From Texas to the Grand Canyon and back

Shakespeare, NM: If you are into ghost towns, this one is a hit. Complete with old-timers telling the tales and a vault loaded with gold and arms.

Grand Canyon: We rode the train from Williams to Grand Canyon. The kids loved the mock train roberry and the singing cowboys.

Hoover Dam: Park your car on the Arizona side and walk across the dam to Nevada. The visitor's center has a lot of information for free.

Las Vegas: A day trip to Las Vegas was inexpensive. We strolled along the strip watching all the free entertainment (Bellagio's Dancing Waters, Mirage's Volcano, Treasure Island's show, etc.)

Walnut Creek Park: Not very well known, but very educational and oh so pretty. The kids loved searching for the cliffside homes along the trail.

Quick Tips:

Flagstaff has plenty of grocery stores and restaurants to meet anyone's needs.

Leave purses and backpacks in your car if you want to go inside the Hoover Dam Visitor Center.

Bring plenty of film for the Grand Canyon Trip. The views are breath taking from every angle.

Call ahead for reservations on the Grand Canyon Railway.

Shakespeare has limited tours one weekend a month. Check out their website for dates and times.

Best Way To Get Around:

You will most certainly need a car as there are so many places nearby that you will want to check out.

Best Things Nearby:
Any outdoor activity can be enjoyed near here: hiking, snow sports (skiing, sledding, snoboarding), climbing and fishing. Of course the great sights to see (Grand Canyon, Walnut Creek National Park, Sedona) are also a day trip away.

Best Things About the Resort:
A very quiet unit with a great view. A hot tub is located on private deck full and waiting for your tired body to sink into. The living area had plenty of seating space with two story windows looking out into the mountains. Clean linens and new furnishings were a plus.

Resort Experience:
We (two adults/four children) stayed in a two bedroom with loft unit during Spring Break 2000. We arrived after midnight and found the keys and package easily by calling the security guard and following his directions.

Our unit was clean and large; no problems with the unit at all. The only drawback to the loft bedroom was a lack of any dresser drawers. There was a round table where I had to stack clothes for the kids. The hot tub on the deck was used each night with great delight. The only noise we heard was a woodpecker early one morning.

We didn't use any of the on-site amenities, however we did try to get advice from the travel consultant. Each morning we visited the office, she was busy with families. We left after staying 30 minutes each day and ventured on our own.

In summary, we loved the unit. It is a great home base to explore Arizona.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Fair

It takes a good two hours for the tour. There is some walking but it is mostly flat and easy to walk. There is no air conditioning here but the buildings give a good shade.

Shakespeare began as a relay station on the Army Mail and then a stop on the old Butterfield stagecoach line. Briefly home to some 3,000 silver miners during the early 1870s, the town was abandoned when the mines dried up, only to be reborn during another brief mining boom in the 1880s. By the 1930s, it was turned into a ranch by the Hill family (of which the descendants still live here, care for the buildings, and conduct tours).

This is one of the best ghost towns I've been too. Eat before you visit, as there isn't a dining or snack facility there. There are restrooms though.

Grand Canyon is something to behold, as words don't do it justice. It seems strange that so many people come to see a hole in the earth, but it is so beautiful.

We took the Grand Canyon Railroad to the park, our ticket also paid for park entrance fees. Also, the tour guides know the best spots for great pictures and will happily take you picture for you (free of charge).

With four kids ranging in age from 7 to 11, we did not hike into the canyon, but that will be one of the trips to be added for later years. Nevertheless, there are plenty of trails to explore at the South Rim with amazing vistas when you stop and rest. Keep a close eye on the edge, it is a steep drop. The kids enjoyed tossing snow balls into the canyon.

I was amazed at the temperature difference. We did not expect snow to be on the ground during spring break. Bring cool weather clothes as it is cooler on the rim.

The hotel and gift shop were nice spots to relax and browse around. The gift shop was packed with people and shelves, so be careful bumping into things while there.

We took our four young kids (6-11 years old) for a look at Vegas and they were amazed! Best of all, it cost us next to nothing.

Starting off at the MGM Grand, we made reservations at the Rainforest Cafe and then browsed the casino until our table was called. Don't miss the lion habitat or the beautiful ceiling in the casino.

We walked over to New York-New York and rode the roller coaster that leaves the building and circles the casino. Then onto the Bellagio to watch the water dance which plays a different pattern every 15 minutes. We toured Caesar's shopping area and saw the volcano erupt at Mirage, then rode the tram to Treasure Island where we waited for the night show. TIP: at the entrance to the casino the actors will be available to meet and greet the kids. They are set up for photos, which is a nice memento.

At first glance, the strip doesn't seem long, but the monstrous casinos are very deceiving. It can take 5-10 minutes to pass just one casino. Walking the strip is a safe and great way for exercise. Don't be afraid to visit both sides of the street -- use the elevated walks to cross.

We could have done so much more, but it was late and we had a long drive back to Flagstaff, AZ. The best thing about this daytrip was that it cost us a lunch and a photo!

Driving the road to the dam was interesting and a little nerve-wracking. The roads are narrower than usual, steep, and wind constantly.

We arrived easily on the Arizona side and parked ($5). There are many large signs telling you to leave purses and backpacks in your car. Security is tight at the Visitor's Center and you don't want to have to walk back to the car just because you were too excited to read the signs. Traffic is constant and sometimes heavy along the dam; watch the kids carefully.

We didn't have much time so we skipped the tour. But that didn't matter as there is a great Visitor's Center with a lot of artifacts, photos, and a short movie describing the history of the dam.

Be sure to take your picture on the Nevada/Arizona border! The kids enjoyed 'time traveling' as they hopped from Mountain to Pacific time zone.