Cal's big American odessy

Hi Everyone  

I've got a big anniversary coming up in the next couple of years --- 40 years together   (we met in 1976 and married in 1979)--- and my lovely hubby wants to celebrate with a trip to the States so that we can visit some of those iconic locations like The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.  Given my Western obsession, I want to plan a trip to include some iconic Western locations too.  

So....

Given that said trip will be sometime in the next three years .....When is the best time to plan a visit for.....Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter?

Any recommendations for places not to miss?  This is probably a once in a life time trip for me .... so I want to take my time and plan it right.

We are outdoor, country people ... (We have to travel to China a lot ... but all the people, skyscrapers and concrete leave me cold) ....so I'm thinking.....views, walks, mountains, forests, lakes, Small towns, interesting people ... we both adore all four footed critters.... we're both getting on a bit, but thankfully are still quite active and love having a go. Hubby hasn't even ruled out a bit of Western style trekking on horseback!  I'm a singer, so love live music, people, dancing, beer....

You get the picture ... Any and all help would be much appreciated ....

Wow, congratulations on 40 years and what an exciting and fun trip to look forward to!  Where you go will dictate when you should go.     If you want to visit the national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, summer is the most popular time but also the most crowded.  And I've heard that you need to make reservations a year in advance for the famous hotels in the Grand Canyon, so don't delay.    

I live in Tucson, which is about four hours south of the Grand Canyon.  You'd be very welcome to visit here -- lots of Old West things to do in this area and Tombstone is only a couple hours away.  Spring is a better time to visit Arizona but check when places in the Grand Canyon are open for everything you want to do.

One place I would definitely recommend is Moab, Utah.  As you probably already know, part of the 3rd season of ASJ was filmed in that area and Arches National Park is gorgeous.  So is Canyonlands National Park nearby and Dead Horse Point State Park.  You'd probably want to avoid the summer, though, since it's well over 100F/41C then.  But Moab is an adventure destination--you can raft down the Colorado River, go horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking, and stay at a cheap hotel, upscale B&B, or rustic resort type of accommodation.  It's loads of fun!  Here's a blog post I wrote about my trip there some years ago: Visiting Moab.  There's a national forest nearby, too, which makes for a nice contrast with the red rock geography of Moab.  Here's a blog post about that: Manti-La Sal National Forest
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Also in Utah are Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, which are also beautiful.  I haven't been there yet but everyone I know who has been loves them.

Another place you might like to visit is Sedona, Arizona.  It's very touristy but there's a lot to do there, too.  What you might also find interesting is visiting the Navajo and Hopi reservations.  Both are fascinating but the Hopi reservation is much smaller and compact so it is easier to see more in a short period of time.  You can visit the three mesas and if you are very lucky, you might be able to watch a kachina dance.  (No photos are allowed, though.) The Navajo reservation has loads of ancient ruins to see; Mesa Verde is just one site; and of course, there's Monument Valley, too.

Lastly, Denver is a [very] likeable town!  

If you have any questions about anything Arizona-related, just let me know!

Just woke up to these fab messages - thankyou Ghislaine Emrys and Penski

I'm going to enjoy reading through these properly over a cup of tea

The maps will be out

Im a bit wimpy when it comes to hot weather   so thanks for the tips on that too

very excited!

I totally agree with the locales suggested by both Penski and Ghislaine, but I'd highly recommend the Durango, Colorado area, too. Mesa Verde National Park is close by and has some of the best examples of Ancient Puebloan ruins. Canyon of the Ancients is nearby, too and much more rustic and less visited. Chaco Canyon is the grandaddy of all the ruins with many entire pueblos to view, but you have to camp there and it requires a lot of effort to get there. The drive from Durango to Ouray, Colorado is one of the most beautiful in this state and it goes past Silverton which is still an authentically western town with mostly original buildings. In Silverton, you can take a jeep ride up to Animas Forks, a ghost town at 11,000 ft. If you continue past Silverton to Ouray, you'll go over Red Mountain Pass which is breathtaking.

I live very close to Durango and Silverton and have a daughter who lives in Denver, so if you make it to Colorado, would love to meet up with you.

If you do get to the Moab area, I know a lot of pictograph and petroglyph sites worth seeing and would be happy to provide directions. Robbers Roost is near there, too. That's part of the outlaw trail that includes the Hole in the Wall, and Browns Park (park is a term for a broad, open valley here and not to be confused with Browns Park-an actual state park) in northwestern Colorado.

Congrats on 40 years! Jim and I will be celebrating our 30th this year. :)

Couple of other spots to consider in Arizona with an old west feel:

Jerome http://www.azjerome.com/jerome/

http://www.arizona-leisure.com/jerome-arizona.html

Jerome is just such a cool ghost town. Jerome, Sedona and Prescott have a bit of a drive between them but are in the same large relative area.

And Prescott

http://www.go-arizona.com/Prescott/

Prescott boasts the World's Oldest Rodeo (the first professional rodeo begun in 1888). It runs end of June beginning of July.

Heck, Yellowstone is great-- I remember Jackson Hole as being wonderful but I haven't seen either since I was a kid.
http://www.jacksonholechamber.com


Spring is more temperate than Summer-but beware. My family traveled to the Grand Canyon in Spring and never made it in due to a late heavy snow.

Just to say thankyou to InsideOutlaw and BeeJay

More brilliant suggestions

Really appreciating this help

Calx

Cal, I've never been to Monument Valley, but that's where a lot of the scenes in John Wayne's The Searchers was filmed. I've heard you can get a guide to take you out to a few of those locations, but I've also heard its a bit pricey.

Some places I would suggest you go are Deadwood, South Dakota. There are several museums there, Days of '76, the Adam's House, the Adam's Museum, and just up the road in Lead there's the Homes take Gold Mine which he forever it shut down was the largest open pit gold mine in operation, and their mini museum. Also in South Dakota I suggest you visit 1880 Town, they have many of the props used in Dances with Wolves there. Kevin Costner's horse in that film Cisco is buried there as well. Of course there is Mount Rushmore to see, Custer State Park, The Badlands National Park, also there in the Black Hills I suggest you visit Crazy Horse National Memorial. I've been there several times and the last time I was able to go up on the arm. It is a beautiful spot and the story is even more impressive. If you get to eastern South Dakota I suggest you spend a day in Mitchell. Thats where the worlds only Corn Palace is located, the Cabella's there is a nice place to stretch your legs, there's a prehistoric Indian village there being escevated, I was only there once but it was cool. Also there in the Black Hills is the 1880 Train that takes you from Rapid City to Hill City. Also check out the Chapel in the Hills. Its a replacement of a church in Norway.

A few places in Wyoming to visit, obviously Yellowstone, I suggest about two of three days to see it, Devil's Tower, Hell's Half Acre, that's where some of the scenes in Starship Troopers was filled, the Wyoming Territorial Prison museum, there is a old west trail museum in Casper, Wyoming that I forget the name of, its geared more towards school aged children, but its enjoyable for everyone, and you might want to drive over the Teton Mountains.

In Montana you have to visit the Little Bighorn Battle Field and drive over the Bighorn Mountains.

If you come east of the Mississippi I suggest that you visit Gettysburg, Pa and take a tour of the battlefield and take a ghost tour in the evening. Lancaster, Pa is the heart of Amish country, in Strouseburg there is a train museum and you can take a ride on a steam locomotive train through to Paradise, Pa and see the Amish folks working their fields. This is an activity for late summer through fall.

I'm from Maryland so, there's the innerharbor down in Baltimore, the Smithsonian down in DC, Williamsburg and Jamestown in Virginia, Antetam battlefield is there outside of Hagerstown, never been, but I've heard its cool.