Arizona in MArch -HELP!
 

We are traveling to Arizona in March with our 10 and 13 yr old kids......we need this to be a great experiencie for many reasons...please look at my plan and commento on it!

Friday 25th: Fly to Phoneix and drive to Flagstaff, where we will stay 5 nights (RCI). On the way to F we will stop at Jerome for a couple iof hours.
In the evening we might go for Lowell Observatory
Saturday 26th: Visit Flagstaff attractions. We will go to Riordan State, Museum of N. Arizona, railroad station...in the evening we will go to Sedona for dinner and drive back
Sunday: Drive to the Grand Canyon and Back
Monday:Visit Wuptaki National Monument and Sunset Crater......maybe go to Sedona in the afternoon or the observatory if we did not make it already
Tuesday:Arizona Snow ball and Sedona in the afternoon? (this day I don;t have a plan)
Wednesday: we drive to Las Vegas, stopping in Hoover Dam

We then spend 3 nights in Vegas...will stay at Treasure Island and see Mystere. We will explore hotels with the kids (we don't gamble and my husband has a businees show to attend)

Any suggestions are more than welcomed!

Alba

You might also want to visit Petrified Forest/Painted desert and Meteor Crater - these are a one day trip.

At Wupatki, be sure to walk all the way down to the ball court and the blow hole.

For a dramatic entry into Jerome, arrive over Mingus Mt.

Welcome to Arizona!
I would think that you're going to be spending an awful lot of time in a car.Your first day sounds like a long one, depending on how long your flight is. Jerome is not really "on the way" to Flagstaff but is over a mountain road. A lovely drive and worthwhile visit, but it will take a few hours to get there, walk around and get back on the road. Maybe you could do that on a day you're spending in Sedona.
Also, there is always the possibility of snow in late March and that certainly would also slow you down. Riordan is interesting.The Museum of Northern Arizona are both good stops, as is Wupatki and Sunset Crater, which are in the same direction as the museum, so you might want to combine those three. My kids always loved Walnut Canyon. You might consider that.
With kids, I'd want to be sure to have some time to wander along Oak Creek in Sedona and around the downtown area of Flagstaff.
Also, rather than driving to Sedona for dinner and back to Flag, I'd have dinner there on a day that I'm spending the whole day in Sedona. The kids would probably love a jeep tour.
Have you looked at www.flagstafarizona.org?
In Vegas, you might want to drive out to the Red Rock Park--pretty scenery and nice hiking. (Somebody please correct me if I'm not getting the name right.)
Have a great time.
Vera

Great advice y'all (I live in Texas)

Let me ask you about the pink jeep tour...is it very jumpy? I have a serious brain/neck condition and can't ride horses or water raft...is the jeep ride rough?

Maybe I will let my husband and the kids do it while I soak in Sedona energy!

Where do I find directions to Jerome????? Our plain lands in Phoenix at 10 am and check in in Flag is at 4 pm....that is why I thought we could do Jerome on our way since we have about 6 hours....let me know

I do feel it's TONS of driving and we rented a compact car......but what else can we do?????

This vacation is VERY important for the kids as I am having a huge surgery afterwards...will the driving be excessive?

THANKS and any other advice is more than welcomed!!!!!

Going to Sedona in the evening would be like visiting an art gallery while blindfolded. You will miss all the color! The rocks, the trees, the canyon, the total vivid experience. Five nights in Flagstaff? Why? Did you go to school there? Otherwise, why stay there? It's an old railroad town. What could have been one of America's most beautiful towns was sacrificed to the axe, the pick, and franchise fast-food places. Just MHO, you understand.

It's the Arizona Snow Bowl, incidentally. Up on the side of the San Francisco Peaks. They had record depth of snow this winter, but plenty should still be there in three weeks.

Are you baseball fans? You'll be in Phoenix during spring training. Heaven on earth for baseball lovers! Nothing beats spending time with family relaxing outdoors watching a game -- IMHO! Very affordable, several fan-friendly stadiums in the area.

I agree with Vera & USNR - you are doing a lot of driving back and forth from Flagstaff to Sedona. Why don't you spend Friday and Saturday night in Sedona - you could spend all day Saturday & Sunday exploring Sedona and could go to Jerome during this time. Then Sunday night drive to Flagstaff. Monday go to the Grand Canyon and Tuesday do the Musuems, Sunset Crater and Wuptaki National Monument or you can flip Monday and Tuesday around depending on weather, etc.
You can relax in Sedona while the rest of your family does a jeep tour.
Please consider this - it will make your trip so much less stressful and you will not be wasting all that driving time.

Suggest you check azjerome.com for info. They say 90 miles from Phoenix and 60 miles from Flagstaff. And remember a lot is mountain driving. They also have a link to www.go-arizona.com which has a map of the area so you can see the location. However, I would think you would want to pick up a guidebook and map before you go. Another excellent site for Arizona info is arizonahighways.com
The jeep tours have web sites and you could e-mail them and ask if they have a "non-bumpy" tour, or as you say send the family while you soak up the good vibes.By the way, Pink Jeep is not the only company. Don't overlook Sedona Jeep Tours as well.Look at www.visitsedona.org
Hope it is a great trip and best wishes with the surgery.
Vera

You guys are the best!!!!!

We will sleep in Flagstaff because we are staying at an RCI propertyt and you have to stick with it for 7 days.....what we will do is play it by ear and not overdo the driving....there is a lot to see but we will only see that that makes us happy.....

And yes we are baseball fans but we can do that at home (Texas Rangers)

THANK YOU for all your help and good wishes for the surgery...you guys are amazing!!!!

Alba

Alba - Good reason to stay in Flagstaff so since you have to do that, I would suggest that you just spend one of your days in Sedona instead of driving back and forth on different days. I would do your Flagstaff activities on Saturday and then spend all day Tuesday in Sedona. I am suggesting this because Sedona will be less crowded during the week than on a weekend. Of course if weather becomes an issue, you can always switch your days around.

Good luck with your surgery - I know your family will have a wonderful vacation.

Thanks Paula!!!

I have a couple of more question....

Will the Gran Canyon be busier un Sunday versus Monday....I think the Sunday we are going is Easter.

And if we drive to Jerome....spending 3 hours there plenty? Worth it? I am trying to kill time the first day...we arrive in Phoneix at 10 am and check in in Flagstaff is at 4 pm....I figure with all the driving we will be in Flag around 6 pm.......

Or is there something else we should do in Phoenix or on our way to Flag????

Maybe stop in Sedona for a few hours and get a feel for it....we plan to spend all Tuesday in Sedona

THANKS

Alba

Montezuma's Castle National Monument is just north of Camp Verde on the way from Phoenix to Flagstaff. This is worth an hour or two. Also there is Indian Gambling in Camp Verde, it that interest you.

Utahtea

A 10 and 13 year old? I might suggest less time in Las Vegas and more time at the Grand Canyon. Staying a night at one of the lodges in the canyon would also be worth investigating.