Planning a Summer Vacation

Everyone needs a vacation right?

I know I certainly do, and I only have a couple summers left that I can really spend with Sarah before she becomes an adult with a full schedule. I've been thinking about it, and I think what would really fit the bill this summer would be a father/daughter road trip.

Ultimately, I'd like to make Los Angeles the turnaround point, and spend a day or two with my son and his family, thereby giving them and Sarah a chance to meet each other. I would really like to read my granddaughter Emma a whole bunch of stories! I've always enjoyed reading to kids.

So what about the trip route? Believe it or not, as much as I've traveled around the US, I've never seen the Grand Canyon! Based on that and a bunch of web-searching for interesting routes, I would like to head for a certain spot of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona called Desert View Drive. It's a 25-mile route along the south rim that seems to be a very highly recommended for sightseeing. From what I've heard, a lot of the scenic spots along the Grand Canyon or nothing more than turns off the main road that lead you in to a spot, then requiring you to backtrack out again to the main highway. I don't like those types of scenarios. At any rate, this area looks like a good destination for us to head for before turning west and going to LA.

Another of my criteria for the trip would be to run as much of old 2-lane highways as possible. I like freeways for speed and convenience, but I want to see things, and I want Sarah to see things too. It might be cool to hit places in Utah as well, like Bryce Canyon. There are many things to see along our nation's roads, and I've missed traveling them. Sarah has never even really experienced anything like that.

I ran this by her, and of course she was all over it. The cool thing too will be the fact that she can alternate driving with me now. I only get one week of vacation, but coupled with a weekend at both ends of it, it should be just about right. We just need to figure out exactly which week we're going to use. Summer vacations can be a pretty slim window when you have to consider school and sports schedules.

I know it will be fun!