home_school_dad
Woodleaf, NC
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I agree with several of the previous posts. A day or two at the Canyon should be ample. With two weeks I would recommend several additions (you can look these up on the Internet):
Painted Desert/Petrified Forest NP
Canyon De Chelly NM
Monument Valley
Mesa Verde NP
The Million Dollar Highway (Durango-Silverton-Montrose)
Natural Bridges NP
Arches NP
Canyonlands NP
Zion NP
Bryce Canyon NP
Cedar Breaks NP
Hubble Trading Post HS
El Morro NP
El Malpais NP
Four Corners (interesting but over rated - the best part is the sand painting demonstration)
Mokee Dugway (on Utah route 261 north of Mexican Hat)
Sedona, Az, and Oak Creek Canyon
Jerome, Az
The Apache Trail from Apache Junction (Phoenix) to Roosevelt Dam (most if this is dirt road and not suitable for RV's - winding, narrow, and no guardrails. It is one of my favorite drives)
You could make a circle of the Grand Canyon and hit all of these sites in your two weeks. We spent an evening and a whole day at the south rim. We stayed in Williams, Az. The first day we got to the campground at 1:00 and rested a while. Later we drove to the Canyon and watched the sunset. The next day we drove back and spent the whole day. Remember that the best views and photos are early morning and sunset.
We choose central campgrounds and made day trips to the sites in the area. We stayed in Gallup, Blanding, St. George, Holbrook, Camp Verde, and Williams.
Have a great trip!
8 kids (5 still traveling)
1 darling wife (won't leave home without her)
Ford E-350 SD V10 Van
Jayco Eagle TT
Hensley Arrow
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cltkids
Lake Park, North Carolina
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Joined: 05/29/2006
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I am not the OP on this one, but have been following it closely since we are planning a possible trip to GC in fall of 2009.
Our plans currently (subject to change) are to stay a few days at RV park in the campground (Trailer Park?) to visit the South Rim, then head to Vegas for a few days, which will include Hoover Dam. Heading back we were planning on stopping at Petrified forest, Meteor crater and maybe Sedona.
Big trip for us since I plan on taking 5 days to get there and 5 days to return. Lot of driving...want to make sure it is worth it.
So, thanks to everyone for their suggestions! I am sure it will help us!
2007 Four Winds Hurricane 34B
2007 CR-V w/ Blue Ox Aventa LX/Even Brake
2 Kids/2 Dogs
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Chock Full o' Nuts
GA
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Joined: 02/02/2007
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cltkids wrote:I am not the OP on this one, but have been following it closely since we are planning a possible trip to GC in fall of 2009.
Our plans currently (subject to change) are to stay a few days at RV park in the campground (Trailer Park?) to visit the South Rim, then head to Vegas for a few days, which will include Hoover Dam. Heading back we were planning on stopping at Petrified forest, Meteor crater and maybe Sedona.
Big trip for us since I plan on taking 5 days to get there and 5 days to return. Lot of driving...want to make sure it is worth it.
So, thanks to everyone for their suggestions! I am sure it will help us!
We stopped by the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert NP on our way out to Grand Canyon--totally worth the time it took. Unfortunately, we opted out of Meteor Crator and DH hasn't let me forget it. We skipped the Hoover Dam too, since I knew the kids wouldn't be nearly as impressed with that as we would be. I do wish we had taken the time to visit the ancient Indian villages in Flagstaff.
"Those who dwell...among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."--Rachel Carson, environmentalist, 1956
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ChinoBob
Chino, Ca.
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Joined: 01/21/2006
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Camper village is nice and easy access to store and other things to do. Trailer village is nice and in the park. Nice place to stay...for a day or two. The train out of Williams is a good fun trip. While at the north rim, DO NOT miss Bryce and Zion NP's. Not Grand Canyon but equally breathtaking! Also, from Flagstaff to Sedona and a stay in Sedona is a good thing. Sedona is great with the shops and sights in the area. A bit pricy but worth the visit. Great RV parks there as well.
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BC1
SE NY
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Joined: 07/23/2004
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If all goes well we also hope to go to the Grand Canyon early next summer. I have a 15 yr old daughter and a 13 yr old son. I want to really plan this trip well as it will be our biggest together and I want it to be as positive of an experience for them as possible. Next summer will probably be the last that we can easily all get away together before my daughter starts working and thinking about college, dating, etc. 
Good luck with your plans.
New in 2008 - 2007 Jamboree 28F LOVE IT!!!
Me, SO, 2 Teens, 1 dog & 2 non-camping cats
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Chock Full o' Nuts
GA
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Joined: 02/02/2007
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BC1 wrote:If all goes well we also hope to go to the Grand Canyon early next summer. I have a 15 yr old daughter and a 13 yr old son. I want to really plan this trip well as it will be our biggest together and I want it to be as positive of an experience for them as possible. Next summer will probably be the last that we can easily all get away together before my daughter starts working and thinking about college, dating, etc.
Good luck with your plans.
That's exactly why we did our trip in 2007--because DD was moving up to HS and I knew that the next 4 summers would be filled with jobs, camp, summer school, and *eek!* boyfriends. I have to say, it was a very positive experience for all of us and while we had some boooooring hours crossing the desert we got along great and became closer as a family (living in a 20ft trailer for 8 wks will either kill you or make you stronger)
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Vakeel
So. California
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Joined: 04/27/2008
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You cannot beat the convenience of the Trailer Village (TV) so if you can definitely stay there while at South Rim. Everyone else has already covered all your options. I only write to add that if TV looks full on the Internet, definitely call. When I went this past Memorial weekend it was all booked on the Net but when I called they had a spot. Now maybe I got lucky and somebody just cancelled or maybe their online reservation lags behind. Either way, the call was worth it.
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younchem
Lafayette, LA
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Joined: 03/02/2006
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There are other options.
Sunset Crater National Monument is north of Flagstaff and worth the trip. The volcano erupted 900+ years ago but the arid area is still slow to recover. There are essays on the recovery at the visitor's center and posted on signs along the road. On Lava Flow Nature Trail you can see many flow-related features such as squeeze-ups and fumeroles. Take some time and spend a day or two at the monument. Camp a couple nights at Bonita campground near the visitor's center. It is a remarkable place. Walking in the loose volcanic ash can be interesting! I remember attending a ranger-led talk on petroglyphs at the campground while sitting inside a fumerole. Sunset crater is named because of the hues around the top of the cinder cone. It is named "Sunset Crater" for a reason. It's name isn't "Midday Crater" or "Early Morning Crater". If you stay at Bonita you will be a short stroll from good vantage points to watch the sun throw its setting light on the crater. Then you will understand.
We easily spend weeks at the Grand Canyon. But you have to slow down. Time your activities for early morning and late afternoon. You could nap during the day. Get out to the canyon rim before daylight and watch the sun come up. Be sure to bring binoculars for everyone. Return again in the afternoon when shadows, again, begin to highlight the canyon's features; stay until dark. Attend every ranger program that you can. Activities can also include hikes along the rim trail (easy stroll) and watching the California Condors. Go down below the canyon rim and sit in a cool place. Does anyone in the family draw or write? It makes no difference. Buy a notebook and record your thoughts. Draw some of the scenery or wildlife or trees along with your thoughts; use colored pencils to add a bit of realism to the drawings. This activity has brought great humor to our family but it has also brought us to the brink of profound thought. Imagine that.
Did you know that Ponderosa pines smell like vanilla? Smell the bark.
Get a good book on the canyon and read it while sitting on the rim. You will appreciate the canyon more when you look up from the book and feel akin with your surroundings because you understand. This feeling eludes most people who buzz through the park in a couple of days.
The temptation is to put too much into a trip. To much activity, too many places, too many miles with not enough time. If you learn to truly understand and appreciate one place you will have accomplished what few others have. Many people have spent nearly a lifetime at the Canyon and can not, yet, fully comprehend its ecosystem and geology.
On a not-so-sullen note, plan a special meal one night. We set aside a night (or two or three) to hang out at the campground and cook "Grand Canyon Chili" or some other dish. Grand Canyon Chili is a special dish--unlike anything we would normally eat at home. It is especially thick, wrought with chopped-up fajita meat and tons of red peppers. The southwest seems to require red peppers in everything! You see why you might not want to cook this often at home. Have lots of iced tea ready!
If you want to spend a few weeks at the canyon you can do it if you take a different sort of vacation. Slow down. Take time to do things and explore things that you might not have considered before. Explore them in a new way. Speak to a Ranger about your plans and ask for suggestions. These men and women are not Rangers because Wal-Mart wasn't hiring. Many have devoted careers in ecology, wildlife preservation, forestry and geology. They are a tremendous source for guidance. If you speak to someone who doesn't give you any satisfaction then seek out another; sometimes you may catch someone when they have other duties at hand or your questions may not grab their personal interest. I know the park geologist and it doesn't take much to get him going on the subject!
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younchem
Lafayette, LA
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The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert would be a nice stop along the way as you head-up from Arkansas. Years ago the mode and mechanism of implacement of the logs were not clearly understood. Certainly after Mt. St. Helens it is clear that the logs were transported to that area and burried in ash after a major volcanic eruption. It should be renamed, "Petrified Log Jam" NM. Many people like to have a piece of petrified wood to take home. There was a rock shop in Holbrook, AZ that sold nice pieces of petrified wood. This place had huge piles outside in a fenced-in area. The pieces of petrified branches were interesting to me and I bought a few.
Petrified Forest NP is on Triassic grounds. On those lands walked the first dinosaurs. The visitor center has a display about this. As you walk along the trail behind the visitor's center think about that. Imagine walking up to one of those creatures while hiking (Ask your daughter what would she do?)! Look at photos of the eruptive landscape around Mt. St. Helens and compare that to what you see at Petrified Forest. The landscape is tremendously modified. If you see all the downed trees around St. Helens clogging lakes and rivers the idea that so many logs could collect at Petrified Forest is easier to understand. You could spend a couple days going through the area; most people spend a couple hours. Snap a few photographs wherever you go but don't let the camera interfere with your vacation as many people do. The point is to photograph what you observe. If you see something worth pointing out or realize something particular capture it. These photographs will be far more meaningful to you afterwards than random shots of landscape. I bring this up because it was at Petrified Forest that I have a fond story of a couple who buzzed past me on the trail with cameras blazing. Only later in the parking lot I heard one of them ask, "I wonder how all those marbelized logs got there?". Amazing.
* This post was
edited 09/28/08 08:40am by younchem *
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home_school_dad
Woodleaf, NC
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A couple of additional points.
Remember that the south rim of the Canyon is at 7000 ft above sea level. At times it can be cool and windy. We were there in September one year and about froze. (The north rim is 1000 ft higher than the south rim). Down in the Canyon it can get very hot.
If you visit the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert it is best to enter the park from the south entrance (you drive out of Holbrook) and leave at the north entrance at I-40. Plan your vist so that you reach the Painted Desert in the evening and be there for sunset. The colors tend to wash out during the middle of the day but are the best either at sunrise or sunset. By starting at the south entrance you visit the Petrified Forest first.
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