Vacation ideas for the west -- MM'ers looking for help

O

OldRookie

Guest
Hey gang, long time lurker and occasional poster...

Planning a last minute vacation and I want to go west, the wife doesn't care, but the two 18 year old (boys, don't get too excited)
want to go to the beach...

is there anywhere west of the Rockies (short of Kali) that we can do both?

Got to be some fun spots with the huge reservoirs out there i would think?

Looking for options, July in Florida just does not make me thrilled!

Western scenery and things to do, Beaches and beach scenery for the boys..

that's the criteria

thanks all

LH
 
I will google lake powell

any suggestions for whitewater rafting and ATVing in the mountains?

the boys are ATV fiends, we have a track behind the house...

tabletops, banked turns, you name it..

scares the crap out of me!

Thanks guys!
 
I would second Lake Powell. There are plenty places to atv as well around there and I am sure it wouldn't be a challenge to find some atv rentals in the area.
 
Beanman's thinkin!!
I'd for sure hit the Silverton Train in Durango Colordao, it is an unforgettable trip, your family will be thankful forever!










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Flaming Gorge Res.......serious fishing and great scenery.

If the beach is a requirement, the southern Oregon coast is tough to beat.
 
Utah
red rocks
mountains
did you say beach
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Great Salt Lake lol
and if your boys are lucky some girls from Ogden might show up.

Archery is a year round commitment!!
 
Lake Tahoe...unless you don't wanna mess with the folks from a state west of there.


Compromise, hell! ... If freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why should those who believe in freedom treat it as if it were a roll of bologna to be bartered a slice at a time?
 
Lake Powell! Arches National Park, Moab, Canyonlands NP, Hovenweep NP, Capitol Reef NP, Monument Valley, all are fairly close to the lake.
Rainbow Bridge is a short walk from the lake, though you'll need a boat to get there. Red rock cliffs and beautiful side canyons make Lake Powell is a nice destination.
 
White Sands National Park, New Mexico, has a great beach, and it close to the Sacramento Mountains, which are increadible!
-- Bob
 
You said the beach short of Kali.

No question: Lake Powell. Over 1000 miles of shoreline, all clean water with soft sand beaches. Magnificent red rock canyons and cliffs that tower hundreds of feet above the water.

How about personal water craft for the boys. Wave runners for rent at numerous locations in the area. Rent a house boat and claim a beach your family. Three day weekends are crowded, week days are not. Can you image a thousand miles of beaches and they get crowded. That gives you an idea what other folks think of Lake Powell. Water about 80/85 degrees. Nothing like it, better than salt water any day.

Take a day or two and take a 50 mile drive over to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Arizona Strip with monster mule deer around the Jacob Lake area or go the other direction 50 to 70 miles, rent ATVs, head out on the Paunseguant, literally hundreds of miles of high mountain and/or desert ATV roads, all on public Forest Service and BLM land. See monster mule deer, antelope and elk (this are all wild, hunted every fall, all feeding along the East Fork of the Sevier River/creek during the early morning and late evenings) as well as the beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park, swing over and take the ATV's out on the Pink Coral Sand Dunes for miles of powder pink sand dunes, all free access accept the National Parks of which there are three within a 100 mile circle. (Zion's National Park is number 3)

There are more varieties of terrain, public land, ATVing, boating, swimming, fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing etc, etc, etc, than any 100 mile radius on the planet. You can't begin to experience a small portion of what you can do with sand, water, scenery, and wildlife in a single vacation to the Lake Powell/Northern Arizona/Southern Utah back country.

I don't live there, I play there.

PM me if you'd like more details.

dc
 
.............or, you could drop them 2 young fellers off in Winnemucca for 2 or 3 days and take the wife to someplace nice.

The boys will NEVER forget this vacation.
 
Guys

thanks a lot for the feedback,,

Winnemucca? thought that was a "mythical" place :)

LH
 
Powell will be hotter than 10 yards of hell for sure, but is one of my favorite places in the world! We always went during July and August. Flaming Gorge is awesome as well and wouldn't be as hot.
 
Of course, if it were up to your 1 year old sons, I'll bet a beach in San Diego county would be best of all! ;) Tons of girls in bikinis...
 
When I was a kid we went on a trip back east. I saw a sign that said "worlds largest frying pan, next exit". Avoid Iowa.

Eel
 
Lake Powell: I love the place but I would not send anyone there during July. It's fine if you are into only water sports, like spending the afternoons sitting under your houseboat drinking beer. It just won't fill the complete package. Riding an ATV when it's 110 degrees just isn't that fun.

Bean
 
I agree with Nickman, your boys will have a blast in Winnemucca! Then take the wifey to Tahoe.

San Diego beach.... yum! Plenty of whisker biscuits there.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-21-09 AT 01:06PM (MST)[p]Tahoe is very nice, especially if you gain accesss to any of the private beaches. We're fortunate to have a family vacation home at Incline Village, and the beaches there are very nice, as is the 'scenery' if you know what I mean. If you rent a private home, you'll likely be able to get passes to a private beach. Also the Hyatt in Incline Village is first rate, though pretty pricey and they have a very nice beach.

As for the public beaches at Tahoe, Sand Harbor and King's Beach are both very nice. The north side, west of King's Beach tends to have a lot of vintage powerboats like old Crisscraft's, very cool stuff.

It is hard to beat Tahoe in the summer.
 
Powell is hot as a gun barrel in the summer but we wouldn't recommend someone tent camp at Snowbird or Vail in January, I guess we assumed we wouldn't do the beach at Powell without sun block 50, proper water gear and sleeping accomdations. A row boat and a tent at Powell during the July and August will not be a darn bit of fun. Dangerous and foolhardy in fact. However, properly outfitted, thousands of folks go back every year. Especially if you want to do some side trip activities in the area.

dc
 

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