car trip from Phoenix
 

I am going to be in Phoenix this winter. I would like to take a car trip for a few days. Any suggestions for interesting places to go?

Sedona would be a good choice, only 1 1/2 hour drive, nice places to stay, beautiful red rock country.

I hear there's a big ol' hole in the ground about 4 hours north of Phoenix......

I'd go north and south both. Possibly even east.

Tucson/Saguaro National Park

Petrified Forest/Grand Canyon/Sedona

Guadalupe National Park/Carlsbad Caverns National Park/White Sands NM (this would require a bit more driving)

You could do a huge giant loop and do all of them.

Tucson, Sedona and Grand Canyon - what are you interested in doing/seeing?

Although its too late for the OP's trip, I thought I'd post this for others who might be planning.

A few years ago we used a wonderful book published by Arizona Highways to plan our tour of the state. I think the book is out of print, but you might find a copy in you local library. It is called <i>“Travel Arizona: Full Color Tours of the Grand Canyon State”</i>. I wrote to the publisher a while back and he tells me that the new version of this book is <i>“Travel Arizona II: A Guide to the Best Tours and Sites"</i> (ISBN 0-916179-80-X)

Looks like you can get a copy for a penny on Amazon used books.

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Arizona...vel+arizona+ii

We spent five days on the road starting in Phoenix.

<u>Day One:</u> North to Sedona, stopping at Arcosanti and Montezuma’s Castle along the way. We stayed in a creek side cottage at L’Auberge de Sedona the first night. The cottage was beautiful, the setting magical and the food was to-die-for.

http://www.lauberge.com/sedona-hotel...kside-cottage/

<u>Day Two:</u> Over the mountain, through Flagstaff and on to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon where we stayed at Bright Angel Lodge. Amazing sunset and sunrise.

http://www.usparklodging.com/grandca...FZA-MgodTU0ARA

<u>Day Three:</u> Onward through Tuba City to the “Four Corners” and Monument Valley. Here we stayed overnight at Goulding’s Ranch. We had a tour of MV with a native Navajo and a wonderful dinner on the ranch of local foods. We were up to photograph the outstanding sunrise over the monuments the next day before breakfast.

http://www.gouldings.com/

<u>Day Four:</u> From Four Corners we dropped down Hwy 191 to Canyon De Chilly National Monument, the Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado and then Hwy 264 to the Hopi Villages at First Mesa for the night. What an experience! We were invited to attend a ceremonial planting celebration on Second Mesa the next morning.

http://www.experiencehopi.com/villages.html

<u>Day Five:</u> We followed Hwy 87 over the Mogollon Rim for a look at the meteor crater near Winslow. From there you can take 87 to the Tonto Natural Bridge near Payson or follow 40 to Holbrook for the Petrified Forest National Park. Then back to Phoenix from Payson.

The driving distances were very managable each day with plenty of time to stop along the way. The longest day being the last.

It was a wonderful trip and I would do all over again. Hope this helps your planning.