jfawp,

I read your whole detailed trip report. Very interesting and much as I am expecting. Your snow situations DO worry me somewhat. I have been to Denver/Estes Park both in winter and spring. I was in Estes Park in April about 50 years ago. I remember a mixture of snow and spring mountain climbing.

NOW. We are expecting to rent a standard front wheel drive full sized car, not an SUV. I am hoping that I will be seeing mostly spring flowers in Colorado. We will be there May 20 through May 22. I hope to not see much snow. Unlike you, we are setting dates, especially for the Parks. I originally wanted to do it without making reservations, but if I want to stay at the Park Inns, I need to make them now. I am just getting under the wire reserving places now. I have a reservation at Bright Angel in Grand Canyon and Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone. I don't know what my conclusions will be after this trip is over. I hope I don't wish I had not been so ridgid.

I am pretty locked in for an 18 to 20 day trip from Las Vegas up 15 through Utah (Salt Lake City), visit Tetons, Yellowstone, across Northern Wyoming to Rapid City, SD; down I25 to Estes Park across Colorado into Utah, down to the Grand Canyon and across to Las Vegas again. Where should we take guided tours? If I can find some days where someone else drives, that would be great. I'm thinking the trip from Rapid City to Mt. Rushmore might be one. Any others?

Here is my road trip in detail. There have been some changes from when I put this together, but the only important one is that I have dropped Billings, MT in favor of going through Cody and staying in Buffalo before going to Rapid City.

http://techoninc.com/road_trip/west.pdf

This sounds like a great trip - and I might pass you on your travels as I am also touring similar places - Denver/Custer state park/Mt Rushmore/Deadwood/Little Bighorn/yellowstone/Grand Teton/Jackson/Denver in mid-late May. I am also worried about snow impacting the trip so am going to devise a Plan B. My understanding from the forums I have visited is that it will be Grand Tetons (and South/East/Northeast Yellowstone) where I may have problems. Good Luck with your trip :)

I'd think twice about staying at the moab ramada. We stayed there a few years ago and it was just okay, at best. Since then i've read its in deplorable condition. There are many other choices in town.

Check out the Canyonlands Best Western. We've stayed there twice and really enjoyed it. Located in the middle of town, you can walk to many restaurants and shoppes when you get back from hiking and exploring.

http://www.canyonlandsinn.com/