Comments on: Need input for our SW Camping Trip http://mtpleasant.homeschooljournal.net/2007/06/06/need-input-for-our-sw-camping-trip/ Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.....� Thomas Henry Huxley Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:20:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.4 By: Jane in NC http://mtpleasant.homeschooljournal.net/2007/06/06/need-input-for-our-sw-camping-trip/#comment-1678 Jane in NC Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:52:14 +0000 http://mtpleasant.homeschooljournal.net/2007/06/06/need-input-for-our-sw-camping-trip/#comment-1678 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 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

]]> By: Christina http://mtpleasant.homeschooljournal.net/2007/06/06/need-input-for-our-sw-camping-trip/#comment-1674 Christina Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:50:07 +0000 http://mtpleasant.homeschooljournal.net/2007/06/06/need-input-for-our-sw-camping-trip/#comment-1674 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.) 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.)

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