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Page 2; Trip #2 – Four States, Four Corners, Four Parks, Four Days. 4 Days: Santa Fe, Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Arches National Park, Colorado National Monument, Rocky Mountain National Park. Day 2 – Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon, Moab
Why the East Entrance? MAJOR TIME SAVER. There are two choices on the South Rim from the direction we are coming from. The more common path is up north through Flagstaff to the South Entrance. That will take you into Mather Point, which is a great view … but you may hit MAJOR traffic, especially in the summertime. Go into the East Exit. Not only will it save you time, but it is a more scenic drive to the Canyon. Also, when you get into Desert View (without any traffic) you will have a view of the Colorado River that you wouldn’t get on the other side. Take the road up to about Grandview. Stop at every point to admire the majesty of the canyon … then get the heck out of there, we must keep on moving. BUY THE YEARLY PASS – We are doing so many national parks on our trip, it truly pays to get the yearly Parks Pass at the Grand Canyon Gate. The price can change depending on the year. But, if you add up the fees of all of our parks this trip, it’s about equal to the price. But the pass is good for one full year, and just having it, will inspire you to take more road trips. One year, I got over $300 in savings with the pass. Of course, I did spend thousands on gas, tolls, and airplanes. But, it became addicting as to how much money you could save on the pass. Oh, and if you are traveling in the first week of the month, you have over a year of use, as the pass expires on the last day of the month the following year. 11 AM – Leaving the Grand Canyon.
It’s about 45 minutes out of the way … you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. But … how often can you say that you stood in four states at the same time. It’s comical, and everyone does some stupid pose for a picture. Take route 160 to the Four Corners. Stand in four states at the same time. Then backtrack to pick up 191 North. Or, you can go through Colorado on smaller roads. Either way … You will see the terrain and rocks change colors, towns appear and disappear, and see the Mexican Hat formation. Then, out of nowhere, the little town of Moab will appear. Arches National Park is a treasure … it’s very unique, and some prefer it to the Grand Canyon. If it is the winter time, you will get there at sunset. If it is the summer, you want to stick around for the sun to begin to set over the arches. But be sure to leave before the sun sets, as there are no streetlights in the park. We will stay in Moab tonight. It’s a great place to hoggle for hotels. If they say it's 50 bucks for the night, offer 30 ... see what happens during low season. Moab has a lot of restaurants that are open late, and some stores to shop in. You won’t find another town around here. Let’s go to sleep early, get a full night’s sleep, and a nice hearty desert breakfast. CLICK HERE TO KEEP READING FOR DAY 3 CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
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We
want to be at the Grand Canyon by 9 AM, and out by 11 AM. If you made
it straight through the night, then sleep in. If you are two hours
out, then leave by 7 AM. Now, on the way to the Canyon you will pass
many signs for
We
are about five hours from