Arizona/Utah - Itinerary Help
 

We are trying to organize a trip in the Southwest for March. In some respects this is not the ideal time for some areas as we have been told it can be cold, windy, and snow at some locations.

We would appreciate any suggestions on whether this is a reasonable itinerary for a reasonably active family.

08 Mar - Tucson/Arrive - Hotel: Embassy Suites Paloma
09 Mar - Tucson - Saguaro NP - Hotel: Embassy Suites Paloma
10 Mar - Tucson - Saguaro NP - Hotel: Embassy Suites Paloma
11 Mar - Sedona - Hotel: Boots and Saddles
12 Mar - Sedona - Hotel: Boots and Saddles
13 Mar - Sedona - Hotel: Boots and Saddles
14 Mar - Grand Canyon - Hotel: El Tovar
15 Mar - Zion NP - Springdale - Hotel: Desert Pearl Inn
16 Mar - Zion NP - Springdale - Hotel: Desert Pearl Inn
17 Mar - Zion NP - Springdale - Hotel: Desert Pearl Inn
18 Mar - Bryce NP - Rubys Inn
19 Mar - Capitol Reef NP - Torrey - Hotel: Best Western
20 Mar - Capitol Reef NP - Torrey - Hotel: Best Western
21 Mar - Arches NP - Moab - Hotel: Best Western Canyonlands
22 Mar - Arches NP - Moab - Hotel: Best Western Canyonlands
23 Mar - Canyonland NP - Moab - Hotel: Best Western Canyonlands
24 Mar - Monument Valley - Hotel: Gouldings
25 Mar - Monument Valley - Hotel: Gouldings
26 Mar - Canyon de Chelly - Hotel: Best Western
27 Mar - Canyon de Chelly - Hotel: Best Western

From Canyon de Chelly we will drive back to Phoenix for a flight home.

Looks nice to me. I think a day in Grand Canyon is fine, unless you really want to hike down into it a long way. And Bryce weather may not be good, so a day there might be all right. Otherwise, I would take a day off of Monument Valley and add it to Bryce. For some reason, Monument Valley is my least favorite places we have visited in Arizona/Utah/Four Corners area

http://www.photoworks.com/members/Spirobulldog

click on "view all" for our photos including Zion, Arches, Canyonlands,Monument Valley/Valley of the Gods(which is in Mesa Verde File), Grand Canyon

I haven't been to Canyon De Chelly, but I would probably go for the Thunderbird Lodge. In Moab and Torrey there are several good looking B&B's. we did like you and just stayed at a typical motel/hotel. I would probably go for Zion Lodge in Zion, but a lot of people like Desert Pearl, so they must be doing a lot right there. I just prefer "in the park" at the historic lodges, you should at least eat a meal there. We like Whiptail Grill in Zion. Don't expect much at Goulding for lodging or dining. But certainly, worth going for a day and a night, but I would be tempted to cut one day out at Monument Valley unless you are horseback riding or something like that. Just north of Monument Valley is a good B&B- Valley of the Gods. Right near it is Moki Dugway, Goosenecks of the San Juan, and Muley Point Overlook. All within just a few miles of each other and all 4 are nice attractions. I would try and stay a night or 2 at Valley of the Gods if it is available.

I mentioned in another post www.deserhighlights.com
Canyoneering is an awesome experience, that rates up there with rafting the Grand Canyon in my book. I would do Angels Landing and The Narrows while @ Zion. Natural Bridges National Monument is a good place is about an hour off the beaten track. I would like to have been there at night, as it is the darkest spot in the US. Stars are amazing in Utah and Arizona when you are away from any city for 40 or 50 miles.

Utahtea, Dayle, Meyer and Debit, along with several others have great ideas and have a lot more experience than I do at these places. I am sure they will give good imput here as well.

One more thing, We did a flyover of Canyonlands with Slick Rock air, which was nice. Helicopter tour of Grand Canyon is nice as well, if you can work those into your budget. You just get to see a lot more from the air, in a short amount of time, and it gives a different perspective of things.

Sorry, I meant to add Goblin Valley and Dead Horse Point to my lest as well. Buy a Park Pass to save yourself some money.

Spirobulldog. Thank you for the great input.

I agree with spiro that it looks good ... only change I'd consider is your hotel in Chinle (Canyon de Chelly) ... the one you picked is OK but I like two others better. The Holiday Inn Express is newer and nicer and has a free breakfast. The Thunderbird Lodge is older but in a better location and has more 'local color'. I would choose either of them over the Junction Best Western, which I've stayed at a couple of times, if the price is comparable.

I would think you might want 2 nights in the Grand Canyon, so you have one full day there.

We love Sedona but have not been to the other places on your list.

Are you flying into Phoenix or do you have an open jaw ticket? Everyone loves Tucson but it seems to be a bit out of your way. This is a really long trip though--you are lucky to be able to take so much time to see the area. Our friends met us at the Grand Canyon in March 2007. They flew into LV and did Zion and Bryce before meeting us. They did have snow in Bryce. We drove into the Grand Canyon in snow but then had great clear skies after that.

Always,

Sedona is not my favorite, I prefer the National Parks, so my recommendation would be to take a day from Sedona and add it to Moab.

Be advised that if you plan to drive the scenic byway Hys 12 in March you may very well encounter snow going over Boulder Mountain on the way to Capitol Reef. Be sure to check the weather reports a day or so in advance of making that drive.

Do you have to go in March? April would be better. Also, make sure you are not doing this during Easter week!

Line me up with the "Sedona ain't so hot" crowd. It 's a gorgeous setting, but just too "new agey" and no enough real desert or canyon for me.

Definitely worth a drive through, but.....

In some respects this is not the ideal time for some areas as we have been told it can be cold, windy, and snow at some locations."

It's too early in the year in my opinion except for the Southern Arizona destinations. Zion might be OK but would be better in late April or May.

I do agree with Superlicious about being early. But if March is your only option, you will still probably enjoy it. Is that your only option????

We are hikers so we really enjoyed Sedona. The town of Sedona is not impressive. We were there before the big fires they had but we were very impressed with the fabulous red rock canyon views that we had on our hikes.

We were in Sedona in February so I think March would be fine for Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

I'll join the anti-sedona crowd. I also prefer the National Parks and I agree with Dayle to take a day away from Sedona and give it to Moab. You mentioned two days in Canyonlands, do you plan too visit the Island in the Sky district and the Needles District?

We've hit nice weather days and also snow in Zion in February. We've hit snow in Flagstaff and Sedona in mid-March. Come prepared for all kinds of weather and weather conditions!

Utahtea

When you get to Monument Valley you will be close to Bluff, Utah. I have a blog with a lot of information about this area, check it out you should might want to take a short hike to one of the many ruins there.
http://reddirtdawg.blogspot.com/

Not sure you need 2 days at Saguaro. I would add another day elsewhere or hike somewhere else for that day. Saguaro is nice and there are 2 sections so conceivably you could spend a couple days there, but it doesn't quite compare to some of the other parks you'll see later on.

Never been to Monument Valley but from what I understand, you are pretty restricted in where you can go. I don't think I would allot 2 days there either. Perhaps you could add another day to Moab or somewhere around Phoenix like the Superstitions?

Big thumbs up, Always on the Road, for the Desert Pearl Inn - lovely place. I would also recommend Red Cliffs Lodge, a few miles outside of Moab, on the Colorado. Gorgeous place.
I'm another one who doesn't like Sedona all that much - but it is a restful place and we enjoyed Red Rock State Park.
If you wanted to add anything else to your trip (!) - which, by the way, sounds wonderful - you could drive up over the Superstition Mountains, from Phoenix, to Petrified Forest NP and also Meteor Crater.
If, when at Monument Valley, you decide to drive through the Valley of the Gods, bear in mind that it's a dirt track and very, very windy - best with a 4x4 (which we didn't have!) - it doesn't look very far on the map, but it took us 2 hours for the 15 miles!! Then, just as you think you're 'back on the road', you have Moki Dugway to contend with!
Have a great time!

Thanks to everyone for the very helpful suggestions.

We are pretty much tied to the March period and will hope the weather is kind.

One of the problems we discovered early on is that there is something happening in Moab on 20 March that has filled up almost all of the available rooms.

I am not too surprised by the thoughts on Sedona and Saguaro. Are there some other areas or places that we should consider in those areas?

We hope to spend most of the time on the day we would head to Monument Valley in the Moab area and then drive in the afternoon to MV. That way we have one day at MV.

Canyon de Chelly sounded interesting but we also only want to spend one day there so would like to find some things to do on the day we drive between the two places as the drive is not all that long.

Thanks again. AOTR

Spend an extra day at the rim and maybe one in Flagstaff at Sunset Crater to replace some Saguaro/Sedona time. You could also swing through Petrified Forest National Park on a day trip.

If it were me, I would add also time at Bryce. It is small but 2 sunsets and sunrises, or a chance at a second if the first one is rained or clouded out are twice as much heaven. Take the trail ride one day, hike the next, visit Kodachrome State Basin

When we were there in June the road at Valley of the Gods was in perfect condition and it wasn't windy at all. It took us less than 30 minutes the second time we drove it. I let my 13 year old daughter drive for about a mile and we didn't meet a single car the entire length of it. It is 10 miles long or so. It is a dirt road and I have read many accounts of how it can be bad after a thunderstorm. It is just a typical dirt road. I don't see how it could be any more windy there than at Monument Valley just down the road. It is basically a mini Monument Valley.

Hi spirobulldog - were you in a 4x4? We didn't do the Monument Valley road, ironically, because it wasn't paved, but we did Valley of the Gods and, although perhaps 'windy' isn't the right word to use, it was very bumpy in a saloon car and it did take us 2 hours! It was in June, same as you, and dry. We didn't regret doing it though! http://www.francesjane.com/usa16.html