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Four Family Road Trips
Driving routes the whole family will enjoy
Grand Canyon
Pacific Northwest
Explore the Northern Plains for History and Family Fun
Park- Hop Through the Yellowstone Region
Grand Canyon 
by Johnny D. Boggs
All aboard for the Grand Canyon, and Beyond
Train whistles fill the morning air in Williams, Ariz.,and I don’t mean a screa ming steam blast from No. 4960, the circa-1923 locomotive that once hauled freight and coal and is currently in service by the Grand Canyon Railway. I’m talking about the wooden whistles boys and girls—and a few adults, too—are enjoying as they toot away in preparation for one of the West’s most popular train rides.
These folks are onto something. If you’re visiting Grand Canyon National Park , there’s no better way to get there than rocking and rolling along on the vintage Grand Canyon Railway line. From Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend, steam engines transport riders up 65 miles of track to the canyon’s South Rim. Vintage diesel locomotives run the route for the rest of the year.
Travelers are likely to be serenaded by a minstrel roaming among the passenger cars, given a history lesson by one of the train’s crew, or even victimized— all in good fun—by outlaws during a staged shootout. All while enjoying the view as the train moves from high desert to pine forests.
“Look at those elk!” an excited father points out to his family.
Since making its first trip to the Grand Canyon in 1901, the railroad has carried a who’s who of passengers—including presidents Roosevelt (both Teddy and Franklin), Taft, and Eisenhower. Today, the train transports more than 295,000 visitors to the park each year.
There’s more to Williams than the train, however, and the city often celebrates its history as an Old West town and Historic Route 66 stop. Wild West Junction offers family fun with historical reenactments and a chuck wagon dinner theater. You can also hang your hat for the night at the Drover’s Hotel before heading north to the Grand Canyon.
Five Sites in the Four Corners
Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the American Southwest, but the Four Corners area of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah is rich in history and other natural wonders—all worthy of family vacation destinations. Here are five other sites to visit when in the area:
1. Aztec Ruins National Monument: For an introduction into the lives of Ancestral Pueblo people, the ruins at Aztec, N.M., provide a great opportunity along a half-mile interpretive trail through an ancient “great house” that ends at a reconstructed Great Kiva, the semi-subterranean building that served as the primary social and religious site centuries ago. Information: www.nps.gov/azru
2. Four Corners NationalMonument: The only point in the United States where four states—Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah— meet is a popular photo spot. Run by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department, the remote desert location also serves as a place where local Navajo and Ute vendors sell souvenirs, artwork, and food.
Information: www.navajonationparks.org/htm
3. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Stretching some 1.2 million acres from Lees Ferry in northern Arizona to Southern Utah’s Orange Cliffs, Glen Canyon is a great spot for family adventures on land and on water. Established in 1972, the recreation area provides easy access to Lake Powell and borders Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Grand Canyon national parks, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Information: www.nps.gov/glca
4. Mesa Verde National Park: Located near Cortez, Colo., this park is known for some of the best preserved Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings—totaling 600, with more than 4,000 archeological sites such as mesa top houses—in the United States. Native people lived here from 600 A.D. to 1300 A.D. The park is also home to an Indian art market each May, and a great restaurant, The Metate Room, open from mid-April to mid-October.
Information: www.nps.gov/meve
5. Monument Valley Tribal Park: The sandstone buttes, rising from heights of 400 to 1,000 feet off the desert floor, are probably most recognized from a number of director John Ford’s Western movies, including the classics Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and The Searchers. The Navajo Nation park, off U.S. Highway 163 between Kayenta, Ariz., and Mexican Hat, Utah, is celebrating its 50th anniversary, with a new hotel and spa, The View, scheduled to open this year.
Information: www.navajonationparks.org/
Fun Tips for Traveling With Kids Let the kids participate in making trips plans. (Even if it’s just where to have dinner.)
Have a family sing-along.
Download free classic books online at www.librivox.org and other sites. FYI – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is nearly 7 hours long.
You can never have too many wet wipes.
A portable DVD player is the best money you’ll ever spend (just make sure the kids don’t miss the scenery out the window).
Hum a favorite song and see who can guess the tune.
Use the license plate on the car in front of you to “name” that car. Example: 102 RPP = 102 Really Puzzled People
Make time for unplanned stops. Carhenge, anyone?
www.carhenge.com
Bring bikes and sports equipment so the kids can blow off steam during rest breaks.
Assume the voice of animals you see along the side of the road. Example: Spot a cow and “moo” everything you say.
Bring a favorite pillow from home.
Introduce the kids to the classics: 20 Questions, Road Sign Alphabet, and Riddly-Riddly-Ree (aka “I Spy”)
Remember: “You’re on vacation.” Repeat to self as needed. |
If you don’t feel like riding the rails, it’s an easy drive up state Highway 64 to the Grand Canyon, and the views of this geologic wonder— 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep—are truly spectacular. A good starting point is the 34-minute Grand Canyon movie shown in the IMAX Theater at the National Geographic Visitor Center. After that, there are plenty of options.
Most of the park’s 5 million annual visitors experience the view from the South Rim’s overlooks. Guided bus tours are available, as are half-, one- and two-day mule trips, horseback trail rides from Grand Canyon Apache Stables, and ranger-led guided hikes . For the truly adventurous, whitewater and flat-water rafting trips can be scheduled through various commercial outfitters, and typically run from three days to almost three weeks (book far in advance). Helicopter and airplane tours, all based outside of the park, are also offered daily, but be warned: If your stomach felt queasy during the flying scenes in the IMAX film, a helicopter ride might not be right for you.
If you’re looking to leave the crowds behind, head for the North Rim. Few of the park’s visitors travel the 215 miles by car (or 21 strenuous miles by foot along the North and South Kaibab Trails) from the South Rim to the North Rim, but the solitude and tranquility of the Kaibab Plateau is worth the effort. Watching the sunset here is something even the littlest in your family will remember for a lifetime. Keep in mind, however, that North Rim facilities are open only from mid-May to mid-October, and Highway 67 is often closed from late autumn to late spring because of snow.
Back on the South Rim, rooms are available at various lodges, including the 78-room El Tovar Hotel , which opened its doors in 1905. Campsites can be found at both Desert View and Mather campgrounds.
From the Grand Canyon, head south to Flagstaff, Ariz. for a mix of Route 66 kicks and Wild West charm. Flagstaff has long been family friendly, with one-of-a-kind lodging at the historic Weatherford and Monte Vista hotels, or the more modern Little America . Enjoy nature at The Arboretum at Flagstaff , a 200-acre botanical garden and nature preserve in Flagstaff, and learn about our solar system at the Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930. Dinosaur buffs shouldn’t miss the Therizinosaur exhibit—one of the newest and most mysterious dinosaur species found in North America—at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Flagstaff’s also a good home base for day trips to Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki national monuments.
A visit to Grand Canyon country, however, isn’t complete without making a short drive south to Sedona, Ariz. and Oak Creek Canyon in Coconino National Forest . The area’s red rock vistas have attracted filmmakers since Zane Grey’s silent film The Call of the Canyon was shot here in 1923. Other movies include John Wayne’s Angel and the Badman and James Stewart’s Broken Arrow. Visitors enjoy the Sedona’s shopping and outdoor adventures. After all that traveling and sight-seeing, relax and cool off with a slide down the natural water chute at Slide Rock State Park before heading for home.
For More Information:
Arizona Office of Tourism
1-866-275-5816; www.azot.gov
Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau
1-800-379-0065; www.flagstaffarizona.org
Grand Canyon National Park
(928) 638-7888; www.nps.gov/grca
Grand Canyon Railway
1-800-843-8724; www.thetrain.com
Sedona Chamber of Commerce
1-800-288-7336; www.sedonachamber.com
Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber
of Commerce
1-800-863-0546; www.williamschamber.com
Cost: $1,595 to $1,995 per person.
Contact: mtbound@aol.com
Web: www.montanacowboyschool.com
Pacific Northwest - top
From City to Coast in the Pacific Northwest
by Joann Roe
Your family adventure through the Pacific Northwest begins deep underground in the marble chambers of Oregon Caves National Monument , an hour’s drive from Grants Pass, Ore. The 90-minute, half-mile guided tour winds through one of the most unique geologic formations in the country. Topside, four hiking trails cross an old-growth forest.
Afterward, parents might appreciate a stop at nearby Bridgeview Vineyard and Winery in the Illinois Valley before continuing south into California. Stop for a short hike through Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park , a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, near Crescent City, Calif. When you walk among these giants their special smell—part evergreen, part musty dampness, part sun-warmed wood and earth—is as memorable as their immense height.
Book a room in Crescent City, which fronts a saltwater harbor and backs up to redwoods and mountains. The next morning it’s off to Ocean World , where you can touch creatures such as sea anemone, starfish, even a shark. The daily sea lion shows are also a big draw.
It’s time for more water-filled thrills as you drive north to the City of Gold Beach, Ore., situated at the mouth of the Rogue River. Book a jet boat ride and venture upriver on a thrilling half- or full-day trip. When you’re ready to unwind, drive back on 101 just north of Brookings, Ore., to Harris Beach State Park and the adjacent Samuel H. Boardman State Parks and let the kids run off their energy while you soak in fantastic ocean views framed by the Oregon coast’s iconic sea stacks.
Ask locals where to leave Gold Beach inland toward Powers, Ore., and pick up Hwy. 42 east to Winston, Ore. Winston’s 600-acre Wildlife Safari , a nonprofit zoological park, is dedicated to conservation, education, and research in veterinary and biological medicine. It’s also like a mini-safari adventure as you drive through the 4.5-mile long compound near free-roaming animals. There’s also a petting zoo for younger visitors.
Go north on I-5 to Sutherlin, Ore., then cut west back toward the coast to visit the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area . Ocean currents and wind constantly shape these massive dunes. Particles have blown so far inland that dunes cover whole forests and hills as many as two miles from the ocean. Check into the tour “bus” that goes onto the dunes for a fun and thrilling ride that plunges over some incredibly steep sand cliffs.
Just north of Florence, Ore., another unforgettable experience awaits at the Sea Lion Caves. Hundreds of sea lions gain access to these protected breeding grounds by riding strong ocean surges through the cave’s mouth. You, however, can take an elevator down into the damp and noisy cave for an up-close encounter.
You could easily spend several days exploring the coast, including the lighthouses at Heceta Head and Yaquina Head; the Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center aquarium in Newport, Ore.; or the shopping at Oregon’s largest factory outlet mall near Lincoln City.
When you’re ready for a change of pace, take a scenic drive north along the shore then cut inland for Portland, Ore. Portland sits on the Columbia River, and is a seaport for ocean-going vessels that navigate nearly 100 miles inland. Abundant green space and the picturesque Willamette River are also natural attractions. Spend time browsing through Powell’s City of Books, the largest new and used bookstore in America, or tracing the events of history at the Oregon Historical Society Museum . The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry offers narrated jet boat rides and an Omnimax Dome Theater, while at the World Forestry Center you walk through a living indoor forest.
For More Information:
Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park:
(707) 458-3018; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=413
City of Gold Beach:
1-800-525-2334, www.goldbeach.org
Oregon State Parks:
1-800-551-6949; www.oregon.gov/oprd/parks
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area:
(541) 750-7000, www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/recreation/tripplanning/oregondunes/
Portland, Ore.:
(503) 823-4000, www.portlandonline.com
Explore the Northern Plains for History and Family Fun -
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by Candy Moulton
Cowboys and buffalo hunters gave Dodge City, Kan., a rowdy reputation in the 19th century as they took advantage of its restaurants, saloons, and dance halls. Today you can enjoy a recreation of its Old West business district that’s, thankfully, suitable for all ages. To get an overview of the city take a historic trolley tour and visit Boot Hill Museum. All members of your family are sure to enjoy the Gunfighters Wax Museum, as well.
Leaving Dodge City, head northeast toward Hays, Kan. Be sure to stop along the way at Fort Larned National Historic Site, one of the best-preserved frontier-era forts in the West. The fort, situated on the Santa Fe Trail, was important during the Indian Wars as a military base. If you do nothing else here, spend some time watching the blacksmith work at the 19th century forge.
Continue north to Fort Hays, another well-preserved Indian Wars-era outpost. Both Wild Bill Hickok and George Armstrong Custer spent time here. Hickok eventually moved north into Nebraska where he worked as a station tender, but our route takes us along U.S. 183 north to the Platte River just west of Kearney, Neb., where you can visit Fort Kearny (yes, the spelling is different), the first and one of the most important emigrant posts on the Oregon Trail. A visit to the Great Platte River Road Archway , a structure built over the interstate at Kearney to commemorate the Oregon Trail, will give the entire family an idea of what it was like to travel by wagon train across the plains.
Continue west to Ogallala, Neb., another important cow town. Front Street has been recreated in it’s Old West glory, and this area has its own boot hill. From Ogallala, follow a section of the Oregon-California-Mormon pioneer roads west by taking U.S. 26 to Bridgeport, Neb. You can take a short detour to see Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff , two important emigrant trail sites, or turn north onto U.S. 385 toward Chadron, Neb. A must-see stop in Chadron is the Museum of the Fur Trade with its impressive collection of fur trader gear and Indian artifacts (kids will love the trade store).
Detour west to Crawford, Neb., and a visit to Fort Robinson , one of the most important military posts in the region. After Red Cloud signed the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty, he and his band of followers lived at various agencies, including one just east of Fort Robinson. Here, too, Crazy Horse was stabbed and killed in 1877. The barracks where the Northern Cheyenne were held after they fled Indian Territory to return to their homeland and were again taken into custody, have been recreated. You’re family will enjoy bunking in cabins and quarters once used by soldiers and officers stationed at the fort. In the summer, the fort offers horseback riding, stagecoach rides, museums, walking paths, and a restaurant.
Return to Chadron and following U.S. 385 into the Black Hills of South Dakota . This is the region the Lakotas fought so long and hard to retain, and when you spend some time in these beautiful hills, you’ll begin to understand why. Among the great places to take the kids are Custer State Park, with its large herd of buffalo. You can also drive the Needles Highway to get your first impressive glimpse of Mount Rushmore.
Cool and interesting things for the whole family—and especially the kids—are opportunities to dig for mammoth bones near Hot Springs, the world’s largest mammoth research center, after which you can take a swim and a slide at Evans Plunge. You can also ride the 1880s train out of Hill City, visit Crazy Horse Memorial—where the chief’s horse and body are being carved out of rock just as the faces of the presidents are at Mt. Rushmore—or explore one of many caves and caverns in the area. Bear Country USA www.bearcountryusa.com, as advertised, has bears and other animals on display. You can guess what’s at Reptile Gardens.
From the Black Hills, head east along Interstate 90 toward Pierre, South Dakota’s state capital. Be sure to allow some time to visit Wall Drug, home to authentic Western wear, stuffed Jackalopes, and other unique souvonierssouvenirs. The route between Fort Pierre (just west of Pierre) and Deadwood, S.D. was an important trail in the 19th century and this year a wagon train will follow the same route, leaving Fort Pierre in late July and arriving in Deadwood in mid-August for a grand celebration.
Leave Pierre and travel north on U.S. 83 to Bismarck, N.D. Interesting stops here include Camp Hancock State Historic Site, the North Dakota Heritage Center, and Keelboat Park . Cross the Missouri River to Mandan, N.D. to visit Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park and the Custer house, the home where Libbie and Lt. George Armstrong Custer made their final home together. The McKeen Blockhouses, an earlier-era military post, and the On a Slant Indian Village, are both nearby.
Conclude your journey to the Plains farther west in North Dakota, at Medora , where you can attend the Medora Musical, performed in an outdoor venue nightly during the summer; visit the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame ; and take a driving tour through Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park, in the Little Missouri River Badlands, encompasses portions of Roosevelt’s ranchland and is home to wild horses, bison and elk.
For More Information:
City of Dodge City, Kansas:
(620) 225-8100, www.dodgecity.org
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission:
(402) 471-0641, www.ngpc.state.ne.us
Mount Rushmore National Memorial:
(605) 574-2523, www.nps.gov/moru
The Mammoth Site:
(605) 745-6017, www.mammothsite.com
Black Hills Central Railroad:
(605) 574-2222, www.1880train.com
North Dakota Heritage Center:
(701) 328-2666, www.nd.gov
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park:
(701) 667-6340, www.parkrec.nd.gov
Theodore Roosevelt National Park:
(701) 623-4730 ext. 4466, www.nps.gov/thro
Park-Hop through the Yellowstone Region
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by Candy Moulton
A family trip to Yellowstone is as classic as it gets. Just as they have for more than 100 years, visitors stream in by the thousands to explore hot springs, geysers, and the all-around stunning scenery of the country’s first national park, which opened in 1872.
With that tradition in mind, start your journey on a historic note and enjoy a day or two at the Gallatin Gateway Inn , which dates to 1927 and the heyday of rail travel to the park.
Once you have your bearings, take a day trip to nearby Bozeman, Mont. Montana State University’s Museum of the Rockies is filled with enough activities to keep even the most energetic kids occupied for several hours, including a living history farm, the 1889 Tinsley House, and the Taylor Planetarium.
From Bozeman, head east on I-90 to Livingston, Mont., then turn south onto U.S. Hwy. 89 and drive through Paradise Valley. Although you haven’t covered a great distance by the time you reach Chico Hot Springs, it’s worth a stop to release the car-bound kids and let them swim in the mineral pools while you enjoy a hot soak. Continue on to Yellowstone for a family campout.
Enter Yellowstone at Gardiner, Mont., and drive to the park headquarters at Mammoth . Keep your eyes peeled for elk, which often graze in meadows near the park’s north gate. The headquarters at Mammoth initially served as an army post, and today offers a variety of family-friendly activities. Stretch your legs during a walking tour of the old facilities, visit the new visitor’s center, or stroll the boardwalks along the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces.
From Mammoth, take a scenic drive to the town of West Yellowstone, Mont. Here you can learn more about the area’s most notorious predators at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, and enjoy a perspective on the park you won’t find anywhere else with at the Yellowstone IMAX Theater.
Another, more intimate, park experience awaits at Harriman State Park near Island Park, Idaho . Here you can see Sandhill cranes, elk, and moose as you explore more than 20 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails.
Return to Yellowstone and turn south at Madison, Wyo. to visit Norris Geyser Basin, the most active geyser basin in Yellowstone and an outstanding place for a hike with the family.
Old Faithful is still the most popular attraction in Yellowstone, and is a good base for an overnight stay. Sign the kids up for a Junior Ranger Program, where they can learn about geology, wildlife, plants, and other cool facets of Yellowstone.
Head south from Old Faithful, and take advantage of the region’s second national park—Grand Teton National Park . Admittedly you could spend several days exploring this vast wilderness, but if you only have a day or so, take the kids to Jenny Lake. Ride a boat shuttle across the lake and take a short hike into the rugged Tetons. In the evening, head down to Wilson, Wyo., and the Bar J Chuckwagon for a plate of barbecue beef, beans, coleslaw, and spice cake.
Before returning to Yellowstone, stop for a horseback ride at either the Jackson Lake Dam or the Colter Bay corrals. Both sites have lodging and other activities as well, including float trips on the Snake River.
Back in Yellowstone, follow the southern loop through the park by traveling east to Fishing Bridge, and then north through Canyon, Wyo. to Roosevelt, Wyo. Here you can spend the night in a cabin, and take a horseback ride or a wagon ride to a cookout. Exit Yellowstone by crossing to the northeast gate of the park through the Lamar Valley, the area where wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone.
When you leave Yellowstone, take a break in the small town of Cooke City, Mont., before turning south onto Hwy. 296 into the Sunlight Basin, a largely undeveloped park frequented by mountain men in the 19th century. Follow the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway (Hwy. 120) southeast to Cody, Wyo.
Cody, one of the state’s most Western towns, is the perfect place to wrap up your tour of the Yellowstone region. The entire family will find something of interest at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center —whether it is the Deadwood Stagecoach used by Buffalo Bill, the guns at the Cody Firearms Museum , the unparalleled art of the Whitney Gallery of Western Art , the nature displays at the Draper Museum of Natural History, or the Native American displays in the Plains Indian Museum.
If you have a bit more time, take the family to a rodeo—there is one every night during the summer at the Cody Stampede grounds—enjoy a float trip on the Shoshone River, or spend a few days at a guest ranch.
For More Information:
Yellowstone National Park:
(307) 344-7381, www.nps.gov/yell
Museum of the Rockies:
(406) 994-3466, www.museumoftherockies.org
Harriman State Park:
1-866-634-3246, http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov
Grand Teton National Park:
(307) 739-3300, www.nps.gov/grte
Buffalo Bill Historical Center:
(307) 587-4771, www.bbhc.org
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