stoatmb

Hey folks,

We're in the middle of planning a driving tour from Denver down to LA to take place around August time next year. Was wondering if some local experts would be so kind as to take a look at our planned itinerary and give us some pointers on the route and time we are planning to spend in each place.

So far, we've put together this route: http://goo.gl/pzjn We have around 27 days to see as much as we can, but we'd like to avoid rushing too much! We've got the dates as below so far:

Moab Tue, Aug 02, 2011
Cortez Fri, Aug 05, 2011
Monument Valley Sun, Aug 07, 2011
Chinle Wed, Aug 10, 2011
Flagstaff Sat, Aug 13, 2011
Bryce Canyon Wed, Aug 17, 2011
Springdale Fri, Aug 19, 2011
Las Vegas Sat, Aug 20, 2011
Death Valley Wed, Aug 24, 2011
Baker Thu, Aug 25, 2011
Joshua Tree Fri, Aug 26, 2011
Los Angeles Sat, Aug 27, 2011

It's a little faster later on, but we think there seems to be more earlier in the trip. Any advice you can give gratefully received!

Cheers,

Jamie

emalloy

Personally, unless you've been to Colorado before, I'd spend some time there at the beginning of the trip and visit Rocky Mt. National park on the way west.

Is the stay in Cortez so that you can go to Mesa Verde? If so why not stay in Mesa Verde and spend a couple of days there? Also consider dropping down to Mesa Verde before you go to Moab to avoid some backtracking.

Monument Valley IMHO takes one day to visit nicely so Aug.07 is plenty but is your next date Aug 10 for Chinle to see Canyon de Chelley? If so that would need 2 days to do, one to do the top/overlooks and one to tour with a Navajo guide inside.

Why Flagstaff? If for Grand Canyon, go for staying a night or two in the park; If for Sedona, go down and spend a couple of days there.

Consider doing a couple of days in the Page/Lake Powell area after Grand Canyon and a day or two between there and Bryce.

Unless you are really into gambling, one or two nights in Vegas will be plenty.

I love Death Valley but, Death Valley and Joshua Tree will be way too hot for outside activities, just a quick drive through in your car.

Hope you have a fantastic trip.

Dayle

stoatmb,

I have the opinion that you are spending too much time in the Monument Valley and Mojave Desert areas and not enough in the UT parks. 1.5 days in Moab is just not even the minimum needed. Joshua Tree I would probably skip altogether. As emalloy says, a brif trip to Monument Valley is enough.

It might help if you tell us what you hope to see and do with each of your overnight stops.

I agree with emalloy that in many of these places you would be staying closer to the sights and not in "nearby" towns. If you haven't been to the western US before, the driving distances are MUCH greater than you think.

PeaceOut

Looks like a very HOT itinerary in August. Why aren't you visiting some of the mountain areas?

janisj

Baker?? No reason to stay there - at all.

Death Valley and Baker/Joshua Tree will be more than hot, they will be <red>HOT</red> - like Hades hot

I would never stay in Baker -- but in August it would be unthinkable.

If you want to drive through DV on your way to Los Angeles -- OK. But you won't be getting out of the car.

So you could trim those 3 days and add them to some of the other parks.

And 3 nights in Flagstaff - wouldn't be my choice.

janisj

"Death Valley and Baker/Joshua Tree will be more than hot, they will be <red>HOT</red>"

I just looked it up because I couldn't remember the exact number -- but to give you and idea, the giant Thermometer in Baker displays up to 134°F

DebitNM

Not sure why you tagged New Mexico as you have no stops planned for NM. Mesa Verde is well worth your stop, I assume your Cortez days are for that purpose.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...by-debitnm.cfm

dbdurand

Let me address the issue of heat in the desert southwest in August, since it seems to be a preoccupation of this thread. Of course it will be hot, but the question is how to deal with that reality.

I'll start with Death Valley. The busy months in Death Valley are March and April, and amazingly, July and August. This is due to an influx of European tourists who seek the extreme heat. See:

http://www.petergreenberg.com/2010/0...mt-washington/

Since I live fairly close to Death Valley, I can choose the season to visit, but if I had to visit in August, I would stay at the Furnace Creek Ranch overnight and get up as soon as there was a little light to start seeing the sights. The average high is 113, which occurs about 2 or so in the afternoon. But the average low is 84, which typically is just before dawn. So there are several hours when it is reasonably comfortable, and several more when it's starting to get hot but is still bearable. If you say, well it could be hotter than average that day, than I will say that the nature of averages is that it could be cooler than average. Half full, half empty. What's your philosophy?

stoatmb

Hey all,

Thanks so much for the feedback! To take your questions in order:

@emalloy, nope haven't been to Colorado before, so I'll definitely look into Rocky Mountain National Park, thanks. Cortez was indeed for Mesa Verde, but we'll check out the possibility of staying directly there - didn't realise that was possible. Chinle was for Canyon de Chelley, so we will look into two days there. Flagstaff was as a convenient base for the Grand Canyon and for Sedona - maybe going to those places directly will be better. Maybe doing the North Rim and Lake Powell as well? 4 days in Vegas is because we're meeting family there, but otherwise I'd probably only do a couple of days there. Thanks also for the advice RE: Death Valley!

@Dayle, yeah, I kind of had that feeling. Based on the feedback here, I'm probably going to re-balance it a bit more to Utah. Certainly also going to look into staying at the places directly. I'd picked the stops as convenient places on main roads that we could drive comfortably in a day (we're actually from Australia, so used to heat and long distances )

@PeaceOut, that's a good point - which mountainous areas would you consider worth including?

@janisj, Baker was just a stopping point so we weren't driving too far in a single day. There wasn't really any reason for it other than that. 134 is an impressive number, hotter even than we have here... Looks like we'll be making sure the aircon works Think I'll be taking your advice and putting more into the beginning, and just doing this part as a drive through.

@DebitNM, yup, that was just a mistake Cortez was indeed for Mesa Verde, but we're thinking now of maybe staying directly in there.

Thanks again for all the help, this should give us lots to go on for version 2

Cheers,

Jamie.

janisj

Oh - I agree -- an overnight at Furnace Creek and an early start would be OK.

But I ask you --- BAKER??!?

boskorama

quick suggestions: skip Baker and spend at least two days in Joshua Tree - also, I assume you'll be visiting the Grand Canyon while you're in the Flagstaff area?

janisj

Oh -- stoatmb, I didn't see your last post (we were posting at the same time). That >>But I ask you --- BAKER??!?

dbdurand

As Janis implies, Baker is not a good choice for an overnight stay, not because of the temperature, but because the few "hotels" get abysmal ratings on Tripadvisor.

Baker has always been just a "wide spot in the road", good only for a place to get gas, a bite to eat, and a potty stop for travelers to and from LA and Las Vegas. And secondarily, for travel to and from Death Valley.

The "World's Largest Thermometer" in Baker is just a stunt to publicize the tiny town. It's 134 feet high to "commemorate" the record high temperature (134F) reached in Death Valley in 1913. Baker has never gotten that high. The average high in August is more like 105.

Dayle

PS - regarding Baker - it's really a pit. And try NOT to need gas there, it's very expensive. State Line or Barstow would be less $$.

Definitely try to stay in the Natl Parks or as close as you can get. No need to stay in "nearby" towns because they are not that nearby, except for Springdale, outside Zion.

You have plenty of time to arrange you lodging, so go for the best locations for your sightseeing. If lodging inside the Natl Parks is already full, just keep calling twice a day, every day. You'll get in.

dbdurand

Continuing with the subject of summer heat in the desert southwest, you'll know you're there when......

You can say 115 degrees without fainting.
You notice your car overheating before you drive it.
You have to go to a fake beach for some fake waves.
You discover, in July, that it only takes two fingers to drive your car.
You can make sun tea instantly.
You no longer associate bridges (or rivers) with water.
You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
The reporters, trying to prove a point, actually BURN the egg they're cooking on the sidewalk.
Hotter water comes from the cold water tap than the hot one.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
Umbrellas are not for rain. In fact, they aren't waterproof.
Hot air balloons can't go up, because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.
No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car.
Convertibles are not a status symbol. They are a sign of blind vanity.

dbdurand

Continuing with the subject of summer heat in the desert southwest, you'll know you're there when......

You can say 115 degrees without fainting.
You notice your car overheating before you drive it.
You have to go to a fake beach for some fake waves.
You discover, in July, that it only takes two fingers to drive your car.
You can make sun tea instantly.
You no longer associate bridges (or rivers) with water.
You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
The reporters, trying to prove a point, actually BURN the egg they're cooking on the sidewalk.
Hotter water comes from the cold water tap than the hot one.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
Umbrellas are not for rain. In fact, they aren't waterproof.
Hot air balloons can't go up, because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.
No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car.
Convertibles are not a status symbol. They are a sign of blind vanity.

dbdurand

Whoops. I must have hit the Submit button twice. Sorry. Must be the heat. It's 10AM and it's already up to 77F.

dbdurand

I have a few more suggestions for the "hot" part of your trip.

I forgot to advise you to bring an umbrella and don't be bashful about using it when walking around in the sun.

On your way into Death Valley, which ideally will be in the morning hours, be sure to stop at Zabriskie Point for the view of the Furnace Creek area of the valley.

Consider arranging your itinerary within the valley to have you visiting the Badwater area on your way out of the valley. Continue south on Badwater Road, which is highway 178. It will join highway 127 leading to Baker.

At Joshua tree NP, enter the park at either Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms, then explore the park and head southeast through the park to exit at the south, then to I-10 heading toward LA.