Grand Canyon or Yellowstone for 2015?
I am in the begining stages of planning our 2015 vacation and I would like some opinions on where to go. I have narrowed it down to either the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. I have been to both places a...
Forum Discussion
Absolutely, late May or early June is fine for Grand Canyon. You have it right, if going early then go to GC, if going in the heat of summer then head north to mountains.
If you head to Tetons/Yellowstone, consider the possibility of taking a longer but more scenic route... set a more relaxed pace. I find that 2 or 3 days of solid driving is tedious and unpleasant, so I often find a route with many stops along the way to break up the driving. Go see some ancient dwellings (Bandelier, Mesa Verde, etc). Shop the arts and crafts of Santa Fe or Taos. Soak in some hot springs (Pagosa Springs, Steamboat Springs, etc). Take a break at a waterfall or two, such as Treasure Falls north of Pagosa. Drive the Million Dollar Highway from Durango to Ouray for some incredible views. Drive through the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction (with stops at all the scenic lookouts) and see the amazing sandstone formations. Stop for an hour or so at Dinosaur National Monument. Some things like this can break the grueling monotony and can turn this into a trip the kids will talk about for all their lives.
If you go to Grand Canyon, you may as well plan on seeing both rims. Try to drive through Painted Desert around sunrise or sunset, because it's pretty blah otherwise. Also consider that Bryce Canyon and Zion NP are not very far away, with drastically different scenery. Acoma Sky City might be a nice stop along the way, and Albuquerque has a couple of decent museums that could provide a break.
If you head to Tetons/Yellowstone, consider the possibility of taking a longer but more scenic route... set a more relaxed pace. I find that 2 or 3 days of solid driving is tedious and unpleasant, so I often find a route with many stops along the way to break up the driving. Go see some ancient dwellings (Bandelier, Mesa Verde, etc). Shop the arts and crafts of Santa Fe or Taos. Soak in some hot springs (Pagosa Springs, Steamboat Springs, etc). Take a break at a waterfall or two, such as Treasure Falls north of Pagosa. Drive the Million Dollar Highway from Durango to Ouray for some incredible views. Drive through the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction (with stops at all the scenic lookouts) and see the amazing sandstone formations. Stop for an hour or so at Dinosaur National Monument. Some things like this can break the grueling monotony and can turn this into a trip the kids will talk about for all their lives.
If you go to Grand Canyon, you may as well plan on seeing both rims. Try to drive through Painted Desert around sunrise or sunset, because it's pretty blah otherwise. Also consider that Bryce Canyon and Zion NP are not very far away, with drastically different scenery. Acoma Sky City might be a nice stop along the way, and Albuquerque has a couple of decent museums that could provide a break.
