Road Trip Itinerary Advice Please - Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Sedona

[DontRushMe]

Flying into Vegas (cheapest Flights)
Driving to Hoover Dam, Staying one night in Kingman.
Driving to Grand Canyon NP staying one night Kachina Lodge.
Driving to Sedona, staying 3 nights. (Plans Pink Jeep Tour, Horseback ride with cowboy dinner)
Driving to Phoenix (Fly home).

Now that I have basic itinerary, I need to plan the drives and days. I know there is so much to see and do I am a bit overwhelmed. Two Teen Girls. Fairly active family, never been out west. Disney is our usual vacation.

Thank in advance for any suggestion.

 

[StageTek]

I would have suggested a one night stay in Vegas.

Head out to Hoover Dam - about 45min drive - with a stop in Boulder City to eat at The Dillinger
then an hour at the Dam.
It's about 90min to Kingman.
The drive to Grand Canyon is a little more 3 hours. Not a lot to do on the way up but it's a nice
drive. The earlier you leave the more time you'll have at the Canyon.
The drive to Sedona is about 2 hours. Take Hwy180 and take your time - allow 3 hours or so
for some stops.

 

[DontRushMe]

Thank you, that is just what I was looking for.

 

[hsmamato2]

Personally I think the Hoover dam is a fairly quick stop along the way sort of thing....depending on when you arrive I'd drive straight to GC personally.... but if you can't stay there till the next night,I'd sightsee in Vegas, stay there (for cheap) and head out first thing in the morning to GC, stopping at Hoover dam for a look on the way.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Personally I think the Hoover dam is a fairly quick stop along the way sort of thing....depending on when you arrive I'd drive straight to GC personally.... but if you can't stay there till the next night,I'd sightsee in Vegas, stay there (for cheap) and head out first thing in the morning to GC, stopping at Hoover dam for a look on the way.

Where would you stay in Vegas that's cheap? the hotels on/near the strip are really pricey.

 

[hsmamato2]

I'm no help in Vegas.... I don't like the city much.... if I had my preference I'd book another night at GC and head straight out of vegas(done it before on various trips) BTW Oak Creek Canyon south of Sedona is gorgeous.... we drove thru once PHX-GC .... also walnut creek canyon is interesting...I like stopping at places of interest along a given route... the Hoover dam was just not that interesting to my family tho.

 

[JimMIA]

Driving to Grand Canyon NP staying one night Kachina Lodge.

We did Northern AZ last summer -- no Vegas, just the good stuff.

First of all, the website: www.nps.gov/grca

That is the National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park website. It's a bit clunky, but there is a ton of info there.

Only staying a short time, you will have a choice to make -- take the buses west, or drive out to Desert View to the east.

Drive to Desert View. Go up in the tower, and on your way back, stop at a couple of overlooks. Pretty decent gift shop there too.

On the way back to Kachina, stop at Grandview overlook for another "grand view" of the Canyon. From there, head back towards GC Village where the Kachina Lodge is located.

Almost to GC Village, the road will make a big sweeping turn to the right. You will see a non-descript small parking lot on the right with a trail/road leading toward the canyon. You'll see signs: Authorized Parking only. You're authorized. Park and walk. This is the trail to Shoshone Point -- a place with a fabulous view, and also a place where your family will probably be alone with the Canyon! Unlike Desert View and the hordes at Mather Point, you will have this view to yourselves! (Note on Shoshone Point -- there are no signs indicating this is a good place to stop for a very good reason. The Park Service rents the picnic area out for weddings, etc -- so they don't want crowds here. IF there is a wedding going on, you may not be allowed to visit this spot...but just come back later. And yes, there are restrooms at the picnic area!)

Have a lot more info, but the DIS is super glitchy tonight, so I'll try later.

Another Grand Canyon note: GRCA is one of about 20 parks where NPS has decreed that bottled water is evil. Tourists drink bottled water and discard the empty bottles in all the wrong places, so normal water bottles are forbidden! There -- problem solved!

Actually, the result is the tourists -- unable to buy bottled water in the park -- now buy soft drinks instead. (Yeah...soft drinks are not considered evil. Nor is beer.) They drink the unhealthy contents...and discard the drink bottles in all the wrong places. In the park service, they call that a two-fer! NPS is super-proud of this great environmental advance, and you'll see them crowing about it everywhere in GRCA. Try not to laugh...they mean well.

So...if you want to carry bottled water, you have two choices. Buy a case before you get to the park. Or buy an official Grand Canyon plastic water bottle and stand in line with dozens of others at the water refill stations.

Or just buy a few beers at the park store!

 

[StageTek]

Where would you stay in Vegas that's cheap? the hotels on/near the strip are really pricey.

Stratpshpere is under $60. The Orleans is about the same. Even The Flamingo can run under $70/night. Still to pricey? Check out The Plaza downtown - often around $40/night. As I type this they are running a $29/night special. Super 8 downtown is in the $40/night range.

 

[kailuagirl]

We did this last year and included Disneyland. Had a great time. We didn't allocate enough time in Sedona so glad you have some more days there. In the Grand Canyon, watch the sunrise and sunset. It's amazing. Our highlight was renting bikes and riding around. Our daughter loved it and it was so fun. It was cheap too to rent. To get around to the various view points you mainly have to ride a shuttle. We found that many times they were full and drove right past us. Especially later in the afternoon. In Sedona, you will see the most beautiful sunset ever. Sunrise for was nice, but sunset was breathtaking.

Your girls would probably like to spend a little time in Vegas checking things out of the Strip. We have stayed at many locations on the Strip but our favorite and go to is The Golden Nugget downtown. You can park at any of the hotels on the Strip for free. But the walk from parking is usually very long. You can valet for free and just tip them. The drawback being, sometimes the valet lines are super long and you could have walked faster. They would probably enjoy seeing the water show at Bellagio, the roller coaster at New York New York and just walking around sight seeing.

The drive from Vegas to GC was pretty long and boring. Not much to look at. Grand Canyon to Sedona is much nicer through Flagstaff and lots of pretty trees. We got to the Hoover Dam to late, but in the past we have done a Dam tour and it was interesting if you are into things of that nature. If not, just take a look and keep driving.

Have a great time!

 

[JimMIA]

Driving to Sedona, staying 3 nights. (Plans Pink Jeep Tour, Horseback ride with cowboy dinner)

(EDITS)
For Sedona, it's hard to know where to start.

First of all, geography. From "downtown" Sedona...Oak Creek Canyon(!) is north (AZ 89A). The spectacular red rock country is all around, mostly south (AZ 179) and west (also AZ 89A).

Shopping is downtown, and just south of downtown at Tlaquepaque (pronounced Ta-LOCK-a-Pock-ee). In addition to shopping at a number of unique shops, Tlaquepaque also has several good restaurants.

Don't miss the Chapel of the Holy Cross...whether or not you are religious. It's south of downtown and you'll see it from the highway. Beautiful venue, great views.

Another great view is from the Sedona airport, which is located above the town (off 89A west of downtown) on a big mesa. You can see for miles!

Can't deal with DIS tonight. More tomorrow.

 

[JimMIA]

Dining in Sedona:

We ate at a couple of unremarkable places, but the highlights for us were:

The Coffee Pot - on 89A West of downtown (north side of the street) - this is a semi-famous breakfast-only place. Well worth a visit, with an unbelievable menu.
Barking Frog Grille - also on 89A west of downtown, just a little further west from The Coffee Pot (just past the Safeway grocery) and also on the north side - great burgers and sandwiches, outstanding teeshirt (a must-have).
Oak Creek Brewery & Grill - in Tlaquepaque, on second floor of the front building - can't miss it. If you do, just ask -- everybody knows where it is. Very good food and many varieties of craft beer.
Indian Gardens Oak Creek Market -- on 89A north of town, in Oak Creek Canyon. Great market, with a lovely garden cafe setting outside. Also...next door is Garland's Indian Jewelry, which has some very nice (and pricey) authentic Indian jewelry. We ate lunch here after visiting Slide Rock State Park.

 

[DontRushMe]

Dining in Sedona:

We ate at a couple of unremarkable places, but the highlights for us were:

The Coffee Pot - on 89A West of downtown (north side of the street) - this is a semi-famous breakfast-only place. Well worth a visit, with an unbelievable menu.
Barking Frog Grille - also on 89A west of downtown, just a little further west from The Coffee Pot (just past the Safeway grocery) and also on the north side - great burgers and sandwiches, outstanding teeshirt (a must-have).
Oak Creek Brewery & Grill - in Tlaquepaque, on second floor of the front building - can't miss it. If you do, just ask -- everybody knows where it is. Very good food and many varieties of craft beer.
Indian Gardens Oak Creek Market -- on 89A north of town, in Oak Creek Canyon. Great market, with a lovely garden cafe setting outside. Also...next door is Garland's Indian Jewelry, which has some very nice (and pricey) authentic Indian jewelry. We ate lunch here after visiting Slide Rock State Park.

Thank JimMIA, glad you came back to finish your tips! We will definitely give these a try!

 

[JimMIA]

A few interesting places to visit (to us) in Sedona, or nearby:

As I said earlier, don't miss the Chapel of the Holy Cross. You'll be sorry you did when you come home and see pictures of it.

Slide Rock State Park - On 89A, in Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona. This is just what it sounds like, a state park where you slide down Oak Creek on slippery rocks in freezing water. Great fun, but remember the rocks are slippery! I fell and darn near split my head open.

Buddha Beach -- OK, if you don't already know, Sedona is very much of a New Age place with lots of aging hippies stuck in a 1960's time-warp. Lots of vortexes where you can feel the energy, shops where you can have your aura photographed, etc, etc. Weird place. Buddha Beach is a remote flat spot along Oak Creek where people stack river rocks to make cairns they call "Buddhas." Supposedly a great place for meditating, chanting, etc... Here's a link to a good description, although I believe the name of the park has changed since this was written: http://perceptivetravel.com/blog/2014/06/10/finding-buddha-beach/

To get there, go west of town on 89A. When you pass the Sedona Performing Arts Center, look for Red Rock Loop Road. Turn south (left) and trust the road. It will wind all over the place, but will eventually lead you to Red Rock State Park. There is a fee (also a fee at Slide Rock), I believe $10 per car. Park and follow the other hikers to the east along Oak Creek and you will come to Buddha Beach.

Montezuma Castle National Monument - www.nps.gov/moca - About 30 miles south of Sedona. There are several ways to get there -- the easiest is 179 south to I-17. Exit I-17 at exit 289 to the south and follow the signs. This is a cliff dwelling that you can visit up close and personal -- unlike most ruin sites where you just see them across a big canyon. Quiet, peaceful, easy walk around the site. Great place to learn about earlier people.

An alternative to making a special trip here would be to stop by on your way to Phoenix on your last day -- but allow a couple of hours for the detour, walking around, seeing the visitor center, maybe taking in a ranger talk, etc.

Sedona to PHX airport is 2 1/2 hours normally, but it can take longer depending on day of week and time of day. We were going home on a Sunday when everyone in AZ was returning from a weekend in Sedona, and it took us 4 hours due to an accident on I-17.