Tn to Grand Canyon

eubank wrote:
Nice suggestions! I would not bother with the Petrified Forest, though. Those who visited decades ago will remember that there was, ah, duh, petrified wood all over the place. No longer. It's practically all been stolen. Very sad.
:)
Lynn

There is more to see than just petrified wood. There are some great scenic views of the Painted Desert from the auto route and for those interested in petroglyphs there is Newspaper Rock.

Nice suggestions! I would not bother with the Petrified Forest, though. Those who visited decades ago will remember that there was, ah, duh, petrified wood all over the place. No longer. It's practically all been stolen. Very sad.
:)
Lynn

trailertraveler wrote:
There a lot to see along I-40.
...Petrified Forest National Park are not far from the Arizona/New Mexico border. ...

All this before you even get to the Grand Canyon.

There a lot to see along I-40. In Amarillo, there is Palo Duro Canyon State Park and the Big Texan on Old Route 66. In New Mexico, Tucumcari still has dinners along Historic Route 66 and numerous murals painted on buildings plus other attractions like the wind generator training center, foundry and dinosaur museum at the college. Santa Rosa is another Route 66 town and has the The Blue Hole and Santa Rosa Lake State Park which has a nice campground. In Albuquerque, the Pueblo Cultural Center, the Turquoise Trail, the Sandia Crest Highway and Petroglyph National Monument are worth visiting in my opinion. In Grants, there is the Mining Museum. Just South of I-40 going West from Grants are El Malpais National Monument, El Malpais National Conservation Area, El Moro National Monument and the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano. Acoma Sky City is said to be the longest occuppied location in the U.S. They give tours of the pueblo and there is an RV park next to the casino.

Homolovi Ruins State Park is near Winslow where you can stand on the corner. Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest National Park are not far from the Arizona/New Mexico border.

In the Flagstaff area are Sunset Crater National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, and Walnut Canyon National Monument. Sedona/Camp Verde/Cottonwood are about an hour South of Flagstaff with Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well National Monuments, Tuzigoot National Monument, Palatki and Honaki Ruins, V-Bar-V Heritage Site, Verde Canyon Railroad, Fort Verde State Park, Cathedral Rock, Gold King Mine, Jerome State Historic Park in the area.

All this before you even get to the Grand Canyon.

Thank you for all the ideas. We have just started planning this trip so all suggestions are appreciated!!!

Check out Palo Duro Canyon outside Amarillo TX. You also may think about taking the southern route to the TX gulf Coast and up the Rio Grand to southern New Mexico and Arizona and go up from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon. A more interesting route than just I-40.

If traveling I-40 across Oklahoma and need a place to stay, there is a great little city RV park in Elk City. We have always stayed mid week and have always had a site. Week ends may be different. Elk City Lake Park Campground.

The Waites wrote:
In Aug. or Sept., any suggestions on route to take and must see/do ? TY

If you want to see a big hole in the ground, plan on a stay at the Meteor Crater RV Park and take a tour of the Crater. This is on I-40 about 40-50 miles before Flagstaff.

I would put the trip off until September. The latter the better.
Take I-40 to Williams, AZ. Plan on staying in one of the CG's there. Take a day trip by train to the Grand Canyon. Then, move to the Trailer Village RV Park inside the Park. Make reservations as soon as you can. From Trailer Village, you can take the shuttles to the points of interest. Or...If you have a handicap permit, ask for the Parks handicap tag and then you can drive to the points of interest.
Before exploring the Canyon, I would go into the village just out side the gate and see the movie at the Grand Canyon Imax Theater. Almost as good as a helicopter trip.

TY for your reply, 2 seniors and an old dog. :-) Wife can't hike or bike due to knee surgery. Love nature: mountains, trees, birds, animals interest us.

The Waites wrote:
In Aug. or Sept., any suggestions on route to take and must see/do ? TY

HOT - Time line - Mission - what do you enjoy - who is in the party - all these need to be addressed ????????????????

If it were me I'd Run into Colorado for the Month of September then run down to the GC in October.

To give you any real info you need to give us a whole lot more.

JMHO,