We are planning a trip to NM, AZ,Utah and Col.in October hoping to drive in a circle from Albut. Is this possible in ten days, seeing Grand Canyon and Brice Canyons and some of NM?

It is possible to do all four States in one minute. Go to the Four Corners Monument & you can place your hands & feet in all four States. Sorry, 10 days will not do it. There is just too much to see & do. Better limiting your trip to a smaller area & see it well. Then plan to return every year until you see it all. I go out for between 1 & 2 months every summer and have not seen it all yet. Will try to send some specific info direct - too long for here.

With regard to the states you mentioned, bear in mind that combined they cover well over 400,000 square miles. So there is a huge area to traverse. The range in climate is great and the diversity of the landscape is even greater. You range from the almost rain forested slopes of the Rockies to the desert. And the terrain varies from pancake flat to 14,000 foot peaks. So there is a lot. I don't think 10 days would give you sufficient time to do much more than say "Howdy" as your drove by. Many of the most spectacular sights are so widely separated geographically that to see them all in one trip would involve many hours of driving. Let me suggest that you study the maps of the region and pick out 5 or 6 primary targets. Then email me directly and I will do my best to respond. I like Bryce Canyon, but Arches, Mesa Verde,Canyonlands, Canyon de Chelly,
the Grand Canyon all have a lot to offer. And the list of places I left out is longer than the ones I included.
Some of the spectacular sights are not a national anything, except maybe a spot on a National Forest map. Good luck in your planning.

I have travelled a lot in that area, visiting all of the National Parks and many of the National Monuments. But there are areas I have not seen even after repeated trips. It is a vast region.

Must agree that 10 days is not long enough. For Arizona, we took two trips of two weeks each. Same for New Mexico.

We just helped plan for some Australian friends a 15-day trip which starts at Los Angeles, goes to San Francisco, then to Yosemite, Las Vegas, two national monuments in southern Utah, Grand Canyon, Phoenix, Tucson and back to Los Angeles.

I will assume by now that you've decided to take the above excellent advice and do not need to be told AGAIN that you're trying to see too much. Instead I will rank order my favorites, and then you can decide which you want to see. I list no places in Colorado, simply because seeing the Grand Canyon pretty much eliminates seeing Colorado on a ten day trip.

1) Grand Canyon (ABSOLUTE must-see)
2) Arches/Canyonlands
3) Bryce/Zion
4) Monument Valley
5) Albuquerque/Sante Fe/Taos
6) Petrified Forest
7) Sedona
8) any site of Anazasi ruins

I am from Utah so may be a little biased but I think that Southern Utah is some of God's couuntry quite litterally. So much to see I would easilly spend all ten days telling you what to see let alone how long it would take to enjoy. If you would like more info. E-mail me directly. I have to give a big here-here to bob who said that some of the best stuff is not a national anything. Occtober is a great time of year to go, not to hot, not to cold yet. My best advice would be to wear some great shoes, get into the park, rent a bike or hoof it and go wild. You will be amazed at what you find. Moab is a beautiful dessert area if you want to hike, bike, and play. If the Grand Canyon is on your agenda, i suggest you stick to the North Rim.