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Denver, Colorado to Grand Canyon, Arizona Summer Trip

Denver, Colorado to Grand Canyon, Arizona Summer Trip

Old Mar 4th, 2015, 11:46 AM
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Denver, Colorado to Grand Canyon, Arizona Summer Trip

My Florida family (husband and three kids ages 7, 10 and 12) have booked two nights at Grand Canyon National Park in June. We want to fly first into Denver and visit Air Force Academy chapel, Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak, then take 5 - 7 more days to travel and stay at the Grand Canyon, probably flying out of Flagstaff. Can anyone recommend an itinerary on the way? My possibilities include Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Durango or Monument Valley. I also thought about doing Meteor Crater on the last day since it's near Flagstaff. I don't want to overdo it, and also want to include some things off the beaten path or even "inside" activities so the kids don't get outdoor burnout. Thanks for any suggestions.
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Old Mar 5th, 2015, 05:41 PM
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Garden of the Gods is a great choice - I loved it!

Great Sand Dunes would be a lot of fun for the kids, pick up some cheap sleds along the way and go sand sledding. So much fun! But I wouldn't recommend spending an entire day here. It's a really cool place to see but half a day would be fine. Just do it in the morning before the sand gets hot. I did it in August (granted, two months later) and the sand was getting hot by 11am.

Mesa Verde is a must. It makes for a long day, but you could hit the Dunes early one morning, drive to Durango and explore the downtown/stay overnight, and hit MV the next day. The guided tours are great, I've done Cliff Palace and Balcony House (very cheap too), and recommend both. The guides I had were great as well, and I think everyone would enjoy hearing the history of the area.

You could hit Monument Valley next. I never did drive through it because it costs $25/vehicle and I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for just myself to go see it. It is a lot of just driving through and looking at the formations. Pretty cool, but maybe not for kids? Just a thought.

Check out Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ. It's absolutely beautiful. They do crowd the tours in there, but in my opinion it was still worth seeing. Try to go around lunch time, that's the peak viewing hours where you get to see rays of sunlight. Also in that area is Horseshoe Bend, with a decent little hike up to see it, and lots of other scenic stuff around Lake Powell. We drove from the Grand Canyon to here to be able to do a late morning tour, you could do it backwards and do Horseshoe Bend in the morning, the Antelope Canyon tour around lunch, and be in the Grand Canyon by sunset. If you're looking for more of a break by this point, you could also float the river here (which can include Horseshoe Bend).

Something a little different that's near Flagstaff that you could check into is the Wupatki Ruins. The ruins themselves are neat, but I personally really enjoyed the lava field near the entrance of the park. It was something totally different that I hadn't ever seen (being from the East Coast as well), and it doesn't take too long to do. Depending on your kids interests, there is also the Lava River Tube Cave which is in the Coconino National Forest. Definitely make sure you have flashlights or headlamps for this one.

Here's something else to consider - if you've never been to the mountains in this area (meaning Colorado), I would definitely recommend it. Totally different experience than the mountains in the Eastern US. It may be worth figuring out a way to work something like that in, even if it is taking an extra day in Durango and doing the Million Dollar Highway. But it just depends on your interests.

Sorry I'm not much help with indoor activities or really kid friendly ideas. However, I know the Four Corners area decently well after spending last summer out there, so if you have any questions about directions or places to stay, etc. I can help with that
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Old Mar 6th, 2015, 06:21 AM
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Virginia1990 This helps so much! I really am looking forward to planning the trip now and checking out some of the new places you recommended- I was not aware of most of these. Yes, I was wondering how to fit in some sightseeing in the mountains and the Million Dollar Highway just might fit the bill. My kids would LOVE a lava field, as well.
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Old Apr 26th, 2017, 02:12 PM
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I am so grateful for you post! It's the perfect two week itinerary for our little campervan adventure this summer. Mountains, canyons, tourist and lonely locations with a good bit of water thrown in along the way. Can't wait to go.
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Old Apr 26th, 2017, 08:04 PM
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If you can enter the Grand Canyon (South Rim) on the eastern side, at the Desert View visitor center (with restaurant and observation tower etc.), and then drive along the South Rim and getting out at every pullout to admire the ever-changing colors and rock formations, you'll get much more out of the visit than by simply piling in at "The Village" with all the busloads.

From Flagstaff, head east on 40 for just a bit, then north on 89 and west on 64. eventually you come to "The Village", and by then you feel like you own the place!
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Old May 28th, 2017, 07:00 PM
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Do not miss Cameron Trading Post just a couple of miles north of the eastern entrance to the Grand Canyon, on Rt. 89. Great store and restaurant.
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Old May 29th, 2017, 02:43 PM
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I heard that AF Academy Chapel will be closed for a couple years. Think it is closed already.

Cortez is a better bet than Durango for Mesa Verde. Much closer.

Wouldn't Las Vegas be lots cheaper to fly from?
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Old May 29th, 2017, 08:42 PM
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Once you leave the Dunes, the obvious choice is Durango. I live in Durango so I may be prejudiced, but you can have so many great experiences here. You can river raft right through town. Along tthe river there is a power and science museum for the kids. There is also the Animas museum and the railroad museum. You can ride the historic narrow gauge railroad from Durango through the mountains to Silverton where there are old mining tours. San Juan byway (which includes the Million Dollar Highway) is beautiful and takes you from Durango to Silverton, Ouray and Telluride before it loops back to Durango. Be prepared for the summer motor home traffic over this one lane road. The loop will take most of your day. There is also hiking trails in the mountains, bike rentals for rides along the river in town or in the mountains, old western style horse trail ride, 4x4 jeep tours in the mountains. Purgatory ski resort is open all summer with numerous family activities including zipline, alpine slide down the mountain, etc. checkout Purgatoryresort.com. Also checkout Durango.org for ideas. Mesa Verde is only a 35 mile drive from Durango to the entrance vs. 5 miles from Cortez. Plan on Mesa Verde being a whole day since it is a bit of a drive from the entrance to the cliff dwellings. The biggest difference is Cortez is not at all interesting or attractive ( no offense Debitnm, just my opinion ). While Monument Valley is beautiful, the whole area across the Navajo reservation heading toward Page is scenic. In Page, Antelope Canyon is not to be missed but go to Lower Antelope. It's a lot less crowded and doesn't require the dusty road drive in the guide's open vehicle. Plan ahead, visiting either Canyon requires going on a guided tour by a Tribe member and will require reservations especially at this time of year. If noon day tour doesn't fit your schedule, the light shafts are nice but not the main reason to see one of these amazing canyons. Horseshoe Bend is just a short walk from the parking lot and is a unique view that shouldn't be missed since you are in the area. You might also want to check out Glen Canyon dam. Unless you plan on hiking down into the Canyon, I agree with Michel that rhe pullouts from the east entrance are a better way to enjoy the Grand Canyon vs. joining the crowds in the Village. As a kid growing up in AZ, I enjoyed Sunset Crater, Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest NP and Painted Desert, although the last two are about 1-1/2 hour drive east of Flagstaff. Flagstaff has limited air service so you might want to drive the 2 hours to Phoenix to fly out. You have a lot of options to consider. Finally, also consider weather. The main draw to Monument Valley is 17 mile drive which you do not want to drive if it's raining and Antelope Canyon is not an option during rains. Page will be very warm as will Phoenix if you decide to drive there for your flight.
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Old May 30th, 2017, 08:48 AM
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....AF Academy Chapel will be closed for a couple years. ...

There has been some discussion about a major repair/restoration to the Chapel but to the best of my knowledge and the web site, the Chapel is still open. But it could close to tomorrow so check prior to arrival.
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