road trip from San Diego to Arizona than back to Los Angeles
Replies: 30 - Last Post: Aug 31, 2012 6:35 AM Last Post By: nicolaspaul
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I think four days at the Grand Canyon is two days too many, and you're better having Grand Canyon (2) Bryce Canyon NP (1) Zion NP (1) - my view. GCNP is great, but a full day (two at the very most) covers everything very easily - other than serious hikes below the rim. Shortish hikes down (1-3 hours) are achievable in your two days anyway.19
I think the OP will be mislead by the last few posters into thinking that Tusayan is actually aPlace, like a town, where there are actually things to do. Tusayan is
my definition of bleak, a desert crossroads with absolutely nothing to do except
Look at old airplanes and eat greasy food. Please stay in Flagstaff and drive the
extra distance the first day. Your family will thank you.
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They're not settling down there and taking out a mortgage - Tusayan is more than reasonable for a night or two to sleep - how long will they be there in reality, if they do the smart thing and see the sunset and sunrise at the South Rim? No-one is suggesting Tusayan is the 6th Arrondissement, but it's certainly convenient.21
Tusayan is unlovely, but if you'll be at the Grand Canyon for more than one day, I'll submit that it beats driving back and forth to the Canyon every day. I'll go along with bookending the trip with a night in Flagstaff on the front or back, if for no other purpose than to go out for a decent meal in the pleasant historic district.22
If you're coming from Sedona, and then moving onto Page from the GCNP South Rim after two nights, then Tusayan for both nights makes good sense. But I agree, you could stop at Flagstaff the first night (have that nice dinner), and then go early to the Park for all the next day, see sunset, stay in Tusayan, see sunrise plus, then head off to Hwy 89 for the trip north to Page. Minimal backtracking involved then.24
Please need some guidance since had to change the itineray of my road trip since would like to be in Las Vegas on weekdays and not weekends ( due to big price difference))So the initial road trip from San Diego was : poway, julian, quartzsite, aguila, wickenburg ( one night) than yarnell, prescott, jerome, sedona, flagstaff ( 2 nights) than to Bryce canyon( 2 nights , than to Las Vegas than to Palm Springs ( through kingman)
but Now from Flagstaff will have to go to Las Vegas ( due to the dates) than from there was Planning to go to Bryce Canyon than again from Flagstaff sleeping for 1 night at Williams than driving to Palm Springs.
Shall i do another drive from Las Vegas ? and to see other sites ? or shall i stick to that new route?
Thank you for your help.
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( revised)Please need some guidance since had to change the itineray of my road trip since would like to be in Las Vegas on weekdays and not weekends ( due to big price difference))
So the initial road trip from San Diego was : poway, julian, quartzsite, aguila, wickenburg ( one night) than yarnell, prescott, jerome, sedona, flagstaff ( 2 nights) than to Bryce canyon( 2 nights , than to Las Vegas than to Palm Springs ( through kingman)
but Now from Flagstaff will have to go to Las Vegas - sleeping few nights- ( due to the dates) than from there was Planning to go to Bryce Canyon - sleeping 2 nights- than to Flagstaff sleeping for 1 night at Williams than driving to Palm Springs.
Shall i do another drive from Las Vegas ? and to see other sites ? or shall i stick to that new route?
Thank you for your help.
27
Shall i do another drive from Las Vegas ? and to see other sites ? or shall i stick to that new route?I am not sure what you are asking, but it seems to me that if you are now planning to go clockwise from Flagstaff to Las Vegas (to be there Sun-Thur) and then to Bryce Canyon, THEN at the beginning I would head from San Diego to Las Vegas to reduce backtracking.
But why don't you set it out here in a vertical list - makes it clearer:
Night-01 -- San Diego
Night-02 -- Wickenberg
and so on.
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Ok hope this is clearer ( yes it is clockwise from flagstaff):1) San Diego
2) Wickenburg ( 1 night)
3 ) Flagstaff ( 2 nights)
4) Las Vegas ( 4 nights)
5) Bryce Canyon ( 2 nights)
6) Williams ( 1 night)
7) Palm Springs
by the way i have checked on google map the diffrence with the original route, and seems that it will be 4 more driving hours.
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Then one alternative that might assist is:(1) San Diego
(2) Las Vegas
(3) Springdale (Zion NP)
(4) Bryce Canyon NP
(5) Flagstaff (before Grand Canyon NP)
(6) Williams or Flagstaff (after)
(7) Palm Springs (via Prescott and Sedona)
Seems more logical to me, reducing backtracking - Bryce Canyon NP to Williams is a long drive with little real reward (although it is scenic in parts). Even if that puts you into Las Vegas on a weekend, it might still be less expensive than your current itinerary. And I think it reduces your drive time by more than four hours, but I haven't checked it.
