You can head north toward Colorado National Monument and then head east to Rocky Mountain NP and Estes, CO. Or cut across southern CO via Durango (Take the narrow gauge train to Silverton). Then continue east and visit Great Sand Dunes, stay in Antonito and ride the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RR to Chama, NM.Then work you way north then east to NE.
Re: The Grand Canyon. Be aware that it gets hotter hiking down into the canyon. If you take a short hike, make sure you have PLENTY of water. My favorite short hike is on the South Kaibab down to Ooh Aah Point. It's about 1.5 miles round trip and it's easy to discover how this place got its name. Early morning is a great time to start plus it's the best time for photography. Be aware that should you head out of the park in the early evening, that's a good time to have a bad encounter with an elk.
From Mather Point, you can head west along the rim using the shuttle buses to Canyon Village. From there you can continue west to Hermit's Rest. There are lots of stops along the way for you to get off and enjoy the scenery. Buses usually run about every fifteen minutes. However, near evening they can get pretty crowded and you may have to wait longer for one to come by that has any vacancies.
If you're tired of the crowds, you don't have to walk too far along the Rim Trail until you'll find a spot that's pretty empty.
Enjoy your trip.
Chris
