Trip Advice requested - Road Trip from Denver to Las Vegas - Sept '11
May 3rd, 2011, 05:08 AM
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Trip Advice requested - Road Trip from Denver to Las Vegas - Sept '11
Hi all,
Our flights and car hire are booked and the itinerary planned. We arrive in Denver at the beginning of September. Would love to hear any advice that you can give me on the schedule below:
Day 1 Travel to Denver
Day 2 Sightseeing in Denver
Day 3 Drive through the Rocky Mountains NP, overnight in Winter Park in the Best Western
Day 4 Drive to Grand Junction – 2 nights in Doubletree Inn
Day 5 River rafting
Day 6 Drive to Canyonlands NP, 2 nights in Hampton Inn in Moab
Day 7 Arches NP
Day 8 Drive to Monument Valley, overnight in the View Hotel
Day 9 Drive to Page, 2 nights in the Holiday Inn
Day 10 Boat trip on Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend
Day 11 Drive to Bryce Canyon, back to Flannigan’s Inn in Springfield for 2 nights
Day 12 Zion Canyon
Day 13 Drive to Las Vegas
We will stay in Las Vegas for a few nights and then head home. Didn't want to be in a different hotel every night as that can get tiring, so tried as much as possible to have 2 nights in each place bar a few. I know that we will only be glancing at the canyons but there is so much to see in a short amount of time. We are two women - not particularly fit, so no long hikes, who love great scenery. Is there anything we shouldn't miss along the way? Assuming that the weather will be cooler in the Rockies but very hot once we get to Moab. Will Lake Powell be as hot?
Many thanks for any advice! Laura
Our flights and car hire are booked and the itinerary planned. We arrive in Denver at the beginning of September. Would love to hear any advice that you can give me on the schedule below:
Day 1 Travel to Denver
Day 2 Sightseeing in Denver
Day 3 Drive through the Rocky Mountains NP, overnight in Winter Park in the Best Western
Day 4 Drive to Grand Junction – 2 nights in Doubletree Inn
Day 5 River rafting
Day 6 Drive to Canyonlands NP, 2 nights in Hampton Inn in Moab
Day 7 Arches NP
Day 8 Drive to Monument Valley, overnight in the View Hotel
Day 9 Drive to Page, 2 nights in the Holiday Inn
Day 10 Boat trip on Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend
Day 11 Drive to Bryce Canyon, back to Flannigan’s Inn in Springfield for 2 nights
Day 12 Zion Canyon
Day 13 Drive to Las Vegas
We will stay in Las Vegas for a few nights and then head home. Didn't want to be in a different hotel every night as that can get tiring, so tried as much as possible to have 2 nights in each place bar a few. I know that we will only be glancing at the canyons but there is so much to see in a short amount of time. We are two women - not particularly fit, so no long hikes, who love great scenery. Is there anything we shouldn't miss along the way? Assuming that the weather will be cooler in the Rockies but very hot once we get to Moab. Will Lake Powell be as hot?
Many thanks for any advice! Laura
May 3rd, 2011, 09:09 AM
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This is a better-thought-out itinerary than is usually published here.
I would be inclined to spend time in Aspen, Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, or Durango rather than in Grand Junction, but you can't do everything.
Sticking more closely to your routing, I would stay in Gleenwood Springs rather than Grand Junction, and I would drive there via Aspen.
HTTY
I would be inclined to spend time in Aspen, Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, or Durango rather than in Grand Junction, but you can't do everything.
Sticking more closely to your routing, I would stay in Gleenwood Springs rather than Grand Junction, and I would drive there via Aspen.
HTTY
May 3rd, 2011, 09:48 AM
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Day 9 Drive to Page, 2 nights in the Holiday Inn
Day 10 Boat trip on Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend
You might want to squeeze in the Antelope Slot Canyon Tour or Horseshoe Bend on Day 9 because if you are doing the all day boat tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument (which I highly recommend), it might be hard to do the other two on the same day. Otherwise you look like you have a good plan.
Late September isn't going to be as hot as summer but Moab & Lake Powell will be your warmest spots. We go to this area all the time in early September to mid-October because of the great weather. That's not to say, they can't have a hot day here or there or a thunderstorm or two.
Utahtea
Day 10 Boat trip on Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend
You might want to squeeze in the Antelope Slot Canyon Tour or Horseshoe Bend on Day 9 because if you are doing the all day boat tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument (which I highly recommend), it might be hard to do the other two on the same day. Otherwise you look like you have a good plan.
Late September isn't going to be as hot as summer but Moab & Lake Powell will be your warmest spots. We go to this area all the time in early September to mid-October because of the great weather. That's not to say, they can't have a hot day here or there or a thunderstorm or two.
Utahtea
May 3rd, 2011, 12:03 PM
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Looks like a good itinerary, but I'm not sure I would spend 2 nights in Grand Junction. Colorado National Monument is nice, but if you aren't hiking, you can see it pretty quickly. You can river raft out of Moab. I think I would add a night in Estes Park so that you can do some short hikes in RMNP, or stay in Bryce for a night.
May 4th, 2011, 05:37 AM
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Many thanks for the advice. I have a few questions:
Why Glenwood Springs rather than Grand Junction? We will go river rafting at this section of the trip so is there that big a difference between the two?
Had thought about doing the kayak trip with Lake Powell cruises. Even though it's expensive, thought it might be nice to be out on our own rather than in a motorised boat. Any thoughts on this? Have seen that the Rainbow Bridge Cruise is a full day and wonder if this would be too much? I know it's beautiful but as we are going to Arches NP we will see plenty of archs - is it really worth the whole day rather than doing the kayak trip or a 3 hour boat trip?
Will definitely fit in Antelope Canyon on Day 9. That's my main reason for going to Page. Have wanted to go there for years!
Thanks for the help!
Why Glenwood Springs rather than Grand Junction? We will go river rafting at this section of the trip so is there that big a difference between the two?
Had thought about doing the kayak trip with Lake Powell cruises. Even though it's expensive, thought it might be nice to be out on our own rather than in a motorised boat. Any thoughts on this? Have seen that the Rainbow Bridge Cruise is a full day and wonder if this would be too much? I know it's beautiful but as we are going to Arches NP we will see plenty of archs - is it really worth the whole day rather than doing the kayak trip or a 3 hour boat trip?
Will definitely fit in Antelope Canyon on Day 9. That's my main reason for going to Page. Have wanted to go there for years!
Thanks for the help!
May 5th, 2011, 12:06 PM
#8
Link to Glenwood Caverns. Ride the tramway up there.
http://glenwoodcaverns.com/
Glenwood Springs is one of my favorite Amtrak destinations.
http://glenwoodcaverns.com/
Glenwood Springs is one of my favorite Amtrak destinations.
