Road Trip 2003-2004
Written: Jan 03 '04
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Pros: Many points of interest. Lots of history. Nowhere else on earth like it.
Cons: Extremely desolate. Spring, fall or winter travel due to heat.
The Bottom Line: Arizona is an interesting place due to history, rock formations, national monuments, and meteor craters. There is no place else like it in the U.S. Definitely a must see state.
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| marilynn..'s Full Review: Arizona |
The road trip of 2003-2004 began in Tennessee and ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The most interesting point along the way was the road through Arizona.
The first attraction was the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. I was quite impressed by the security pull out as we descended the road toward the dam...every car had to pull through a security check station. Some were more thoroughly checked than my Jeep. Then the glittering blue jewel of Lake Mead appeared to our right as we continued along the curving twisting path of U.S. 93. I was so excited at the aspect of driving across Hoover Dam. We got out and made photos. We walked from Arizona to Nevada across the dam. However, to enter the museum cost more money that I had at the time, so we did not take the tour. And I apologize for not remembering the price.
Next stop The Grand Canyon West! This section of the Grand Canyon is officiated by the Hualapai Indians. The cost per person to go to a walk about spot on the West Rim of the Grand Canyon is $14.00 for adults and $11.00 for children. This location offers a fantastic view of the eastern rim which is about 1000 feet higher than the west rim. Our visit was on a cloudy day, so the colors were not so fantastic, but we did walk around with our mouths open saying "WOW!" The The Grand Canyon West also offers helicopter rides and bus tours to other points of interest on the Hualapai Reservation around the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. To get there from U.S. 93 travel east toward Dolan Springs, AZ, and then follow the signs. It is about 100 miles from U.S.93 to the West Rim and back. The gate station offered free hot drinks to visitors. the restroom facilities were neat and well supplied.
Arizona is a beautiful place with many interesting desert plants. We traveled through many desolate towns along I-40. I wondered how people managed to eek out a living among these barren lands.
We arrived in Holbrook, AZ on Dec. 30. Our day took us to the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest National Monument. The entrance fee per vehicle was $10.00. Rock hounds beware! We had to bag up all of our collected rocks at the entrance gate. The fine for taking rocks out of the park was a minimum $275.00. We had a great picture taking day looking around the painted desert and the petrified forest. The WOW! aspect of this park far exceeded the Grand Canyon in my estimation. Our park pass was good through Jan 5, 2004. However, we had to continue along our way. I was surprised at the number of walking trails throughout the park. There were three park facilities with gift shops as well as established restroom facilities and drinking water all through the park. The park is a 21 mile corridor along the north and south of I-40 just East of Holbrook,AZ. The park rangers were informative and very helpful in their response to our questions. This is a Must See American Park.
In traveling through Arizona, I realized that I would like to re-visit this state when I have more time and money to see more.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
marilynn..
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Member: Marilynn Newman
Location: Tennessee
Reviews written: 68
Trusted by: 11 members
About Me:
God Bless the USAF and especially my son Matthew!
Matthew is transferring to Lakenheath England.
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