Gonna be out west... Help!

[Sir_Prize]

Hey y'all!
I'm headed to Phoniex,AZ to the Grand Canyon, to Albuquerque (to see a rabbit ) to San Antonio, to New Orleans.
Flying into PHX and driving back to FL via the above. (I'll be more the chauffer more than anything. )
Anything worth checking... I know there is... I just wanted more of y'alls picks.
Plus, I need it so the family(parents & Grammy) don't get outta sorts with the "sights" being boring.
(I know my Grandma would have fun. She lite up like crazy when I took her to my "local" shop and she saw their displays.)
I'm trying to get 2 nights at each place, not sure what that makes out to on the wallet.
I thank y'all head of time... :thumb:

 

[ausien]

hey Sir prize,
No suprise in the wallet department, it will start full and rapidly go to empty, just like you fuel tank does...hope you can refill it as easerly as you can the fuel tank.. But all jokes a side I wish you a great trip, and a great family time, drive safe friend and may you reach all your destinations saftly.Hope to read of your trip here when you return..have a good one..steve

 

[ezdays]

Be glad to help you out and tell you about any places you can go here in the Phoenix area. Why don't you PM me so I can get an idea about when you expect to be here and I can give you an idea what's good to go see, and how much time it will take. I can also make a few suggestions as to where to stay here, especially if you're pacing you wallet....

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

Ken,
What kind of sites are the family interested in?
There are a number of museums in Phoenix.
The Goldfield Ghost Town and Mine tour is interesting.
There are a few interesting things to see between Phoenix and Flagstaff.
If you like driving windy roads and great views, drive up to the old copper mining town of Jerome.
The Verde Canyon RR is in Clarkdale.
Sedona is another beautiful scenic area.
Williams is where you can catch the train to the Grand Canyon.
Lodging will be expensive near Williams and the Grand Canyon.
Flagstaff might be a better place to spend the night then drive to Williams or the Grand Canyon.
If you are going East on I40 to NM. Meteor crater and the Painted Desert are along the way.
Would renting an RV for the trip save money?

 

[J&A_RR]

of course San Antonio has the river walk downtown, remember the alamo, also a great zoo. Sea world too, but you probably have been to those already. SA's downtown area is real family friendly and is why we run down there. park in the river center mall parking garage and hang out downtown all day, catch a flick at the IMAX, Ripley's Believe it or not and wax museum. Go for a horse drawn carriage ride, run up the Tower of America's (I think that's it's name). eat, eat, eat..... great food.:thumb:
have fun, john

 

[eightyeightfan1]

Ray pretty much covered it all. You could stay in Winslow, near the Canyon and the crater, and the plus is BNSF has a yard there, or they did back in '91 when I was there.
Enjoy the trip.

 

[Bill Stone]

Don't know when you're going. The childbride and I are driving over to Phoenix this Saturday. Going to take in the air show at Luke Air Force Base, and then doing the Grand Canyon Railroad from Williams during the week.

Whatever you do, have fun.

Bill S

 

[Sir_Prize]

I'm to arrive at PHX on the 15th of April around 4pm.
As to what they want to do.... AARRGGHH!!!! "We'll talk about it this weekend...," I'm told. :curse:
There are reservations... tickets for shows, parks... we need to get a think'n....
No wonder we never got out of town until 11am on trips.

I do know...
I'll have to miss the G.C. Train... It'll run us $700! I like trains, but...
Also, that we are hitting the Riverwalk...
Going thru Sedona.

J&A_RR- IMAX could be cool. Tower of America?

Ray- Ma wants the Apache Village on the west side of PHX and Tucson, but that is going backwards. Grandma & I want to "taste" it all. Dad is not sure; with his mental health he may not remember much anyways.
Mostly, they ain't talking about it. They keep yammer'n on the Blacksheep part of our family in Ohio. WHICH, Gram is supposed to be down here on vacation from.

Bill- Wish you well on YOUR trip.

EZdays- PM on way...

Thanks for the insights so far, and wishes of good travel. Any more...

 

[ezdays]

Don't know when you're going. The childbride and I are driving over to Phoenix this Saturday. Going to take in the air show at Luke Air Force Base, and then doing the Grand Canyon Railroad from Williams during the week.

Whatever you do, have fun.

Bill S

Bill,

Wave when you arrive, we're just a few miles directly north of Luke. We should be able to see the show from our yard, assuming that they'll fly by the house like they usually do.

Uh, the weatherman predicts a 50% chance of rain for Saturday and Sunday. It just might screw up the train show and swap meet that Ray and I are planning on going to up north of Phoenix, on Saturday.:curse:

 

[J&A_RR]

http://toweroftheamericas.com/ .... and when I said eat, eat, eat, I meant there are alot of good resturants down on the river walk, the tower has a resturant also. Take in the Alamo before you do an IMAX movie, it's worth it. But you are able to do both in one afternoon.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I don't know how many are in your party, but the Verde Canyon Railroad is a much more scenic ride than the Grand Canyon Railroad. It is also less expensive I think. It runs out of Clarkdale just past Jerome. Jerome is an interresting old West mining town perched on the side of a mountain. It is now an artists colony, but there are a couple of interresting museums in town. Going to Flagstaff from Clarkdale, take the long way around through Sedona and up the canyon to Flag. I'm having a "senior moment" and can't remember the name of the creek that runs through Sedona.

 

[ezdays]

Ken,

Here is that link I said I'd send you that gives you some detail about all these scenic places around Arizona: http://www.desertusa.com/Cities/az/city_sedona.html
If you are going to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix, that will take up both of your sightseeing days. Like Russ said, the Verde Valley RR is a better ride, but there's no beating the Canyon once you get there. You can pretty much take in Sedona, Jerome, Montezuma's Castle, Tuzigoot ruins and even a ride on the Verde Valley RR all in one busy day. All are less than a two-hour drive from the Phoenix area, up I-17.

If you want to spend a day in the Phoenix area, a trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens gives you some idea of the different desert plants. A ride out to Apache Junction will get you to Goldfield's and dinner at the Mining Camp Restaraunt where you eat "family style", sitting on wooden benches and eating off of tin plates. They keep bringing it until you can't eat any more, and it's good food. A drive through downtown Scottsdale is a must, and stop and shop if you can. Lots of high-end botiques there , lots...

 

[Sir_Prize]

J&A_RR= Thanks for the link. They seemed to have forgotten to put in the cost for gett'n in.
I'm gonna tell Grandma that that animation of the elevator IS how fast it goes.

EZ- Good sleep I take it... :sleeping:
Thanks for the further info. It seemed short, I just remember heading across A SHORT trip to see Tyson Rayles (that ended up taking 3hrs. ). It was some "check your gas cap it's just out the window curves," and scenic is understated.

Russ- Looked that up... IT is cheaper and that does look PURTY! The eagles are a good sell point to the family.

 

[nachoman]

The creek that runs through sedona is "oak creek", and the drive up oak creek canyon is one of the best in the state. You can still see the grand canyon train without riding it - you can watch it leave from williams and view it at the canyon. They don't roll out the steam engines until memorial day, so for now all you will see is ALCO cab units. I've ridden the grand canyon train dozens of times (my brother works for the railroad and I get to ride for free), and the scenery along the line is rather bland and the same as you would get from your car along the highway. The train through the verde canyon is excellent. Bald Eagles are almost a guarantee this time of year.

There are plenty of other attractions in the N. Arizona area depending on what you like. If indian ruins are your thing, there are plenty of places to stop - Wupatki, tuzigoot, walnut canyon, montezuma castle... Sunset crater near flagstaff is also pretty scenic for a picnic stop.

kevin

 

[Sir_Prize]

Nachoman- Thanks. Looks like the Verde RR is the way to go.


What's the Rail Line that goes along the Canyon bottom? Or does it still?
Or am I somewhere else completely?

 

[nachoman]

The bottom of the grand canyon? There is, and never has been one. I heard one was proposed about a hundred years ago by some crackpot before realizing this would be impossible. For now, the only ways through the bottom are feet, mules, and boats.

 

[ezdays]

Nachoman- Thanks. Looks like the Verde RR is the way to go.
What's the Rail Line that goes along the Canyon bottom? Or does it still?
Or am I somewhere else completely?

Not in the Grand Canyon. Ya gotta be somewhere else. It takes a mule ride to get you to the bottom of the Canyon, or you can take a river raft to get you there.

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

Here's a link to the Verde Canyon Railroad site.
http://www.verdecanyonrr.com/index2.html
It does run through the Verde canyon.

 

[Sir_Prize]

What line is it that is out west that is attached to the side of a canyon and has special built bridges that come out and "hang" for the train to travel?

Ray- Thanks for the link. It sure looks nice.

Anybody know of anything in Albuquerque area?

Also, New Orleans has been dropped to one night.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

What line is it that is out west that is attached to the side of a canyon and has special built bridges that come out and "hang" for the train to travel?

Ray- Thanks for the link. It sure looks nice.

Anybody know of anything in Albuquerque area?

Also, New Orleans has been dropped to one night.

I don't know about "hanging bridges," but your description sounds like Durango & Silverton through the Royal Gorge. I think Albequerque is known for art galleries. There may also be cliff dwellings in the area.