Albuquerque, GC, LV, and more with teens????
May 24th, 2004, 09:23 AM
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Albuquerque, GC, LV, and more with teens????
Are we crazy? Hubby wants to do an "out west" vacation starting in Albuquerque and driving to the GC to stay for 2 nites, then on to Vegas for 2 nites then maybe Yellowstone and to Reno in a week. We have 2 boys 13 & 16 and I suspect that this may not be a good idea for a family vacation as we've always taken vacations to the beaches in FL or the carribbean. Anyone else done this with kids this age or have any advice, suggestions?????? We have to make a decision soon as we are going the last week in July and rooms are booking up quick at the GC....
Thanks!!!!
Mel
Thanks!!!!
Mel
May 24th, 2004, 10:29 AM
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It is going to be HOT in the middle of July in the desert! We were in Vegas on July 13, 2002 (for a wedding) and it was 118 at 2:00 PM!
That is also a LOT of driving. With doing that many miles, all you'd have time to do is jump out, take a few photos, get back in, and drive again. Unless your sons like to spend hours and hours in the car, I'd save the desert for a fall or spring vacation, or when you have more time to devote.
That is also a LOT of driving. With doing that many miles, all you'd have time to do is jump out, take a few photos, get back in, and drive again. Unless your sons like to spend hours and hours in the car, I'd save the desert for a fall or spring vacation, or when you have more time to devote.
May 24th, 2004, 10:40 AM
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I'll leave this wide open for others to chime in...
Day 1 Leave Albuquerque, stay overnight Grand Canyon..or nearby
Day 2 Grand Canyon
Day 3 Leave Grand Canyon, visit Hoover Dam, on to Las Vegas
Day 4 Las Vegas
Day 5 Leave Las Vegas early, drive through Death Valley, brief stop - and on to Mammoth Lakes to cool off. Arriving late afternoon, plenty of accommodations with pools. Short hikes, gondola ride
Day 6 Drive to Yosemite - first 12 miles you ascend one mile along Lee Vining Canyon..turn around and
backtrack to Hwy 395 to Mono Lake - for a short stop. Continue on to Bodie, an old ghost town. Will be hot and dry, carry water. Next on to Lake Tahoe.
Day 7 Over to the Truckee River and do a fun raft trip, stopping off with your picnic lunch, boys will enjoy it... Then on to Reno, if that is where you are catching a flight home.
There are so many interesting places along the way, and you will have some great memories.
Day 1 Leave Albuquerque, stay overnight Grand Canyon..or nearby
Day 2 Grand Canyon
Day 3 Leave Grand Canyon, visit Hoover Dam, on to Las Vegas
Day 4 Las Vegas
Day 5 Leave Las Vegas early, drive through Death Valley, brief stop - and on to Mammoth Lakes to cool off. Arriving late afternoon, plenty of accommodations with pools. Short hikes, gondola ride
Day 6 Drive to Yosemite - first 12 miles you ascend one mile along Lee Vining Canyon..turn around and
backtrack to Hwy 395 to Mono Lake - for a short stop. Continue on to Bodie, an old ghost town. Will be hot and dry, carry water. Next on to Lake Tahoe.
Day 7 Over to the Truckee River and do a fun raft trip, stopping off with your picnic lunch, boys will enjoy it... Then on to Reno, if that is where you are catching a flight home.
There are so many interesting places along the way, and you will have some great memories.
May 28th, 2004, 10:07 AM
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Thanks for the responses!! I only know for sure that we want to spend one night in ABQ and 1 or 2 nites at the GC and 1 or 2 nites in Vegas. I'm hesitant after that as to where to go in that short time (1 week total) and I'm also very concerned about the amount of driving we'll be doing with 2 teen boys....will they really be content to look at scenery for hours and hours???
May 28th, 2004, 10:37 AM
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What did you DH want to do in Alburqueque? It's 427 miles from there to the Grand Canyon. I would suggest flying into Las Vegas and then go to the Grand Canyon from there.
Las Vegas to Reno is 450 miles. From Reno to Yellowstone is 721 miles. Just the driving alone will take up almost 3 of your days. Yellowstone is a big park and really deserves 3 or 4 days and then a couple more for the Grand Tetons. I would suggest either doing the South West or Yellowstone - Grand Tetons.
If you decide on the South West, I would suggest going north from the Grand Canyon to Glen Canyon National Recreational Area (Lake Powell) Take a boat tour, do the 1/2 day float trip on the Colorado River, hike to Horseshoe Bend, rent a couple of personal watercrafts for the boys. My nephew was with us last year at Lake Powell and he said the float trip was the highlight of the trip.
From Page, keep going north to Zion National Park and Bryce National Park. There are plenty of great hikes to do in both parks. Our boys loved hiking in these parks and also to go tubing in the Virgin River in Zion. You can rent intertubes in the town of Springale, UT and tube down the river for a couple of miles and then they will pick you up.
When our boys were 13 and 16 we drove 7,800 miles from California to Alaska and back in 5 1/2 weeks. When they were 11 & 14 we drove almost 8,500 miles from California to the East Coast and back. I guess it will depend on how your boys feel about it. Ask them. Take books to read, electronic games to play and maybe even a DVD player.
Utahtea
Las Vegas to Reno is 450 miles. From Reno to Yellowstone is 721 miles. Just the driving alone will take up almost 3 of your days. Yellowstone is a big park and really deserves 3 or 4 days and then a couple more for the Grand Tetons. I would suggest either doing the South West or Yellowstone - Grand Tetons.
If you decide on the South West, I would suggest going north from the Grand Canyon to Glen Canyon National Recreational Area (Lake Powell) Take a boat tour, do the 1/2 day float trip on the Colorado River, hike to Horseshoe Bend, rent a couple of personal watercrafts for the boys. My nephew was with us last year at Lake Powell and he said the float trip was the highlight of the trip.
From Page, keep going north to Zion National Park and Bryce National Park. There are plenty of great hikes to do in both parks. Our boys loved hiking in these parks and also to go tubing in the Virgin River in Zion. You can rent intertubes in the town of Springale, UT and tube down the river for a couple of miles and then they will pick you up.
When our boys were 13 and 16 we drove 7,800 miles from California to Alaska and back in 5 1/2 weeks. When they were 11 & 14 we drove almost 8,500 miles from California to the East Coast and back. I guess it will depend on how your boys feel about it. Ask them. Take books to read, electronic games to play and maybe even a DVD player.
Utahtea
