Visited the Southwest for the first time recently and had a great time (see 'Trip report Las Vegas, Gr.Canyon, SW.Utah, E.Calif.') and now have been invited to Las Vegas for a convention in February. Thinking of adding 3 or 4 days for touring around but wondering how prohibitive weather conditions will be. Particularly enjoyed Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Moki Dugway, Hwy 95, Hwy 12, Bryce and Zion and am considering redoing part of it as I'll be with my wife instead of my dad. Are we just talking about "pretty cold but roads generally OK" or could it be more serious than that?!

if that area doesn't work out you could also consider palm springs and joshua tree national park.

From Las Vegas we traveled to Death Valley, California and enjoyed the trip. I think it was probably about a 3 hour drive. Didn't have time to go on to Scotty's Castle, but included with Death Valley, that might be a nice side trip. We also have visited Red Rock Canyon just outside of LV and enjoyed that also. Saw lots of wild burros, a few wild horses, and many rock climbers.
I'm not sure about driving to Bryce & Zion in February. We went there in mid October last year and in some areas there was a small amount of snow on the ground. Many of the facilities were either already closed or closing by the end of the month. I'm sure there are always hotels and restaurants open in Springdale near Zion throughout the year and Ruby's near Bryce is always open.

Here are some links to the weatrher for some of the places you mention:

Monument Valley

http://www.weather.com/weather/clima...1?climoMonth=2

Bryce Canyon

http://www.weather.com/weather/clima...0?climoMonth=2

Springdale Utah (Zion)

http://www.weather.com/weather/clima...1?climoMonth=2

Las Vegas

http://www.weather.com/weather/clima...9?climoMonth=2

Mexican Hat (close to Moki Dugway)

http://www.weather.com/weather/clima...daily/USUT0159

I couldn't find anything on the North Rim of the Grand Canyaon but I think it is closed in Feb anyway.

Bring the coats and wool socks!

The North Rim is closed. I've never been to this area in Feb.

Utahtea

Thanks for the suggestions and useful links. Brrrrr!

Hey Smalley!

If you want to stay married to your wife, I would recommend that you skip breakfast at the Klondike this time!

Seriously, how about trying one of those quaint bed and breakfast hotels outside the entrance to Zion? You could work in a little romance with your sight seeing.

Welcome back!

Oooh, lucky you is right!

What would your wife like to do? Maybe introduce her to the SW via the canyons, then make the trip to Joshua Tree and Death Valley and Palm Springs. They're amazing in July, even when the temp tops 120 (!) so i'd imagine they'd be delightful in february! boo hoo, i wanna go, too!!!

Thanks for the marriage counselling guys, it's wonderful what you can get at Fodors!
Re Zion: there were some nice looking places just outside the park; the Desert Pearl Inn caught my eye as we drove by. Just looked them up and their rates are around $80 in Feb, might do that. Vegaslocal, always nice to hear from you but I've got an idea that my visit to the Klondike in Vegas is going follow me around like an Albatross...

Loved the Desert Pearl! Do a search here and you'll see its received tons of accolades. (or, click on my name for our july out-west trip report, which included a stay there). And oooh how i wish i could return in february, too! Its not even winter technically and i'm already SICK of it!

Have fun!

Thanks Ellen, I'd read your report before but will certainly read it again in light of the new plans. Palm Springs sounds interesting, so will have to learn some more about it.

Just GOT to take my wife to see Grand Canyon. Thinking of going to Palm Springs from there, along this route: Cameron, Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, Blythe, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs. Interesting enough? Any other suggestions? Things to see/do on the way? (remember it's mid Feb)

Zion might be okay, but the other places in Utah, along with the Grand Canyon, would probably be too cold for me. On the other hand, Death Valley is nice then, and it's easy to reach from Las Vegas. We've gone in mid-March and had the temps get up to 100F. Phoenix might be good then, too.

Yes Phoenix, I was wondering whether to take it in. Any opinions as to why it's worthwhile? Main interest is sightseeing and just walking around.

Smiley, just wanted to let you know that your planned itenerary should not include Phoenix. Just an expance of suburbia. Sedona, Flagstaff, and Prescott are all great half to full day stops. If you stay in Prescott, make sure it is downtown at the St. Michaels. I think it is Arizona's oldest hotel. It's location is on "Whiskey Row." Lots of Old West history. Have fun!

Thanks JL, I appreciate your contribution. Anybody else got an opinion on Phoenix and surroundings to share?

The only things I've done in Phoenix were with a friend who lives there. Since I live in a small town, I enjoyed the shopping and restaurants. If I were going for a few days, I'd probably stay in Scottsdale, enjoy a spa, as well as swim at my hotel (would need a heated pool), and hike in some of the surrounding areas.

I've been to Flagstaff at that time of year and encountered bad roads, including the interstate. If you enjoy snow and winter activities, Flagstaff is great, really beautiful. It would be important to check the road conditions phone number or website, and stay flexible.

Well, we got there and back OK. Thanks for the help guys. Full trip report with photo's www.freewebs.com/smalley and extra photo's on http://community.webshots.com/user/marksmalley
Shorter version below:

Las Vegas
Take a walk along the indoor canals at the Venetian. Watch the moving statues, or rather the folk watching the moving statues. Tall blond bride with young military husband; there're lots of weddings on Valentine Day in Vegas. Later learn that 5% of all US weddings are done in Vegas. Incredible. Fountains at the Bellagio (www.bellagio.com) dance to Elton John, who's in town at Caesars Palace. Tickets from $80 to $200, I believe.

Sunday lunch: end up between the huddled masses at the Circus Circus lunch buffet. Have to wait 15 min, pay our $20 for the 2 of us and then follow the lady with a purple flag to a table at 1120. Lots of highly piled up plates around, they're reputed to feed up to 10000 a day. Salad, sausage, hash browns, waffle with strawberry sauce, orange juice, water, melon. Talk about La Grande Bouffe, but you've got to get your $20 worth.

Marijke goes to to Ethel M's Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden (www.ethelm.com) and the Liberace museum (www.liberace.com). Ethel not worth the $30 taxi ride but Liberace great fun.

Longish walk in the evening. Artificial rainstorm in the Aladdin not very impressive (www.desertpassage.com/section3/rainstorm.html). NY, NY isn't special. Watch part of tacky pirate show at Treasure Island (www.treasureisland.com/pages/ent_sirens.asp), very busy. It's free of course.

Joshua Tree National Park (www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm): drive for 90 min, wonderful but cold viewpoint at Keys View.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway www.pstramway.com)
Temp in the valley is about 17C and it's sunny. The tramway costs $20.80 each and at 1115 takes us up the steep 2.5 miles in less than 15 min. The cabin revolves, giving everybody a good view. It sways a fair bit when crossing the pylons, alarming the faint at heart. We're greeted by 6 inches of fresh snow, fallen last night; see squirrel tracks, according to a ranger. Some folks are dressed in shorts and T-shirts, not quite prepared for the change in climate, which goes through 4 or 5 climate-zones and is about 30F lower up top. Walk about in the snow for 90 min. Great views looking back down over the valley.

Santa Barbara (www.santabarbaraca.com). Visitors center has rainy day list but we do the recommended 12 block walk, spending most of the time inside the fine court house, with great views from the tower. It's in use but open to the public. It's cleared up a lot when we emerge.

Arrive at San Simeon and Hearst Castle (www.hearstcastle.org) at 1420. The elderly (aren't they all?) lady behind the ticket counter comments "How romantic" in an aside to a co-worker, having heard that her father has given her mother a treadmill for Valentines Day. The 1440 bus for tour 1 (recommended for first-timers, $18 each) takes 20 min to do the 5-mile drive up to the Castle. No food and drink; chewing gum is allowed, but only to keep the ears clear. Greeted by Andy and Ken, our guides for the 100 min tour of buildings and grounds. Gum to be disposed of before starting. The talk is informative and entertaining. Andy leads and Ken guards the rear, making sure that nobody gets lost or mauls the property. Andy is very SoCal and laid-back: "Everybody comfortable with that?". It's a very enjoyable tour. Watch a rather saccharine 40 min film about Hearst afterwards, giving an overview of Hearst's life.

Sequoia
Enter Sequoia at 1145 only to hear that snow chains are required to get near the big trees. Although we could hire some for $15 just outside the park we don't fancy the trouble and weren't planning to travel back that way to return them, so we drive up as far as we can get and then turn back. Some road works on the way up and down, reparing damaged lower banks. A road worker who's specialised in holding the stop-sign advises us of a good way to Death Valley, though Randsburg and Trona.

Death Valley (www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm).
First stop at Stovepipe Wells for restrooms and coffee. Sun breaks through but shortly disappears again. Walk in the sand dunes for a while, noticing that the bushes emit a burning odour. Stop at Zabriskie Point for a view and a rainy walk. Go up to Dantes View but are greeted by some snow (!) and immersed in clouds, so with hindsight this 25-mile detour wasn't such a good idea.

Zion (www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm).
Very quiet at Zion, about 500 cars, or so they guess. It's 3000 a day on the busiest days. Enquire at the visitors center about the road from Zion to Bryce but with plenty of snow and temperatures under zero it's iffy, so we abandon that idea and concentrate on Zion. We drive up the scenic route and do the Riverside Walk at the end of the road. Then back halfway to see how far we can get on the Angels Landing trail. We do about a third of the trail when a waterfall blocks our way so that's that. The Weeping Rock trail finishes our stay off.

St. George and the Mormons
We're back at St. George at 1400. Visit the Mormon Tabernacle (http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/loc...-1-1-1,00.html) where Sister Stevenson gives us a little talk and look around. She gives us stuff to read and pushes us off to the Temple (http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/loc...-1-1-1,00.html) to see a film on founder Joseph Smith getting his Vision, which we do. Two other groups are present, a young tourist couple and a young Mormon family with three kids. Elder Larsen talks us through various aspects of Mormon life. Apparently three quarters of the St. George population is a Latter Day Saints member, and about two thirds of those are allowed in the Temple, the remaining third presumably still working on their qualifications.

Valley of Fire (http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm), fee $6. Most worthwhile, a little gem that is probably ignored seeing as Zion and Bryce are the main attractions. Wonderful shapes and colours. Fair bit of sun and quite warm, which helps a lot. Do a number of little walks.