Touring holiday to Nevada, California & Arizona

Murphy_The_Cat

Bean_Counter wrote: »

I agree with My Fathers Daughter that there is not too much to do in Phoenix itself. No point going downtown as it is all just businesses, although we did enjoy Alice Coopers restaurant. We stayed in Tempe (between Phoenix & Mesa, although they all run together) and enjoyed walking round the town there the odd night. It is where the university is and is quite lively with good bars. If looking for a Mexican restaurant, we liked Los Dos Molinos (or something like that) on Baseline.
it sounds as though Phoenix might be simply our destination airport & nothing else (or Flagstaff, or Alberqueerke)

If you are heading from Mesa and heading for Sedona area, avoid the I17 and take the scenic route. We found the drive along route 87 through Payson etc fantastic. Try a town called Jerome, just south west of Sedona. It is an old mining town, high up an twisty old road. Should just about make it in a RV, but the views are fantastic.
That sounds like good fun, once I get a more detailed map of the area, I'll start to get a much better feel for it

BTW, this is the size of RV that we'll be using for a few days

Murphy_The_Cat

blindman wrote: »

Manchester is your outbound flight

You talked about 'open jaw' so I assume you're returning from a different airport back to MAN.

You do seem to have got it sorted.

I agree with MFD get a portable DVD player for the car.

Sorry, I misread your question.

I'm flying from Manchester, and I'm currently thinking that I could land at LAX, Las Vegas , San Diego, Phoenix, Alberquerkee, Flagstaff, or Tucson, and then depending on where we land, set up an itinerary and depart from a differing region (sorry to be so vague, but its very much at the blankish piece of paper stage).:beer:

I'm beginning to see the start of a plan that goes something like land at Las Vegas / Flagstaff(one nights room), head slowly towards LA (but avoid going TO LA), maybe take in some Disneyness at Annaheim, head down to San Diego (villa for a week) mosey on across to Tuscon, meet the folks with the RV for a few days and then head to Phoenix for our homeward flight.
hmm, things may be slowly taking shape. But I obviously need to check out Blindmans suggestions, the Lonely Planet book, and the flight availabilty to airports like Flagstaff & Tuscon.

as regards the portable DVD player - I'm already a very firm believer in them for 'happy long distance journeys' by plane or car. I also go a step further and check on seat guru that the seats that we are using have a power point that we can use :beer::j



oh dear, I've just realised that the above plan has Sedona on the 'wrong' side of Phoenix. Time to get the rubber out to rub out the pencilled in plan !

Bean_Counter

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

BTW, this is the size of RV that we'll be using for a few days

That is some size of RV! That reminds me, one of the funniest things we saw was at Monument Valley. The track from the visitors centre to the actual rocks is really only suitable for 4x4s or equivalent. However, we did see one adventurous sole taking his huge RV down the road, bouncing through the potholes!

I've been through Phoenix Sky Harbor airport a few times (used to work for a company based in Phoenix), although I haven't been to the others you mentioned. If you have folks in Mesa, then Phoenix is your best bet for an airport I would think as it closer by a long way, and probably bigger, newer, smarter and with a better choice of airlines that fly there.

Murphy_The_Cat

Bean_Counter wrote: »

That is some size of RV! That reminds me, one of the funniest things we saw was at Monument Valley. The track from the visitors centre to the actual rocks is really only suitable for 4x4s or equivalent. However, we did see one adventurous sole taking his huge RV down the road, bouncing through the potholes!

I've been through Phoenix Sky Harbor airport a few times (used to work for a company based in Phoenix), although I haven't been to the others you mentioned. If you have folks in Mesa, then Phoenix is your best bet for an airport I would think as it closer by a long way, and probably bigger, newer, smarter and with a better choice of airlines that fly there.

I don't think that I'll be driving it, although I'm more than happy to drive the Cherokee that they tow behind it !

Phoenix does sound very handy for Mesa, but I've a feeling that we'll only get to see Mesa as we drive through towards the airport.

BTW, aren't flights to the US dear at the moment ? I usually keep my eyes open for a American Airlines 4 day sale, which brings the price to California down to the £300ish mark, rather than the £550ish at the moment :eek:

joe90_jnr

Hello Murphy

Just got back from there on Wednesday. I would endorse what some have said, if you can put up with lots of canyons Bryce and Zion (stay near St George) are great - you can reach north rim of Grand canyon from there too, but south rim is very nice and better sopy with tourist. Buy an $80, 1 year pass as you enter the first park as it is £25 for each park otherwise.
Monument valley is about 100 miles (this is a normal distance in the USA) and worth driving around the peeks for the 2 - 3 hours.

Further up is Sequoia and Yosemite national parks are lovely. San Francisco is worth a new day but is cold until 1pm. LA is very big and not much to do in that area but the John Paul Getty museum is wonderful (and free!).

Las Vagas is a place to see, but only once :-)) unless you like the hyper activity. We saw a show at the MGM, there are free things to see at night on the main strip and also in the (Old) downtown area they put on a free laser show each hour, if you do go make sure you take in the various casinos as they are quite amazing to see (again only once!).

A Sat Nav will help a lot is you are at all unsure of where you are going - a good cheap one over there will be about £80 - £150, I bought one after one trip! Saved loads of hassle, the very high spec Garmin Nuvi 370 is both US and Europe and will cost about £220 if you want one for your return.

The car was great, ordered smallest from Alamo and got the next one up free, BUT I had to pay our for breakdown cover, reluctantly I took it and I was glad I did as the windscreen went - I was told I would not have be covered, Con in my mind - but those type of things happen.

We were there for 5 weeks and clocked up 5500 miles, also visited Lake Tahoe- lovely place to relax, Hover Dam, worth a few hours, Death Valley - hot and the Sat Nav lied to me there (sent me the wrong way). Sea World a must for adults and kids AA discount if you ask.

Make sure you do book for some things (sea world, Alcatraz and some accomodation.

Have a great saty - I will come if you get anyone drop out of your trip :-))
Steve

Murphy_The_Cat

Thank you all for your time, help & trouble (including you Joe90 :beer:).

I think that I'll let this thread lie, wait for the SouthWest USA book to come, read it and then bring this thread back to life.


Roll on next May :j:j:j:j

gmac9i

Fantastic people this is helping me loads, my only problem is i think i might have to take kids out of school to avoid the massive inflation in prices. With my eldest in year 8 this worries us a little.

Gary

Murphy_The_Cat

gmac9i wrote: »

Fantastic people this is helping me loads, my only problem is i think i might have to take kids out of school to avoid the massive inflation in prices. With my eldest in year 8 this worries us a little.

Gary

try and get a feel for when the airlines off peak/mid season/high season prices run from/to. For example, AA are off peak until the middle of May - a few days either side of this could potentially save you big bucks. The airlines flying to the States have differing price policies to flying to the Med, and the price differences may not be as scary as you imagine.
Have you enrolled onto any frequent flyers clubs ? they can be a good thing as the likes of AA have regular 4 day sales fro AAdvantage members - usually they are dated for 4-5 months before travel time, here are their current offers (boy o boy do those San Diego flights look tasty !!!).

How far have you got with your own research ?



p.s. Blindman, my library is getting that book in this week :j:j

Murphy_The_Cat

way hey. I've booked the flights and the holiday is gooooooooooooooooo.

If anyone is interested, here's a (preliminary, but fairly realistic) guide as to what we're doing.

Flying AA from Man - Ord - Las Vegas for two nights. Pick up hire car
Las Vegas via Hoover Dam - Sedona (2 nights)
then going to Staying / touring around Phoenix area (3-4 nights) (+ visiting the Inlaws)
then driving to Tuscon for 3-4 nights.
Dropping the hire car at Tuscon airport and flying to San Diego with Southwest.
Pick up next hire car and staying in a villa in San Diego for a week.
Driving up to Long Beach (area) for two nights.
Driving to San Luis Obispo for 3 nights (hopefully taking the Amtrak to Santa Barbara for a day trip).
Driving the Big Sur, stopping at Monterey fro the aquirium, before ending up at Santa Cruz (ish) for one night.
Fly from San Jose - Ord - Man

Its not set in stone (excpet for arrival, departure dates), but I'm really excited about this trip and the itinerary I've set up.

We'll be hiring a luxury class car on both occassions. staying in some really nice places. Taking an open cockpit biplane trip and lots and lots more. As well as Mrs Cat, our 4 year old son and 15 month old daughter is with us and there should be plenty to keep us all happy.

Plus, I've got a cracking deal on the flights with AA.

Bean_Counter

Please let us know how things go, as I am planning to go back to the States to do a similar type of thing, hopefully Spring 2009.

Have a great time (although I don't know if I am brave enough to take the kids.)