Vegas & Arizona - Advice?

[webcreatrix]

We're planning the following:

• 3 nights Vegas
• Rt 66 to the Grand Canyon with stops in Seligman and Kingsman
• 1 night at the Grand Canyon
• 3 nights in Sedona

We could add three nights on either end - LA or maybe more Arizona?

Thoughts? Any must see/do for middle age parents of 12 & 15 year olds?

 

[PHXscuba]

Where are you from?
I presume the kids are coming along?
What time of year are you doing it? If it's summer, I wouldn't recommend Phoenix (and I live here!) SoCal would be much better weather. The rest of the year, you have lots of options in either place.

PHXscuba

 

[webcreatrix]

Where are you from?
I presume the kids are coming along?
What time of year are you doing it? If it's summer, I wouldn't recommend Phoenix (and I live here!) SoCal would be much better weather. The rest of the year, you have lots of options in either place.

PHXscuba

We're coming from Texas, with kids, in June. My high schooler *might* have a session of summer school which is now scaring me because while we always do Orlando in June or August, I am not sure how we will fare in Vegas/Phoenix if we have to plan around that and go in July or August. I'm almost resigned to just do Disney/Universal because it seems comfortable and save this longer trip of the SW for the holidays, but not with snow, because we don't know how to do snow.

 

[webcreatrix]

And we did do SoCal last year in September - LA, Hollywood, Warner Bros, Disneyland.

 

[PHXscuba]

We're coming from Texas, with kids, in June. My high schooler *might* have a session of summer school which is now scaring me because while we always do Orlando in June or August, I am not sure how we will fare in Vegas/Phoenix if we have to plan around that and go in July or August. I'm almost resigned to just do Disney/Universal because it seems comfortable and save this longer trip of the SW for the holidays, but not with snow, because we don't know how to do snow.

The level of heat in the Phoenix area won't be much different from June through August. June is actually the peak of the heat, and then when the monsoon hits it cools off just a tad, but is more humid the rest of the summer. Probably not enough difference between those months to change when or whether I'd come here.

The Grand Canyon area and Sedona can get some snow in winter, but not much, not often. Vegas shouldn't have snow.

PHXscuba

 

[oakleycat]

I agree that late June/July/August are all miserably hot in Phoenix and Las Vegas. I'm in SoCal and we often do a weekend in LV in August just to get away because it's so cheap, but we spend the entire weekend either in the pool or inside. If you want to see the sights in the desert I would go over the holidays. It will be cold (freezing at night) at the Grand Canyon but snow is pretty infrequent. Spring and fall are really the best times for all of those destinations.

 

[Huff]

Vegas is HOT in summer. Grand Canyon should be nice along the rim, usually in the upper 70's and cool in the evenings.

Not alot to see in Seligman or Kingman. A few diners. RT66 from Kingman to Ash Fork is a nice drive, longest stretch of 66 still remaining I believe.
Keepers of the Wild animal sanctuary is worth the visit along the way. After Ash Fork I-40 quickly climbs to 7000' elevation and the temps drop nicely as you go from the desert to forest.

Spend some time in Williams. A true route 66 town complete with numerous great diners, shops etc. Zip line for the kids (or adults!). Bearizona is an excellent drive thru animal park and walk thru zoo located in Williams.

In Flagstaff visit Lowell Observatory. It's where Pluto was discovered. Good museum and antique telescope.

South of Flagstaff the highway quickly drops in elevation towards Phoenix and back to the hot desert. Taking the less direct route thru Sedona is very scenic. There is a scenic overlook on the road just before descending the switch backs into Oak Creek Canyon and on to Sedona. Great views from there and often local Indians set up tables selling their arts and crafts.

 

[webcreatrix]

Thanks, everyone! We decided to book a cruise this summer, but Vegas and AZ is definitely on my bucket list. Maybe Thanksgiving or Spring Break!