Family Trip Report on Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion
Jun 24th, 2004, 12:35 PM
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Family Trip Report on Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion
Just back. Husband, 7 year old and I had a wonderful time. I love reading everyone's trip reports so hear is ours.
Thursday
Flew into Las Vegas on Southwest. Uneventful flight, just the way I like them. We picked up rental car and were on the road by noon, headed to Torrey, Utah. We stopped in St. George for a quick bite to eat at a Subway. Just wanted something quick. Found it odd that they had Subways at service stations. This is not something we have in the bayarea.
About 6 hours later, including lunch stop and another 30 minute break later, we arrived in Torrey, Utah. Because of the time change though, this put us there at about 7 pm. We checked into Austin's Chuckwagon and found the place perfect for our needs. Nothing fancy but clean, nice people, nice little area, pool, and they have a little store out front. Wished that we had stayed two nights here.
Let my daughter take a quick swim and then we had dinner at Cafe Diablo. This place was great! We got there late and the service was very slow, but once we got our food all was forgiven. My husband loved the ribs and my pecan crusted chicken was very good. The presentation is so unique. I wish that I had brought my camera. Finally, the dessert was fantastic. I believe my daughter ordered chocolate,chocolate chip ice cream. It was homemade and phenomenal. Yummy. Then it was off to bed to crash.
Friday
Got up early and drove into Capitol Reef. We stopped first at Goosenecks Overlooks. Very short hike and wonderful views. We then stopped in the Visitor Center and then drove to Grand Wash. We took a wonderful hike there. Beautiful area and I highly recommend it. My daughter loved it as well. Of course, we didn't go the whole way. We also stopped and saw the petroglyphs which are right by the side of the road. The other wonderful thing about this area is that is not visited by that many people YET. I want to go back. So much we didn't see, but the road called. More to come.
Thursday
Flew into Las Vegas on Southwest. Uneventful flight, just the way I like them. We picked up rental car and were on the road by noon, headed to Torrey, Utah. We stopped in St. George for a quick bite to eat at a Subway. Just wanted something quick. Found it odd that they had Subways at service stations. This is not something we have in the bayarea.
About 6 hours later, including lunch stop and another 30 minute break later, we arrived in Torrey, Utah. Because of the time change though, this put us there at about 7 pm. We checked into Austin's Chuckwagon and found the place perfect for our needs. Nothing fancy but clean, nice people, nice little area, pool, and they have a little store out front. Wished that we had stayed two nights here.
Let my daughter take a quick swim and then we had dinner at Cafe Diablo. This place was great! We got there late and the service was very slow, but once we got our food all was forgiven. My husband loved the ribs and my pecan crusted chicken was very good. The presentation is so unique. I wish that I had brought my camera. Finally, the dessert was fantastic. I believe my daughter ordered chocolate,chocolate chip ice cream. It was homemade and phenomenal. Yummy. Then it was off to bed to crash.
Friday
Got up early and drove into Capitol Reef. We stopped first at Goosenecks Overlooks. Very short hike and wonderful views. We then stopped in the Visitor Center and then drove to Grand Wash. We took a wonderful hike there. Beautiful area and I highly recommend it. My daughter loved it as well. Of course, we didn't go the whole way. We also stopped and saw the petroglyphs which are right by the side of the road. The other wonderful thing about this area is that is not visited by that many people YET. I want to go back. So much we didn't see, but the road called. More to come.
Jun 24th, 2004, 03:07 PM
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Hey Bayareamama,
I'm so glad you are posting a trip report because I'm doing this same trip the first of July and I have a question for you that's driving me crazy. I can't decide whether I should stay two nights at the Chuckwagon in Capital Reef and two nights at the Desert Pearl in Zion or one night at the chuckwagon and three nights in Zion. Since, you just went to these places, which would you advise me to do? You just mentioned, you wished you had two nights in the Chuckwagon at Cap.Reef . I have the 13th/14th reserved there but, I also, have the 14th, 15th and 16th in the Desert Pearl so, I have to cancel the 14th at one of those places. Thank you!
I'm so glad you are posting a trip report because I'm doing this same trip the first of July and I have a question for you that's driving me crazy. I can't decide whether I should stay two nights at the Chuckwagon in Capital Reef and two nights at the Desert Pearl in Zion or one night at the chuckwagon and three nights in Zion. Since, you just went to these places, which would you advise me to do? You just mentioned, you wished you had two nights in the Chuckwagon at Cap.Reef . I have the 13th/14th reserved there but, I also, have the 14th, 15th and 16th in the Desert Pearl so, I have to cancel the 14th at one of those places. Thank you!
Jun 24th, 2004, 03:07 PM
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Friday cont'd
Stopped back at hotel, let daughter swim and then we were off on hwy. 12 toward Bryce. We loved driving this road. Another must see!
Arrived at Bryce and checked into Western Cabin.
I though it was great and the location can't be beat. We knew that it would be rustic and it was, but this just added to the ambiance imho. The lodge is old and the whole place takes you to a bygone era. My husband on the other hand had some real issues with the place. He is allergic to a few things and was sure that someone had brought their dog into the cabin previously, which they are not suppose to do, of course. I think that it might have been just the dust, etc. Regardless of what caused it, he had a pretty rough night trying to sleep there, even after taking allergy medicine. Anyway, just an fyi to anyone who might be sensitive to those type of things.
Back to the beautiful park. Like I said the cabin location is ideal. My daughter and I walked to the rim and walked down to Sunset point. She saw Navajo Loop Trail and wanted to go back and get her dad so that we could all hike it. It was wonderful to see her get excited about showing Bryce to him. We walked a good portion of it. Loved it.
Dinner was at the lodge that night. Food was okay as we expected. We enjoyed being in the lodge though.
Saturday
Up and out early to go for the 2 hour horseback ride into Bryce. We really enjoyed this and was fun for our daughter. I probably wouldn't have done it without her, but was a nice way to get down into the canyon and 2 hours was just about perfect for us. The guides are great, very knowledgable, and good with the kids.
Drove the two hours to Zion. Really wanted to stop and hike Canyon Overlook trail per recommendations here and by our guide from the horseride in Bryce, but alas the little one's need for a bathroom and relaxation called. It will have to wait for another trip. Coming in on hwy. 9 was a beautiful drive though!
Checked into Desert Pearl Inn. We loved it as many others have. The only minor down side for us was how cold the pool was. I mean really cold. Our daughter enjoyed it none the less, but mom and dad could barely stand to be in it, even though it was really hot outside. Dinner was at Zion Noodle and Pizza. Good, casual place to have pizza and a cold beer. Another good recommendation here!
Sunday
Got up early and rode the shuttle into the park. Hiked Riverside Walk and a little ways into the Narrows. Beautiful! Lots of fun, until our daughter fell on her fanny. That water is cold, especially since it was still shady where we were at. She was ready to go pretty quickly after that! The sun dried her out pretty quickly so we stopped off and did the short hike to Lower Emerald Pools. With the drought conditions, there is not much water, but still a wonderful place.
Headed back to Springdale for lunch and to relax now that it was getting hot. Had lunch at Oscar's Cafe. Very tasty chicken sandwich. Highly recommend. Pool time, then checked out the giant screen film on Zion to get out of the heat for a bit. This was quite enjoyable and not just for the air conditioning. The footage was breathtaking and included a bit of other parks in the area, as well as Zion. Dinner that night was at Bit and Spur and though it was okay, nothing special. Everything seemed a little bland. Did like the lime ? dressing on the salad though.
Monday
Breakfast at Spotted Dog at Flanigan's was delicious. Had heard mixed reviews of this place but we all really enjoyed the food. Yummy french toast! Stopped back in the Visitor Center and then we were off to Las Vegas.
Stayed at Flamingo primarily for the pool and because of the great rate. My daughter really did enjoy the slides and the pool. We had dinner at Margaritaville since it is right there at the Flamingo. It was fun and loud. My daughter liked the people on stilts who walked through the restaurant and we liked the margaritas. I thought that we might enjoy seeing some of the freebie kid-friendly entertainment as well, but after a walk into Ceasars to see the free show in the forum shops area I remembered how much sensory overload it really is there. We didn't have a bad time but I won't stay there again on a family trip.
Tuesday
Quick dip in the pool then decided to head out of town. We stopped in to the Shelby Plant, for my husband. They have a small display of a few of the cars and you can take a tour of their factory if you get there at 10:30 am. We didn't but worth a peek if you are a fan and driving by. We also headed out to Hoover Dam. My husband had not seen it before. We just walked around and took pictures. Did not go on a tour. It really is amazing when you look at the magnitude of it! Headed back to Las Vegas and hunted down Lotus of Siam for lunch. Ordered off the menu. Highlights were the pork stew from the northern menu and the coconut ice cream with sticky rice for dessert. My daughter enjoyed the chicken satay and said the dessert was the best ever. Don't know about that but it was awful yummy! Afternoon at the pool and just grabbed a sandwich for dinner.
Wednesday
Quick breakfast at Lindys in Flamingo. Okay for what it was. Packed up and headed home. A wonderful trip!!!! Missing our time in Utah.
Stopped back at hotel, let daughter swim and then we were off on hwy. 12 toward Bryce. We loved driving this road. Another must see!
Arrived at Bryce and checked into Western Cabin.
I though it was great and the location can't be beat. We knew that it would be rustic and it was, but this just added to the ambiance imho. The lodge is old and the whole place takes you to a bygone era. My husband on the other hand had some real issues with the place. He is allergic to a few things and was sure that someone had brought their dog into the cabin previously, which they are not suppose to do, of course. I think that it might have been just the dust, etc. Regardless of what caused it, he had a pretty rough night trying to sleep there, even after taking allergy medicine. Anyway, just an fyi to anyone who might be sensitive to those type of things.
Back to the beautiful park. Like I said the cabin location is ideal. My daughter and I walked to the rim and walked down to Sunset point. She saw Navajo Loop Trail and wanted to go back and get her dad so that we could all hike it. It was wonderful to see her get excited about showing Bryce to him. We walked a good portion of it. Loved it.
Dinner was at the lodge that night. Food was okay as we expected. We enjoyed being in the lodge though.
Saturday
Up and out early to go for the 2 hour horseback ride into Bryce. We really enjoyed this and was fun for our daughter. I probably wouldn't have done it without her, but was a nice way to get down into the canyon and 2 hours was just about perfect for us. The guides are great, very knowledgable, and good with the kids.
Drove the two hours to Zion. Really wanted to stop and hike Canyon Overlook trail per recommendations here and by our guide from the horseride in Bryce, but alas the little one's need for a bathroom and relaxation called. It will have to wait for another trip. Coming in on hwy. 9 was a beautiful drive though!
Checked into Desert Pearl Inn. We loved it as many others have. The only minor down side for us was how cold the pool was. I mean really cold. Our daughter enjoyed it none the less, but mom and dad could barely stand to be in it, even though it was really hot outside. Dinner was at Zion Noodle and Pizza. Good, casual place to have pizza and a cold beer. Another good recommendation here!
Sunday
Got up early and rode the shuttle into the park. Hiked Riverside Walk and a little ways into the Narrows. Beautiful! Lots of fun, until our daughter fell on her fanny. That water is cold, especially since it was still shady where we were at. She was ready to go pretty quickly after that! The sun dried her out pretty quickly so we stopped off and did the short hike to Lower Emerald Pools. With the drought conditions, there is not much water, but still a wonderful place.
Headed back to Springdale for lunch and to relax now that it was getting hot. Had lunch at Oscar's Cafe. Very tasty chicken sandwich. Highly recommend. Pool time, then checked out the giant screen film on Zion to get out of the heat for a bit. This was quite enjoyable and not just for the air conditioning. The footage was breathtaking and included a bit of other parks in the area, as well as Zion. Dinner that night was at Bit and Spur and though it was okay, nothing special. Everything seemed a little bland. Did like the lime ? dressing on the salad though.
Monday
Breakfast at Spotted Dog at Flanigan's was delicious. Had heard mixed reviews of this place but we all really enjoyed the food. Yummy french toast! Stopped back in the Visitor Center and then we were off to Las Vegas.
Stayed at Flamingo primarily for the pool and because of the great rate. My daughter really did enjoy the slides and the pool. We had dinner at Margaritaville since it is right there at the Flamingo. It was fun and loud. My daughter liked the people on stilts who walked through the restaurant and we liked the margaritas. I thought that we might enjoy seeing some of the freebie kid-friendly entertainment as well, but after a walk into Ceasars to see the free show in the forum shops area I remembered how much sensory overload it really is there. We didn't have a bad time but I won't stay there again on a family trip.
Tuesday
Quick dip in the pool then decided to head out of town. We stopped in to the Shelby Plant, for my husband. They have a small display of a few of the cars and you can take a tour of their factory if you get there at 10:30 am. We didn't but worth a peek if you are a fan and driving by. We also headed out to Hoover Dam. My husband had not seen it before. We just walked around and took pictures. Did not go on a tour. It really is amazing when you look at the magnitude of it! Headed back to Las Vegas and hunted down Lotus of Siam for lunch. Ordered off the menu. Highlights were the pork stew from the northern menu and the coconut ice cream with sticky rice for dessert. My daughter enjoyed the chicken satay and said the dessert was the best ever. Don't know about that but it was awful yummy! Afternoon at the pool and just grabbed a sandwich for dinner.
Wednesday
Quick breakfast at Lindys in Flamingo. Okay for what it was. Packed up and headed home. A wonderful trip!!!! Missing our time in Utah.
Jun 24th, 2004, 04:51 PM
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Hey Trisha,
It is such a subjective thing and people enjoy different parks for different reasons. My husband probably enjoyed Bryce the most because it is so unique. I liked Capitol Reef alot, probably because I had never been there and had visited the other two before. I also liked that it felt more remote and somehow more pristine to me. I was going to suggest that you add Bryce with that extra day, but then clicked on your name and saw that you plan to visit it along with other places.
One reason that I would liked to have had another night in Torrey was to really enjoy the sunset and to do another hike or two. I just felt a little rushed there.
I think that since you are only driving from Moab you should get there early enough to do those things. Plus you mentioned that you plan to spend the better part of the next day in Capitol Reef, so I would be inclined to stick with your plan of one night in Torrey and then continue on to Zion. Just be forewarned that it will be hot in Zion in July, whereas Capitol Reef and Bryce are cooler because they are higher up. Hike early in the day and drink lots of water. You may want to post your entire planned route and others could provide more insight. I'm jealous. Have fun!
It is such a subjective thing and people enjoy different parks for different reasons. My husband probably enjoyed Bryce the most because it is so unique. I liked Capitol Reef alot, probably because I had never been there and had visited the other two before. I also liked that it felt more remote and somehow more pristine to me. I was going to suggest that you add Bryce with that extra day, but then clicked on your name and saw that you plan to visit it along with other places.
One reason that I would liked to have had another night in Torrey was to really enjoy the sunset and to do another hike or two. I just felt a little rushed there.
I think that since you are only driving from Moab you should get there early enough to do those things. Plus you mentioned that you plan to spend the better part of the next day in Capitol Reef, so I would be inclined to stick with your plan of one night in Torrey and then continue on to Zion. Just be forewarned that it will be hot in Zion in July, whereas Capitol Reef and Bryce are cooler because they are higher up. Hike early in the day and drink lots of water. You may want to post your entire planned route and others could provide more insight. I'm jealous. Have fun!
Jun 24th, 2004, 05:12 PM
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Really enjoyed your report bayareamama. You visited two of our favorite places, Zion and Bryce! And I agree about Vegas, once was more than enough for me. I'd like to hear more about the horseback riding, do you ride at home or was this something you did just on vacation? Its been several years but we hope to get back there again soon, and I'd like to go riding next time.
Jun 24th, 2004, 08:24 PM
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Audra,
I have been on a horse only one other time in my life. They say that most people who take the ride have never ridden before. The horses really do know where they are going. By the way, don't believe the guide if he tells you that your horse is blind in the left eye, as mine did. They do have a good sense of humor. I do recommend the two hour ride, because it takes you right down into the canyon and gives you a whole other perspective. Of course, a good hike would do the same, but being on the horse and with the knowledgable guides added to the experience. Two hours was just about right. I think the half day would have been too much for us. Hope you get back to this beautiful area soon!
I have been on a horse only one other time in my life. They say that most people who take the ride have never ridden before. The horses really do know where they are going. By the way, don't believe the guide if he tells you that your horse is blind in the left eye, as mine did. They do have a good sense of humor. I do recommend the two hour ride, because it takes you right down into the canyon and gives you a whole other perspective. Of course, a good hike would do the same, but being on the horse and with the knowledgable guides added to the experience. Two hours was just about right. I think the half day would have been too much for us. Hope you get back to this beautiful area soon!
Jun 24th, 2004, 08:29 PM
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Utahtea,
Your posts and pictures have contributed strongly to the tourism industry in Southern Utah. I still want to go to Lake Powell on a later trip, primarily based on your trip report and pictures. Absolutely beautiful! I can see why you love this part of the country and it really was wonderful to introduce this area to my daughter and husband.
Your posts and pictures have contributed strongly to the tourism industry in Southern Utah. I still want to go to Lake Powell on a later trip, primarily based on your trip report and pictures. Absolutely beautiful! I can see why you love this part of the country and it really was wonderful to introduce this area to my daughter and husband.
Jun 24th, 2004, 10:05 PM
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Utahtea,
I would love to see those pictures too!!!! In fact, my husband and I are already talking about a road trip to Colorado for next year. He has wanted to take me mountain bike riding there since we met. He took a wonderful trip to this area and wants to share it with me. We have already discussed adding Moab, and Canyonlands and Arches, if we go there. I can hardly wait.
I would love to see those pictures too!!!! In fact, my husband and I are already talking about a road trip to Colorado for next year. He has wanted to take me mountain bike riding there since we met. He took a wonderful trip to this area and wants to share it with me. We have already discussed adding Moab, and Canyonlands and Arches, if we go there. I can hardly wait.
