Where's the best places to visit around the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley?
Question:
I'm from the DC area and never been to the Grand Canyon and such before. I will be traveling by car up from Phoenix, AZ. It says on the map that I will be at the North Rim. What's the best places to travel throughout the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in about 7 to 10 days without spending too much $ and back tracking too much? After that I will be heading east threw Grand Junction, CO. Any suggestions would be appreciated... don't get to vacation much so I don't want to miss anything! :)
Answer:
There are lots of great places that area, so you can pretty much take your pick based on the sort of things you are interested in.
One clarification though... what 'map' are you referring to? If you are coming from Phoenix, than the South Rim is the first part of the canyon that you will reach. The North Rim is about another 4-5 hour drive. Note that while both rims are great and have fantastic views, I generally prefer the North Rim in summer because the higher elevation there means that it is cooler and (more importantly) because it is less developed, it generally has much fewer crowds (South Rim is quite crowded during summer). The lodges at both areas are ran by Xanterra (see link below) and you should have reservations well in advance.
If you are going to the North Rim, you will pass along the scenic Vermillion Cliffs near Page. Just after you cross the historic Navajo Bridge, you can turn off to Lee's Ferry where you can actually walk down by the river (some interesting historic ruins there too). You will also pass through the little cafe/store/lodge area called Jacob Lake (where you head south toward the North Rim). The little store sells some of the best homemade cookies in the world.
For Monument Valley, there are some hotels at nearby Kayenta, but I prefer to stay in the historic Gouldings Trading Post and Lodge which has nice rooms (a little pricy), a good resturant, and is right near Monument Valley. If you don't spend the night there, it is worth checking out or stopping for a meal. If you are into photography, Monument Valley is best in the hours just after sunrise or before sunset.
As far as other attractions in that area, here are my picks:
Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Park - East of Flagstaff on I-40. The petrified forest in particular is impressive. I would skip Meteor Crater which is a bit pricy and you can't actually go in the crater (just stay in a single viewing area on the rim).
Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments - Northeast of Flagstaff along 89A. This is an exctinct volcanic field (craters and lava fields) and a set of prehistoric indian ruins that you can explore. Both areas are very interesting and scenic - I think this is one of the most overlooked attractions in northern Arizona.
Flagstaff - Old lumber and railroad town (also a Route 66 stop) that you will pass through on the way to the canyon. The historic downtown has many interesting shops, cafes and art galleries. Interesting attractions include Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered) and the excellent Museum of Northern Arizona (has a lot of Native American exhibits).
Canyon de Chelly National Monument - A little south of Monument Valley near small community of Chinle. Interesting prehistoric cliff dwellings in a very scenic sandstone canyon (Ansel Adams tooks some famous pictures here). Can hike down to one ruin or take jeep tours to see the rest. It is pronounced 'De Shay'.
Hubbell Trading Post at Ganado - Historic trading post still ran in the traditional way (you can often see Navajo weavers working on rugs). This makes for a nice short break if you were to drive through the Navajo reservation from Petrified Forest to Canyon de Chelly to Monument Valley.
Antelope Canyon - This is a famous (and much photographed) slot canyon just outside of Page (near Lake Powell). You can take guided tours to the north section or just pay a fee at the gate and wander through the south section (which I think is more impressive).
On the Utah side, it would make sense to work your way up from Monument Valley to Moab (since that puts you pretty close to Grand Junction). Along the way, you could take a slight detour to the excellent prehistoric indian ruins at Hovenweep National Monument (NE of Bluff).
Just outside of Moab is Arches National Park which is one of my favorite in the southwest. The landscape here looks like something from Disneyland or a movie set (in fact, a number of movies have been filmed here, including the intro to Indian Jones 3).
To the west of Moab, is the very large Canyonlands National Park which is more rugged and less developed than most parks and is geared more toward hikers, backpackers and 4WDers. It is divided into 3 major districts, 2 of which are easily reached from Moab.
Moab itself is a funky little mining town turned recreational community with a wide range of cafes and hotels (many a bit on the pricy side).
I don't think you would be disappointed in any of the above places especially if this is your first time in the southwest.
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