Trip Out West

4runnerguy wrote:


They can visit swimming pools anywhere, but to stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon at sunset or to gaze waaaay up at a Sequoia is something they can't do at home.

Again, I don't know your kids ages, but my list of places that kids will be Wow'ed by:

Mesa Verde NP it takes a full day to see a couple of ruins. Book a guided trip in advance -- well worth it.
Grand Canyon NP camp at trailer village and take the shuttle around. camping in the park means you can be at the rim at sunrise and sunset -- the magical times
Zion NP - play in the river or hike up Zion Narrows, where you'll wade in knee deep+ water in a very narrow canyon. Cool temps even in the heat of summer
Arches NP - climb on sandstone fins, through arches, lots of great playing in one of our favorite parks.
Canyonlands NP - we like this better than the Grand Canyon. Views from the rim really show the immensity of this area.
Mt. Lassen NP with it's thermal features and a relatively easy hike up a volcano
Lava Beds NM with a number of lava tubes (small caves) kids can explore with flashlights.

For non-NPS places, a couple jump to mind:
The area near Durango has amazing mountain scenery. Ride the Durango - Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This steam powered trail takes you through amazing mountain views for a lunch stop at Silverton, one of the most authentic old mining towns with wooden sidewalks and dirt streets. I can't recommend this trip highly enough for those unaccustomed to high mountain scenery.

This is a great list. If you spent your time at these locations, you will have a trip your kids will never forget, and will not looking forward to getting home because they are sick of driving. And don't miss the Durango - Silverton Railroad. Our daughter was around 11 when we took her there. She's 26 now and never forgot it.

At the Grand Canyon, definitely make reservations for Trailer Village. We were there in September. Don't just take a bus and walk to the rim and head back to the bus. Explore the Canyon, hike down Bright Angel Trail, at least to the 1.5 mile mark (remembering you have to climb back up). Check out the El Tovar, etc. Our trip in September also included Arches and Canyonlands; excellent as well. They will also never forget Zion and Mesa Verde. If you go to Zion, I would also add Bryce Canyon to the list. But passing all of this beauty to drive to California to spend short stays at those locations, just seems to be a situation where you'll put in more effort and get less back in return. Save California for a separate trip. We've been there and enjoyed it, but all together would be too much in my opinion.