I'm currrently trying to plan a 16 day road trip from Phoenix to LA - via the Grand Canyon, Vegas, and San Francisco. It's all very exciting, but the bundles of information make it a tad daunting.

As usual with these trips, I want to see as much as possible but without rushing around. :)

I had a scan through the forums here, and the information seems incredibly useful - so I thought I might hijack a couple of the threads... Nice work, guys!

So... the first day of the trip was going to be Phoenix to Flagstaff (and maybe move near to the Canyon for a nightcap).

I'm trying to plan the most scenic route up to Flagstaff, and want to minimise double-backing down the same road. I was planning the following:

I17 out of Phoenix
69 across to Prescott
89 - 89A through Jerome to Sedona
179 down to Montezuma

Then it gets a bit difficult... Do I just hit I17 up to Flagstaff, or do I double back up 179 and then back onto 89A?

Also... I assume I'm not missing a great deal by not following I17 between the 69 turn off and Montezuma?

Any thoughts on absolute essentials for this part of the trip?