First, you have my full support for driving all the way from Ohio. I say, NO WAY!! I fly & rent a car when I get there. When the wife & I went in Sept. 1993, we did a circle tour. While in Vegas, we drove up to Death Valley National Park (about 3 hrs. northwest of Vegas), then to Valley of Fire State Park (about 40 miles northeast of Vegas), also Hoover Dam (about 30 miles southeast of Vegas), also Red Rock Canyon (just a short drive north of Vegas). We left Vegas for the Grand Canyon (about 5 1/2 hrs. drive non-stop). While at the canyon we got a van tour ride (from Bright Angel Lodge) up to Monument Valley (an all day tour).We left the canyon & drove through the Painted Desert (around the east side of the canyon), headed north for a stop at Glen Canyon Dam & Recreation Area, then proceeded west across southern Utah eventually getting to & staying in Springdale,Utah just outside Zion National Park. While at Zion, we drove north up to Bryce Canyon (about an hour or two ride) & Cedar Breaks National Monument nearby. Then we worked our way back down to Vegas. All this was done in about 10 days & was well worth it. This is a very condensed version of our experiences. You are going into this obviously during high season & lots of crowds. I wish you luck. When it comes to National Parks, to get good choices & options, please make reservations as soon as possible. If you can't get lodging in the Grand Canyon Park, try the town of Tuscayan just a few miles south of the park. If not, try Williams,Arizona which is an hours drive south of the park. In Williams they also have a daily train service up to the Canyon. Also, due to the remoteness of a lot of the area, we always made sure our gas tank was full upon departure anywhere & we kept a styrofoam cooler in the car with plenty of water, ice & snacks. Due to the intense heat, always keep one car window down about an inch during the day when you're parked. Many a windshield got cracked due to the build-up of heat & pressure inside the car. You can get around most of Vegas without your car though. There are shuttle bus services available throughout Vegas for a small fee & lots of things are within walking distance. I found due to the enormous array of things to see & do in Vegas, I've enjoyed it more when I just winged it. You will never see everything. Two places though you should definitely see are the Fremont Street Experience & the Forum Shops @ Caesar's Palace. Sorry if some things were very vague. Good traveling!!!

Thanks for the reply! After looking at the drive we came to the conclusion that flying into Vegas may be the way to go. The trip that you described sounds great! We aren't set on staying in the Park, so the areas out of the Canyon sound good. Thanks again for the tips!

Hi Shawna: It's me again. The last time we were in Vegas was in July,1996. We stayed at Harrah's, which was very nice. Based on my observations & current feedback,considering you have 2 kids,& trying to be cost conscience, I would say check out Circus Circus, Monte Carlo, Harrah's, Excalibur, Sam's Town,& Treasure Island. For Vegas I would seriously consider seeing a travel agent (AAA). You can get some very nice package deals that almost always have vouchers for a free show and/or coupons for a free buffet at one of the casinos, & airfares are usually very reasonable. When you rent a car, you will pay a drop off charge of about $150.00 if you don't drop it off at the same location you picked it up at. And always fill it up with gas when you return it or they will sock it to you. Check the car out thoroughly when you pick it up. Check with your car insurance agent & you can normally always cover the rental car on your own insurance policy. Try to get a car with unlimited mileage in the contract also. Go over the contract with a fine tooth comb. And no, I'm not in the travel or insurance business, nor am I a lawyer. Far from it. Some of the other attractions in Vegas are the Stratosphere Tower, the Mirage Volcano, Ethel M Chocolate Factory, rides at just about every casino, Treasure Island Pirate Ship Battle show, Wet N Wild Water Park next to Sahara's, Liberace Museum, animal habitat @ Mirage, Titanic Exhibition @ the Rio, & the list goes on & on. If your interests include ghost towns, there's Rhyolite (outside east side of Death Valley); Chloride, Arizona (off I-93 about 20 miles north of Kingman,AZ), Grafton,Utah (4 miles back a dirt road behind Rockville near Zion Nat'l Park - ask for directions in Rockville), & Oatman,Arizona (about 25 miles southwest of Kingman,AZ on the original Rt.66 - be careful, near Oatman it's a very winding steep road but worth it). If you drive on your own to Monument Valley, stay on the main roadway. The valley itself has very rough dirt roads among the spires & mesas. Some people experience problems with changes in altitude, so keep that in mind. In southern Utah about 30 miles or so west of Glen Canyon Dam along Rt.89 look for a small sign for a town called Old Paria. It's a western town set for movie making. Take a right at the sign & the town is about 10 miles back in off Rt.89. There's a meteor crater off I-40 about 15 miles or so southwest of Winslow,AZ. If you want a more scenic route on the way to the Grand Canyon, time permitting, at Kingman take the original Rt.66, I think at exit 53 off I-40. It's at least 100 miles long, goes past the Grand Canyon Caverns, do stop at Seligman & eventually goes back to I-40. Well, that's it for now. Happy trails.