Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

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147Doc
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Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by 147Doc »

Vacation this year is looking like a drive out West. We (just wife and I) have driven in past trips to to Yellowstone, and Acadia, and this past fall to Charleston... and one of the things we have decided is that driving fewer hours in a day but stopping to see sights is a better choice.

It takes more days to get there, but it's a more enjoyable trip.

With that said:

Anyone know good National Parks or noteworthy State parks that we might want to consider as waypoints?

We like day hikes, we like seeing sights like gorges, waterfalls, etc. Museums are of secondary but still important interest, as are historic places.
Departure is Cincinnati, planned trip will likely be in September.

Thanks in advance!
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by Bruenor »

Are you planning on going via Route 70 all the way, or Route 70/44/40, or Route 40 the whole way ?

Lincoln sites at Springfield, IL,
the Gateway Arch and Westward Expansion Museum at St Louis,
Daniel Boone's home near Defiance, MO.
Oklahoma city memorial and the western heritage museum there in OKC.
AZ, Petrified Forest National Park, Meteor Crater, and Wupatki National Monument.

Sounds like a fun road trip.

Wonder if the worlds largest ball of twine is along your path as well :) omg I was joking, a little road trip humor you know, but it actually is in Cawker City, Kansas, which would be just north of the I-70 route.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by Brian D. »

Meteor Crater and the Petrified Forest are near I-40 in northern Arizona. The Big Texan in Amarillo Texas has great steaks, and you can watch visitors try the 72 oz. challenge. Get off the interstate and drive parts of old U.S. 66. You familiar with the "big Indian sign" in Carthage (Cincinnati)? There's another one in Gallup NM. along 66.

I just read that the big arch in St. Louis finished a remodel. That's run by the. U.S. Park Service.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by Brian D. »

The Cadillac Ranch is east of Amarillo, just off I-40, and iconic enough to look at.

And in Claremore Oklahoma is the J.M. Davis Gun Museum. Quite the collection of firearms..and beer steins, for some reason. That place has an interesting backstory.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by schmieg »

Monument Valley is well worth the trip. It's a couple of hours east and north of the eastern end of the canyon. Don't forget that while on the Navajo reservation, you need to keep your guns in the glove box or console rather than on your person and the Navajo reservation is huge.

A good place to stop for the night is the Cameron Trading Post, about half way between Monument Valley and the eastern side of the canyon, just north of the town of Cameron. Nice rooms, good food and an interesting trading post with a lot of Indian goods. Monument Valley also has a nice hotel, restaurant and trading post co-located with its museum. Don't know what the cost is at Monument Valley. Cameron TP is around $130 per night.

The other things mentioned are also all worth seeing. There is an awful lot in that area, even more if you go up to Utah.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by 147Doc »

Good answers! 'preciate the input.

We haven't decided on a route quite yet, Bruenor - options are still wide open ATM.

Do I remember the "Big Injun sign" Brian? C'mon... my NG armory was in Hartwell... I drove past that thing... beside hearing all the commercials!

schmieg - You note that the Navajo reservation has specific firearm restrictions... is Monument Valley in the ressie, or do I have to cross their lands to get to it? Guess I can find out with some quick research, but thanks.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by schmieg »

147Doc wrote:Good answers! 'preciate the input.

We haven't decided on a route quite yet, Bruenor - options are still wide open ATM.

Do I remember the "Big Injun sign" Brian? C'mon... my NG armory was in Hartwell... I drove past that thing... beside hearing all the commercials!

schmieg - You note that the Navajo reservation has specific firearm restrictions... is Monument Valley in the ressie, or do I have to cross their lands to get to it? Guess I can find out with some quick research, but thanks.
If you are driving in the 4 corners area and west into southeastern Utah and Northeastern Arizona, you will be on the Navajo rez unless you are on federal park land. Carrying concealed firearms is illegal on the rez, though the tribal police will USUALLY honor your license if you are on state roads. The Navajo rules allow you to have loaded firearms in the car, but they must be in the glovebox. Other tribes have different rules and, if you are leaving the main roads, you need to know where you are and what the rules are out there. If you go west out of the canyon, there are different tribes over that way. Most AAA maps show the reservation lands.

I've traveled out that way for 45 years and never run into a problem, but I never openly carried or carried concealed on Indian land and there's a good reason for that.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by sodbuster95 »

Bruenor wrote:Are you planning on going via Route 70 all the way, or Route 70/44/40, or Route 40 the whole way ?
If you travel the 70/44/40 route, you'll eventually find yourself passing Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri (blink, and you'll miss it), current home of the Military Police Corps, Engineer Corps, and Chemical Corps. There is very little to do on post, but there are several small museums to each Corps. (I should point out that while Ft. Leonard Wood is an open post, you MAY NOT carry concealed or have a firearm with you...not even unloaded).

Just off the exit from I-44 to Ft. Leonard Wood (St. Robert) is the "Route 66 Diner". St. Robert/Ft. Leonard Wood don't have much to offer for sights, but they certainly push the Historic Route 66 connection. The diner is a 50's style diner straight out of a Happy Days episode (if you're into that kind of thing).

One exit West of Ft. Leonard Wood is a small town called Waynesville. I lived there while I was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood and it is a small, mostly quiet town. You'll find any number "Historic Route 66" gimmicky things, but my favorite was Hopper's Pub. They boast 66 different types of beer on tap from the everyday to the rather oddly exotic. Stay long enough to drink all 66 varieties, and you get your name engraved on a plaque installed on the wall (no, you do not have to do this is a single sitting).
Bruenor wrote:Wonder if the worlds largest ball of twine is along your path as well :) omg I was joking, a little road trip humor you know, but it actually is in Cawker City, Kansas, which would be just north of the I-70 route.
Particularly while driving through Illinois, you'll pass all manner of World's Largest claims, including the World's Largest Rocking Chair, World's Largest Cross, World's Largest Wind Chime, etc. In all the times I passed them, I have to admit I never stopped. Who knows? Some might be interesting.

As to the St. Louis Arch...eh, I guess if that's an attraction. It's a small park, but relatively interesting to see up close. There are also some interesting stories about how it was built and, of course, you can go to the top to look around.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by Oldfire »

Our trip, two years ago, that included the Grand Canyon was very enjoying.
Started in Middletown, Oh. First real adventure was in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, in Texas. just south of Amarillo. Hiked to the "Lighthouse Tower?" (Little uncertain of the rocks name.) This is a canyon with hot, dry bottomland. There is also a neat little display about the CCC that did so much for our prk ssystem after WWII.

Worked our way to Los Alamos, NM (Santa Fe) area to Bandolier Ntional Park. There are some neat cliff dwellings here but on a very small scale compared to Mesa Verde. Also nearby is the Dept of Energy labs. The neat thing about this area is while hiking, my wife and I saw signs in hiking areas to report any found, unexploded ordinance.

Next camp stop was Flagstaff, Az. Camped there a couple of days. A day trip to Sedona, Az was wonderful. Beautiful drive down and a nice hike in a State Park there. Followed some of RT 66 to Flagstaff from Santa Fe. Sedona could warrant more time than what we gave it. Beautiful area. From Flagstaff we drove to the Grand Canyon on the western route. Locals said it was a little more scenic. Camped 3-4 days at a campground in the park.

Traveled next to Paige, Az. There we visited the Horseshoe Bend overlook of the Colorado(?) river. Iconic photos are all over showing this view. Antelope Canyon is in Paige also. There is an old historic ghost settlement near there also. Maybe Lee's Ferry. Ferry something. We also watched some of the multiday rafting trips being prepared for along the river. Major excursions. rafts holding a dozen or so persons plus gear for a week to go through the Grand Canyon.

Onward. Next stop Escalante, Ut. From this small village we made day trips out to hikes in Escalante National Park for some slot canyons. 25 miles down a gravel road (Hole in the Rock Road) to the pull off for the trailhead. Fun hike. Slot Cayons are neat. We also made a day trip back to Bryce Canyon NP from Escalante. There is also a state park between Escalante and Bryce. Cannot remember it's name. East of Escalante is a road (Hogback Ridge? somethink along that line.) that was an interesting. The higher you go, the more the ridge becomes apparent. We traveled over this a couple of times. Once to a short slot canyon about 150 yards long and the second time while traveling to Moab, Ut from Escalante. We also did another short hike to a natural bridge east of Escalante.

The Moab stay allowed us to visit Canyonlands NP and Arches NP. We did a real neat hike in Arches. It is fun to look up at an arch and then 45 minutes or so later be up behind it looking back down. We only visited the Canyonlands NP from the upper portion of the park. I would like to go back and take the multiday, offroad trail through the Canyon. Maybe someday yet.

Back up to I-70 and east toward Colorado. Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, then southward to Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. Rugged, deep, blackish walls to the river below. A snow storm was coming in, so we did not get to hike here. Gunnison NP is a definite place to visit again on my bucket list. The next morning's drive over Monarch Pass was a white knuckle drive due to the snow that fell.

Last stop on this trip was Colorado Springs, Co. Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods. It was April 20 when we were here. 4/20. 420. This is when I learned that 4-20 is the big celebration day regarding marijuana. We were shocked to see a marijuana dispensary in Colorado Springs. That was our first time seeing one. We noticed many more in Colorado during our 2017 trip. Not as surprised then. Snow on Pikes Peak limited us to 12,000 feet as the rads were not cleared to the top.

Eastward on I-70 back to Ohio.

This was a trip in April 2016. Tent camped about 66% of the trip. All hikes were day hikes.

We realize we only scratched the surface of what there is to see.

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me and I will give you an email or phone number.

Enjoy your trip.

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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by sunfish valley »

I'll second the motion on Sedona, awesome beauty down there, just south of Sedona there are several sights to visit. Beautiful country for sure.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by 147Doc »

Thanks for the addition, Oldfire, and the "second," sunfish.

I'll add those to the list of possibles.
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by BEAR! »

There's the Bunny Ranch in Carson City Nevada. :P

Also there's a little shack outside LaGrange, you know what I'm talkin about, haw haw haw haw. :mrgreen:
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Re: Driving to Grand Canyon - Suggested stops on the way?

Post by kcclark »

Got back on Wednesday from a Grand Canyon trip.

Parks? My family did the first three. Family we were traveling with added the fourth and I'm jealous because the pics they posted are spectacular.

https://www.nps.gov/petr/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://palodurocanyon.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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