Sounds like a great trip.
In between the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area and NYC are the finger lakes in Upstate NY. There's a great/beautiful small town called Ithaca on Cayuga lake with lots of hotels. (nice Hilton in the downtown area) Ithaca has beautiful gorges, waterfalls, wineries and some very good restaurants. Ithaca is about 3 1/2 hours from Buffalo and 4 1/2 hours from NYC. There's also Binghamton, which is 1 hour closer to NYC. It's a small city, but not as pretty as Ithaca. Those are the two places I'm most familiar with between Buffalo/Niagara and NYC.

With all the places you're going (and your itinerary sounds great, if a bit optimistic for all the reasons mentioned before), I wouldn't waste time on Woodbury Commons - the values are not that good......

My suggestion is that you spend the nights of both May 18th and May 19th at the Grand Canyon south rim and then drive to Las Vegas on May 20th. It is a really long drive both to and from the south rim of the Grand Canyon and having two nights plus one entire day there will be a highlight of your trip, providing that you stay inside the park itself. If I were you, I would contact Xanterra Parks and Resorts at once and request a rim cabin at Bright Angel Lodge for those two nights. If that is not available, ask for an historic cabin at Bright Angel Lodge. If that is not available, ask what is available for those two nights INSIDE the park. (All reservations INSIDE the park are handled by Xanterra.) If you can reserve accommodation now, do so for both nights knowing that you can cancel with full refund with 48 hours notice (because the moment you cancel someone else will take your space!)

The people who visit the Grand Canyon and are lukewarm about it are the people who drive to the overlook, glance at it for a few minutes, go have lunch and leave. The canyon is like a painting. Walking into it makes it come to life. If you don't have time to walk into it, it remains a static view. If you stay for two nights, you can get up early, take the hiker shuttle to the trailhead for the South Kaibab Trail and walk to Cedar Ridge along an exposed ridge with uninterrupted views down into the canyon. At Cedar Ridge there are restrooms (though no water). Bring a snack and water with you, spend some time at Cedar Ridge, walk back up to the South Rim and you'll be saying to each other, "Thank goodness we did this!"

The last time I was at the canyon I gave these instructions to a couple in their thirties from Italy who were at the end of their month-long trip in the US going to national parks as you will do, and they wrote me after they returned home that it was the best day they spent in the entire time they were in the U.S.

Have a great trip!

For D.C., to be cheap, I'd priceline a 2.5 or 3 star hotel in Crystal City. It's a nice area, convenient to D.C., but normally a little cheaper.

One day, I'd eat at the Smithsonian American Indian Museum-they have an excellent food court. It's right on the Mall.

I hope you enjoy your trip!

I read somewhere the average time spent in the Grand Canyon is 2 hours - which sounds a little on the short side. It's just like the scene in an old movie where the father and family take in a view at an overlook for 5 seconds and the father says, "ok, let's go!"

Definitely hike down to the Canyon. Also wake up early and catch the sunrise at one of the viewing points. I have amazing pictures of that morning.

Ditto on the Antelope slot canyons - there is upper and lower. It's like the Grand Canyon, super small. It is an almost religious experience, walking in them.

Your revised itinerary, eliminating the long ride to Niagara Falls and spending 2 days in Boston, sounds just about right to me. Unfortunately, you will miss the Cape Cod National Seashore www.nps.gov/caco with great outer beaches that are really magnificent.

If you decide to take a "nature break" in between Boston and NYC then the outer part of Cape Cod, from Eastham to Provincetown, would be a natural addition to your itinerary. You would really get the feeling for NE villages and architecture by driving along Rt. 6A on Cape Cod from Sandwich to Eastham.

Once you get to the National Seashore there are gentle walks, museums, pristine beaches and many fine restaurants. Unlike most of the National Parks, the Cape Cod National Seashore was made into a park after some commercial development had already been developed. The result is that you can find "remote" feeling areas-places on the beach with out another foot print in the sand- just a few minutes away from village centers with easy access to amenities tourists like. The park is not on the same scale as GC or Yosemite, so it is very manageable to drive from Boston to spend a couple of days there on your way to NYC. Driving time from Boston to the outer Cape is 2 hours and to NYC from the outer Cape is about 5-6 hours. We like to stay in a historic NE farmhouse inside the park at the Fort Hill B+B...it is the only lodging actually in the park, although there is plenty of other lodging in the commercial areas on the main road.

wow, am I envious! You have so many wonderful things planned in so many incredible places. I agree with the post about Beach Blanket Babylon; Teatro Zinzanni in SF is also a fabulous show and meal. Tickets for both can be booked online. My family enjoyed the Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas. Washington, DC, has so much to offer~the Smithsonian Museums and the Capitol Mall are must-sees! The Mall, with all of its monuments, is especially beautiful at night. In some of the larger cities, I'd forget the car and use public transportation. In SF, parking is an expensive nightmare, and DC has so many one way streets.......Any of the plays in NYC are enjoyable. My daughter and I both loved Mamma Mia and the Lion King! Central Park is gorgeous in May; a brunch at Tavern on the Green is lovely~we did this for Mother's Day last year. Enjoy your trip and be sure to post details!

Since you have chosen to add Boston and nix NF (an excellent decision), you may be able to add one of these two intersting side excursions. One is Newport RI, about 1.5 hours south of Boston. Newport sports an array of mansions from the super rich families of the Titanic era.

http://www.gonewport.com/VirtualTour.aspx has a nice overview of the town.

The second idea is to drive to Kennebunkport Maine, about 1.5 hours north of Boston. It's easy to book a B&B and as nature lovers you will be able to enjoy the wonderful craggy coastline. You would also get a feel for a small New England town as others in this thread have recommended. There may be hiking nearby -- I don't know.

AussieTraveller-

Sounds great! I, too, have to highlight that the things you'll want to spend time on are things you cannot see anywhere else in the world. Spend another day at Bryce Canyon and spend a full day IN the Grand Canyon.

Re: Special dinner in Vegas. Don't know where you are staying or your budgeting. If you're on the Strip, then travel by taxi to Rio for your special dinner. Voodoo Steakhouse at the top of the Rio, 52 floors up, views are incomparable. Reserve a window-side table. When dinner is over, head up another level to rooftop Voodoo Lounge. You won't regret it.

Re shows in Vegas- I just saw the Circque du Soleil show, The Beatles LOVE. It was outstanding. I would see it again 100 times. Marvelous. Get the most expensive tickets- they are well worth it. As a matter of fact- have your hotel book the tickets for you! They will get discounted and guaranteed seats that you cannot get online. We paid $150 for the $165 seats.

Great choice in taking in Boston. SO much American history there. You will love it.

Re New York- The Yankees are in town from the 3rd-9th, so your friends should be able to get you to a game. Get tickets now. You don't want to miss America's greatest pasttime, at one of the greatest ballparks in the world, and seeing a championship team play. (Personally, I hate the Yankees, :), but you're not going to be in Chicago, so you can't see my beloved Cubbies). :)

Finally, I don't think 8 days in NY is too long. I love NY City. You could spend 8 months there and not see everything that is worth seeing! So glad you have friends there to help show you around and point you to what interests you. I, personally, would take the Gray Line around Manhattan and see every museum along the way! :)

Have a wonderful trip!!! I'm already looking forward to your trip report!

Paula

Thank you all again for your wonderful suggestions! We are slowly piecing it all together and will update you soon.

In the meantime, would you please help with accomodation suggestions in Boston? Have been told to stay at or near Copley Place or Back Bay, can't seem to find anything specific about accomodation in those areas.....then again, could be going blind from sitting at the computer for soooooo long! :)

VermontLady, if you have any recommendations "for DC, stay at a hotel in Dupont Circle or Woodley Park for a neighborhood feel"?? they would be gratefully accepted!

Thanks so much.

For Woodley Park and Dupont Circle in DC:
In Dupont Circle there is a wonderful quirky inn called Tabard Inn. tabardinn.com Rates are reasonable. I have not stayed in the rooms but it is a favorite DC dinner place and food is excellent, so I suspect quality is good all around. Good location on quiet street not far from metro and near National Geographic Museum.
For Woodley Park there is the Woodley Park Guest House woodleyparkguesthouse.com I have not stayed here, but it's a good location and seems reasonable. Near Metro, short walk to zoo and Adams Morgan, longer walk to Dupont Circle. It's next to Rock Creek Park which is a local favorite for walks, runs, bike rides. Across from this is the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel if you want more of a hotel stay. Good luck!

I was hoping you could clarify which Patterson you are visiting friends in. I have a friend who used to live in Patterson, NY, and am also familiar with the area around Paterson, NJ. The NJ city is spelled with just one "t" so I suspect you mean Patterson, New York, correct?

As far as Woodbury Commons, you can take a bus from Port Authority in Manhattan and make a day out of it. The bus is $39 per person. I would peruse the sight to make sure you are interested in those designers/manufacturers: http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7

Consider flying Las Vegas to Buffalo, NY. The airfare is almost $50 less than that to NYC per person (Kayak.com). It is one stop thus about 2-3 hours longer. You can rent a car there, drive to D.C. then back up to NY. That way there would be much less backtracking than your original plan. If you have time, stop at Harbor Place in Baltimore on the way to D.C.

You'll certainly get to see a lot of our country if you do this itinerary. There is one thing I might recommend. DC is one of my two favorite US cities (a distant second to San Francisco), but if you're interested in seeing some really cool history and real authentic American life you might carve out a few days and explore a relatively new "destination" called The Journey Through Hallowed Ground (www.hallowedground.org) It is a heritage area between Gettysburg and Monitcello. On a lark, I took this trip last year when visiting DC, and I swear it changed my life. The countryside and towns are so beautiful and you get this great hands on feel for how America became America. I can't say enough good things about it. Anyway, enjoy your trip. It sounds like a great one!!

Fly Las Vegas/Buffalo and rent car to drive to DC and back to NYC. For the $50/difference in fare, fly right into DC.

Last I recall, without traffic/constructions/pit-stops, it's about 7-8/hrs Buffalo/NYC and from NYC/DC, at least 4-5/hrs... sure some shortcut in there, but that's a lot of driving for $50 savings. Gas probably costs more.

For DC, I second the recommendations for the Tabard Inn (where I have stayed and eaten) and for the Woodley Park Guesthouse (where I have not stayed).

I, took, think 3 days LV much too long. Not that much to do if you are not a gambler and the shows are good but expensive. Yosemite is one of the great places of the entire world. I would spend two days there.
When in NYC, think about a day trip to the Atlantic beaches. Great if you could do with your friends. If going alone...go to Jones Beach, Robert Moses, or even the Hamptons for the day. Very different perspective so close to NYC.

I think your trip looks great! I am from the US and have been to New York. I'm from Chicago and I would say that 8 days is a long time to spend in New York. When not stay there for 4 you can see almost everything in 4 days and not be rushed about it and then fly to another city for the other 4. My suggestion would be Chicago but I am bias and love Chicago more than New York. Other suggestions would be to take a trip to St. Louis or if you want to stay on the east coast visist Virginia or go up to Maine. Another interesting state is Colorado. But I say 4 days in New York and 4 in chicago. You can get a one way ticket for about $50. From there it is cheaper to fly to SFO

sammyjo, perhaps you missed the fact that the poster is staying with a friend in NYC (presumably for free). That alone justifies staying there for longer. There is no point in offering other locations and then talking about "how little it costs" when hotel alone at another destination would surely offset the free lodging in New York. On the other hand, AussieTraveler, if you want to spend less time in New York, I'll volunteer to take your place for the remainder of the free housing there! Is your friend nice?

Shellam, Patterson NY is where we are headed. First time to USofA so still trying to get the spelling and geography right for everything!

NeoPatrick, our friend in NYC was actually bestman at our wedding 9 years ago (this May 08, coinciding with our first time to US!) and has been asking for us to visit since he arrived 3 years ago! And yes, is a very good & nice friend!

For everyone else, we have taken all your suggestions on board and have increased our time in each place on the west coast......got the following finalised so far:

Friday 9th May Fly from Sydney, Australia - arrive San Francisco. Spend 4 nights.

Monday 12th May – Rent a car in San Fran. Drive to Yosemite, 2 nights.

Wednesday 14th May – Yosemite NP morning, afternoon drive to Death Valley, 1 night

Thurs 15th May – DValley to Zion NP – see the sunset……1st night

Fri 16th May – Zion NP….2nd night……accommodation & activities TBA

Sat 17th May – leave Zion by 12noon- drive to Bryce Canyon, 1 night

Sun 18th May – leave Bryce and drive to Lake Powell, 1 night

Mon 19th May – leave Lake Powell, drive to Monument Valley and then to Grand Canyon, South Rim….see sunset, 1 night

Tues 20th – Grand Canyon 2nd night

Weds 21st – Leave GC morning – afternoon drive to Las Vegas, drop off car, 1st night LV

Thurs 22nd - Las Vegas, 2nd night

Fri 23rd – leave Las Vegas. Fly to Boston....spend 2 nights

Have received suggestions for different things to do and would love to hear any other suggestions for tours, activities, to do in each place!

Hi AussieTraveller76

I find this guy's site helpful for S. Utah planning.
http://www.so-utah.com/homepage.html

Have Fun
GP

<i>Monday 12th May – Rent a car in San Fran. Drive to Yosemite, 2 nights.

Wednesday 14th May – Yosemite NP morning, afternoon drive to Death Valley, 1 night

Thurs 15th May – DValley to Zion NP – see the sunset……1st night</i>

What is your plan if Tioga Pass is closed as I mentioned as being highly likely in my post above?

I think you are not building enough leeway in your schedule, especially given that accommodations in places like Death Valley and other national parks will need to be booked well in advance, and possibly pre-paid.

Hi AussieTraveller:

The new itinerary sounds great! And to address some of Gardyloo's concerns, since I'm the one who started the Death Valley idea :-), I think the long drives will be ok. I'm sure Tioga Pass will be closed but I just did some checking on google maps and looked at sunset times. Yosemite to Death Valley will take about 7 hours the long way. But sunset isn't until around 7:30 so you should be able to get to DV by then. The trip between DV and Zion will be about 5 hours and the good news is that sunset isn't until 8:30 in Utah. It's a lot of driving but not bad if you are comfortable drivers and enjoy road trips. I do.

And Gardyloo is right about needing reservations in the parks. Definitely get those set a.s.a.p.

Have a great trip!!!

My family and I had our first visit to the USA last April. It was a fantastic trip and we visited many of the sights that you have listed in the West. We would agree with some of the responses to your posting. The Grand Canyon we found amazing, staying just outside the NP and getting up early so that we had a full day there. We did go to Monument Valley also to Four Corners. The latter I didn't feel was worth the trek, but it is the only place where four state lines meet so we all had photos taken in very awkward positions!! We found both Zion and Bryce well worth the visit and I would recommend that you give yourself enough time to enjoy them both. We spent only a long afternoon walking in Zion, it was very beautiful and peaceful, but not long enough. Bryce was spectacular and we spent a whole day doing the view points and would have spent longer had our schedule allowed. We also spent time in Utah and went to the Arches NP, another spectacular place. Our cameras worked overtime on the whole trip, so make sure you have plenty of memory or a way of backing things up! Do make sure not to try and do everything this trip, I think it was the mistake we made. We rented an RV for the first time and did 3100 miles in 3 wks. We are returning this Easter (we're on countdown, 6 wks this coming Friday) for another 3 wk trip, again in an RV and we can't wait. This time we're heading north from SF towards Napa and through the Redwood National Park area to Mount Shasta, then to Lake Tahoe and if the weather is kind to us getting to Yosemite. We found everyone we met so friendly and nothing was too much trouble. We're sure you'll enjoy your trip and will want to return again and again! The Cooper family.

As a fellow Aussie, I am green with envy about your trip and wish you good luck. Disappointed that you are not going to Niagara - coming from a drought region in Australia, the sight of all that water was overwhelming and we could just stand and stare. Also visited Niagara on the Lake which we thought was so pretty. Loved the area so much we went back in a few years for another look. Never mind, save that for the next trip.

Loved Utah, Zion and Bryce are breathtaking. Drove through Monument Valley twice, once in afternoon sun - brilliant! and again in mid-morning with overcast skies. Still lovely but not the same colours. We stayed at a very nice motel (Hampton Inn I think) on the main highway on the southern edge of Monument Valley. It's next to Burger King. The motel restaurant specialised in Navajo food and we had a very nice dinner and breakfast. The Burger King was owned by a son of one of the Navajo code-breakers and had a big display of photos etc.

In Las Vegas we had a great buffet meal in Paris. Walked our feet off in Las Vegas, as you will.

For budget reasons, we didn't stay in the national parks but headed for the towns around the parks. Incidentally, we've always bought an annual pass to the national parks - we found it saved us money on buying individual passes to each park. You would need to check it out - there is a website which gives details.

We try not to book ahead as it ties us down too much and only book ahead if we are staying in major cities. Never had to sleep in the car yet.

Have a fabulous time.

I agree with the other posters, if you like gambling, 3 days in LV is good. Otherwise, there isn’t much to do, but eat. LV now has many good restaurants by well known chefs and lots of buffets.

San Francisco

We live in the Bay Area so we have not stayed at any of the hotels.

Friends are going to be staying at Washington Square Inn in North Beach in SF. B&amp;B http://www.wsisf.com/ North Beach is a cute Italian area of SF

Family members have stayed at the following:
http://www.chelseamotorinn.com/
Chelsea Motor Inn
2095 Lombard Street
San Francisco, California 94123
Phone: (415) 563-5600
Fax: (415) 567-6475
The Chelsea Motor Inn is located on Lombard street in the Marina District, an area noted for its Victorian architecture and neighborhood charm, with many points of interest nearby.

Just a short walk from the Chelsea is Union Street, a charming shopping district with converted Victorian houses, fine restaurants, galleries, cafes and saloons.

There are a lot of &quot;reasonable&quot; hotels in San Francisco, but many are around Union Square and downtown. So when you step outside, the area is not great.

You can take BART (train) or bus or cable car in SF. You do not need a car.

Places to see:

Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf (see the sea lions)
Chinatown
Ferry Building (if you go on a Saturday there is a nice farmer’s market)
Haight Ashbury
Ghiradelli Square
Golden Gate Park
Marina
Union Square
Japan Town
Walk around Russian Hill, Castro, Pacific Heights
Mission (this area is south of Market) – if you are in the area, go to Tartine (600 Guerrero St. @18th Street) and get the orange morning buns
Berkeley (in the East Bay)
Go to the wine country in Napa Sonoma, it is not that far from SF
Try to stay out of the part of downtown called the Tenderloin

We stayed at Gouldings in Monument Valley. It was ok. Nothing special, more like a motel, but just fine.
Monument Valley
Gouldings Lodge in Monument Valley ( 800) 874-0902
Grand Canyon
Maswik Lodge (303) 297-2757

Hope this helps.

You have a wonderful trip planned. We've been to all of your west coast destinations (except DV) and have a couple of lodging suggestions:
Yosemite - we stayed at Tenaya Lodge and enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Ahwanee;
In Zion, we really liked The Desert Pearl. It was a few years ago now but I think it still gets recommendations.
In Monument Valley, we stayed at Gouldings Lodge (mentioned above). True, it is nothing special but it is well placed and we enjoyed the Navajo led tour they provide.
In Vegas, I like the Four Seasons (not so casino centric and really lovely) or the Venetian (great spa and Bouchon for breakfast - yum).
For the Grand Canyon, it is better if you can stay near the rim. When I was younger, we hiked to the floor and out in a day. What an experience (though I was sore for days afterwards).
Make your National Park reservations as soon as possible as they can be hard to come by. If you do not get in at the Grand Canyon or in to your first/second choices, make a reservation elsewhere and then try for cancellations the week of and even the day of as you drive to GC.

Others can give suggestions for the east coast portion that are more knowledgable and current than mine.

Have a great trip.

I just read you post and have recently visited JW Printing facilities in Walkill and Patterson, New York. We stayed in recommended lodging for both places. For Walkill, we stayed in a Hampton Inn in Middletown, NY, which is only 1/2 hour ride. For Patterson, we stayed in a hotel in Danbury, Connecticut Walkill and Patterson are in rural areas so a 30 minute ride is really not too long. Let me know if you are interested and I will pull out my recommended lodging sheet and give you particulars. I think other lodgings were listed that was even closer.

geordias

P.S. Too bad you're not coming to Florida. It's a great place too !

I used to live in Melbourne...now living in CA. You will love the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce..also Yosemite! There's no place like those in Australia. Make sure you do horse-back riding in Bryce, go with the co. that takes you down the canyon...unbelievable and not as scary as in GC.

Yosemite in May was magical! You may still see snow and waterfalls. Not sure about Lake Powell...wouldn't say it's a 'wow' like GC, Zion or Bryce. Glad you're driving to Yosemite bc getting there is part of the experience.

Vegas - book dinner at the Paris hotel on the Eiffel Tower and pre-order souffle(sp?)! If you can stay at the Wynn or Venetian.

If you love hiking or just beautiful scenery, then you're in luck. You'll like Vegas too bc there's nothing Vegas anywhere in the world.

You will love it!

In Zion, I'd recommend the Riverside walk (which ends at the narrows), and the Emerald Pools hikes as easy hikes with great views. Have lunch at the lodge in the dining room. You can stay in Springdale since it is totally accessible to the park. There is little advantage to staying in the park lodge in this park. The highway that passes through the park is very scenic to drive. You will travel through a historic tunnel and maybe see bighorn sheep if you are lucky.

Bryce Canyon is quite high in elevation and you should be prepared for this. We took the horseback ride which leaves from the lodge directly into the canyon. It was the best trail ride we've ever taken and I highly recommend it if you are open to riding horses. The scenery is awesome and you will see far more in a short time than you could possibly do on foot (they take you down 1,000 feet in elevation).

I agree with other posters, that it may be easier, and just as satisfying, to consider visiting the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We did this from Springdale when we were at Zion. Of course if you can stay at the lodge at the North Rim, that would be ideal. Again the elevation is higher there. Although hiking into the Grand Canyon would be scenic, be sure you are up for the task! Personally, I feel that between the elevation and the strenousness of the hiking involved, I enjoyed the views from the rim. I did purchase &quot;Death in the Grand Canyon&quot; so that I could read about other's adventures.;-)

We stayed 3 days in Vegas and it was about right for us, and we are also not really gamblers. We saw a Cirque show, spent a good amount of time in the pool at the Mirage, toured many of the hotels, shopped, and saw the Secret Garden at the Mirage.

I would recommend more than 3 days in Washington DC myself. It depends on what you want to do, but the Smithsonian Museums are amazing and many take up to a day to see. I might drop Death Valley and add a day to WA DC if it were me.

On my most recent 2 trips to NYC my husband and I have done a bike tour with a wonderful tour company called &quot;Bike the Big Apple&quot;. It was a huge highlight of our trip each time.

First time we did a tour of Central Park and Harlem and the second time we biked in lower Manhattan and then across the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn. It is a fantastic andexhilarating experience. We saw things and learned things we never would have otherwise.

The Brooklyn Bridge tour included lunch at a Lebanese restaurant, where we got a chance to meet the 7 other people on the ride- they were form all over the world. Spending the day with them was a great added bonus! They really take good care of you- they do it safely, and each of the 2 tour guides was excellent --although if you can book one with the owner- Joel- it's especially wonderful. Non-stop fascinating historical details and comedy as well! Their website has all the details. http://www.bikethebigapple.com/tours.html

Another time we did the Circle Line tour around Manhattan by boat and I thought that was a great introduction to the area. I recommend that as well, but that takes second place to the bike tour.

If you're going to the top of the Empire State Building- I think twilight/early evening is the best! It is magical as the lights of the city come on...

Last tidbit- behind the Metropolitan Museum, in Central Park, is the oldest manmade object in the Park-an obelisk from Egypt. If you're interested in that sort of thing, or seen it's mates in London, Paris or Egypt, it's really cool.

(Also, my opinion- skipping Niagara Falls was a good decision.)

Have a great trip!!

Thank you so much to everyone for your input. We have finalised our itinerary and are now looking forward to our trip!

Any last minute suggestions for any favourite places to eat, play or shop?

Be sure to see Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco. It's a hoot. Songs from the 50's to the present reworked into political and social satire (that you will understand and appreciate even being from Australia). Very good and very funny. And you can drink during it too!

Sounds like a great trip! We just returned from Arizona and went to Monument Valley. I would not recommend planning to spend the night nearby. It took us about 3 1/2 to 4 hours to drive from the Grand Canyon National Park on the South Rim to Monument Valley. Driving through the valley at a leisurely pace takes about 2 hours. I thought it was wonderful, but I have not had the pleasure of visiting Zion. We were too late in booking to get a room at the El Tovar in GCNP, but stayed at the Best Western Squire Inn right outside the park. We were very pleased. I hope you enjoy our wonderfully diverse and huge country!