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retired reddog 
"I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Robert Frost
Group: Members
Posts: 1211
Joined: Jun. 2007
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Posted on: Dec. 28 2012, 9:07 am |
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Okay, here's the situation:
The wife (she isn't a hiker), our two sons (13 & 9) and I will be taking vacation in mid to late June. One idea is that we rent an RV for about ten days and see the sights in the Southwest. We've never been to the area and would like to see a bit of the Grand Canyon as well as the Monument Valley. Hiking would need to be minimal to keep the Mrs. happy but some would be acceptable. So, I'm open to suggestions, what should we see, where should we go. We'll probably fly in to Phoenix and I figure probably put as many as 3,000 miles on the rental so please, give me the must see and must do list over a week to ten day period. Prefer no more than about 4 hours drive in any given day.
Thanks!
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Good night Chesty, where ever you are!-(It's a Marine thing.)
“The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle!”
General John Pershing, United States Army
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SW Mtn backpacker
Born to hike, forced to work ...
Group: Members
Posts: 6720
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Dec. 28 2012, 9:22 am |
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June puts you in our hottest season but we have a mountain effect where the higher elevations have conifer trees. Plus you will be in an RV so out of Arizona, ... Sedona, Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon for dayhikes and views respectively would be my plan if I were in your situation. It's then about 4 hours to Vegas (maybe take the Hoover Dam tour?) - Nellis AFB might have a trailer hookup - and from there you can get to Zion in another 4 hours and then Bryce. From there you can hit the 4 corners region where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona meet (I'm thinking Moab, then Durango with dayhikes into the Weminuche), then driving through the Navajo reservation back to Flagstaff and Phoenix.
Phoenix and Tucson will be "Middle East" hot, but you will get plenty of saguaro cactus pics north of Phoenix up until about halfway to Flagstaff. Don't go too far off road into "Bloody Basin" territory as it eats up 4-wheel drives.
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Usually Southwest and then some.
In wildness is the preservation of the world. - Henry Thoreau
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OldGuyWalkin
Group: Members
Posts: 158
Joined: Nov. 2012
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Posted on: Dec. 28 2012, 12:31 pm |
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Sounds similar to the "Hole In The Ground" Tour I made with my family a few years back.
Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde.
Bryce or Zion. Glen Canyon Dam is a beautiful visit.
Check river conditions and do some rafting out of Moab.
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TigerFan
Group: Members
Posts: 2008
Joined: May 2010
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Posted on: Dec. 28 2012, 1:32 pm |
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Google "grand circle" -- Zion, Bryce, Page/Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, in a big circle. You can add Sedona and/or Monument Valley if you have enough time. Lake Powell will be nice in summer, lots of water activities.
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Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
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High_Sierra_Fan
Group: Members
Posts: 39588
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Dec. 28 2012, 6:56 pm |
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Extend beyond Mesa Verde to Durango and the Durango-Silverton train. Utah 12 scenic highway is great. You can loop down from Torrey to Bryce and Zion. MV to Maoband Arches, up to Capiltal Reef and Torrey, down 12 to Bryce and Zion.
IMHO I'd suggest Las Vegas as the start: the hit the North Rim (cooler with views) and on to Monument Valley, Mesa Verde and Durango, return. to Moab and turn north....
That would hit Grand Canyon North Rim ( bison), Monument Valley,, Mesa Verde, Durango-Silverton, Arches, Canyonlands, Moab, Capitol Reef, Torrey, Utah 12 (there's a we page) Bryce and Zion returning to Las Vegas via Springdale. Las Vegas to Durango back to Las Vegas loop is about 1300 miles fwiw.
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