Retirement Road Trips

I don't think you have to be on a guided tour to hike to the floor of Canyon De Chelly. I can't comment on what's involved in doing Monument Valley in the same day as I did them on separate trips. But you're retired. If you need an extra day, take it.
 
jimk said:
In 2-3 weeks I'll be driving from SLC to Wash DC. I'm going to do the drive with my wife and we'll probably not spend more than seven or eight days on the road.

Tentative itinerary:
Day 1, drive from SLC area to Kanab, UT, stop along the way for a 3-4 hour visit in Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park. Was there about three years ago. This time may concentrate on a 90-120 minute scenic hike at one spot rather than visit all the pull-overs on the Park drive. Continue on to a motel in Kanab.
Day 2, drive from Kanab to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. If I luck out and get a last minute vacancy in the Lodge, will stay there one or two nights, otherwise return to Kanab motel.
Day 3, if I get into Grand Canyon Lodge will spend the day further exploring the N. Rim. If I don't, I might drive over from Kanab to Page, AZ and do a scenic boat ride up Navaho Canyon on Lake Powell.
Day 4, from either Kanab or N. Rim, drive to Monument Valley then drive to Canyon de Chelly, not sure if I'll have to time to do an escorted tour of the valley floor of Canyon de Chelly. Continue on to Stay in a motel in northwestern NM (Farmington-Bloomfield area)
Day 5, drive across northern NM with stops at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert and the town of Taos. Stay in a motel in Taos.
Day 6, Taos to Wichita, KS, 9 hr driving day
Day 7, Wichita to Indiana, 9 hr driving day
Day 8, Indiana to Wash DC area home, 9 hr driving day


I have never been to the Kanab-Taos segment of trip. I have been to Taos and points east before. Because they may be a bit much to both do in one day, If I had to skip either Monument Valley or Canyon de Chelly, which would you guys recommend skipping? Let me know if you have other questions or suggestions about my route. Cheers!
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You Americans are so lucky to have such stunning natural landscapes so accessible to other civilisation.
 
jimk said:
I have never been to the Kanab-Taos segment of trip. I have been to Taos and points east before. Because they may be a bit much to both do in one day, If I had to skip either Monument Valley or Canyon de Chelly, which would you guys recommend skipping?
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I really enjoyed Monument Valley. There are so many recognizable vistas that have been used in commercials, movies, TV, etc.

However, it is important to note that the park is not run by the US NPS, but by the Navajo Nation. Things are just a little rough or less touristy around the edges. The road and turnoffs are unpaved, so a 4x4/AWD is preferable. However, you can kinda get up close to anything you are interested in. It's not an overly manicured experience. It's a slow almost 20-mile loop that takes about half a day to visit. There is not really much hiking in Monument Valley.

You could likely make it to Canyon de Chelly and do some overlooks and possibly a tour. Again, longer daylight, but a lot to pack in if heading onto Farmington NM.

Also, remember that Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time year-round - NO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME. So Arizona is one hour behind Utah and New Mexico in the summer. However, the ONE EXCEPTION to this is the Navajo Nation Arizona is on Daylight Savings Time.

Therefore, you are crossing a time zone from the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley / Canyon de Chelly. But these parks are in the same time zone as Kanab UT. Crazy! This can mess with your mobile phone too if it pings a tower in Utah while you are in Arizona - like around Paige. Or vice versa.

I might take an extra day and do some activities around Page AZ. You have some world-class sites such as the Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River, Antelope Canyon (Upper is more scenic than Lower), and overlooks onto the Glen Canyon Dam forming Lake Powell/kayaking from the nearby Antelope Point marina.

I have not been to Canyon de Chelly, but I was more interested in visiting Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Lake Powell. Was not able to score a permit for the hike at The Wave in Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness.
 
Yeah, thanks. I'll have to watch that time zone thing, especially if I sign up for a scheduled boat ride on Lake Powell.
 
Here's March 10 - April 4, 2023, 3,250 miles.
2023MarchAprilRoadTrip.jpg

This trip started with Iron Blosam Week, then to Pebble Creek and Targhee on the way to the Ski Hall of Fame induction at Big Sky. We moved on to Great Divide, Discovery, Lost Trail and Sun Valley, then skied Mammoth's record snowpack on the way home. Longest day was 624 miles, longest 2 day 685.
 
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