GRAND CANYON, SOUTH OR NORTH - ZION OR BRYCE
 

WE ARE GOING TO BE IN SCOTTSDALE FOR A CONFERENCE FOR OUR SPECIAL NEEDS DAUGHTER (SHE IS MUTIPLY DISABLED, DEAF). WE WILL BE FLYNG INTO PHOENIX FROM NEW YORK, AFTER CONFERNCE WE WANT TO SEE GRAND CANYON, POSSIBLE ZION, BRYCE. ONCE WE LEAVE SCOTTSDALE, WE THOUGHT WE WOULD FLY BACK TO NEW YORK FROM POSSIBLY UTAH OR DRIVE BACK TO PHOENIX. WE WILL HAVE 4-5 DAYS. OUR DAUGHTER IS IN A WHEELCHAIR, WE WANT TO SEE AS MUCH AS WE CAN, EVEN DO A TUBING RIVER TRIP WITH HER. I CANT FIGURE OUT THE EASIEST MOST PRODUCTIVE ROUTE TO GO. SOUTH RIM, NORTH RIM, WORTH IT TO GO NORTH TO ZIO AND BRYCE? THEN WHERE TO FLY BACK TO NEW YORK FROM. LOTS OF QUESTIONS - JUST WANT TO EXPERIENCE THIS WONDER WITH HER BUT NOT SPEND ALL DAY IN THE CAR.

I think with 4-5 days you're better off staying on the south rim side and maybe adding Sedona to your itinerary, I'm no expert but believe though doable going to the north rim and Zion and/Bryce would be too much for the amount of days you have. We did a jeep tour in Sedona that was fun, and drove thru a beautiful scenic drive from Grand canyon to Sedona, thru Oak Creek canyon, and remember seeing kids in the river. Don't know if this is something you'd be able to do with your daughter but you could research a little more if its something that interest you. Good luck to you.

Just so you know, typing in ALL CAPS means you are YELLING AND SCREAMING, so most people see this as very rude.

For a first time visit-probably the South Rim would be your best bet. I would spend one night at South Rim. One day/night is plenty enough at Grand Canyon.

Then spend 2 nights at Zion and 1 and Bryce. Both are indeed "worth it". Frankly, I like Bryce and Zion better than the GC. Of Course, there is nothing like looking over the edge of the GC for you first glimpse-truly awesome.

If you daughter is able to ride horses, then those offered at Bryce are a great way to get down into the canyon with little effort.

sorry about the caps, my cap lock was on, i usually dont type in caps. i never heard of this being rude, my husband does it all the time and no one has even told him this...he thinks it is easier to read!
thanks for advice.

You need to google it along and you will see other internet etiquette as well. It is seriously frowned upon

Readers can adjust font size on their end so they can read it.

I agree re: South Rim.

Rudeness aside, all caps and one paragraph are harder to read.

I'm with spiro about GC. Not one of my favorite places in the area. Much prefer Bryce and Zion.

In Bryce you can easily push a wheelchair along the rim. I believe it's either paved or smooth enough.

In Zion the beautiful Riverside Walk is actually paved and sand-covered for effect.

The north Timisoara much better than the south. It is harderto get to and not nearly as crowded but, so woth it.

The north rim is different from the south rim, NOT "better". It is more isolated, so not as crowded, but there are only a few viewpoints that are accessible by car. At the south rim, there are more than a dozen named automobile-accessible viewpoints. Plus, there is a paved rim path that is fairly level for pushing a wheelchair.

On a recent backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon we spent one night on the South Rim. I saw several people in wheelchairs using the paved rim path mentioned by MikePinTucson. Sounds like that would be perfect for you.

In addition to the Riverside trail mentioned by Myer in Zion, the Pa'Rus trail is also accessible and spectacular. Here's a link I found:
http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/Zion/PaRus/_PaRus.htm

Concur with Spiro:
1 night South Rim
2 nights Zion
1 night Bryce

All are very different and breathtaking. Have a great trip!

While in Scottsdale you may want to book a tour to visit the home of Frank Lloyd Wright (Taliesin-West). Also in Arizona you may consider spending a day at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This beautifully designed outdoor museum features all the birds and animals found in the desert. The paths are paved.

The Grand Canyon South Rim has a good van service for getting around the park. If you want to stay inside the park make your reservations ASAP. Also recommend Capital Reef Park over the crowds at Zion and Bryce. It is just as beautiful. Remember to drink (and carry) lots of water.
It doesn't matter where you travel in the southwest it is all beautiful. Have a wonderful trip.

It's a long drive from Scottsdale to the South Rim but its well worth the it. Spend a night or two at the Grand Canyon then onto Bryce. Leave the south rim early so you'll have time to walk the paved rim trail. Bryce is incredible and you can see so much from the Rim trail and overlooks. Spend the night in the park, if possible (make reservations far in advance), up early for sunrise and head over to Zion for your last two nights.
The wonderful shuttle system in Zion is accessible and a great way to see and learn about this gorgeous park. There is a very recent trip report from someone who did this trip with a family member in wheelchair. Be sure to read it for some great info.
From Zion, head to Las Vegas to fly home. Its only 2.5 hrs from Zion and you gain an hour entering Nevada from Utah. If you get a mid day flight home, you can easily leave Zion on the same day of your flight home.
Unfortunately, the Sonoran Desert Museum mentioned in the last post is in Tucson which is south of Phoenix. But it is an incredible place if you decide to head south instead of north to the Grand Canyon and Utah. Have a wonderful trip!

What do you consider too much car time for your daughter? You have been given a couple of good options here.

The drive from Phoenix to the south rim (my favorite) is about 4 hours, I'm guessing that is ok. If you were to drive up there and spend the afternoon, night and the next morning there you would probably be able to hit the best views. Do look for in park lodging if possible and if they say they are full, call and keep calling because people book way ahead and then cancel. Night 1 in Grand Canyon.

IMHO he two most reasonable choices would be either to head for Bryce and Zion and fly out of Vegas or head to Sedona and fly back from Phoenix.

Option 1 Zion and Bryce:
There is a major washout on the road you would usually take between Grand Canyon and the Bryce/Zion area and mapsgoogle says that with the detour the trip would take about 5 and a half hours. You could break up the trip with a stop for the night in Page AZ. Perhaps the next morning you all could take the smooth water raft trip from Glen Canyon Dam to Lee's Ferry, it is not tippy at all and is very beautiful. Night 2 in Page.

In the afternoon, head for Bryce, see sunset, spend the night, see sunrise visit the beautiful pull outs along the rim. Night 3 in Bryce.

After the morning in Bryce, head for Zion, (an hour and a half from Bryce). Take the shuttle and visit the VC and do a little looking around. I may be wrong, but I don't think a lot of what Zion has is very handicap friendly, so I would spend the night there and do a bit of look/see and head for Vegas. Night 4 in Zion.

It is 3 hours from Zion to Vegas so if you have an afternoon flight you could make it easily, if not spend the night there and fly out in the am.

Option 2 Sedona etc:

Leave Grand Canyon via the east on 64 and head south on 89. Stop and look at Wupatki ( a ruin of an early Native American village) and then Sunset Crater. Spend night 2 in Flagstaff.

Head for Sedona, via Oak Creek Canyon, spend 2 or 3 nights there with side trips to Montezuma's Castle and Well and a Pink Jeep tour.

Head back to Phoenix.

If you can't get in park lodging, look for motels in Tusayan or Cameron for GC, Ruby's or BW for Bryce and motels in Springdale for Zion.

Have a wonderful time both planning and taking your trip.

emalloy gave you two good options. My suggestion is to do #2 because it involves much less driving. With option #1, you take most of one day getting from GCSR to Zion/Bryce.