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Possible road trip out west in a couple of months

Started by US 41, October 28, 2016, 04:54:30 PM

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US 41

To give a brief overview of what the situation currently is. My father has a friend that lives in Pagosa Springs, CO. His friend has 2 vehicles he needs brought back to Indiana (his friend will drive one, my dad will drive the other). So that leaves me with my car alone to explore the west a little bit. I'll either have 7 or 8 days (5 or 6 after Pagosa) to be out there which is plenty of time for me. I have no idea when or if this will even happen. It's between my father and his friend. All I know is that if this happens there is no way I am just driving to Colorado and then coming straight back.

Here's a list of places I'm thinking about visiting.

1) Marble Canyon, AZ. It's free to visit and I think it will be worth the drive to go see.
2) Grand Canyon Nat'l Park. This is still under consideration. I know I'll get roasted for saying that, but it just is. I'm afraid I'll end up using all my time (and money) there and not get to see other places that I also want to visit. 
3) Southern Arizona near Lukeville to see the 20 foot tall cacti everywhere (I've never seen one).
4) Sonora. Probably take MX 2 from Sonoyta to Naco. I'll have to do some research on it and see what I need. I'm sure I'll need an FMM, but I'm not sure about the TIP. From what I've seen there are plenty, if not more, of those cacti down there too.
5) New Mexico. I love New Mexico so I know I'll find something interesting there. I'll probably follow the NM 1 / I-25 corridor as much as I can. The scenery will be better the longer I can stay near the mountain areas.

Any thoughts or suggestions are definitely welcome. Here's a basic map of where I plan on going. https://goo.gl/maps/eFvuyKau3yx
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM


Max Rockatansky

If you take AZ 64 the rim of the Grand Canyon is basically just off to the north side of the road as it swings east towards US 89, I doubt you'll lose a ton of time...I know that I didn't on my last trip.  I would highly suggest taking AZ 69, Fain Road, and AZ 89A to Flagstaff so you don't miss Jerome, Sedona, and Oak Creek Canyon.  I'm assuming you are heading to Marble Canyon to check out the Navajo Bridge and Vermillion Cliffs?  Page is nice to see the Glen Canyon Dam but AZ 98 isn't as great as people make it out to be.

You might want to consider taking US 163 instead of US 160 if you've never been through Monument Valley.  Mile Marker 13 on the Utah side is where all the famous photos are taken looking at the buttes.  It isn't too far from the Moki Dugway either but that might get dicey trying to drive up hill in the winter time if there has been any recent snow.

Also if you've never been up US 550 it probably is worth the trip even if it's just to Silverton.  Really neat road and really neat old mining city.

Anyways when I get a chance I'll link over some of my threads since I do a lot of travel in the area you are considering.

Max Rockatansky

Here you go:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=19025.msg2183876#new

That thread will cover most of what you're looking for in Arizona north of Phoenix.  Only reply 19 there is a link that will take you to a road trip of mine for Colorado where I took US 550.

US 41

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2016, 09:43:07 PM
If you take AZ 64 the rim of the Grand Canyon is basically just off to the north side of the road as it swings east towards US 89, I doubt you'll lose a ton of time...I know that I didn't on my last trip.  I would highly suggest taking AZ 69, Fain Road, and AZ 89A to Flagstaff so you don't miss Jerome, Sedona, and Oak Creek Canyon.  I'm assuming you are heading to Marble Canyon to check out the Navajo Bridge and Vermillion Cliffs?  Page is nice to see the Glen Canyon Dam but AZ 98 isn't as great as people make it out to be.

You might want to consider taking US 163 instead of US 160 if you've never been through Monument Valley.  Mile Marker 13 on the Utah side is where all the famous photos are taken looking at the buttes.  It isn't too far from the Moki Dugway either but that might get dicey trying to drive up hill in the winter time if there has been any recent snow.

Also if you've never been up US 550 it probably is worth the trip even if it's just to Silverton.  Really neat road and really neat old mining city.

Anyways when I get a chance I'll link over some of my threads since I do a lot of travel in the area you are considering.

Wow thanks for the suggestions. I'm definitely going to take the UT 162 / US 163 corridor rather than US 160 all the way across.

I've actually been on US 550 from Durango all the way up to its end at US 50. I went on a rafting trip on the Colorado River from Grand Junction to somewhere in Utah. It's a pretty awesome route, but I'll be skipping that if I go to Pagosa and heading straight for Utah / Arizona. I also need to make sure I have time to get down to the Organ Pipe Cactus N.M.

I was planning on going to Marble Canyon just to see the river / canyon. And wow I just saw that the horseshoe bend is just south of the AZ 98 / US 89 intersection. So I'm definitely going there too! I'll probably go check out the dam as well since its so close.


Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

US 41

It looks like if I drive into Sonora, Mexico after visiting the Organ Cactus NM that all of MX 2 from Sonoyta over to Naco is in the "hassle free zone for vehicles". I'll still have to get an FMM (which will hopefully be free), but that is a painless and easy process.

Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: US 41 on October 29, 2016, 08:31:58 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2016, 09:43:07 PM
If you take AZ 64 the rim of the Grand Canyon is basically just off to the north side of the road as it swings east towards US 89, I doubt you'll lose a ton of time...I know that I didn't on my last trip.  I would highly suggest taking AZ 69, Fain Road, and AZ 89A to Flagstaff so you don't miss Jerome, Sedona, and Oak Creek Canyon.  I'm assuming you are heading to Marble Canyon to check out the Navajo Bridge and Vermillion Cliffs?  Page is nice to see the Glen Canyon Dam but AZ 98 isn't as great as people make it out to be.

You might want to consider taking US 163 instead of US 160 if you've never been through Monument Valley.  Mile Marker 13 on the Utah side is where all the famous photos are taken looking at the buttes.  It isn't too far from the Moki Dugway either but that might get dicey trying to drive up hill in the winter time if there has been any recent snow.

Also if you've never been up US 550 it probably is worth the trip even if it's just to Silverton.  Really neat road and really neat old mining city.

Anyways when I get a chance I'll link over some of my threads since I do a lot of travel in the area you are considering.

Wow thanks for the suggestions. I'm definitely going to take the UT 162 / US 163 corridor rather than US 160 all the way across.

I've actually been on US 550 from Durango all the way up to its end at US 50. I went on a rafting trip on the Colorado River from Grand Junction to somewhere in Utah. It's a pretty awesome route, but I'll be skipping that if I go to Pagosa and heading straight for Utah / Arizona. I also need to make sure I have time to get down to the Organ Pipe Cactus N.M.

I was planning on going to Marble Canyon just to see the river / canyon. And wow I just saw that the horseshoe bend is just south of the AZ 98 / US 89 intersection. So I'm definitely going there too! I'll probably go check out the dam as well since its so close.

Yeah Monument Valley is worth the short detour.  Even if you don't go up the Dugway you can still see the Valley of the Gods from UT 261 or US 163 along with the Mexican Hat.  Since rivers are on your itinerary I would suggest taking a swing up to UT 316 to the Goosenecks on the San Juan River.  Lots to see that little corner, I believe Hovenweep and Canyon of the Ancients National Monuments are in the ball park of UT 162 if you got the time...personally I'd say if you've been to Mesa Verde that's pretty much all you need have seen.

Yeah Marble Canyon is pretty scenic in of itself, you won't be disappointed by the views that's for sure.  I'm going to keep updating that thread over the weekend with stuff I did the past year which will include Marble Canyon and the Navajo Bridge.  There is a scenic overlook of the Glen Canyon Dam just off of US 89 in Page itself.  The view is fantastic since it's basically a dead center view of the dam where you can see the full height of it:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Glen+Canyon+Dam+Overlook/@36.9242529,-111.4789011,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x4830fbce8cf2e424!8m2!3d36.9237085!4d-111.4771262!6m1!1e1?hl=en

Speaking of Organ Pipe Cactus, I would highly recommend the El Camino Del Diablo west to Yuma if you ever have the time to revisit the area with some friends a heavy duty four-wheeler.  It's an old Spanish route basically south of the Goldwater Range and takes about a week to complete, but it's a lot of fun.  Got pretty nasty there for awhile with cartel activity but it may have died down by now.  The trail actually heads through Organ Pipe Cactus itself, if I recall correctly you had to check-in with a BLM office in Ajo.

US 41

Awesome! I really appreciate all the suggestions.

I'm starting to think that maybe I should just move out there.  :)  I think it would be pretty awesome to take my kayak on some of those rivers.
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: US 41 on October 31, 2016, 01:28:45 PM
Awesome! I really appreciate all the suggestions.

I'm starting to think that maybe I should just move out there.  :)  I think it would be pretty awesome to take my kayak on some of those rivers.

No problem, if I could ever swing Moab would be on my short lists of places to retire at.  There is just endless things to do outside with those canyons and rivers converging all the way down to Laks Powell.  I got a little lazy over the weekend, I'll just upload them here instead.  Also one I forgot, since you are taking AZ 98 you might want to see if you get a reservation.  The sand carving is like something out of a movie. 

Max Rockatansky

Here are some pics of Marble Canyon, the Navajo Bridges, and the Vermillion Cliffs on US 89A:





coatimundi

Just a few thoughts on your OP:
I like Marble Canyon because it allows easy access to the Colorado River. You can just drive down and put your feet in. I should add, since you mentioned kayaking, that most of the rivers in the West are highly restricted. For the Colorado, you need a permit for any running, and they're difficult to obtain.
Grand Canyon admission really is not that much money. Once you're in, that's all you have to pay for. If you need food, it's reasonable enough. Hotels in the park are pricey and difficult to get in the summer, but you don't have to stay in the park. It's just that this is totally worth the time.
You don't mention when you're doing this. Time of year is going to dictate a lot of the trip. Winter means you will probably hit lots of snow in the northern part of the state, including at Marble and Grand Canyons, which will close roads. Summer the lower desert can be oppressively hot.
I would personally skip Mexico because it's just a pain. Sonoyta, specifically, is just a gross and dirty town. It makes Naco or Nogales or AP look great. Driving in Mexico is a pain because you have to get special insurance. Your own US insurance doesn't cover you, even in the tourist zone where you don't need the vehicle pass. And it takes so damn long to cross any border by vehicle into the US. But, if you want to do it just to do it, it's better to do so in the rural areas. Nogales, Sonora is a big, crowded town and it's not easy to drive there, and signage is often minimal or missing.
You have two main types of big, iconic cactus in the Arizona part of the Sonoran Desert: organ pipe and saguaro. The latter can be seen everywhere, from Phoenix to the border. Tucson has the more iconic stretches, the namesake national park and tends to have the larger ones. The organ pipes can only be seen naturally at the national monument, which is a long haul from anywhere. I wouldn't ever tell anyone to just go down there because it's so far from anything else and it's not that interesting, but it's up to you. They have organ pipe cactus at the Desert Museum in Tucson, and I believe and the botanical gardens in Phoenix.
US 60 in western NM is a wonderful drive. If you can couple it with Glenwood and NM 12 then it gets really magical, I think. NM 1 mostly follows the freeway, at times right next to it, though it does use older bridges and go through some towns that you can't see from the road. The really New Mexican New Mexico is in the smaller towns of the Sangre de Cristo mountains: Taos, Mora, Questa, Truchas, Las Vegas, etc. Very cool stuff up there if the weather is right.

1995hoo

Monument Valley is well worth it. If you need somewhere to stay in that area, the Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast was very nice. It's about ten minutes from the bottom of the Moki Dugway and is one of the most isolated places you'll ever find. We stayed there the night of the total lunar eclipse last year and then drove up and down the Moki Dugway the next morning. The view from Muley Point, located at the end of the dirt road at the top of the Dugway, is a spectacular view. Heck, everything in that area is spectacular.

The bed and breakfast is the ONLY building around for miles and miles. This picture is from up near the top of the Moki Dugway and you can see the B&B way down below slightly left of center. It's a ranch house built in the 1930s and it often hosted film crews shooting movies in the area. Completely off the utility grid, too. Interesting experience. Great place for dark-sky photography! The road running past the B&B is the unpaved road through the Valley of the Gods–it's a 17-mile drive but takes at least an hour (we didn't have time for it).


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US 41

Quote from: coatimundi on November 01, 2016, 05:58:51 AM
I like Marble Canyon because it allows easy access to the Colorado River. You can just drive down and put your feet in. I should add, since you mentioned kayaking, that most of the rivers in the West are highly restricted. For the Colorado, you need a permit for any running, and they're difficult to obtain.

It will be many years before I can actually do a kayaking trip. I knew about permits and yes they are a pain. We almost didn't get one 2 years ago when we went down the Colorado River.

QuoteGrand Canyon admission really is not that much money. Once you're in, that's all you have to pay for. If you need food, it's reasonable enough. Hotels in the park are pricey and difficult to get in the summer, but you don't have to stay in the park. It's just that this is totally worth the time.

I saw where it's $30 to get in and you're right, it isn't that bad. If I skipped Mexico I could probably do this and not have to worry about time too much.

QuoteYou don't mention when you're doing this.

Most likely in December or maybe even in January. This is yet to be determined.

QuoteI would personally skip Mexico because it's just a pain. Sonoyta, specifically, is just a gross and dirty town. It makes Naco or Nogales or AP look great. Driving in Mexico is a pain because you have to get special insurance. Your own US insurance doesn't cover you, even in the tourist zone where you don't need the vehicle pass. And it takes so damn long to cross any border by vehicle into the US. But, if you want to do it just to do it, it's better to do so in the rural areas. Nogales, Sonora is a big, crowded town and it's not easy to drive there, and signage is often minimal or missing.

I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but I have drove in Mexico before (in Ojinaga and the surrounding area). The insurance won't be a big deal. I'm aware of it and I'll be able to get it easily enough in Ajo. If I go to Mexico, I plan on driving from Sonoyta to Naco on Mexico 2. Both border crossings are pretty much never busy according to bwt.cbp.gov. It said the same thing about Ojinaga and it was super quick and easy to cross there. Basically if I go to Organ Cactus NM and I'm that close to Mexico I am probably going to cross. I also feel like any park that is named after a cactus has to be worth the visit. I may be wrong, but I guess I'll find out. I am into nature and kind of an outdoors guy, so I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy it down there. It looks like Mexico has even more of them crazy cacti, so it should be interesting at the very least.

QuoteUS 60 in western NM is a wonderful drive. If you can couple it with Glenwood and NM 12 then it gets really magical, I think. NM 1 mostly follows the freeway, at times right next to it, though it does use older bridges and go through some towns that you can't see from the road. The really New Mexican New Mexico is in the smaller towns of the Sangre de Cristo mountains: Taos, Mora, Questa, Truchas, Las Vegas, etc. Very cool stuff up there if the weather is right.

I've actually drove on US 60 from Vaughn, NM to Springerville, AZ. And I totally agree that it is a wonderful drive. It snowed when I went which made it even better in some ways, but worse in others.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

US 41

I have my proposed trip all mapped out now. It is confirmed that I will be doing this next month and my 8 straight days off has been confirmed. https://goo.gl/maps/ccvpMbZkCin

I'm going to try to stay out of the mountains as much as possible, but still stay close enough to where the scenery is nice, rather than just flat and boring.

Hopefully going through the Rocky Mountains in December goes smoothly. It was on US 60 in New Mexico last November, near Datil, and I ran into some somewhat heavy snow. I just put new tires on my car, so if I run into snow at least I'll have some traction.

After I leave Pagosa Springs my first stop will be Monument Valley. After that I'll be going to Marble Canyon. I'm currently planning on skipping the Grand Canyon (but that could very easily change). From what I've seen I think Marble Canyon looks neater, but I'm probably in the minority on that.

After that I plan on heading to the Organ Pipe Cactus Nat'l Monument. Then I currently plan on crossing into Mexico at Sonoyta and driving to Naco on Route 2. I've done quite a bit of research on it and I will only need an FMM (tourist card) to do the trip. I won't need to import my car (yay!). Since I'll only be in Sonora for 6 hours the FMM should be free which is another plus.

Once I leave Mexico (that is if I end up crossing) I will drive up to I-10, take a shortcut to I-25 using SR 26 and drive north all the way up to Springer, NM before heading east on US 56 on my way home.

Now if I actually stick to this once I set out is always questionable, but this is my current plan. Last November I only planned on driving to the Big Bend and I ended up in Arizona and Louisiana on the same trip. :bigass:
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

Max Rockatansky

Always loved that shortcut on NM 26 from Deming to Hatch.  I knew it well before GPS units were even a thing...god that is such a time saver for northbound I-25.

US 41

So here's what I ended up doing. https://goo.gl/maps/nKgfCJe8nR52

The weather first off was awful (ran into lots of snow). It was way too cold to actually truly enjoy the trip. (I wouldn't have done this in the first place if it wasn't for having to drop my dad off in Pagosa Springs.) I'm going to say that anytime from late November to early March is out in the future as far as me taking a road trip.

The first thing of significance I did was drive to Monument Valley. (Well actually the first significant thing I did was I found out that my car tops out at 97 mph.) I did stop and pull over where Forest Gump was pretty tired and decided to go home.  :D

The highlight of the trip for me was going to Marble Canyon. Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon were also quite amazing, but I really enjoyed seeing the dam at Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, and the Navajo Bridge.

I am glad I decided to go to the Grand Canyon. The $30 was worth it. I stopped at every viewpoint in the South Rim and it's pretty amazing how deep and how wide the canyon is.

After the Grand Canyon I decided to cut the trip short because just like Forest Gump I was pretty tired and I was ready to go back home. It said on my GPS I was going to have to drive nearly 800 miles out of my way to go down to Sonora and by that point I had had enough of the cold weather, so I decided to skip that part of the trip. (I'm already planning out a trip to Cabo San Lucas via Lukeville, so it's not like I'm never going to go down there.) I was so ready to get back home that I actually drove 18 straight hours from Santa Rosa, NM to Terre Haute, IN. The only times I stopped were to get gas or go through a drive thru.

I'm not going to say that I didn't enjoy the trip, but December is definitely not the time of year to be taking cross country road trips. I also like to hike and get out of my car quite a bit and I really couldn't do that this time around. Seeing the canyons was pretty awesome, but the rest of the trip was meh.

I'll post some pics as soon as I get them uploaded.
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

corco

#15
For somebody who talks about Mexico like 80% of the time, you are really bad at actually going to Mexico

US 41

Quote from: corco on December 12, 2016, 06:53:59 PM
For somebody who talks about Mexico like 80% of the time, you are really bad at actually going to Mexico

Hey where I went used to be part of Mexico.  :bigass:

But in all seriousness, I looked at my map and I was like "I'm not driving 800 miles out of the way to go see a cactus." As soon as Mexico completes MX 5 I plan on driving to the southern tip of the Baja Penninsula (Cabo San Lucas) and I will enter at Lukeville, so I do plan on getting down there rather soon anyways.

This was really the only time I was going to be in the general area of the Grand Canyon / Monument Valley in the near future, so I decided to go ahead and do it, even though the weather wasn't particularly great.
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

US 41

Quote from: US 41 on December 12, 2016, 11:03:59 AM
I'll post some pics as soon as I get them uploaded.

Kind of forgot to do this, but here's some pics for anyone that is interested.

UT 162


US 163 in Utah


Mexican Hat


Monument Valley


Page, AZ (Lake Powell Glen Canyon Dam)


Looking downstream from Lake Powell


The bridge (US 89)


Glen Canyon Dam


Horseshoe Bend


Marble Canyon


The Vermillion Cliffs


The Grand Canyon

Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

Max Rockatansky

Looks like you did make it to the Grand Canyon after all.  That looks like you were near the Desert View tower on the east rim?

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: US 41 on May 05, 2017, 10:07:22 AM
Quote from: US 41 on December 12, 2016, 11:03:59 AM
I'll post some pics as soon as I get them uploaded.

Kind of forgot to do this, but here's some pics for anyone that is interested.

UT 162


US 163 in Utah


Mexican Hat


Monument Valley


Page, AZ (Lake Powell Glen Canyon Dam)


Looking downstream from Lake Powell


The bridge (US 89)


Glen Canyon Dam


Horseshoe Bend


Marble Canyon


The Vermillion Cliffs


The Grand Canyon


Beutiful pics :clap:.
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Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

US 41

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2017, 11:56:08 AM
Looks like you did make it to the Grand Canyon after all.  That looks like you were near the Desert View tower on the east rim?

I was going to go to the North Rim, but apparently it is closed in the winter. I stopped at all the viewpoints in the south rim part of the park. The pics I posted are from the first viewpoint (Desert Tower) as you enter the park from the east as you mentioned. It was well worth the $30 to go into the park.
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: US 41 on May 05, 2017, 04:36:27 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2017, 11:56:08 AM
Looks like you did make it to the Grand Canyon after all.  That looks like you were near the Desert View tower on the east rim?

I was going to go to the North Rim, but apparently it is closed in the winter. I stopped at all the viewpoints in the south rim part of the park. The pics I posted are from the first viewpoint (Desert Tower) as you enter the park from the east as you mentioned. It was well worth the $30 to go into the park.

Definitely worth the detour IMO.  Really there are just a handle handful of National Parks that fall under "must see" and the Grand Canyon would be at the top of that list.   I saw you went to the Goosenecks, any time for the Dugway or the Valley of the Gods?

US 41

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2017, 07:18:19 PM
Quote from: US 41 on May 05, 2017, 04:36:27 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 05, 2017, 11:56:08 AM
Looks like you did make it to the Grand Canyon after all.  That looks like you were near the Desert View tower on the east rim?

I was going to go to the North Rim, but apparently it is closed in the winter. I stopped at all the viewpoints in the south rim part of the park. The pics I posted are from the first viewpoint (Desert Tower) as you enter the park from the east as you mentioned. It was well worth the $30 to go into the park.

Definitely worth the detour IMO.  Really there are just a handle handful of National Parks that fall under "must see" and the Grand Canyon would be at the top of that list.   I saw you went to the Goosenecks, any time for the Dugway or the Valley of the Gods?

I drove through the Valley of the Gods on the highway, pulled off and took a few pics, but that's about it. I obviously don't know the area very well, but I just wanted to see Monument Valley and some of the canyons while I was kind of in the area. (The purpose of my trip was to help a friend move back to Indiana from Colorado.)

I was also going to go to Sonora (Mexico), so I was in a rush a little bit. I ended up not even going, because the weather wasn't very good. I went just before Christmas, ran into lots of snow, and being only 20 y.o. I wasn't willing to spend a lot of money on hotels, so I ended up heading back to Indiana once I got to Flagstaff. I drove 18 straight hours from west of Santa Rosa, NM back to Terre Haute just so I could sleep in my own bed. From now on I'm doing all of my road trips between April and October, with the exception being Florida, Texas, and Mexico. New Mexico and Arizona are high in elevation so the weather there sucks in the winter even though they are fairly far south. Texas is a lot lower in elevation, so it's usually nice in the southern / Big Bend part of the state even in the winter.
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM



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