Need input for our SW Camping Trip
The boys and I are not headed out west this summer like we did last summer since we have a kitchen to remodel. We our planning one for next summer; to the Southwest area of USA. We have the tentative route of heading SW to my sister’s home north of Dallas, maybe heading south to the Alamo and Big Bend National Park then over to New Mexico, Arizona, north to southern Utah and southern CO before heading east through OK, to Wichita, KS (SK wants to see the zoo he missed while we were there) and I want to visit the Salt Mine nearby. I know this route wouldn’t take us into CA but I’m thinking of that for a far-west trip.
What National Parks or State Parks or other natural spots would you make sure you see in this NM, AZ, UT, CO loop? Any tourist traps you would visit? The boys really loved stopping in to Wall Drug, SD and wonder if there are other ‘point-of-interests’ that we shouldn’t miss? (Tombstone?) Please share them with us!
We have on our list so far, and in NO particular order:
Grand Canyon
Zion
Bruce
Mesa Verde
Great Sand Dunes
Carlsbad Caverns
Arches
I’m thinking that we could easily be gone for 2 months without anyone getting too homesick. And yes, we would be camping the entire time. What spots would you include?
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June 6th, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
Canyon du Chelly and other Anasazi sites shouldn’t be missed… and there’s plenty of dinosaur related stuff in UT and CO. Those might all be in the national parks though! I hope you’ll share your itinerary as you build it. We did a “central east” five-week trip before my third was born, focusing in on precolonial history (specifically mound-builders and Cherokee) and early colonial history (since we ended up at Jamestown and Williamsburg). A SW trip is next on my agenda, possibly next year as well (fall I think, I love fall travel), so I’d love to read about any special resources you find for planning your trip. (I found a Heritage Trails book for the Cherokee that was a spine for our trip through TN and NC.)
June 13th, 2007 @ 6:52 am
Hi Carole!
I haven’t seen you in WTM-land for a while and wondered how your boys did at Science Olympiad. Congratulations to them and the other team members. You and your sons are an inspiration!
We visited the Grand Canyon South Rim in April a few years ago. Be forewarned that heat and hydration were issues during April, so a summer visit will take some careful planning, particularly when going into the Canyon. As a birder, I loved watching the California condors riding the updrafts in the Canyon.
If you go to Phoenix there is a desert botanical garden that this East Coast resident found to be truly fascinating. I also loved the Native American Museum there, the Heard.
Personally I would avoid the Sedona area which is very touristy, although we saw some amazing petroglyphs not far from there within a national forest. My son was petroglyph obsessed which led us down miles of gravel roads, following the recommendation of a ranger at the Montezuma Castle cliff dwellings. We had flown across the country that morning and as we were raising the dust on gravel roads in pursuit of my son’s whims, I questioned our sanity. These glyphs were not easily accessible. After the gravel roads came hiking and then–wow! It was all worthwhile! Beautiful petroglyphs and no other tourists, just a friendly forester who was pleased to share his knowledge.
Moral of the story: do your planning but follow the advice of rangers and foresters who can lead you off the beaten path.
Jane