September 2020 Suggestions/Advice

Two or three days at Teton National Park with the remainder in Yellowstone. Make reservations now!

Wupataki in September may be OK but it was outrageously hot when we were there in summer. If you are going to Grand Canyon I'd suggest doing Mesa Verde on the way back. The ruins are much more extensive and more accessible. If you go there make tour reservations online before you get there. Hovenweep is in the same area with different ruin types by the same group of Indians. Then you can drive back east thru the Colorado mountains to Durango and head south from there into NM. Or if you still have an extra day keep going east to Great Sand Dunes NM which is a major hit with the kids.

Thank you for your input thus far.

My concern with Yellowstone was that it might be too far to fully experience it all at a nice enjoyable pace. I was there 20 years ago but none of the rest of my family has been. I will need to do some millage calculation.

I am not familiar with Hovenweep at all. I will absolutely look into it now.

I fully intend to weave aspects of this trip into our homeschool fun and my son really would love to see native american ruins. Such a great aspect of homeschooling!

Yellowstone is too far for two weeks. You'll spend most of your time on the roads. And I have to confess some confusion on my part, the park I was thinking about was Walnut Canyon not Wupataki which is fine. Walnut Canyon is down in a canyon and you have to hike down into that canyon and the temperature when we were there was around 100 degrees. But we are flatlanders from Florida and so we are acclimated to heat that was really extreme. YMMV.

Besides Mesa Verde and Hovenweep there is a whole chain of Indian Ruins in that area called tied together by the Trail of the Ancients

I don't think you'll find a greater concentration of ruins unless you go offroad.

agesilaus wrote:
Yellowstone is too far for two weeks. You'll spend most of your time on the roads. And I have to confess some confusion on my part, the park I was thinking about was Walnut Canyon not Wupataki which is fine. Walnut Canyon is down in a canyon and you have to hike down into that canyon and the temperature when we were there was around 100 degrees. But we are flatlanders from Florida and so we are acclimated to heat that was really extreme. YMMV.

Besides Mesa Verde and Hovenweep there is a whole chain of Indian Ruins in that area called tied together by the Trail of the Ancients

I don't think you'll find a greater concentration of ruins unless you go offroad.

Ah I see. I'm thinking maybe southern Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona may be right for us at this time of year with this time frame.

I would suggest Yellowstone. It would be about three decently long days of driving each way, leaving about eight days (or maybe ten if you "cheat" and include weekends at both ends of your two weeks) to see the park--certainly not enough to see absolutely everything, which would take years, but enough to in my opinion do it some justice. It's such a geologically unique area that I think most everyone ought to go if they have half a chance.

Yellowstone could be rather chilly that time of year. It's also not the most dog-friendly place (as is true of many of the national parks); if possible, in general, I'd suggest leaving the dog behind for a trip such as this.

Last half of September is a perfect time to go to Rocky Mountain NP and southwest CO. That's because it is elk rut season and time for the beautiful fall colors, mountainsides of golden aspens.

Lots of things to see and do in southwestern CO...Maroon Bells, Royal Gorge, Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Durango, Mesa Verde NP, San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway, Ouray...to name a few.

We have been all over the southwest a few times and, in our opinion, the Chaco Culture National Historic Monument has by far the best collection of "ancient" structures but it is also the hardest to reach. Our 2013 blog post has many pictures you might like to see.

We also visited Hovenweep and Mesa Verde in 2011 with pictures of those two available at our Cortez, CO blog post.

Just about anywhere you go in the desert SW will have an ancient structure or two. The biggest problem is time as you need to travel from place to place and many of them take awhile to get to.

southerngirl76 wrote:

I am trying to plan our 2020 family vacation.
We have two weeks including weekends and would like to go middle/end of September.
It is me, my husband, 2 kids ages DD17 and DS8 and our dog and our kids are homeschooled.
We drive a 24 foot class c which my husband and I both drive.
I need help figuring out where to go. We are between Houston and Austin Texas.

Some locations I am thinking of are Grand Canyon with stops at Wupatki NM and
Sunset Crater, maybe Tucson and Tombstone;
Yellowstone; Badlands/Black Hills;
Great Sand dunes, Buena Vista area, Mesa Verde Colorado.
I'm not sure which one to chose.
I am OK with having a couple of long days getting to and from but once we get there mostly want to have a leisurely pace and enjoy our time without rushing from place to place.
We do not need full hookups or luxuries.

We are a very active family and love outdoor activities - hiking, rafting, kayaking.
We also enjoy museums and quirky places.
Not so much big cities.
My son is interested in seeing native american ruins and he has never been to the mountains.
My daughter says she doesn't care what we do and my
husband says whatever you want honey just tell me when to take off work lol.
Not a bad position to be in but they are no help in planning.

I want to add that we are used to super long car trips as we go visit our friends in Minnesota every other Christmas and will be in the car up to 12 hours at a time.
I have done solo road trips to Colorado driving home in a long day.
Activity wise I am an adventure traveler.
My friends and I do week long canoe/backpack trips thru the Boundary Waters Canoe Area every summer and in May I'm hiking Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas.
My husband and I just got back from a jungle trip in Costa Rica. When I go someplace I intent to truly experience it.

With all that being said what can we realistically do in 2 weeks without being too terribly rushed?
Input is greatly appreciated.

Well don't let it be said that we need more info - maybe Eye and Hair Color....:) just kidding.

Links to look at that will/may help;

Family like you wanted to do it all - http://www.cross-country-trips.com/

Images - Stan says a lot with very few words Images show you where to go when you get there - https://www.pbase.com/sparker1/root%26view=tree

You say September, I suggest the last couple weeks of September - Few more Images that might help with the decision - https://lynn.smugmug.com/Travel/Colorado-Mountains-and-Aspens/i-tsVRkXg

Last Images in the San Juan's - Special and Close to you - https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelunderwood/14787340840/in/photostream/

Class C - two weeks three weekends - start with the Camper ready when the Hubby gets off work on Friday leave at 4 - nice easy 8 hours to get as far as possible towards Colorado, say 400 miles+:)

Points that you might consider in and around Colorado;

Great Sand Dunes - Buena Vista/Collegiates/Twin Lakes/Independence Pass/Maroon Bells/ second week Ouray - Silverton - Durango - Mesa Verde - Monument Valley - Canyon de Chelly - Window Rock - long drive home

More here/there to do than you can do but pick some - do some - drive through some - you only have 16.5 days likely 4.5 days just coming and going - MAP - https://binged.it/2NnUG99

Lot more to see and do while in all the areas mentioned, but you only have 16.5 days and you need to get there and Back... Texas is a Big State, just getting out is a task:)

Look over and see if I'm in the right areas you desire, if so we can help more if not we'll see - Just a note - Reason I suggest Colorado is that we have Family there and they are similar to yours - all girls 7-13 and we watched then when the DIL went to Tetons and did a week hike along Crest Ridge - 50 miles - real Hiking - They Love just getting in the Car and tent Camping - think they would love this trip. Just a note for the DD Aspen/ski resort when you visit Maroon Bells and the area there might give her a day in the town that she might enjoy, Girls love to Shop:).

Late September is my Favorite Month of the year to Travel - Cool Crisp nights and those Golden Aspen - Heaven!

Hope this helps,

Badlands/Blackhills; Great Sand dunes, Buena Vista area, Mesa Verde Colorado.

I will make a few comments about this choice of routes as I have extensive experience with most of it. I'l give some specific possibilities.

For the first days drive from central Texas you could go to either Caprock Canyon State Park (about 370 miles from Waco) or, if you only want an overnight convenient spot, to Ole Town Cotton Gin RV at Goodlett, Texas (about 290 miles). For the second day you could drive to Raton Pass, NM where there is a very nice overnight now called Raton Pass RV Park (about 350 miles from previous stop).

Great Sand Dunes is only 128 miles from Raton Pass, but I would suggest the possibility that you leave early and make Sand Dunes a day stop and drive on to Buena Vista for a late afternoon arrive the same day. After all it is only 100 miles on from Sand Dunes--a couple of hours.

Now, after Buena Vista I think you have to choose between Black Hills or Mesa Verde. They are opposite directions from Buena Vista. Either way is a good choice. If you choose Black Hills, I would certainly suggest that you make a visit to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. September is an ideal time as someone above has pointed out. Estes Park is an easy day's drive from Buena Vista and I can give you some suggestions about the route as I have made it many times.

From Estes Park to Custer, SD and the Black Hills is just a bit over 300 miles which makes a good day's drive. Many good camping choices in the Custer State Park and surrounding commercial campgrounds. I think the Black Hills could be the terminus of a two week trip.

Let's say 1 night at Ole Town, 1 night at Raton Pass, 3 nights at Buena Vista, 3 nights at Estes Park, 3 nights at Custer as an example, that leaves only 4 or 5 nights for return trip. And any one of those 3 night stays could easily be extended rather than adding any other stops.

Anyway, I hope this will help you in making final plans. You do have to be specific about miles and nights.

I could make just as good a case for going from Buena Vista through Gunnison and Ouray to Mesa Verde and back through Durango and Santa Fe. Just let me know by PM if you wish to see that possibility, or if I might answer any questions about either route.