andypsmith

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Zion,Bryce and Canyon north rim, first time here from England.

I will be travelling with 2 kids aged 8 and 10, can anyone recommend a B&B or small hotel so we can experience some "real american hospitality" outside of the large chains

Thanks in advance...

Judyrem

Try the Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale UT....it looks wonderful and has received great reviews, We are going Sept 21-25. Wsa going to saty at Flanigan's Inn, but the pool at Desert Pearl Inn looked great. Judy

maralynn

I am leaving for Springdale tomorrow and I will be staying at the Desert Pearl Inn... will let you know more about it !!

Judyrem

Thanks Maralyn, I can't wait to go. Andy: did you make any inquiries into Desert Pearl and Springdale B& Bs Judy

andypsmith

Thanks for the replies - I really like to sound of the desert pearl! I am checking availability as we speak.

Please keep me posted with your experiences - do you have any advice on the parks, we were going to do Zion, Bryce and GC nrth rim - is there a really good place for horse riding (novices!)

Andy

andypsmith

Hot news - managed to get a booking for 3 days at the desert pearl. I thought it might be difficult after seeing the rave reviews on this site and tripadvisor.com

Will post my finding early Sept

Cheers
Andy

travellyn

Regarding horseback riding, the same company serves all three parks you mention. I had ridden only a couple of times before in my life, and did fine witht the three and a half hour ride at Bryce (booked the same morning at the lodge). They also have two hour rides there. I was impressed with the professionalism of the staff. Their attention to safety was good. One of the cowboys said that most people who take their rides have little or no riding experience.

zootsi

Andy, we did a 2 hour horseback ride at Ruby's Inn, which is just outside Bryce Canyon. It was easy enough for a beginner, and a lot of fun - we rode thru some scenic canyon country, past Butch Cassidy's hideout. The cowboys who led the ride were the real deal. I understand the horse rides in Bryce are more challenging. The horse ride at Zion looked like a nice one also, but we opted to hike instead. As for rooms, you might also want to consider staying right in the parks as the rooms are quite nice, and at Zion staying at the lodge gives you a little more freedom to drive into the park. PS: If you want to experience some 'home town USA' culture, Springdale puts on a 1950's musical review every night at a small theater in town.

PamelaJane

We stayed at The Desert Pearl last August. It was great! The pool is wonderful and the views from the pool are like something out of National Geo.We went to Zion which is a short bus ride from the hotel. There are bus stops every couple of blocks on the main road. It is free.You can walk out of your room to the street and catch the bus to the park or in to "town".We spent three days in Zion going on different hikes. There are all different levels of hikes,some are more challenging than others.There is something for everyone. You can also ride the bus thru the park and get on and off at different sites.We went to Bryce canyon and saw it in one day. It is really pretty but you dont need as much time there.I was not impressed with the "town" at all. Ruby's hotel is clean but very basic hotel room.We had reservations for two nights but checked out after one.The view outside our window was of the parking lot and main hwy right beside the diner that tour buses pull up to all day.We went back to Springdale and stayed at Flanigans Inn.The room was large and nice,bathroom small.The pool is small but there is a hiking hill beside it good for kids. The restaurant at Flanigans is WONDERFUL.You can sit outside and watch the street.The Springdale Fruit Company is a great place to take the kids for a picnic.On the main road at the South entrance of the town. Fresh sandwiches and baked goods.Picnic tables on a shady grassy yard.We loved this town!Have fun.

Bonn

We just got back from this trip with two kids, 11 and 13. We stayed at the Desert Pearl in Springdale and LOVED it. Big, beautiful room with fridge and wet bar. Great pool and hot tub. Great view and location. They even had free movies to check out. Ask for a room on the river for an awesome, relaxing view. Caution, though, they add $10 per child to the room price; I paid $148 and could not find any offers for discounts anywhere. We drove from there to Bryce for a day (1 1/2 hour each way) and did the "Canyon Trail Rides" trip into Bryce Canyon. It was awesome, and the kids had no trouble with it. Caution again, the Ruby's trail ride does NOT go into Bryce.