Calling Utahtea or Dwooddon......
 

Ok, the two of you have been soooooo helpful, we have changed our game plan as a result of your posts, instead of a "base" we now plan to do this....

Fly into Vegas early morning, May 21st, arrive Zion, plan to stay at the Desert Pearl 2 nights, then on to Bryce, still looking for lodging around there any suggestions??? 2 nights, then hopefully the North Rim will be open, I called the Park and they advised Mid May is what is typical, unless they have had major snows.... So I pray we will be safe, because I HAVE to see the Grand Canyon.... If not our plan B will be Lake Powell.... only problem is with lodging reservations, would like to reserve Grand Canyon Lodge for 2 nights. Then back to Vegas early morning spend all day one night and all day the next day, fly out late on the red eye back to Michigan and have Memorial Day to recoup.....

How will the weather be in later May, I'm hoping pretty warm....

Any particular hikes you can recommend (shorter ones) or rafting trips (milder ones).

Any favorite restaurants along our circle tour???

You guys have been very helpful..
Thank you

All I know about the N. Rim opening is what the offical website says and it says Mid-May. If it's anything like Yosemite, then it depends on mother-nature and the snow falls for that winter.

If you have never been to the Grand Canyon, I would recommend changing your route and include the S. Rim instead. You are only looking at a few more miles and maybe one more hour of driving time and you won't have to double back on most of your driving.

I would also suggest starting with the Grand Canyon.

Day 21 drive to Grand Canyon
Day 22 Grand Canyon
Day 23 Get up early drive to Page, AZ and do a float trip on the Colorado River. Spend night at Page, AZ (Lake Powell - Glen Canyon National Recreational Area) This float trip is motorized because the river is so calm.
Day 24 Drive to Bryce and spend the night.
Day 25 Spend most of the day at Bryce and drive to Zion to spend the night
Day 26 Zion
Day 27 Spend the morning in Zion and drive to Las Vegas.

Of course this route can be done in reverse, but I think I would want to visit the S. Rim as much before a holiday weekend as possible. Also the float trip can be booked from the Grand Canyon. It cost more and you will have to spend more time on the bus getting to and from the float trip.

In May we've experienced very warm to cold. More than likely it will be warm. I would check weather.com before you left to see what the weekly planner is and pack accordingly.

Utahtea

Woops, forgot to mention the hikes.

My favorite in Zion is the Riverside Walk which is an easy 2 mile round trip hike. My next favorite is the Emeral Pools hike. The lower and middle pools are not very hard, but the upper pool can get strenuous.

In Bryce my favorite is the Navajo - Queen's Garden loop. I think this one is a 3 mile round trip.

At the S. Rim I like to just walk along the rim trail and pick up the free shuttle bus when I get tired or the trail get's bad.

In the Page, AZ area I like the easy 3/4 mile hike to Horseshoe Bend. This is a real treat if you have done the rafting trip. The Upper Antelope Slots Canyon is an easy walk but you need to go with a guide so it can take an 1 to 1 1/2 of your time.

Our Vacation 2003 pictures were taken at the S. Rim, Lake Powell, Bryce and Zion. We did the float trip and the slots canyons that summer.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34548643

We camp and usually don't eat out, but we did eat at the Wahweap Marina twice and thought it was very good and you can't beat the view!

The Bumbleberry in Springdale was worse than a Denney's IMHO!

Utahtea

I agree with UtahTea with one exception: I prefer the north rim of the GC. My frail and aged body (well, maybe not frail but certainly aged) limits me to non-aggresive physical activites, especially at those altitudes so I do not need the options that only exist at the south rim for hikes, tours, etc. The drive into the north rim is much more scenic than the south, the crowds are almost always smaller, and the views, IMO, are just as good or better, expecially at sunset. The only risk is a late opening due to snow.

As far as lodging, I visit the Bryce Cyn area at least 5-6 times a year because my son, his wife, and my grandchildren live nearby. I always stay in Tropic at the Bryce Canyon Inn (435-679-8502 or brycecanyoninn.com) and have always been happy with it. The rooms are clean and comfortable. If you get a cabin they are very spacious and if you get a motel room, they are still good size. (Full disclosure: the owners know my son and I am priviledged to get a substantial discount staying there but that does not effect my opinion of the quality.)

The attached dining room is good for the area - nothing really special but good quality.

As UtahTea said, the weather is a variable that cannot be predicted this far in advance. Both the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon are at fairly high altitudes so it will almost certainly be cooler than Zion. It could be warm but I would be prepared for cool to cold and also for rain (not likely but possible).

If you are planning any off road adventures there are great opportunities for it. However, this high desert area is also susceptible to flash flooding, even from storms miles away. Enjoy your dirt-roading if you want to do it but always inquire locally about the roads you plan to take and the possibility of rain in the nearby mountains.

If no one has mentioned it to you yet, I would also inquire about an anuual pass to the National Parks. You can buy them at any park entrance and, depending on your plans in Utah (and anywhere else in the country for the rest of the year) they may save you money over the individual entry fees. If any of you are over age 62, you can get a lifetime pass for only $10, among the best $10's I've ever spent.

Have a great trip.

dwooddon and I agree on so much, but not when it comes to the Grand Canyon. I prefer the South Rim. We've been there the last two August's and I didn't think it was crowded. We were also there in early October and the place was dead!

I think you get a better idea of what the canyon is all about at the South rim. You're views at the N. Rim are more limited.

I wouldn't say that the drive to the N. Rim is any more scenic than the drive to the S. Rim. They are both scenic but VERY different. The S. rim will be all desert. The N. Rim is more mountains and trees.

Utahtea