do my kids need to know their grandpa?

So my father-in-law recently hooked up with a new girlfriend and decided to retire and relocate to Arizona. We haven't seen him in several years, but would like the kids to know their grandfather. Unfortunately, the only time that we have for vacations seems to be in the middle of the summer, and I certainly don't feel like traveling in that kind of desert heat. So what are we supposed to do?

First, there's the obvious choice - try and convince "Grandpa" to take a trip and visit us instead. Seeing as I have already mentioned that we haven't seen him in several years, you can probably guess how well that plan is working for us thus far. Apparently, his new girlfriend wants nothing to do with his old life - hence the relocation and the fact that he only calls us when she isn't around. She prefers to pretend that his former marriage never existed, although my wife and our children are the inconvenient proof of it. So at this point, we have to make a decision. Do we bite the bullet, and sweat like pigs driving across the desert for him? Is it worth the expense? The last time we took a roadtrip through a desert area was on a trip to California and we had to stop in Nevada. The Reno hotels were very expensive. It was as if they were taking advantage of the fact that they were the first "oasis" of a city that we ran into for several hundred miles. Maybe we just visited at the wrong time of the year. I guess we should have planned ahead and booked online. Will our stay at an Arizona hotel be the same way? Normally we would cut our expenses by staying with relatives, but I don't think we are welcome to do that in this case. Most of all, do I feel like using up our limited vacation time and spending tons of cash on gas (or even more on airfare) for a trip that will probably be miserable and uncomfortable?

There comes a time when you have to make a decision about unhealthy family relationships. I know the old saying says that "family is forever", but isn't family also a two-sided street? If Grandpa wants a relationship with his grandchildren, he is going to have to stand up to his new wife-to-be. If not, well I hope he has fun with his new life/wife in the desert.