Grand Canyon from Dallas-need stop over and itinerary help!
 

Traveling with 3 kids (ages 5,5 &7) from Dallas via Amarillo route for June next summer for 9 days. Starting to plan now. Please help where you can!
1. Where should we stop over in New Mexico? We would like to get out of Texas before calling it a night. Santa Fe is too far I think.
2. We definitely want to stay a few days in Sedona and a few days in the Canyon itself.
Where do you recommend staying and how long in each area? I know choices in the Canyon are limited, but still want to experience just being there for a few days and not having to drive there from Sedona every day.
3. Is fitting Vegas in the itinerary too much for this time frame with the kiddos?

Thanks to all participants! :)

seriously! Noone on this tag is interested! Appreciate any one else with useful information!

Have you mapped this? That's a lot of time on the road/in the car with 3 kiddos in only 9 days.

I just did a sample route -
Leave Dallas - Night one in Amarillo = 6 hours, 21 min
N1 - time in a hotel pool
Day 2 -Leave Amarillo - drive to Holbrook AZ - 8 hours
N2 - stay in a wigwam
http://www.galerie-kokopelli.com/wigwam/
Day 3 - Petrified Forest NP, Meteor Crater
drive to Sedona - 2 hours plus park visits
N3 - Sedona
Day 4 - see Sedona and drive to Grand Canyon - 2 hours
N4 - Grand Canyon
Day 5 - Grand Canyon
N5 - Grand Canyon

I wouldn't drive further west but would start the loop back towards home, but through new scenery
Day 6 - head east through Monument Valley - 4 hours to Kayenta
N6 in Kayenta or on to Durango (probably on to Durango)
Day 7 - 3 hours from Kayenta to Durango - photo op at 4 Corners and on to Mesa Verde NP
N7 in Durango -
Day 8 - maybe Durango-Silverton train or head south to Santa Fe (4 hours)
N8 - Santa Fe
Day 9 - drive back to Dallas - the only problem is that it's 11 hours back to Dallas

Never mind, that won't work if you only have 9 days.

So back to part 1 -
Nights 3 and 4 in Sedona
Nights 5 and 6 at Grand Canyon
You'd still have 1000 miles, 17 hours between you and Dallas so Nights 7 and 8 would be your stops on the way back home.

I wouldn't add Vegas with kids that young and that many miles.