vacation of a lifetime for us
 

we are traveling to Arizona and from there on to Durango Colorado. Trying to plan it right places to see, stuff to do, where to fly into and what not to miss. We are traveling in September and would appreciate any advice.

You've picked some beautiful country to see, and you could head out in just about any direction and thoroughly enjoy your vacation. By Arizona, do you mean Grand Canyon, Sedona, or where? Do you want to see some national parks in Utah, too? How much of Colorado do you want to see? How many days do you have? Answers to those questions, and some idea of what you want to see and do on your vacation, would allow us all to give specific advice from our experiences. Thanks!

I thought Mesa Verde was incredible and "sacred"!!

I guess we are flying into Phoenix we have 2 free nights and then will be staying in Flagstaff for 4 nights then another free night and then onto Durango for 4 nights. We want to see the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and things along the way to Durango. One of us wants to do the mule ride at the Grand canyon. We all just want to do it up right and don't know where and whats & hows

I have a whole list of things to see and do around Sedona and northern Arizona. If you can send me an email, I will send you the list, which has clickable links for just about everything, so you will be able to do a little pre-trip exploring.

It sounds like you've been given some options for Arizona... regarding the Durango area, I recommend Mesa Verde NP which is near Durango. If you are looking for a day excursion from the area you could take the Durango-Silverton train which goes through the mountains and has great views. The train drops you off in Silverton for a few hours and from there you can stay overnight or take a bus to get back to Durango which goes a different route. If you aren't on a time constraint, you could consider driving north into Utah from Arizona where there is a tremendous amount to see and do and then east into Colorado. This would open up another entire area for discovery on your way to Durango.

Don't miss the Durango-Silverton train ride. Honestly one of the highlights of our Nevada-Colorado trip last summer. The scenery is absolutely magnificent. Hint: Wear a sweatshirt and reserve seats in one of the open air train cars. The closed parlor cars are stuffy and boring.

I'm not sure the route you will take, but if you get a chance, stop by Mesa Verde Pottery (near Cortez - Mesa Verdehttp://www.mesaverdepottery.com). I *hate* souvenir shops, but loved this place. You can buy replicates at a very reasonable price and even make your own.

Mike Honeycutt

Some areas of Mesa Verde NP require advance reservations to visit, so you might want to check into that now. Good luck with your planning!

Why Flagstaff? I would recommend at least two nights at the Grand Canyon so you can be there for sunrise and sunset. You are probably to late for booking a mule ride into the Grand Canyon BUT if you really want to do one, check that morning to see if there were any cancellations!

On the free night to Durango consider Canyon de Chelly or Monument Valley as a place to see and stop for the night.

While in Durango I'd go to Mesa Verde and take the scenic drive up the Million Dollar Highway, Hwy 550.

Utahtea