Southwest trip planning

2gypsies wrote:
For a first time visit I'd suggest the South Rim of Grand Canyon. We enjoy the North Rim for the quietness but we've been to the South Rim often. There's lots to do there. Try for a site in Trailer Village near the rim. The free shuttle stops just outside the campground. If you don't need hookups your 28' would fit in Mather, a very nice shaded campground near Trailer Village. There are showers available.

^^^^ Agree with this. We've been to the north and south rims. Both are terrific. I would also try for Trailer Village if you can get a spot. A great location and you can pick up the shuttle bus right at the campground. 2 - 3 weeks is awful short to do all of those stops justice. A couple of years ago, we did a 2 1/2 week trip to the south rim, then on to Moab for Arches and Canyonlands. We had a terrific time, hiking down Bright Angel Trail to the 3 mile stop, hiking the entire canyon rim trail, and more. Then we hit all of Arches and spent a good bit of time in Canyonlands. In the end, we were wishing for more time.

Someone above who mentioned the North Rim made a great point. When we went to the North Rim, we also headed to Zion and Bryce. That was also a great trip; and those parks make a great "bundle" with the north rim. Other trips to Moab included Mesa Verde and Durango, so they may be a good addition to the south rim and Moab.

I guess the key is how much time do you want to spend. There are so many beautiful places in that area that you'll want to go back. If you want to take your time, consider breaking this up into a couple of trips (South Rim, Moab, Mesa Verde, Durango and then North Rim, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef for examples). If you want to get full exposure to what's out there and then go back for a more detailed visit to specific places, then seeing it all may be the way to go if you think the pace will be acceptable.

Hope this helps.