 12 to get to Bryce.

You might look into an America the Beautiful Pass, which is like $80, but covers the entry fee to get into numerous national parks. Do your home work, in that you think you can drive up and enter the park, not the case at some parks. You now need a reservation pass, that will allow access into the park and then you still need to pay to park entry fee. They are doing this at Yellowstone, an example.

For a more pleasurable trip consider more the shoulder season, if possible. For one it is not as hot. Two,the parks should not be as busy. Some of the State parks are just as nice as the National parks but not as busy.


Enjoy planning your trip it can be overwhelming but fun at the same time. Sounds like a really good trip you have planned for the family

https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
Scenic Highway 12 - ( New Window )

In comment 15709805 Daniel in MI said:

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right nearby is a place called Dead Horse Point. It’s spectacular, like Grand Canyon good. Definitely worth it. Dead Horse Point - ( New Window )

Pictures look unbelievable - thanks!

it's doable, but it means a lot more driving than sightseeing. And it's going to be hot. With that in mind, I'd cut out New Mexico and Sedona.

From Denver, I would head through the mountains to Telluride and into the Southwest corner of Colorado. There's a nice Indian Cliff Dwelling ruins (Mesa Verde). From there head through Monument Valley toward Flagstaff. Grand Canyon. Then Hoover Dam. To Las Vegas. On the return trip, hit Zion and Bryce (you're going to see more than enough red rock formations/canyons, so you won't mis Sedona), Lake Powell (if it isn't stream Powell by then) has some fantastic water/slot canyons if you can rent/charter a boat, then toward Moab. Do Arches.

There's endless pages of additional options throughout the region.

The big bugaboo is the children. Most of what's worth doing, IMO, on the trip in the Southwest is nature. If your kids aren't into that, it's going to be one long drive.

in SW Utah is pretty amazing.

To me, it's more visually impressive (more colorful) than Yosemite and the Grand Canyon (maybe because you can more easily get closer).

Sedona is nice but I liked Flagstaff better. The drive up Oak Creek from Sedona to Flagstaff is a real winner. The family and I once did a jeep tour of the desert out of Sedona and they took us out to cliffside ruins to see the petroglyphs. Very cool.

is fantastic...if it's one of the first things you see. Once you've driven around the SW, it loses it's luster. Still a nice sight, but there are equal wow sights all over.

I have two close friends who did a similar trek with kids. The ones that drove both ways of the trip, said the drive back home was miserable after a month of site seeing.

The other couple decided to return the rental and fly back to the east coast once they were done exploring California and Oregon. They couldn't stop talking about how nice it was to fly back and save the hassle of a return trip.

Lived there, not much to do or see

I would also pick and choose between Grand Canyon, Moab/other Utah stuff. Your kids will be tired of seeing rock formations. Do the Canyon and a Utah site and move on

Hoover Dam for sure. M&M store on the strip in Vegas, Bellagio fountain show at night

Meow Wolf is a very cool and unique attraction that your kids would probably dig. And Santa Fe itself is fun for a couple days. Would probably recommend that over Albuquerque.

Southern Utah is insanely scenic (Zion, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon etc) There's a very cool, easy hike to Lower Calf Creek falls near Escalante.

Kids were 14 and 12 at the time. We are campers and I know my kids had 8-10 mile hikes in them and we saw some really awesome stuff. They would not have been able to do that at 8 and 10 FWIW. That said.....

Maryland....to North Rim of Grand Canyon via 4 corners area, with a stop at Great Sand Dunes NP.

Then to Zion >>> Bryce >>> Drive up Route 12 thru Capitol Reef for a day and to Moab/Arches. Then to Rocky Mountain NP and back home. 24 days. Do a white water rafting trip in Moab on the Colorado(kids are old enough)

Best advice I can give is to try to NOT do everything. We spent 1 night at Grand Canyon, 5 nights at Zion, 2 at Bryce, 5 in Moab area and 6 nights in Rocky Mountain NP. We skipped over places like Mesa Verde NP. Rocky Mountain was our favorite park with Zion and Moab area close behind. Grand Canyon is a quick stop, Bryce is beautiful but a couple of days is enough.

In comment 15710323 Snablats said:

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I would also pick and choose between Grand Canyon, Moab/other Utah stuff. Your kids will be tired of seeing rock formations. Do the Canyon and a Utah site and move on

If you're going to pick between Moab and GC, I'd pick Moab. Canyonlands there has a lot of Grand Canyon to it, tho not as vast. It's the convergence of 2 big canyons. Plus, you have Arches in Moab.

In comment 15710403 Bill in UT said:

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In comment 15710323 Snablats said: Quote: I would also pick and choose between Grand Canyon, Moab/other Utah stuff. Your kids will be tired of seeing rock formations. Do the Canyon and a Utah site and move on If you're going to pick between Moab and GC, I'd pick Moab. Canyonlands there has a lot of Grand Canyon to it, tho not as vast. It's the convergence of 2 big canyons. Plus, you have Arches in Moab.

I agree, but if he has a month and is approaching from the South you can easily spend a night at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and not be going much out of your way. Plus if you are coming from 4 Corners or Page (Glen Canyon) the drive to the North Rim is spectacular.

Definitely hit Zion and Bryce as both are uniquely beautiful and the kids will probably really like Zion. Moving north the red rocks start getting repetitive as you move thru Capitol Reef/Moab/Canyonlands. Moab has alot to do and is not to be missed IMO. If you are camping at any park...you need to be on the recreation.gov website exactly 6 months out at 12:01AM.

2 weeks round trip we are hitting many of these points. Found a cool kayak in view of the canyons excursion and booked that last night

take the tram up to the Sandia Crest and then head up to Santa Fe. My kids are grown but I have spent time in Santa Fe for most of the past 28 summers. Depending upon when you get there in August, they have International Market, Spanish Market and Indian Market most of which have little for kids other than festive costumes and music. Meow Wolf is perfect for kids. Hiking will be great if there is anything left of the forest after the fires.