Road Trip to Grand Canyon from D/FW

My wife and I are planning a July 8-10 day road trip (Route 66?) to the Grand Canyon from Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Any recommended route, towns to visit on the way sites to see and recommendations on places to stays?
All yes places and areas to avoid?

Thank you

 

Yes. Go to Palo Duro Canyon State Park on the way (near Amarillo). If the Texas Outdoor Musical is playing on those dates, go to that as well.

 

Pretty easy drive. Are y’all doing any camping along the way or hotels?

 

Flagstaff is a very cool town as well. There is a backroad / forest road through the forest then high desert that goes from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon entrance that is a beautiful drive. We did it about a decade ago and only saw one other vehicle on it the entire way. Details are a bit foggy but that drive was priceless.

 

Old town in Albuquerque is cool too hang out and see a few hours.

 

Hit up Bearizona in Williams AZ. It's right at the jct of I-40 and Hwy 64. 60 miles from Bearizona to South Rim.

 

I can only speak when entering AZ.
Petrified forest national park, meteor crater, flagstaff, bearizona (all these are on the way, along the road)
If you can, I would stop by Sedona although a small detour. And after seeing the Grand Canyon, on the way back, although not the most direct way, horseshoe bend, antelope canyon (Page), lake Powell, Monument valley, Durango, Co

 

Assuming you are going somewhat along the old route of Route 66:

Asleep At The Wheel - Route 66 (Live in Studio 1A) - Bing video

Now, where to go:

Gallup, New Mexico:
El Rancho Hotel: Very historic, built to house the early stars of Hollywood by the brother of D.W. Griffith (of Griffifth Park fame and "Birth of a Nation). Breakfast enchiladas to die for. Earle's on Rt 66 for Indian tacos with fantastic green chili. The old cemetery at the west end of town (Check out all the tombstones). Side trips: Zuni Pueblo and the mesa country south of Gallup; Chaco Canyon north of Gallup. We came back via Shiprock on the Navajo Rez.

Petrified Forest and Painted Desert.

Winslow, AZ.:
Winslow Grill (at "THE CORNER" from the Eagle's Song "Take it Easy") is pretty good and in an historic old building. Wigwam Motel near the highway.

Meteor Crater: In my opinion, a rip-off.

Flagstaff (nicknamed just "Flag"): (My daughter lives in Flag):
Walnut Canyon (Spectacular cliff ruins that you can walk through-steep climb!), Museum Club, pawn shops, Northern Arizona Museum, Black Bart's (The performers are all theater art students from NAU), Wupatki and Sunset Crater (Site of the only Aztec ball court in the US).

Back road from Flag to Grand Canyon (HWY 89, I think) or from Williams to GC: Nice drive, fairly well traveled now as opposed to "yesteryear". Watch for elk all-round Flag-even in town (deer as well)

Grand Canyon:
Expensive, reservations a must for summer. North Rim & the Kaibab (long drive).

North of GC (on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations)
Tuba City, Canyon de Chelly, Betatakin & Navajo Nat'l Mon., Mesa Verde OR Monument Valley.

Places to stay: El Rancho Hotel for sure. Lots of big-name motels of various quality (use a booking site like Booking.com).

Personally, we stay away from places like Bearizona but I'm a retired biologist from the PNW and we see enough wild animals around town. You might like it!

If you venture further west, take some of old Route 66. West of Seligman is the bridge where they highjacked the train in "Breaking Bad" & lots of old cafes, etc.

PM me with any ???????

 

Oh, personally, I would stay away from Santa Fe (Too "SNOOTY")! and Albuquerque (High crime in many areas!).

 

Good ideas from @BearBio. In Winslow AZ, across the street from Standin’ on the Corner is the Relic Road Brewing Co. Good food and beer.

Lots of good touristy shops and down the street is the historic La Posada Hotel.

 

Oh, Frontier Family Fun in Williams has pretty good food. Williams decorates the WHOLE town for Christmas starting in early November (?). Miss Kitty's has a great breakfast in an old historic building!

 

Hey, my kid and grand kids live in Albuquerque!! Just another bigger American city.