4 day Arizona trip - need advice
 

My daughter is at Ft. Huachuca near Sierra Vista, and we are planning a 4 day trip from there around her 4th of July holiday. Is Grand Canyon or Sedona possible? We appreciate any itinerary suggestions. Thanks.

GC and Sedona would be possible, if you were planning on spending all 4 days in that part of Arizona. It would be close to 6 hours from SV to Sedona. You could then use Sedona as a base and do a day trip to the GC. I would suggest trying to do one night at the GC, but it may be difficult to find lodging for that period. Check availability here:

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/

If you can't find in-park lodging, the next best would be Tusayan, just outside the park.

There is also plenty to do around southern AZ, if you decide to stay down here. Check my list of things to see and do:

http://www.mikepintucson.blogspot.com/

Another, easier, option would be to stay in southeastern Arizona. Ramsey Canyon and the Chiricahuas are beautiful and a lot closer to Sierra Vista.
http://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/no...s/art1973.html

Oops, almost forgot, Karchner Caverns is also close to Sierra Vista.
http://azstateparks.com/parks/kaca/
I can't believe they use the abbreviation - kaca?

Thanks Mike and Shanti,
We appreciate your suggestions. Grand Canyon and Sedona could be destinations for our longer return trip in September when our daughter graduates from Army AIT.

Good choice. Here are some suggestions:

Visit Tombstone and Bisbee earlier in the day, and schedule Kartchner Caverns for an afternoon (cool in the cavern, hot outside). Kartchner Caverns is a must-see, IMO.

Go to Tucson, if possible, and visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum as early as possible. From there, head across town and drive up to Mt. Lemmon (30 degrees cooler). On the way back to SV, take the loop drive through Saguaro National Park East, stopping at as many of the viewpoints as possible.

Chiricahua National Monument and Ramsey Canyon also deserve a day.

we always head out to Scottsdale for the long 4th of July weekend and wanted to throw out there that the 5* resorts are super cheap..$100 for a room that usually goes for $500-$800 a night.
Royal Palms or the Phoenician are great 5* for super cheap too.
Try expedia.com as well.
Montelucia Inter-Continental has a great $99 deal with breakfast and free room upgrade and this is a new 5* resort and you can do day trips to at least Sedona and then come back to luxury.
I got it off the PerfectEscapes.com website..believe they are owned by TripAdvisor.

If you do stay in Sedona, we really enjoy Sedona Rouge resort and spa, Hyatt Pinion resort, Hilton resort or BW Inn of Sedona.

Mike- Thanks for your suggestions. And thanks ksucat- i will check out the places you suggest.

I'm thinking of staying at http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Hotels.../Overview.aspx when I first arrive in Tucson. We'll save Sedona and Grand Canyon for the week trip.

You can't go wrong with Loews Ventana Canyon. Great resort and a great location. From there it will be a very short drive to Sabino Canyon, another very worthwhile place to see. And quite close to the drive up Mt. Lemmon and Saguaro National Park East.

Loews is very nice. Tucson will be very hot in July - about 100-105 degrees so do any local outdoor activities early in the morning.

For traveling to the Grand Canyon in September, if you want to stay in the national park, make your reservation NOW. I'm visiting northern Arizona in September and will be spending one night at the Grand Canyon. I booked my reservation last month and almost everything was already taken.

Shanti- Thanks for the tip on making the reservation for Grand Canyon soon.

Mike- Is the drive up Mt. Lemmon something for a seasoned driver, which I'm not. Are there lots of turns? Guardrails?
Thanks for your help!

The Catalina Hwy up Mt. Lemmon is quite twisty, with some scary-looking dropoffs. There are guardrails, but be aware that for someone with *issues* it might be a problem. We go up every few weeks, but the first time I had my eyes closed most of the way. (No, I wasn't driving).

Lennyba, Thanks for the warning. I think I'll either find a tour or be happy with pictures. :)

Way too much driving for a 4 day trip, especially when there is so much to do in the Sierra Vista area.

Thanks Bigtyke- do you have any places to add to the ones noted above? Anything closer to Sierra Vista, although I am thinking of staying at the Loews Ventana Canyon resort in Tucson. Am I missing a nice resort type place to stay at around Sierra Vista (closer to my daughter's Army Ft. Huachuca).

You might also want to check tripadvisor.com for info on lodging in and near Sierra Vista. Also, can your daughter ask for recommendations?