kids tents sears image
Bailey
My boyfriend and I have been talking about driving from Kalamazoo, MI to Scottsdale, AZ to visit his brother for almost 2 years now. We finally decided that we have the time and money and we are leaving in 2 weeks. While all the planning has been left to me and I don't want to admit that I am completely stuck!
I know that we have to stop in Chicago on our way there to visit with his mom. Also I want to take a different way there and a different way home. I think we are going to take the historic Route 66 there, then cut through Colorado on the way home.
Does anyone have any suggestions on things to do, where to eat, stop, stay?
Answer
You haven't said anything about the amount of time that you have available for your trip. Also be aware that it will be very, very hot in AZ. Once I was in AZ when I was a kid in the summer, and there even was a very nasty sandstorm -- think blizzard of sand. Bring a good cooler with you for beverages, lunch meat, veggies, etc.
Scottsdale is maybe good for a day, but, personally, if I were you I wouldn't spend too much time seeing things on the way there or in the Phoenix area. Also forget about historic Route 66 unless you've already seen all of the natural wonders of the "Four Corners" region.
Chicago always can be a separate trip from Michigan, as could St. Louis (in the summer vacation season, you'll likely spend a lot of time trying to get to the top of the Gateway Arch). If you are going to spend time in Chicago, apart from the great museums, botanical garden, Millennium Park and science museum, I've always enjoyed Rush St. (haven't been there in years) and the Signature Lounge at the top of the John Hancock Building.
http://www.millenniumpark.org/
http://www.signatureroom.com/lounge/default.cfm?PID=15
The newest Chicago attraction just opened this week -- the Sears Tower Ledge(s), if you have great courage.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-sears-tower-ledge-02jul02,0,7151729.story
Here's one place that I want to see in Illinois that I might stop at, but your interests may be different than mine:
http://www.alplm.org/
Anyway, unless you definitely are going to be in Chicago for several days, I would save it for another trip.
After visiting your boyfriend's brother in Scottsdale, I would head west from Phoenix, then turn north and climb into the Prescott National Forest. After leaving Prescott, which will give you a very different perspective, you can drive through some very beautiful vistas and even a ghost town on your way to Sedona.
Sedona and the Oak Creek Canyon are worthy of visiting in their own right, and you could spend several days there, especially if you like biking or hiking. You might want to consider taking a couple sleeping bags and a small tent with you. You could save a lot of money. Again, remember that you're heading to Arizona during the hottest part of the year. You might want to minimize your time in AZ and other hotter areas and head north into Colorado sooner than you would in the less hot times of the year.
http://www.visitsedona.com/
From Sedona, drive to Grand Canyon for a day on the south rim. You need to make reservations now if you want to stay in the park. You don't need more than a day in the Grand Canyon. Leave the park and head east to the Navajo Bridge, where you can walk out over a deep canyon on an abandoned bridge. Then take your choice of other great parks, such as Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley, in the Four Corners region before heading north. I'm assuming you can save the Las Vegas area for another trip.
Head for Colorado Springs and the Garden of the Gods and the Pike's Peak Cog Railway, then Rocky Mountain National Park.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_the_Beautiful
This website has great pictures of the Sedona and Colorado Springs areas, Grand Canyon, Navajo Bridge at Lee's Ferry and other natural attractions in the Four Corners Region.
http://www.pigseye.com/mc/4corners/index.htm
If you still have more time, go north to Yellowstone National Park, then head east to the Black Hills in South Dakota for the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, etc., before heading back to Michigan. Remember that accomodations in many of these areas, especially national parks, may be difficult. These aren't places that you can visit at the last minute, but perhaps things are different this year with the recession in full force. You'll have to check once you've decided what you want to see on your trip.
You'll probably spend two days of very hard driving from Michigan to Arizona and two days back. You might have limited time to see things, so I personally would pick carefully, and drive back not worrying about seeing too many things on the trip back either.
BOL for a very memorable trip!
You haven't said anything about the amount of time that you have available for your trip. Also be aware that it will be very, very hot in AZ. Once I was in AZ when I was a kid in the summer, and there even was a very nasty sandstorm -- think blizzard of sand. Bring a good cooler with you for beverages, lunch meat, veggies, etc.
Scottsdale is maybe good for a day, but, personally, if I were you I wouldn't spend too much time seeing things on the way there or in the Phoenix area. Also forget about historic Route 66 unless you've already seen all of the natural wonders of the "Four Corners" region.
Chicago always can be a separate trip from Michigan, as could St. Louis (in the summer vacation season, you'll likely spend a lot of time trying to get to the top of the Gateway Arch). If you are going to spend time in Chicago, apart from the great museums, botanical garden, Millennium Park and science museum, I've always enjoyed Rush St. (haven't been there in years) and the Signature Lounge at the top of the John Hancock Building.
http://www.millenniumpark.org/
http://www.signatureroom.com/lounge/default.cfm?PID=15
The newest Chicago attraction just opened this week -- the Sears Tower Ledge(s), if you have great courage.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-sears-tower-ledge-02jul02,0,7151729.story
Here's one place that I want to see in Illinois that I might stop at, but your interests may be different than mine:
http://www.alplm.org/
Anyway, unless you definitely are going to be in Chicago for several days, I would save it for another trip.
After visiting your boyfriend's brother in Scottsdale, I would head west from Phoenix, then turn north and climb into the Prescott National Forest. After leaving Prescott, which will give you a very different perspective, you can drive through some very beautiful vistas and even a ghost town on your way to Sedona.
Sedona and the Oak Creek Canyon are worthy of visiting in their own right, and you could spend several days there, especially if you like biking or hiking. You might want to consider taking a couple sleeping bags and a small tent with you. You could save a lot of money. Again, remember that you're heading to Arizona during the hottest part of the year. You might want to minimize your time in AZ and other hotter areas and head north into Colorado sooner than you would in the less hot times of the year.
http://www.visitsedona.com/
From Sedona, drive to Grand Canyon for a day on the south rim. You need to make reservations now if you want to stay in the park. You don't need more than a day in the Grand Canyon. Leave the park and head east to the Navajo Bridge, where you can walk out over a deep canyon on an abandoned bridge. Then take your choice of other great parks, such as Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley, in the Four Corners region before heading north. I'm assuming you can save the Las Vegas area for another trip.
Head for Colorado Springs and the Garden of the Gods and the Pike's Peak Cog Railway, then Rocky Mountain National Park.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_the_Beautiful
This website has great pictures of the Sedona and Colorado Springs areas, Grand Canyon, Navajo Bridge at Lee's Ferry and other natural attractions in the Four Corners Region.
http://www.pigseye.com/mc/4corners/index.htm
If you still have more time, go north to Yellowstone National Park, then head east to the Black Hills in South Dakota for the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, etc., before heading back to Michigan. Remember that accomodations in many of these areas, especially national parks, may be difficult. These aren't places that you can visit at the last minute, but perhaps things are different this year with the recession in full force. You'll have to check once you've decided what you want to see on your trip.
You'll probably spend two days of very hard driving from Michigan to Arizona and two days back. You might have limited time to see things, so I personally would pick carefully, and drive back not worrying about seeing too many things on the trip back either.
BOL for a very memorable trip!
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