What to see between Vegas and the South Rim Gand Canyon

[markweaver]

The wife and I will be driving from Vegas to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon next week and would like to make the most of the quick 3 day trip. Is there anything (besides the Hoover Dam) that is worth while to stop and see along the 5 hour car ride? It seems pretty desolate from what I can tell doing a Google Map recon.

[letsbewild]

Well, if you've only got 3 days you might not have time....but if you go north on 15 into Utah and take this route there is TONS of stuff to see. You can do the quick look and see of Zion - it deserves longer, but there's still lots to see in an afternoon. You take 9 into Zion and then hook up with 89 at Mt Carmel Junction and take that south. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is really neat - think White Sands National Monument, but pink! There is a $5 a night BLM campground a few miles before the entrance of Coral Pink SP, lots of wildlife...really neat place to spend the night. Lake Powell is pretty awesome and then there's grand staircase-escalante national monument (dinosaur fossils!) ... Keep following 89 south until you get to 64 and then it's a relatively short drive to Grand Canyon NP. If you are going to hit up a few different national parks and monuments, it's very worthwhile to get the annual interagency pass for $80. Entrance fees to Zion and Grand Canyon alone almost pay for it.

The 93 -> 40 route you are probably looking at is, as you suspected, not the most exciting.

[markweaver]

Thanks for the advice. We would love to do Zion, Bryce and other sites north of the canyon, but it would eat up too much of the trip. We might stop in Kingman (exciting!). I am hoping to get some good night shots, maybe the Milky Way (still haven't nailed that one).

[letsbewild]

Originally Posted by markweaver

Thanks for the advice. We would love to do Zion, Bryce and other sites north of the canyon, but it would eat up too much of the trip. We might stop in Kingman (exciting!). I am hoping to get some good night shots, maybe the Milky Way (still haven't nailed that one).

You'll definitely be able to get some nice milky way shots just about anywhere out there. It's definitely dark enough. If you've got a wide angle, maybe you can even get one with the grand canyon in it

[Geonerd]

Kingman might actually be worth an hour or so. If you ignore the sprawl to the NE and follow 66 / Andy Devine Ave. through town, you'll see some funky architecture and a few historic sites.

The loop along 66 though Peach Springs makes a nice diversion from the superslab. There are a few interesting buildings and a museum or two.

There's a nice Air Museum in Valle, not far from the S. Rim.

I'd definitely skip the $kywalk and other 'West Rim' temptations, no matter how attractive the Vegas promoters make them sound.

[markweaver]

Thanks for the heads up on the Peach Springs loop and the Aircraft Museum. The museum sounds very cool.

[letsbewild]

Originally Posted by Geonerd

I'd definitely skip the $kywalk and other 'West Rim' temptations, no matter how attractive the Vegas promoters make them sound.

especially since cameras are prohibited on the $kywalk. No thanks.

[Cali_PH]

Valley of Fire isn't on the direct route to the south rim, but it's only about an hour from Vegas, might be worth considering on the way out or back if you have a few extra hours

[markweaver]

Geonerd, thanks for the advice on the Planes of Fame Aircraft Museum. There is a family of owls nesting in the roof of the building and this on gave me the big hairy eyeball the whole time I was there.


Not Amused by Mark S Weaver, on Flickr

[markweaver]

I also followed the old Rt. 66 through Peach Springs and was surprised to see so many abandon businesses. This old 76 station was particularly cool looking.


Old 76 by Mark S Weaver, on Flickr