A few other general ideas:
> The four corners area. No, not the 4 corners itself, but everything around there. Mesa Verde has been mentioned and is wonderful for kids of that age. There are also other places in the 4 corners area with Native American ruins such as Hovenweep, Chaco Culture, Wupatki, Canyon de Chelly, Walnut Canyon, etc. The
Anasazi Heritage Center near Dolores, CO is a good place to begin your exploration, as they have lots of displays and information.
The San Juans of SW Colorado are some of the most gorgeous mountains in the country and have ghost towns and mining areas to explore. Some of the most amazing wildflower displays in July and August. The
Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is another great experience for kids. This steam powered train heads deep into the mountains to the mining town of Silverton. The Ouray Hot Springs Pool is a great spot to spend a warm afternoon with amazing scenery all around. Last time we were there, we watched a bear on the hill across the road for about 1/2 an hour. Rent a jeep out of Ouray, Silverton, or Lake City and spend a day exploring the high country. We rarely miss spending a week or so every summer somewhere in the San Juans.
Of course there is a lot of geology around the 4 corners area, such as the Grand Canyon and Sunset Crater in AZ. Of course there are a number of NP's in southern Utah, but that area can get amazingly hot in the summer. Bryce does tend to be more tolerable because of it's elevation.
> You mention a few places in No. Cal. but I can't tell if you've spend much time in Oregon. That state is a vacation by itself. The coastline is amazing. No, it's not the place to lay out for hours in the sun, but the scenery is stunning and exploring the tidal pools can keep the young busy for hours. There are several lighthouses, some of which you can tour. One can spend many days/weeks just exploring the Oregon Coast.
But don't miss heading inland. Of course there's Crater Lake, but there are other volcanic related places to explore. The area around Bend is particularly noteworthy. Check out the Lava Lands Visitor Center, Lava River Cave, and the
Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Also near Bend is the
Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway.
Another jewel of Oregon is the
Columbia River Gorge. Beside the numerous waterfalls, the locks, fish hatchery and fish ladder near the Bonneville Dam are interesting for kids.
This is only a short listing of places in Oregon to visit.
> Just an FYI: depending on your route to places in the west, you might consider a detour to Dinosaur NM near Vernal, UT. They finally reopend the "Bone Wall" after several years of closure. What an amazing display of fossils in place in the rocks. Also in Vernal is the
Utah Field House of Natural History, with a display of dinosaur bones, dinosaur recreations, and a variety of other fossils. When one visits those places, you see lots of kids just giddy with excitment on seeing all those huge bones.
> Another source of information is the
NPS website. When you go to that link, under Advance Search you can narrow your choices to areas, activities, and/or topics, so you can plan a vacation that focuses on somthing like inventions, volcanoes or caves.
Ken & Allison
2 Camping Cats (1 diabetic)
1996 4Runner, TRD Supercharger, Edelbrock headers
2007 Fleetwood Arcadia, Honda EU2000i
4 mountain bikes, 1 canoe, 4 tents, 8 sleeping bags, 2 backpacks
(You get the idea!)
