Hi! Hope someone can help me! I'm getting frustrated here. My husband, mum-in-law and niece and I are coming to Las Vegas for two weeks in October. We only plan on staying in Las Vegas for less than one of the weeks (about 5 days max), as we have been there before.

What we'd like to do is take a driving tour the rest of the time that includes the Grand Canyon. As my mum-in-law is 80, we will probably only spend a day at the Grand Canyon... what do we do with the remainder of our time? I have the South-West Rough Guide, and originally we were thinking of Phoenix to San Diego and back to Las Vegas. But it doesn't sound like there's much to do of interest in Phoenix...Rough Guides really doesn't paint it well. Any suggestions for an itinerary? We enjoy the scenery mostly... and attractions of note. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Anastasia
http://www.greatbritaintravelguide.com

Anastasia, Do a search for Sedona here. You can easily reach it from the Grand Canyon and the red rocks are outstanding. In northeastern Arizona you can visit a Hopi village, although there are various restrictions about this. Jerome is an old silver mining town but has been revitalized and is quite popular.The House of Joy is a wonderful restaurant in an old brothel--dinner only on Saturdays and Sundays--reserve. You can take a railroad tour of the Verde River from Clarksdale. Montezuma's Castle is interesting and would be accessible to your mother-in-law. Prescott, AZ, is a fun old town with art galleries and "whiskey row" saloons. And, I don't really like the RoughGuide for the U.S. I think Phoenix would be well worth a couple days. There's a wonderful Native American Museum, The Heard Museum, Old Scottsdale, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West (although I personally find it horribly ugly!), and a very nice botanical garden (lots of cactus). I would plan to stay in Scottsdale at a nice hotel with a good pool. We have spent 4 days in Sedona and that area on two different trips and never felt bored. We've also been to Phoenix several times and while it's certainly a city, there is lots to do. Others might suggest you research Tucson as well and a guestranch stay--the weather should be cool enough by then.Tanque Verde is probably the nicest.The other way to go would be toward Los Angeles and stay there or go to San Diego.

Allour relatives are from the UK and there are just loads of things to do in Arizona and, also, Phoenix...it is a fantastic town and you will be coming at a nice time....still very warm during the day, but starting to cool off somewhat at night. We have had the relatives here for three weeks at a time and do only Arizona. I certainly would not miss Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly and their tours, especially while you are up in that territory...then, down to Sedona and Jerome(named after Jennie Jerome's uncles) and Phoenix sure has enough for several days, then down to Tucson, Bisbee, Tombstone, Patagonia. You will very easily spend your allotted time, after LV, in Arizona. Our relatives are astounded with the difference in the scenery and seem to be very captivated with it. Once again, with guidance, there are no end of things to do in Phoenix.

For stupid things to see and do, stop by http://members.aol.com/amuckinusa Its about this guy that goes on road trip and updates the web site from the road

If it's scenery you're interested in, you really should consider visiting Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon in southern Utah. They are both absoloutely awe-inspiring, and quite different from one another. They are both very accessible, with easy, level, paved walkways to fantastic viewpoints, which should be good for your mother-in-law. They are only a few hours drive from LV, and we drove to Zion from the south rim of the Grand Canyon in about half a day. For eye popping scenic splendor, I don't think you can beat Zion and Bryce,

Phoenix is an excellent place to visit especially in October. Some of the others have pointed out the attractions. San Diego is also well worth visiting. Infortunately the drive from Phoenix to San Diego and San Diego back to Las Vegas is pretty boring to say the least. However both Phoenix and San Diego offer a lot to do and see and are well worth it.

Thanks for all the feedback! A couple things...

1. Does anyone know a good guide book for this area? I'm gonna trash the Rough Guides one <g>

2. Has anyone done the drive through Death Valley?

I was thinking that perhaps the North Rim / southern Utah attractions might be more appropriate for us. I was also intrigued by what others in this forum have said about Yellowstone and Yosemite. We definitely don't want to do LA, but thought San Diego was worth a go. Would it be too much to do Zion / Bryce / North Rim and get to San Diego too?

I think I'd leave out San Diego and concentrate on the desert, which is lovely in October. Ditto the above suggestion about Zion and Bryce - they are gorgeous. I've been to Death Valley twice and find it spectacular, especially in the fall. You could get some heat there in October during the day. The air is crystal clear, the rocks are colored red, gold and purple, it has a vast, empty feel and the silence can be absolute. Furnace Creek Ranch is a comfortable motel. Furnace Creek Inn is an expensive, picturesque old stone hotel from the '30s, I think. Better choice of lodgings in Zion than in Bryce; you can drive from Zion to Bryce in maybe 2 hours. The Zion Lodge is great, and the town of Springdale has plenty of nice places. The Desert Pearl is new and quite pretty. All the driving in Utah and northern Arizona is through beautiful country.

I would then go Las Vegas, Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon and Sedona. The Sierra Club has great guides to the National Parks and I like Access Guides for cities. Would still include a short stop in Phoenix. I think you'll be surprized.

Anastasia, we have a similar vacation planned for 17 days at the end of July and beginning of August. The hottest part of the year, I know--we must be out of our minds! We too are flying in and out of Las Vegas and will be there 4 nights before we hit the road in our rental car for other points.

We will be going to Laughlin, the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest & Painted Desert, Sedona, Lake Havasu City, and Death Valley. We're going to try to take our time and visit sights in between such as ghost towns, ruins, and craters. Aside from Las Vegas, our longest stays will be 3 days each at Grand Canyon (for the mule trip) and Sedona. The rest will be one or two night stops. To avoid trying to cover too much and spreading ourselves too thin, we are going to skip areas north of the Canyon, Utah, and California (aside from Death Valley).

Being from the UK, you might find it interesting to pay a visit to Lake Havasu City and see London Bridge and the English Village in a desert setting.

We have been planning this trip for a while and have found some great lodging--some good bargains and some rather unique places to stay. I have used a few travel books, but most of my resources have come from the net. Feel free to e-mail me if you want any of our information.

Wayne:

You better think pretty seriously about some of the places that you are planning on visiting. Death Valley, Laughlin, Lake Havasau. Of course you have received ome good bargain because nobody travels there in the summer. Death Valley could easily be 125+ with Laughlin and Lake Havasau not far behind. I lived in that heat for years and trust me it is unbearably hot. Don't believe all the baloney about being a dry heat. That only works up to about 100-105. Temps of 110+ are like being in a blast furnace. The only place that will have many folks will be Laughlin because they can sit inside the sir conditioned casinos. Even Las Vegas will be very hot and it is the coolest of the four.

Sedona and the Grand Canyon will be pretty warm but not unbearable.

If it was me I would skip most of the desert areas and head for the California coast.

Anastatia:

What you do depends on how much desert you can tolerate. The weather in October will be great for the desert as well as the California coast. If it was me I would skip some of the desert spots and spend the time in San Diego. In fact I would probably do only Las Vegas and San Diego with a few side trips.

Wayne or anybody: where are the ghost towns?

We too, are planning a similar trip, and are debating about just a drive through Death Valley, on our way to Sequoia from Vegas. How bad can it be if we're in the van with a/c? We won't plan on stopping or hiking, but we may never pass that way again.....

All thoughts appreciated! Thanks!

Hi,
I've just returned to New Zealand after a 3 week driving tour of the southwest.You mentioned Yosemite as an option and I have to say that it was the most breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent place I have ever seen.I also went to the Grand Canyon which is well worth the effort but I would rec ommend doing a trip from Las Vegas to Yosemite, then San Francisco( a beautiful city) then down the Pacific Coast Highway (another highlight and well worth the effort) and back to Las Vegas through the Mojave desert which once again I'm sure you will find beautiful as the vastness of the desert is hard to comprehend until you actually see it. Goodluck and enjoy!

Hi, Anastasia,
One item to mention - you might have your mum check with her doctor about high altitudes - the south rim of the Grand Canyon is at around 7000 feet, the north rim 9000.

I think you'd enjoy Death Valley, and certainly Bryce or Zion Parks, too. One can do a very nice loop out of Las Vegas, seeing the Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley, then up and through Utah and over to Bryce and Zion, back to LV. Or you can extend into Colorado and see Mesa Verde or other sights there. Late October may pose some weather issues in the mountains, so you'd best be alert to the weather and road reports.

San Diego and the southern California coast are wonderful in the autumn, too - lots to see and do. Your choice.

For ghost towns see http://www.ghosttowns.com/ There are several in close proximity to Death Valley and Las Vegas, including Rhyolite, quite popular.

Anastasia:

If you do decide to include Southern California in your tour, you likely will be traveling on Interstate 10 from Phoenix. As you approach Indio, you will be close to Joshua Tree National Park. If you go in the "back" way--the south entrance, Cottonwood Spring exit from I-10--you will see some amazing terrain. As you drive from the lower desert into the upper desert, the vegetation is incredibly diverse. Then, within the main section of the park itself, there is one area with a flat, easily negotiated trail. The area is called Hidden Valley--a cactus-and-shrub-filled expanse surrounded by unusual rock formations. When leaving, you can save time by exiting through the north entrance (passing through the towns of Joshua Tree and Morongo Valley) and reconnecting with I-10 via state route 62.

Audra:

Vehicles do not like the heat very well either. You could be in A/C comfort one minute and sitting in 125+ heat the next if your vehicle breaks down. I have seen many cars disabled along the Hwy when the temperatures get very hot.

Make sure that you take several gallons of water with you.

We used to live in the Los Angeles area and want to support those here who are advising against going to the desert in summer. We drove to Las Vegas several times, but always waited until about 8 pm or got up at 4 am to do it. It's just too risky for people and cars when the temps get too high. As stated above 110 degrees is tolerable if you stay out of the sun. 125 degrees is just plain awful, dry heat or no. The comment is always made about why do you suppose the call it "Death" Valley? Don't ruin your wonderful trips by risking it.

Hi again, Anastasia,
The average high temperature in Death Valley in October is 92°F, low in the 60s. The heat is very dry and not terribly uncomfortable. Obviously the later in the month you visit, the lower the likely temperature. DV should NOT be visited idly in high summer, for the reasons others have mentioned. But in the autumn and winter it's a great and unique destination.

Thanks to everyone who helped with this. I think I have at least decided to focus on the northern AZ and Utah bits. I'm still wondering if we can make it to San Diego.

Thanks especially to the person that pointed out to have my mum-in-law check about high altitudes. She has angina so I will be sure she gets an ok. Otherwise, we'll just leave her in the car with windows rolled up (just kidding!!!!)

Still confused, but an idea is starting to formulate, so thanks again!!

By the way, to the person that suggested going to see London Bridge and English Village - I'm an expat American! <g> And the British still laugh that that guy thought he was getting Tower Bridge!

Cheers!

Anastasia
http://www.greatbritaintravelguide.com