How to Plan a Vacation to the Grand Canyon & Redwood Forest
By Steve Smith
A vacation to Redwood National Park and the Grand Canyon is a traditional, American holiday. However, due to the logistics of travel it takes a little thought and planning to pull it off right. If you think through your routes and plan well in advance your vacation will run much smoother, and you may even fit in a round of golf.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Plan well in advance. Both the Grand Canyon and Redwood Forest are popular destinations and peak travel season lasts from early Spring to late Fall. Plan your trip at least four weeks in advance if possible; at least two months in advance is optimal.
Visit Redwood Forest first. It is an impressive park but not quite as impressive as the Grand Canyon, so it might be a let down after seeing America's biggest natural attraction.
Book a round trip flight into Arcata Airport in McKinleyville, California for the easiest, shortest trip to Redwood Forest. Plan to stay here at least a day but make your return flight seven days after your arrival flight.
Book a hotel in McKinleyville rather than near the park. You can enjoy a round of golf at the Beau Pre Golf Club if you have extra time, which is located in the city. It is about an hour's drive to the park from here.
Schedule a full day to tour the park and give yourself plenty of time to get there in the morning. The park can become crowded during the Spring and Summer travel months and you can easily spend the entire day touring the area.
Book another flight from McKinleyville's Arcata Airport to Flagstaff's Pulliam Airport leaving the morning of the day after you visit the Redwood National Park. This airport is only 81 miles from the Grand Canyon. McCarran Airport in Las Vegas and Phoenix Sky Harbor International are well over 250 miles away, and would take a full day just to drive to the canyon.
Book a two or three day hotel stay near the canyon rim to make for easy travel. Williams, Arizona is a small city about 33 miles from Flagstaff and 50 miles from the south rim visitors center of the Grand Canyon. Elephant Rocks at Williams, a great country club, is also just a mile outside of town.
Return to Arcata Airport on the return leg of your flight in time to catch the return leg of your flight to your home.
Tips & Warnings
Book the Grand Canyon flight from Arcata at the same time that you book the flight to Arcata to ensure you can make all of your flights.
About The Author
Steve Smith has published hundreds of articles on a wide range of topics, including cars, travel, lifestyle, business, golf, weddings and careers. His articles, features and news stories have appeared in newspapers, consumer magazines and on various websites, including Trails.com and eHow.com. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and journalism from University of New Hampshire Durham.
