khor

Hi.

I was wondering if we could have some advice about our itinerary. We had originally planned to stay at a dude ranch, but that didn't work out. We have already booked the flights so we are stuck with arrival and departure cities. Now we are trying to make the best of it. We are traveling in late March with 2 children, ages 6 and 16. We are looking for things that would be fun for everyone. We like to hike and see cultural things. We are coming from a rainy climate so some pool time would be great for the kids. We thought about going up to Page to see the slot canyons and some of the other sights up there, but realized that Northern Arizona should probably be its own trip. We want to keep Grand Canyon in the itinerary. Is the timing in Tucson okay or are we too ambitious with drive times and day/evening activities? Is it too much to drive to Tombstone and be back in Tucson to ride horses at night? Any must-sees in Tucson? Thanks!

Here goes:

Day 1: Fly into Vegas. Hoover Dam. See old friends. Overnight Vegas area.

Day 2: Something fun with old friends. Overnight Vegas area.

Day 3: Drive to Tusayan. Stay in Tusayan. (Any ideas of places to stop along the way this day?)

Day 4: Bike along South Rim of GC. Drive to Phoenix. Overnight Phoenix.

Day 5: Drive to Tucson. See the Mission, Saguaro National Park.

Day 6: Tombstone. Sunset horseback ride out of Tucson.

Day 7: Biosphere. Kitt Peak

Day 8: Bisbee

Day 9: Fly out of Tuscon

WhereAreWe

Day 3 - Stop at Hoover Dam on the way to Grand Canyon. Try to get in lodging inside the park rather than in Tusayan. Keep calling until you get something in the park, it is probably all booked now but if you are persistent you will find something.

Day 6 & 8 - couldn't you combine both of those into one day? Seems like they are close enough that it would make sense and help cut down the driving. That would free up a day to do things in Tucson and you wouldn't have to rush to get back for a horseback ride.

MmePerdu

My first suggestion would be to rearrange things to combine Tombstone and Bisbee. Bisbee is just a 30 minute drive beyond Tombstone on the same road so you'll save yourself hours of driving if you combine them. I also suggest you stay overnight in Bisbee to avoid a mad rush to fit them both in. I lived in Bisbee for 25 years until recently so can tell you with some authority that you'll all likely enjoy a night there more than another in Tucson. Maybe schedule your evening ride on the day after an overnight, spend the morning in Bisbee and drive back to Tucson in the afternoon, about a 2 hour drive.

khor

Thank you both for the advice to combine Bisbee and Tombstone. That does make sense. I had given up hope on staying inside GCNP, but as per your advice WhereAreWe, I can continue to try for res. MmePerdu, do you think we should drive directly to Bisbee from Phoenix, spend the night and next day there and at Tombstone, and THEN go to Tucson? That would avoid the checking in and out of hotels in Tucson to go down to Bisbee for a night.

HappyTrvlr

I would add Sabino Canyon and the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum to Tucson in place of Biosphere and Kitt Peak. Kitt Peak is a long way out of town and you need to visit at night for real impact. Reservations are best made way in advance if you do decide to go there.
I think your children would prefer Sabino Canyon and the AZ Sonora Desert Museum, a combination of botanical garden and zoo pertaining to the desert's microclimates and climate zones.

WhereAreWe

You will want to check online and call every day to get lodging inside the park. Most are operated by Xanterra but Yavapai is operated by Delaware North.

http://www.visitgrandcanyon.com/yavapai-lodge

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/

MmePerdu

Yes, khor, that's doable. It's about a 4 hour drive from Phoenix to Bisbee. If you'd like to break the journey, not far off I-10 near Benson is Kartchner Caverns, a relatively new discovery and spectacular site, now a state park. Reservations are a good idea.

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/index.html

MmePerdu

Correction: Google maps estimates just over 3 hours, Phoenix to Bisbee, with no traffic. Of course, it may depend on where you start in Phoenix, but now you know I rarely went to Phoenix!

khor

Thank you, all for the suggestions. Sabino Canyon looks like a great place for the kids, as does Kartchner Caverns.