Winter Roadtrip from Indianapolis to grand canyon

[cozymusic]

Hello,
I am new to RTA and a long roadtrip. I've only been on roadtrips that lasts 3-4 days in the summer but this time I want to go on a 2 week long trip in the next few weeks. I will be leaving from Indianapolis 12/20/11 and hoping to be back around 1/3/12. I want to spend the new years in somewhere fun since I had a rough year so I was thinking of spending it in Grand Canyon but I am not sure if it would be possible. So the questions I have are:

1) Recommendations for places to visit from dec.20th - jan.3
2) What I should be aware of being on the road during the winter?
3) Estimated cost of a 2 week long roadtrip for 2-3 ppl?
4) Whether spending the new year in Grand Canyon would be possible if I want to be back in Indianapolis by Jan.3rd?
5) If I do go to Grand Canyon, should I take one of the guided tours or sightsee on my own?

If you have any other suggestions for me on going on a roadtrip during the winter, I would greatly appreciate it. I am realyl nervous about travelling in the winter since I haven't done this before.

Thank you!!!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

The problem with an open ended request such as "Recommendations for places to visit from dec.20th - jan.3" is that with two weeks at your disposal basically the entire country is accessible. Since we know nothing of your interests, we'll simply have to go with the one place you have mentioned as a possible destination, the Grand Canyon. Certainly that is within reach and it is open 365 days a year (the South Rim anyway).

If you do end up going to the Grand Canyon, I would not bother with one of the for-profit tours. The Canyon itself is the attraction, not what some tour operator is going to add. Ranger led hikes and talks are typically available for free and are all the extra you should need, with one possible exception. You might want to look at taking a short flight over the canyon, available from Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan south of the Canyon. These are no longer allowed to descend below the rim, but still offer a different perspective.

You should also plan on taking your time getting there, seeing whatever you want along the way there. Three full days is just enough time to get back from the Canyon to Indianapolis, assuming you can leave early on the morning of the first, are comfortable driving a bit into the evening during the seasonally shortened days, and (most importantly) don't run into any adverse weather. If the forecast is for a winter storm anywhere during your drive home, you will need to budget an extra day to make the drive safely.

The cost for 3 people living on the road for two weeks would run around $3,000 plus gas which will need to be figured separately and depends on how far you plan to drive, what gas costs at the time, and what kind of mileage your vehicle gets.

AZBuck