Where should we vacation? (Western US Edition)
May 22, 2019 8:51 AM Subscribe
We live on the East Coast and have to be in Indianapolis in early October for a wedding. I'm thinking we should keep on going west after the wedding and spend a week somewhere. But where?
Right now I'm torn between two options.
1. Vegas and the Grand Canyon
2. Jackson WY and the Tetons / Yellowstone.
I'm open to other options too.
About Us: Empty nesters. Backpacking through the Tetons would be a dream trip for me, but not so much for my wife. So assume our experience of the wilderness will be limited to short hikes (a mile or so) away from the car. We both like interesting museums, sampling local restaurants, dive bars, and relaxing on a beach or poolside.
I lived in Utah for a year as a teen in the early 80s, and spent a week at Yellowstone / Grand Tetons on a family camping trip. I was also in Vegas for 3 days for work back in 2002. My wife has no experience with the mountain west area.
Talk me into your favorite place to spend an early October week in the west.
Right now I'm torn between two options.
1. Vegas and the Grand Canyon
2. Jackson WY and the Tetons / Yellowstone.
I'm open to other options too.
About Us: Empty nesters. Backpacking through the Tetons would be a dream trip for me, but not so much for my wife. So assume our experience of the wilderness will be limited to short hikes (a mile or so) away from the car. We both like interesting museums, sampling local restaurants, dive bars, and relaxing on a beach or poolside.
I lived in Utah for a year as a teen in the early 80s, and spent a week at Yellowstone / Grand Tetons on a family camping trip. I was also in Vegas for 3 days for work back in 2002. My wife has no experience with the mountain west area.
Talk me into your favorite place to spend an early October week in the west.
Vegas and the Grand Canyon also offer you Zion, Bryce and Canyonlands National Parks, all amazing and considerably south of Yellowstone and the Tetons, and consistent with your hiking parameters. Vegas of course provides restaurants, dive bars, and pool-sides galore.
Another possibility is to drive south through Louisville (fun city!) to Great Smoky Mountains NP, and hit Shenandoah NP on your way home. Both of these are amazing (and offer some nice short walks) if you've never been there, and early October will be great for the fall colors.
posted by ubiquity at 9:04 AM on May 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Another possibility is to drive south through Louisville (fun city!) to Great Smoky Mountains NP, and hit Shenandoah NP on your way home. Both of these are amazing (and offer some nice short walks) if you've never been there, and early October will be great for the fall colors.
posted by ubiquity at 9:04 AM on May 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
The Las Vegas area itself has really nice outdoor attractions such as the Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon. Both of those are fine for car sightseeing with a little bit of walking.
posted by BibiRose at 9:05 AM on May 22, 2019
posted by BibiRose at 9:05 AM on May 22, 2019
I'd go through Zion and Page. The North Rim closes Oct 15, but it's a beautiful drive, and lots of opportunities for short walks.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:10 AM on May 22, 2019
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:10 AM on May 22, 2019
New Mexico is full of beauty. Ojo Caliente and surroundings might work.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:20 AM on May 22, 2019
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:20 AM on May 22, 2019
I mean, sure, go to Nevada or Wyoming, but your feeling for US geography reminds me a bit of that famous New Yorker cover.
DC (for example) to Indianapolis is ~500 miles, but then it's another ~2000 to get to Vegas. Indianapolis is much, much closer to the East Coast than it is to the Mountain West.
posted by crazy with stars at 9:34 AM on May 22, 2019 [12 favorites]
DC (for example) to Indianapolis is ~500 miles, but then it's another ~2000 to get to Vegas. Indianapolis is much, much closer to the East Coast than it is to the Mountain West.
posted by crazy with stars at 9:34 AM on May 22, 2019 [12 favorites]
That time of year I'd head further south than Wyoming. The Grand Canyon or lower-elevation parts of Arizona, depending on weather, should be nice.
posted by Redstart at 9:38 AM on May 22, 2019
posted by Redstart at 9:38 AM on May 22, 2019
I thought the same thing as Crazy With Stars - Indianapolis isn't exactly CLOSE to the things you listed to the West.
If you wanted to make a cool trip out of places closer to Indianapolis than home, I would think Nashville, or Chicago would both be cool destination cities to visit.
If you are really after the Nature side of things, Lake Michigan has beautiful beaches and excellent cabin campgrounds. You can also go on short charter cruises or fishing trips, and on beautiful nature trails and reserves. Personally I like Warren Dunes state park in Michigan to really experience lake Michigan. Also, it's freshwater but looks like an ocean. So that's cool.
posted by bbqturtle at 9:40 AM on May 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
If you wanted to make a cool trip out of places closer to Indianapolis than home, I would think Nashville, or Chicago would both be cool destination cities to visit.
If you are really after the Nature side of things, Lake Michigan has beautiful beaches and excellent cabin campgrounds. You can also go on short charter cruises or fishing trips, and on beautiful nature trails and reserves. Personally I like Warren Dunes state park in Michigan to really experience lake Michigan. Also, it's freshwater but looks like an ocean. So that's cool.
posted by bbqturtle at 9:40 AM on May 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
I vote Vegas. More than enough to do that would fill a week. Flights from Indy will be easy and inexpensive (on preview: but not short, you're still looking at a four hour flight time); once you're there, you've got Red Rock Canyon, which offers a beautiful driving loop as well as lots of hiking at varying levels of difficulty and length, and Valley of Fire as mentioned above. If you're staying a week, there's also lots to do further out, like Lake Mead or Mt. Charleston. You could even take an overnight to Zion if you wanted.
For museums, the National Atomic Testing Museum is amazing if sobering, and the Neon Museum is on my list for our next trip. Vegas also has great art; Seven Magic Mountains is really otherworldly in person, and the Las Vegas Arts District often has events including a block party the first Friday of every month (which is great and so fun!). You could also go to an NHL hockey game!
I think you'd especially like the Old Strip, on Fremont. You can visit the Golden Nugget or one of the other historic casinos and if you keep going down Fremont you'll get to the Container Park, which has many shops and restaurants and a nice grassy area. Keep going past that and you'll find a walkable area a bit off the beaten path with restaurants and bars; in that area, we particularly like Vegenation (even if you aren't vegan), Nacho Daddy, and Atomic Liquors, Vegas' oldest bar.
On the new strip, try the lounge at the Peppermill, which is a neon dream that includes an indoor fire pit. A bit further north on the new strip, you might also like the bar at the Golden Steer; it's an iconic throwback complete with waiters in white tuxes and red leather banquettes.
I wouldn't recommend a hotel on the Old Strip because I think the new Strip has better pools, but you could also stay at one of the casinos further out or look at an Airbnb. If you like spas at all and want to splurge many of the casino spas are amazing; I had the best (and most expensive by far!!) massage of my life at the Encore.
Also, wherever you choose to go, keep in mind that fire season in the West is getting longer and fires are bigger and in some areas peaks in late September/early October. The attendant smoke has a HUGE effect on air quality for those of us who live here and it's something that tourists to the West often don't consider when they plan their vacations, especially those that have an outdoor component like hiking.
posted by stellaluna at 10:09 AM on May 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
For museums, the National Atomic Testing Museum is amazing if sobering, and the Neon Museum is on my list for our next trip. Vegas also has great art; Seven Magic Mountains is really otherworldly in person, and the Las Vegas Arts District often has events including a block party the first Friday of every month (which is great and so fun!). You could also go to an NHL hockey game!
I think you'd especially like the Old Strip, on Fremont. You can visit the Golden Nugget or one of the other historic casinos and if you keep going down Fremont you'll get to the Container Park, which has many shops and restaurants and a nice grassy area. Keep going past that and you'll find a walkable area a bit off the beaten path with restaurants and bars; in that area, we particularly like Vegenation (even if you aren't vegan), Nacho Daddy, and Atomic Liquors, Vegas' oldest bar.
On the new strip, try the lounge at the Peppermill, which is a neon dream that includes an indoor fire pit. A bit further north on the new strip, you might also like the bar at the Golden Steer; it's an iconic throwback complete with waiters in white tuxes and red leather banquettes.
I wouldn't recommend a hotel on the Old Strip because I think the new Strip has better pools, but you could also stay at one of the casinos further out or look at an Airbnb. If you like spas at all and want to splurge many of the casino spas are amazing; I had the best (and most expensive by far!!) massage of my life at the Encore.
Also, wherever you choose to go, keep in mind that fire season in the West is getting longer and fires are bigger and in some areas peaks in late September/early October. The attendant smoke has a HUGE effect on air quality for those of us who live here and it's something that tourists to the West often don't consider when they plan their vacations, especially those that have an outdoor component like hiking.
posted by stellaluna at 10:09 AM on May 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: I looked at Oct. weather for Jackson - didn't look that bad in early October, but I guess the parks are at a higher elevation. Ok - looks like we are going farther south.
And my desire to vacation out west should not be taken as a slight to "flyover" country. In the last few years, I've visited Chicago several times, Louisville, Nashville, St. Louis, KC, Springfield MO, and farther south, New Orleans. Also Pittsburgh, Roanoke and pretty much every significant city in VA at this point, plus Raleigh, and a few weeks ago the Poconos.
posted by COD at 10:52 AM on May 22, 2019
And my desire to vacation out west should not be taken as a slight to "flyover" country. In the last few years, I've visited Chicago several times, Louisville, Nashville, St. Louis, KC, Springfield MO, and farther south, New Orleans. Also Pittsburgh, Roanoke and pretty much every significant city in VA at this point, plus Raleigh, and a few weeks ago the Poconos.
posted by COD at 10:52 AM on May 22, 2019
If you're doing this by car, those drive times are pretty brutal (and I found driving through the plains to be particularly brutal) and will cut into your fun time at your destination. You might want to check out the cost of flights from Indianapolis, and see if that guides you towards a particular place. (My choice would be Seattle, but that's just me.)
posted by metasarah at 12:10 PM on May 22, 2019
posted by metasarah at 12:10 PM on May 22, 2019
Response by poster: I thought it was obvious but maybe not. We are definitely flying to wherever from Indy, then back home to Richmond from wherever.
posted by COD at 12:59 PM on May 22, 2019
posted by COD at 12:59 PM on May 22, 2019
We've done several trips in the past 5 years that either start or end (or both) in Vegas and I will second every National Park or Recreation area within driving distance. They are all worth seeing. Death Valley is one long day trip; Red Rock, Valley of Fire and Hoover Dam (with Lake Mead) are each one short day trip; Grand Canyon could be done in 1-2 nights; and Zion could also be 1-2 nights. We are not big hikers but we do the short hikes and all of the driving. We started in Joshua Tree on our last trip and that, too, was worth every minute.
posted by soelo at 1:20 PM on May 22, 2019
posted by soelo at 1:20 PM on May 22, 2019
As a bonus, Vegas is almost always the cheapest place to fly into and out of in the southwestern US.
posted by soelo at 1:21 PM on May 22, 2019
posted by soelo at 1:21 PM on May 22, 2019
Could you do the week before the wedding? It seems like it might be better weather with great color.
posted by beccaj at 3:13 PM on May 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by beccaj at 3:13 PM on May 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
New Mexico! If you're up for a big spectacle, there's the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (October 5 - 13, 2019), which is also a lot of traffic in the ABQ metro area, primarily in the mornings.
Come a bit earlier and you can attend Nambe Pueblo's public feast day on Oct. 4, and/or stick around for Laguna Pueblo's public feast day on Oct. 17, when you can see cultural activities that that are open to the public.
As for hiking, there's plenty around the state, from U.S. National Parks and New Mexico state parks, all with plenty of trails. There is a chance of rain, but not much, and the temperatures are pretty nice.
Regarding indoor activities, there are plenty of museums around New Mexico, with a concentration in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. And for food, Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog (at NM Gastronome dot com) is one man's effort to highlight cuisine around New Mexico, though he focuses on ABQ and Santa Fe. It's more than red and green chile (but there's plenty of that, too).
My suggestion would be to fly into Albuquerque or Santa Fe, and rent a car to get up to the Enchanted Circle of Taos, Eagle Nest, Angel Fire, Questa and Red River, for either a long day, or split it into two, so you can get out and hike more. Then enjoy Museum Hill and the the Plaza in Santa Fe. For something weird and unusual, check out Meow Wolf for a few hours, then head to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument for a short hike through fascinating geologic features, and for a bit more hiking, continue through the narrow canyon trail up to the peak for a nice view.
Or for a longer, more scenic drive, head over to Bandelier National Monument and see petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls from the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities. If you head that way, you can also hike in a beautiful red rock canyon near Jemez Pueblo.
For a third route to Santa Fe, you can go up the Turquoise Trail, and stop in and experience the DIY/ outsider art exhibit that is Tinkertown Museum, then stop and visit a number of small communities between ABQ and Santa Fe.
In Albuquerque, there's the Old Town, with my favorite bit of local weirdness, the American International Rattlesnake Museum.
There are also fun, charming and interesting things in smaller communities around the state, but I'll stop here. If any of this sounds interesting, I can elaborate towards more trails and hikes, or experiences in local communities.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:28 AM on May 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Come a bit earlier and you can attend Nambe Pueblo's public feast day on Oct. 4, and/or stick around for Laguna Pueblo's public feast day on Oct. 17, when you can see cultural activities that that are open to the public.
As for hiking, there's plenty around the state, from U.S. National Parks and New Mexico state parks, all with plenty of trails. There is a chance of rain, but not much, and the temperatures are pretty nice.
Regarding indoor activities, there are plenty of museums around New Mexico, with a concentration in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. And for food, Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog (at NM Gastronome dot com) is one man's effort to highlight cuisine around New Mexico, though he focuses on ABQ and Santa Fe. It's more than red and green chile (but there's plenty of that, too).
My suggestion would be to fly into Albuquerque or Santa Fe, and rent a car to get up to the Enchanted Circle of Taos, Eagle Nest, Angel Fire, Questa and Red River, for either a long day, or split it into two, so you can get out and hike more. Then enjoy Museum Hill and the the Plaza in Santa Fe. For something weird and unusual, check out Meow Wolf for a few hours, then head to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument for a short hike through fascinating geologic features, and for a bit more hiking, continue through the narrow canyon trail up to the peak for a nice view.
Or for a longer, more scenic drive, head over to Bandelier National Monument and see petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls from the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities. If you head that way, you can also hike in a beautiful red rock canyon near Jemez Pueblo.
For a third route to Santa Fe, you can go up the Turquoise Trail, and stop in and experience the DIY/ outsider art exhibit that is Tinkertown Museum, then stop and visit a number of small communities between ABQ and Santa Fe.
In Albuquerque, there's the Old Town, with my favorite bit of local weirdness, the American International Rattlesnake Museum.
There are also fun, charming and interesting things in smaller communities around the state, but I'll stop here. If any of this sounds interesting, I can elaborate towards more trails and hikes, or experiences in local communities.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:28 AM on May 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks all. I've booked a night at the Zion Lodge and the plan is to spend some time in Vegas with the an overnight side trip to Zion.
Then we found out my wife is losing her job next week. So it all depends on how quickly she gets back to work and if she can negotiate the time off.
posted by COD at 12:36 PM on June 21, 2019
Then we found out my wife is losing her job next week. So it all depends on how quickly she gets back to work and if she can negotiate the time off.
posted by COD at 12:36 PM on June 21, 2019
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posted by soelo at 8:54 AM on May 22, 2019