Las Vegas to Durango, CO info
 

My wife and I (w/ teenage son and daughter) will be driving R/T from Las Vegas to Durango, CO during the Christmas holiday. We have 2 to 3 days on each leg. Below are places we plan/would like to visit. All advice, sights to add/exclude, winter road warnings (we're from Florida), etc. will be very much appreciated.

Las Vegas;
Stratosphere
Death Valley (lowest point)

The Drive;
Hoover Dam
Oatman, AZ
Route 66
Grand Canyon Skywalk
Meteor Crater near Winslow, AZ
Monument Valley

Durango; ( we're renting a cabin but don't ski )
Snowmobiling
Sleigh Ride
Steam Train

Thanks

Las Vegas: To see lots of Death Valley go north on 95 to Beaty then west, stop for a couple of minutes at Rhyolite (a right ) to see a ghost town with a house made of bottles then back to the main drag and stop at the toilets at the top of the hill, walk across the street to get a great view of the valley then down into the valley. Take the left and drive south. You could stop at the Borax works, visitor's center, devil's golf course, on the way to Badwater, the low point, stop and walk our a bit and turn around and look at the sea level sign way up on the cliff. Then go back and take the right to Zabriski point and head back to Vegas. If you want shorter day trips in Vegas, go to Valley of Fire state park and Red rock canyon.

The drive: Go to the National Park for Grand Canyon, not the Skywalk. Oatman is funky, but now worth the distance off your route to make it really worth going. If you are going to the Meteor Crator, you might as well go to Petrified forest/painted desert.

You will be going through places that may have snow so check local conditions frequently. Some places I've seen in Colorado have signs saying "chains required" when it is snowing and rental cars don't usually let you use them.

If you get a park pass at the first National Park you go to it will get you and everyone in your car into all the parks for free for a year.

The train in Durango - take it only one way and then take the bus the other way. It is interesting but round trip is a bit much of the same thing and teens may not care for all that sitting and scenery thing. Don't eat in Silverton, which is the turn around point. The places are really way over priced and not particularly good. If you take the train from Durango to Silverton, sit on the right hand side of train. If you take the train in the other direction, sit on the left hand side of the car.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...by-debitnm.cfm

Deb

Death Valley requires 2 days at a minimum in my opinion(really more like 3). I wouldn't drive all the way there just to see the lowest point. Death Valley isn't in between Vegas and Durango, BTW. Death Valley is huge and takes time to get from place to place.
Death Valley:

Zabriski Point
Badwater(lowest point)
Devils Golf Course
Natural Bridge(short hike)
Dantes peak(view)
Meal at Furnace Creek Inn
Scotty's Castle
Artist Drive
Titus Canyon(fantastic drive-slightly scary)
take a tour to Race Track Playa
swim at Furnace Creek Ranch or Inn in heated swimming pool

Listen to emalloy and don't even think about the Skywalk, instead go to the south rim, hike down a bit into the canyon, maybe take a helicopter tour. See Hoover Dam on the way to GC.

You will be close to Mesa Verde, while in Durango so you might consider 1/2 day there. I believe a lot of it is closed, but portions are open and it is very interesting.

Agree with emalloy to see Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and Crater.

You can expect pretty much a full days drive going each way, so really this only gives you 1 or 2 days to see something along the way. If you ever go to Durango in the summer, ride the train then and do the Zipline tour. Only way to reach it is by the train.

Have you been to Vegas before? The Stratosphere isn't reall that big a deal. I would suggest The Forumn Shops, and a Cirque Show. Perhaps you might want to ride one of the rides in the stratosphere.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Your advice will make it much easier to plan our trip. If you don't mind, though, I would like to ask another question....

emalloy and spirobulldog, why did you recommend we skip the Grand Canyon Skywalk and visit the south rim instead? It's not worth the high cost?

I have been to Las Vegas on business but never as a tourist. Wanted to visit the Stratosphere mainly for our two teenagers. They want do the rides. Would also like to do a show. The Cirque sounds good.

Deb, I appreciate the Durango restaurant guide. I'm sure, with two hungry teens, we'll be referring to it often.

Sky walk is expensive, and not in the main part of the canyon, rather in a side canyon. It is closer to Vegas but I think the ride in may involve a bit of drive on a gravel road most folks here feel it is not worth the trip but truthfully I have not been there. The National Park is spectacular. The accommodations on the rim in the park are fine and at that time of year you should be able to stay there if you want to. The walking along the rim trail is very easy and nice views all along, but a trip down on Bright Angel or Kaibab trail is also wonderful and you don't need to go all the way to the bottom to feel like you've done something special.

Most people feel that the Skywalk is nothing but a big ripoff. Most people also feel it takes away something by placing such an object in a place like the grand canyon. I am pretty sure they don't even allow you to take pictures while on the skywalk. A helicopter tour isn't much more in price and is 100 times better. The south rim is just so much better than the skywalk. I am an indian, but a lot of the Indian reservations in arizona and utah are a little creepy and somewhat 3rd world countryish. This is not really the case in the Skywalk area, but you will see what I am talking about if you spend a little time in Monument Valley.

Thanks to everyone for your comments on the Skywalk. Instead of being ripped off we've decided to visit Grand Canyon National Park instead. The ($$$) you've saved us will go to better use elsewhere.

Any hotel recommendations inside the park?

After the Grand Canyon we plan to head east, eventually connecting with highway 160, through Monument Valley, Four Corners and on to Durango. Any thoughts? (we may visit Mesa Verde during our stay in Durango)

How about driving conditions in late December?

Grand Canyon is something everyone should see, but I find Mesa Verde just as interesting and far more to do(although things will be limited when you are there).

Grand Canyon is great both at the North Rim or South Rim. A couple years ago we drove from So. Cal, Vegas, Grand Canyon (S Rim)and on to Durango.

We just stayed at Trump in Vegas and loved it. Death Valley is very interesting but it is larger than most people realise. But it is a couple hours away from Vegas in CA.

Durango is a funky town but lovable. The train is a good experience,with beautiful views but I agree that one way on train and coming back by van is worth the extra money. Silverton is cool too. We ate at Sweeney's in Durango and it is one of our favorite dinner places ever.
Have a good trip!

We stayed at El Tovar last weekend, but any of the south rim lodges are fine. I would definately recommend El Tovar if its in your price range. The canyon is beautiful this time of year, but you should buy some cleats as the rim and trails into the canyon are snow covered.

Just a little ways north of Monument Valley is Valley of the Gods(mini monument valley). You should drive through it. Very close to VofG is Goosenecks of San Juan and Moki Dugway. You should definately check out all three of these. Would take you 3 hours or so. A lot of people throw in Muley Point(I usually do as well), in this area. It is kinda at the top of the Dugway. However, it could be skipped as it is just a so so attraction in my opinion. Goosenecks and the Dugway are pretty darn cool though.

One more thing. There is a little place called Twin Rocks and the cafe there is one of the few that we saw on the way from Mesa Verde to Monument Valley. It was pretty good. You will want to have an indian taco somewhere in the 4 corners area.