I am travelling from north central Arkansas to San Diego. For the most part, I need it to be a direct route since I'm pressed for time, but it seems I can't pass up the Grand Canyon or the Petrified Forest.

The question is, which would be a better visit. Money isn't a huge constraint, but I'd prefer to be able to do a "drive-by" more than an in-depth all-day tour. So if I can drive to the edge of the canyon, snap a photo, and head back, that would be cool. Ditto for the forest. I would probably be pushing myself to get close to the attraction by the previous night, doing my visit, then desiring to be in Phoenix that evening around 7pm to stay before my final half-day into San Diego.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.