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KNEESEY,
Please give us an update ?

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The information above about the need for reservations in Arizona in February (not needed) and snow (yes or no) is right, in my experience.

Once you are in Flagstaff consider a short jaunt east on the interstae to Meteorite Creater. This is where a rather small meteorite impacted with the earth abut 40,000 years ago and left a crater, which is only slightly eroded over the years. There is an excellent visitors' center and you can walk around part of the rim. It is a nice geological contrast to the Grand Canyon, which was the result of erosion and uplift over geological time. The crater was made in an an instant.

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#16 That would be the "Meteor Crater." The meteorite creator is still out there in the universe somewhere

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Thanks so much to everybody for their ideas / advice following my questions about Arizona and San Diego. There were some really helpful links that I have begun exploring, so much better to get individual feedback rather than just relying on guidebooks.

For those who were asking for a few more details about our trip/ interests here goes. We plan a break away from the Scottish Winter so looking forward to warmer temperatures and lighter days. We plan to visit the south rim of the Grand Canyon (staying over night at El Tovar). We are then going to drive to Monument Valley ( may stay overnight). we then plan to head down to Flagstaff / Sedona. Not sure whether to visit Canyon de Chelly or not. We may stay In Flagstaff / Sedona for a few days ,before heading down to Scottsdale for a week to play some golf.

We may head down to Tucson before making our way to San Diego. No definite plans, we tend to take things as they come and not plan too much.

We like driving, walking, golf, nature, wildlife, scenery ,history and cocktails. We prefer to explore ourselves rather than joining tours, not really into manmade touristy things but love natural beauty. I guess we are looking for mid priced hotels ( not luxury but not too basic either ). The advice about late booking sites will be very helpful.

We are really looking forward to our trip, its pretty cold in Scotland at the moment ( but come the summer Scotland is a fantastic place to be) so It will be great to escape for 4 weeks. Thanks to everybody for all their help/ advice.

Kneesey

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We like driving, walking, golf, nature, wildlife, scenery, history and cocktails.

An admirable list of hobbies, in my opinion!

In my view, a better use of your time (given your interests) would be to drive from the GCNP South Rim to Zion NP and Bryce Canyon NP (both wonderful in quite different ways), via Lake Powell / Glen Canyon Dam. I think it is a superior option to Monument Valley (with or without Canyon de Chelly).

Alternatively, you could loop from Las Vegas to Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, (and Lake Powell) and the GCNP South Rim, and then continue on to Flagstaff, Sedona, and Scottsdale. North Rim is closed in winter.

However Monument Valley comes into its own if you can have 1-2 nights in the region, and also see Natural Bridges NM, Valley of the Gods, Goosenecks State Park, the Moki Dugway, and the Navajo NM. That is a very good trip as well.

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Mid-priced hotels to consider :
Residence inn
Spring hill suites
Fairfield inn & suites
Can be found via MARRIOTT.COM /
all above include breakfast
sign up for "REWARDS" loyalty card its free.

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American motel breakfasts are a wonder to behold ... no need for any other sugar or carbohydrates for the rest of the day for sure. Enjoy!

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We like driving, walking, golf, nature, wildlife, scenery ,history and cocktails.

I'd humbly suggest that you spend a lot less time in Scottsdale, and more in Sedona and Tucson. Scottsdale has golf, yes, but precious little else outside of the resorts (and the attendant high-priced shopping and nightclubs). You'll find plenty of excellent golfing (and cocktails), plus much more in the way of history and scenery around Tucson and Sedona. In addition to dozens of superb walks, the Sedona area has a rich and well-preserved pre-historic history, inlcuding several national monuments and the excellent Palatki Ruins site. Tucson also has wonderful hiking, superior mountain and desert scenery, and many examples of well preserved Spanish colonial historical features in the area. I understand Scottsdale has a well-deserved status as a winter golf mecca, and I'm not saying don't stop there, but a whole week might be a bit much given the other options and your interests. To get to Tucson, drive the "back way" through Apache Junction, Florence, and Oro Valley. Its only a few minutes longer than the interstate, and about a thousand times more pleasant than that ugly, dreary, traffic-clogged route.

FWIW, I agree with Ian's suggestions.