wendidavid

My Mom and I are traveling around Arizona and just a little bit of Utah in a few weeks....starting at Phoenix, traveling up hwy 60 up to Arches National Park, then down through Monument Valley to the Grand Canyon, then back to Phoenix. My question pertains to the Phoenix--Moab leg. Does anyone have recommendations for a hotel/dinner stop halfway and places to eat along the way??

Any recommendations are welcome...thanks!

Wendi

emalloy

Is there a reason you are going up 60? Google maps takes you up I-17 to Flagstaff then up 89 to near Tuba City then east and north. It looks like 8 + hours of driving which would be a lot for many people in one day. If you do go that way, but want a break, you could stop and visit Wupatki and Sunset Crater, between Flagstaff and Cameron. Stop at Cameron Trading post for the night, then head for Moab, perhaps with a stop at the Needles district of Canyonlands on the way into Moab.

spirobulldog

I think OP meant HWY 160 as it is the same as HWY 89.

Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast might make for a good stop. It's a mini-Monument Valley. You could also stay at Monument Valley-The View. Either place would be good at sunset and sunrise.

I would see Goosenecks of the San Juan and drive the Moki Dugway. Both less than 10 miles from Valley of the Gods.

After seeing those continue on to Natural Bridges National Monument to Arches. Sipapu Bridge at Natural Bridges is just as impressive as anything you will see at Arches. You need to hike just a bit to stand under it to fully appreciate it. Spectacular.

I would stop at the Needles District as emalloy suggests. You could do different things/route going to/from Moab.

wendidavid

Thanks for the input. We were actually hoping to travel up to Moab through the eastern part of the state...maybe even veer into Gallup, NM as we're going to be traveling through Monument Valley on our way from Moab to the Grand Canyon.

Any ideas of where to stay and eat either along hwy 191 or 491 (New Mexico)? Thanks!

Bill_H

If you are going up the east side I'd recommend Canyon de Chelly (Chinle), maybe not as far east as you would like but very different from MV and worth a half-day (or full day if you have plenty of time) guided tour into the canyon. Stay at the Holiday Inn or Junction Inn (Best Western) or Thunderbird Lodge.

<b>... maybe even veer into Gallup, NM</b>

I've always felt Gallup is a pretty depressing place; it's perched on the edge of the reservation, which means a lot of Navajo who have drinking problems flock there. Pretty desolate country scenery-wise compared to places like Moab, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, New Mexico north of Albuquerque (Santa Fe, Taos ... probably more east than you want though).

<b>My question pertains to the Phoenix--Moab leg. Does anyone have recommendations for a hotel/dinner stop halfway and places to eat along the way??</b>

Cameron is fairly close to half-way (maybe 4.5 hrs from Moab, 3.5 hrs to Phoenix). This is near the east border of the Grand Canyon. The Trading Post has a good restaurant, with some good traditional Navajo dishes, and the hotel is nice. Ask for a room overlooking the Little Colorado river.

Next logical place would be Flagstaff, a bit further but a larger town with more options.

InSandy

Would you feel like taking the time for Mesa Verde? While not quite as nice as Durango staying in Cortez would allow you to visit Mesa Verde. It does take a full day at least to truly see it, though shorter visits are possible.

spirobulldog

I would not stay in Cortez to see Monument Valley. I think the Far View Lodge right in Mesa Verde is a better choice, IMOP.

If you make it as far as Moab, you might as well see Goblin Valley State Park as well. There is a lot to do and you have several options.

Mesa Verde, Canyon De Chelly, Canyonlands, Moab, Arches, Goblin Valley,etc all worth a stop. Most of these take more than a day to do.

K_Bot

Have you ever been to Lake Powell? If not, I would recommend Page AZ as a stopover point. It's about 5 hours' drive from Phoenix, then from Page to Moab UT would also be about 5 hours (via Monument Valley). Map ->: http://g.co/maps/8uun3 There is a lot to see and do in Page, so you might consider breaking for 2 nights there. Page has about 2 dozen hotels, mostly Quality Inn/Best Western caliber but a couple of higher end places such as a Courtyard by Marriott and the Lake Powell Resort (info ->: http://bit.ly/AwGk5c)

I agree w/Bill_H re Gallup, I've been through there many times and don't care for it at all. There are better and prettier places to see around here.