Hello forum-goers,

My boyfriend and I are going on a two-week trip next month through the Southwest, starting in New Mexico and ending in LA where I have some family. We have a lot of our itinerary written out but would love some feedback. I'll copy/paste the itinerary right here and then ask some specific questions after it. Thanks for looking!


THURSDAY DECEMBER 15: fly from NYC to Alberquerque, NM, arrive at 11:45am. Rent car, check into Old Town B&B, have lunch. Walk around the city. Go up the Sandia Peak Tramway, hike, and have dinner.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 16: Spend the day biking around Alberquerque, possibly go to museum of nuclear science and history?. Get in car around 3 PM, drive to Canyon de Chelly National Monument (5 hour drive, arrive around 8 PM). Check into hotel, have dinner, sleep.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 17: Spend the day in Canyon de Chelly (book tour with canyondechellytours.com). Get in car around 4 PM, drive to Petrified Forest National Park (4 hour drive, arrive around 8 PM). Check into hotel, have dinner, sleep.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 18: Spend the day at Petrified Forest, hike, see cool stuff. Get in car around 2 PM, drive to Homolovi Ruins State Park/Meteor Crater (1.5 hour drive, arrive around 3:30 PM). Spend about 2 hours. Drive to Sedona (1.5 hour drive, arrive around 7 PM). Check into the Sedona Best Western, have dinner, evening activity? sleep.

MONDAY DECEMBER 19: Check out of Best Western. All-day activity in Sedona. Check into Sedona Rouge.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 20: All-day Sedona.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 21: Leave Sedona early morning, around 10 AM. Drive to Grand Canyon (about 2 hours, arrive around noon). Have lunch. Check in to Bright Angel Lodge. Sightsee.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 22: Grand Canyon day hike.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 23: Grand Canyon morning activity. Leave after lunch around 2 PM. Drive to Las Vegas (about 5 hours, arrive around 7 PM). Check into Cosmopolitan Hotel, dinner, evening glamor, sleep.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 24: Leave Vegas after breakfast, around 11 AM. Drive to Death Valley (about 3.5 hours, arrive around 2:30, to furnace creek visitors center, figure out what we want to do. Death Valley activity, dinner, sleep.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 25: Death Valley sightsee, day hike.

MONDAY DECEMBER 26: Leave Death Valley in the morning after breakfast, around 10 AM. Drive to Mojave National Preserve (about 4 hours?? arrive around 2 PM??) Activities until 6 PM. Dinner, hotel, sleep.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 27: Leave Mojave around 10 AM. Drive to Joshua Tree National Park (about 3 hours, arrive around 1 PM). Activities until 5 PM. Drive to Los Angeles (about 3 hours, arrive around 8 PM). At uncle’s house! Dinner, rejoicing, gifts.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28: LA activity

THURSDAY DECEMBER 29: LA activity

FRIDAY DECEMBER 30: LA activity. Leaving 9:30pm from LAX to JFK

Questions:
Any recommendations on accommodations for Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest, Death Valley (southern part), or Mojave? We don't have those chosen or booked yet.
What to do in Death Valley? Where to focus in the time we're there?
Has anyone done the overnight tour in Canyon de Chelly with canyondechellytours.com, what's it like, particularly in winter?
Are there any must-see little gems that are worth a quick stop along our route?

Thanks again!!

I like your itinerary except some days seem unnecessarily complicated. For instance this seems too specific and unlikely to work out: Leave around 10 a.m., drive 3 hours arriving about 1 p.m., activities until 5 p.m., drive 3 hours arriving about 8 p.m.

Albuquerque is no doubt a great place to live, but it and Old Town Albuquerque are a bit of a let down to many travelers. Nob Hill is the place to go for dinner.

The Holiday Inn is the best and most convenient place to stay at Canyon de Chelly and the office there is the best place to book tours. If weather is bad, tours do not go out. We were there last April and greatly enjoyed our half day tour of the canyon. The next day, due to foul weather, no tours went out.

If you haven't been to Las Vegas before, you may find that 12-15 hours is cutting it close.

In Death Valley we like to stay at Furnace Creek Ranch.

I get a little lost after you leave Death Valley. Where will you stay in the Mohave NP?

HTTY

It might be hard to spend as much time as you plan to in Petrified Forest. I have been to 30 National Parks and I would rank it #29 of the ones that I have seen. Certainly it is worth a few hours, definately interesting. I have been to it 3 times.

I wasn't expecting much from Death Valley, but we really enjoyed it. Scotty's Castle, Have a meal in Furnace Creek Inn(probably have a really nice Christmas meal), Artist Drive, Artist Palete,Natural Bridge, Badwater, the sand dunes, Ubehebe Crater and little ubehebe, Devils Golf Course, Zabriski, Dantes View, Twenty Mule Team Canyon. I know you say "southern part", but I would for sure see Scotty's Castle and Ubehebe.

If you have a high clearance vehicle-we loved driving Titus Canyon.

We didn't drive to Race Track Playa(where the rocks have slid across the flats mysteriously), but I would next time. You need high clearance and there is supposedly a big risk for puncturing a tire or even two tires. There is a company right in the middle of DV that now rents Jeeps. I don't know if they let you go to Race Track or not, but if they do, then that would be the way to go. So, you could rent a jeep for a day and do the race track and Titus Canyon. The top off of the jeep would be awesome while in Titus.

There is a golf course(where else can you play below sea level). There is a swimming pool that has warm water in it from the natural spring. Furnace Creek Inn's pool is nicer.

Have a meal in El Tovar while at Grand Canyon.

Maybe do some rock climbing in Joshua Tree. I haven't really done this one, but I was born there when it was a monument before it became a park. I have only driven I-40 thru Mojave.

Channel Islands while you are in LA???

Buy a Park Pass and save some money.

I think you have planned everything out very well, and I fully get that you have drive times in for your days and how much time you have allowed for seeing things while at each place.

Darwin Falls is another unusual sight in DV.

If it were me/us - I would go from the Albeq airport straight up to the artist town - known as Sante Fe for my overnight/enjoying part of the next day. And from there - if you left early - you could drive across scenice northern NM to 4 corners - and then maybe even zip over to Monument Valley for a look - b4 driving down to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. That would be a long - but incredibly scenic day - but it's early on your trip and you could R and R some at de Chelly. see: http://www.utah.com/monumentvalley/

And the petrified forest is nice - but a walk through gives you a good idea (as well as watching their movie at the Visitor's center) - and then I would recommend you spend some time at the Painted Desert Visitor's center (just off the Freeway) where they also have a movie theater with a nice history of how the area was formed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_Desert,_Arizona

And definitely take in the IMAX at the Crater - which is also amazing.

Would also add that you should consider finding another day/night to see Las Vegas - as there is much to do there - aside from gambling.

BTW - after the incredible sights you will have seen before you get to Death Valley - you may find it as I/we did - pretty but rather scorched/desolate looking. Can only imagine what the earlier settlers thought when after crossing over arid land from the east - they came upon Death Valley - which is well named if you can't find water - and didn't have any friendly Native Americans around to show you how to survive.

For petrified forrest I would take one hour max and prefer going to Moaarches ...).from there monument valley-grand canyon and then Sedona.Paul

I like your plan generally, but If you leave Albuquerque earlier, you could go through Window Rock and then up to Canyon de Chelley via the north side where you have great views down into the canyon at stops along the way. BTW if you have a 4wd you can get a Navajo guide in the VC to drive you into the canyon in your car. Otherwise I would book a guide in a smaller car rather than the "shake and bake" tour.

Do keep an eye out for the weather as it will be winter in some of the places you are going and snow is always a possibility. That said, we have been to Grand Canyon in winter with fine weather and had snow once in April, go figure.

Spiro has given you good advice on Death Valley, it is awesome!

Have a great trip.

Your have received many good suggestions, including that you skip Albuquerque and head for Santa Fe and Monument Valley, that you dine at El Tovar (the only good meal we at at Grand Canyon), that you devote less time to Petrified Forest, and that you buy a park pass to save money.

HTTY

Tomsd,
We really liked Death Valley. We were there for 3 days and thought we saw some really unique things that other scorched earth places just don't have.

We picked up a Navaho hitchhiker just outside the reservation and he acted as our guide for the Chelley tour. We only had a 2WD Tacoma with high clearance but we made it fine. It was much better than getting in line and paying the fees. After the tour he took us around and showed us some other places on the reservation. If you get a chance you may want to check out the oldest continually inhabited town in north America (according to the Hopi) Oraibi. But you are not missing much if you skip it.

If you are driving past Boron Ca, on your way out of DVNP check out the Trona Pinnacles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trona_Pinnacles
Worth a stop for lunch.

Not sure where Mohave National Preserve is but Red Rock Canyon State Park is worth a stop over.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=631

I personally don't think there is much to do in DV without a 4x4 and camp gear. Climbing Telescope Peak is awesome if you ever get the chance. You are at 12,000 feet looking straight down to Bad Water at -130 feet. If that is to much you could try Mt. Rose which is a easier climb but the views are still great!

Oh also on your way out of Joshua Tree check out this Oasis.
http://digital-desert.com/49-palms-oasis/

What to see in Sedona: http://redrockfantasy.org/
You won't find any lodging in Mojave National Preserve. DO NOT stay in Baker. There is only 1 hotel in Barstow that I will stay in. It's the only one that has interior hallways.
I will also stay at Buffalo Bill's in Primm Nevada on the CA/NV border.
How long are you renting the car for and where do you intend to return it?
The Amtrak Southwest Chief travels daily from Albuquerque to LA if you could rent another car to avoid a drop off fee.

For Albuquerque, I would skip the nuclear museum (it's interesting, but not a must-see IMO) and leave town around noon. Take the route emalloy suggested to Canyon de Chelly and you'll see some beautiful scenery before the sun goes down.

I'll second happytrailstoyou's recommendation to eat in Nob Hill. Look in the New Mexico folder for DebitNM's Albuquerque restaurants thread and you'll find quite a few great places mentioned.

If you end up staying in Barstow, the Quality Inn there is pretty decent and includes a free full breakfast in their restaurant.

I wouldn't take the train - sort of defeats the purpose of the road trip.

Lee Ann

Lee Ann and I, both locals in ABQ, often try to encourage folks to see the sites right here in town. While heading up to Santa Fe is nice, there's a lot right here in town to see and do to get a sense of what the southwest is about. Santa Fe certainly has its fans, and many who don't care for it. With such a short time here, I would humbly suggest seeing the following:

Our culture here is one deeply seated in traditions and ways of both Native Americans and Hispanics. To get a look into how they have influenced us, go to:

The National Hispanic Cultural Center - http://www.nhccnm.org/

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center -
http://www.indianpueblo.org/

And we have a wonderful zoo and botanical gardens -
http://cabq.gov/biopark

So take the time to see what our rich heritage is all about, you won't be sorry.

Oh, I would skip having dinner at the top of the Tram. The food is only so so at best. Also, be prepared for it to be VERY cold at the top of the Tram.

"Biking around the city" ABQ is <i>very</i> soread out and is not particularly bike friends. The best place to ride is along the bosque [woods along the Rio Grande]although all of the foliage is just about gone. It is very scenic and the trail runs several miles. It goes right by the Botanical Gardens, so you could stop there if you wanted to go in. The Zoo is actually the best part of the Bio Park, IMHO.

http://www.cabq.gov/openspace/paseodelbosquetrail.html

Spirob and others: Yes, Death Valley has it's own charm, but to me - there other areas suggested on this trip have much more initial appeal and I would save Death Valley for another trip - if one decided to explore it more in depth.

I think places such as Monument Valley are stunning, even if for just an afternoon drive through (BTW - there is a "Wind Talker" exhibit - the tale of the Navajos using their language in WWII to help fool the Japanese who were listening in to the Marines airwaves - at the Burger King in Kentanya sp? - the entryway to Monument Valley.

And it's also fun to listen to the Navajo radio station when driving around in those areas, and my all laughed when we couldn't understand one word - but then heard the term - in English - "Parking Lot - as way back when - there was no need for the term "parking lot" in the Navajo language. They sure baffled the Japanese in the Pacific, and sadly - their heroic feats were not "de-classified" until much later after WWII - sometime in the 70's I think it was.

Nicolas Cage starred in the great movie - Windtalkers.

Thank you, everybody, for taking the time to reply! Your input has been very helpful in updating my itinerary!