Posted on 01/03/2007 6:45:47 PM PST by JRochelle
What/where is a must thing to do/see in AZ, UT, NV, and CA?
In California see Yosemite. (Before I saw Glacier National Park I thought it was the most spectacular place on the planet. I still suspect God of having a summer cabin there.) Lake Mono on the eastern side is pretty interesting. North of there Lassen is a great park. Mt. Shasta is very eerie and very cool. Highway 1 from Santa Cruz to as far south as you can drive is spectacular. And you MUST see Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks if you love really, really big trees.
IIRC, the McDonalds near the grand canyon was very expensive! Location ... location ... location.
After you figure out where you're thinking about going, go to www.weather.com and look at the average temperatures for those cities on those dates. Realize that southern California will be 100% desert right up until you enter the LA city limits. Going up HWY 395 as someone mentioned earlier will be 100% desert.
We were going to go through Arizona and New Mexico last summer and saw that the temperatures in the southern parts of those states on our days of travel were expected to be in the 120's! We chose to take our 2 and 4 year old home via the Wyoming and Lake Tahoe route instead.
Do *not* pass by Canyon de Chelley. It has something I just can't place into words. It is less touristy than the Grand Canyon, less known, and it is quiet...like a quiet you've never heard before.
Don't miss it.
Also, Mesa Verde National Park in the southwestern corner of Colorado. The tours are phenomenal.
Have fun!
Norhtern NM/CO Clayton, a very nice extinct volcano, Raton, Eagles Rest, Taos, Los Ojos, Mesa Verde (cliff dewlers), Ship Rock, Four Corners, Monument Valley. A great route to the GC and not very crowded and tons and tons of stuff to see.
Most of Northern NM is pretty high so it is not uncomfortable IMHO year 'round.
When I saw the video of Saddam's hanging I thought about this story that takes place in Clayton. NM! The place has a great steakhouse.
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/HC-BlackJackKetchum.html
"Thomas "Black Jack" Ketchum was the only person ever hanged in Clayton, New Mexico. He was also the only man ever hanged for train robbery in the entire state, a law that was later found to be unconstitutional. But, a little too late for poor Black Jack.
"Unfortunately, the inexperienced hangmen had forgotten about the sandbag they had used to test the rope and the weight of it caused the rope to be as rigid as wire. When Black Jack fell through the drop, he was immediately decapitated. The black hood pinned to his shirt was the only thing that kept his head from rolling away. A few minutes later the doctor pronounced him dead, then sewed his head to his torso prior to the burial at the Clayton's Boothill at 2:30 P.M. In the 1930's his body was moved to the new cemetery in Clayton, where it remains today."
You will NOT regret it!
Make sure you visit Mammoth if you do the Lee Vining area of Mono and Inyo counties in CA. Also, in Inyo County you can see Mt Whitney AND Death Valley (the highest and lowest points in the Continental USA)
If you do come to Southern CA, make sure you visit Lake Arrowhead and/or Big Bear Lake. Beautiful country...and majestic moose.
Please let us know the number of people and their favorite activities (theatre, pro sports fans, hiking, windsurfing, biking, restaurants, shopping, etc.)--and the amount of time you have and I'll give you more specifics.
As a beginning:
Theatre--Utah Shakespeare Festival (relatively inaccessible, over in Cedar City, Utah)
The Guthrie Theatre in Phoenix
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Warning: real temperatures in Phoenix often hit the mid 110's. No typo.
Pro Sports: Arizona Diamondbacks
Hiking: Lots of good trails in Prescott, Sedona, and Flagstaff. Or the Grand Canyon. If you want to climb, you can try hiking from a base of about 8800 feet up to over 12,000 feet on Mount Humphries, outside of Flagstaff.
Sedona has some beautiful scenery (beautiful red colored rocks) if you're not burned out after the Grand Canyon.
Another post mentioned Meteor Crater. It is out of the way but a fascinating trip.
For a side trip, try Tombstone (yes, Wyatt Earp and all that).
Halfway between Phoenix and Flagstaff, you can try Montezuma's Castle -- a series of caves inhabited by Anasazi Indians, IIRC. Or you can drive up into the mining ghost town of Jerome (lots of fun mountain curves on the way there; when you get there it is a contest between Harley Davidson riders and the arts-and-croissant crowd as to who is re-populating the town...)
Windsurfing--Lake Roosevelt, Lake Pleasant, or Tempe Town Lake.
Phoenix has numerous water parks, or you can ride an inflatable inner tube for several hours on the Salt River.
Biking--Mountain Biking in Sedona is great; there is also a trail going 70 miles from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon.
Another poster mentioned some great mountain biking in Utah.
Restaurants: Scotsdale. "What does a Scottsdale housewife make for dinner?" "Reservations." Enough said.
Or try Tempe (home of Arizona State University)-- the town there has a lot of restaurants in a small area.
Shopping -- tons of high-end shopping in Scottsdale, plus Arizona Mills, Anthem has an Outlet Mall, Paradise Valley Mall...
As for California:
Northern or Southern?
If Northern, San Fran is quite the place to visit, but be sure to take a detour through the Sequoia forests, there is one park where the road is carved through a Sequoia.
And of course all the nearby wine country in Marin County.
San Diego:
Beautiful, cool, ocean. What more could you want?
There's Sea World.
You can take a tour of the retired aircraft carrier Midway (I got to go camping on board with the Boy Scouts once).
LaJolla is full of shopping and restaurants I'm told.
Santa Barbara is beautiful.
Stay away from L.A.
Oh, yes, you could try (out of one's way) go to Four Corners--where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. There is a little benchmark / plaque there and you can literally stand in four states at once.
Hope this helps, be sure to ask if you have any questions.
Cheers!
Can you give me more info?
There will be 3 including a 15 yr. old boy. Trip time will be 16 days. And we are driving. Its meant to be an educational trip. Museums, famous homes, national parks, etc.
AZ:
OAK CREEK AND GRAND CANYONS ARE WORTHWHILE.
IN OAK CREEK--HIKING UP THE WEST FORK IS TREMENDOUS. UNPARALLELED BEAUTY, SANCTUARY.
Sedona is sort of worthwhile.
ARCOSANTI is worth a stop between Sedona and Phoenix.
Taliesin West is worthwhile for those interested in archetecture. In Scottsdale
Hoover Dam is worthwhile.
Bryce canyon in UT thrills many as does Monument valley in AZ
Some think a stop and pics at the 4 CORNERS monument where you can be in 4 states at once is worthwhile.
Certainly Yosemite in CA is worthwhile as are the Sequoias and Redwood parks.
I lived in San Diego 10 years and loved it. The Zoo and Wild Animal park are worth it. Many like Sea World.
Pt Loma light house and sometimes Navy tours are available.
San Francisco is . . . well SF. Depends on what you like and one's sensibilities.
There are some good churches that are famous and worth checking out in CA if that's an interest.
About all my input.
Have fun.
I will look some stuff up and reply in more detail tomorrow.
Cheers!
You're confusing it with Yosemite, which is in Pennsylvania.
AZ - Sedona (2nd Only to Grand Canyon)
UT - Bryce (Much better than Zion)
NV - Vegas Baby (Venetian & Caesars are must sees)
CA - Sequoia National Park (Magical Forrest of unbelievable giant trees)
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