Vacation / travel input. Haven't had one in over 20 years...

[roylt]

As some know, I've been a single dad for some time and finally decided I better take a vacation before my kids get much bigger. they are both teenage now and will be gone to college before I can blink twice.
Things are so expensive now that I still fear I won't be able to afford it so looking for advice or info on deals etc. I haven't travelled in over 20 years.

My plan is to fly to Phoenix, rent a car, find a cheap hotel and visit some friends and family from when I used to live there. (I had places to stay lined up but both fell through. One, my friends husband was just diagnosed with brain cancer and she has other family visiting etc. Totally understandable. Other had a pipe burst when she was at work so the house flooded and is in bad shape right now. This may be fixed by the time I need to stay but not counting on it.)

Then we will drive to San Diego area (kids never seen the ocean before) plan to find a cheaper out of town place to stay.

Then back to Phoenix to fly home to Iowa.

End of July is when if that helps.

Appreciate your input. Thanks in advance,

 

[Montelores]

La Jolla is a beautiful town, just north of San Diego.

Mount Soledad has a cross and a stunning view of the area, night and day.

The San Diego harbor area is a fun walk, lots of ships to see. Day trip fishing boats available.

There’s an aviation museum in Balboa Park in SD.

Point Loma has a great view and a military cemetery that is worth the drive.

Monty

 

[BearBiologist]

The zoo, of course. Balboa Park has a nice Natural History Museum. La Jolla has Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Steven Birch Aquarium. Hwy 8 going east (towards Yuma) has the "wooden highway") and Yuma Prison. Will be HOT in the desert.

If you go through Yuma and then to Phoenix, you can go through the "Hai Jolley" monument to the Army Camel Corps. Or, north of Phoenix are Sedona, Jerome, Prescott and Flagstaff. I will be in Flagstaff in 3 weeks visiting my daughter. Good museum at NAU, cliff dwellings at Walnut Canyon, Wupatki Crater. The Mogollon Rim is truly something to see, even the Grand Canyon.

 

[bobski]

...but cool in the elevation! thus the draw to s.d by many. you can get all 4 seasons in july.

 

[NikA]

If it were me, I'd take anyone who hasn't been to the Grand Canyon. Yes, a bit out of the way, but since you say you rarely travel, I'd think it's worth it.

Couple other National Parks along the way as well if you're into that sort of thing.

When I vacation in AZ, I either go south or north of Phoenix, but then I'm far more interested in being outside than seeing man-made sights.

 

[Dave P.]

Look into airbnb, sometimes find some deals if you want to stay in the same place a few days. On the other hand I'd be making hotel reservations early if going that route, The days of driving till late afternoon pulling in and finding rooms available are mostly gone in many parts of the country.

 

[dannyd]

If your kids want to see the ocean and you haven't made reservations yet; look at Florida. You could fly into Pensacola, Panama City, Jacksonville or Tampa see the beach and other sites. I have lived in San Diego and drove from Phoenix to there. San Diego is nice but the only thing I remember about I-10 and I-8 was the mountains.

 

[arfmel]

I’ve been all over the country and never seen anything to compare with the Grand Canyon.

Yellowstone is a close second.

 

[BearBiologist]

I’ve been all over the country and never seen anything to compare with the Grand Canyon.

Yellowstone is a close second.

Respectfully, I disagree!

Alaska (esp. Denali and/or Kenai Fjords), followed by Yellowstone, then Yosemite, then Grand Canyon!

 

[Gator89]

Respectfully, I disagree!

Alaska (esp. Denali and/or Kenai Fjords), followed by Yellowstone, then Yosemite, then Grand Canyon!

Yosemite in the spring or early summer is spectacular. Yosemite in the fall is just a bunch of rocks.

 

[BearBiologist]

Yosemite in the spring or early summer is spectacular. Yosemite in the fall is just a bunch of rocks.

Higher elevations have the aspens in the fall.

 

[Kevin]

If you are set on Phoenix and San Diego, take a detour south and stop by Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It’s well worth seeing. They have a dirt road that goes right up to the boarder. The whole thing is something like 100 miles. I took the road with my dad once. Painful experience. But something I’ll never forget.

 

[nvbirdman]

If you do go to La Jolla, DON'T miss La Jolla Cave. It's privately owned, and you can visit for a quite small fee. It's on a hill on the shoreline and you walk down through a cleft in the rock to ocean level. Not much to do then but walk back up, but it's quite a sight.

 

[roylt]

My sister lives in Phoenix so that is the main draw. I haven't seen her since my Dad passed and she came home for the funeral. I also lived down there for almost ten years so still have a friend or two.

I do appreciate the input. I forgot about Birch aquarium until today. That is on my list for sure.

Any cost saving ideas are welcomed for sure. Plane ticket deals or car rental pointers.

Thanks all,

 

[mr.deerstalker]

Az in the summer yekes....

 

[Kevin]

This is I’m Phoenix, your kids would probably have a lot of fun.
Salt River Tubing