Help? Planning a trip to grand canyon/UT national parks
 

My husband and I are planning a trip for April 2009. I will be 27 weeks pregnant so some activities (overly strenuous hiking, rafting, horseback riding) may be out for this trip:)

We will fly to Vegas Saturday, April 4 and return home on Sunday, April 12. Essentially, we'll have 7 full travel days.

Possible Itinerary:
-Day in Vegas
-Drive to south rim of grand canyon
-Depart grand canyon, stopping in Page, AZ (visit Antelope Canyon)
-From Page, drive to Zion National Park
-visit Bryce Canyon
-visit Capitol Reef
-return to vegas

What would you suggest/cut out? Should we save the grand canyon for another trip? Or cut out Capitol Reef? Will Bryce be difficult due to snow? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Also, this is my first child, so I don't know what to realistically expect out of myself.

Thanks,
Katie

Don't skip the Grand Canyon! Even if you don't hike down into the canyon, you can walk the Rim Trail for some great views.

You'll need to book your hotel there right away, as April is a popular time. Stay inside the park if you possibly can; there are six lodges, four of them right on the rim.

Book at www.grandcanyonlodges.com

At Page you could do a smoothwater float trip on the Colorado:

http://www.coriverdiscovery.com/

Bryce and Capitol Reef are at very high elevation (almost 9,000 feet) and will be snowy. But Zion is lower and lovely in April. You might want several nights there.

I think your condition will preclude most of the must do's.

Getting to Antelope Canyon is the issue. Not walking it.

A 15 minute bouncy ride in a truck or van may not be what you want to do.

Bryce may very well be in snow but a walk along the rim might be ok.

Zion will be much warmer and you could do the Riverside Walk.

I would probably be more inclined to visit the Grand Canyon and Death Valley. Death Valley is very interesting and most of it involves driving. Might consider a helicopter tour in Grand Canyon. You might want to hike a short way down the canyon, just to get a feel of it. Take your time, stopping when you need to. Normally, I would tell people to go for everything. I am sure you could still do some things, just don't push yourself too much.

There is so much that you won't be able to do in Zion and Bryce. It would be a shame not to hike some of the hikes at both locations. Weather will be a factor and the fact that you probably won't be physically able at this stage. The really good hikes @ Bryce and Zion involve some elevation ups and downs. I would save them for another time.

Thanks, guys! My husband is really interested in photography (mostly the reason we're choosing Utah) and I really hope to get to Antelope Canyon. How bad is the ride back to the canyon? Would upper or lower canyon be best for us? I do get motion sickness and can't take my usual medicine due to the pregnancy. I'm willing to take this one for the team, though, even if I'm sick all day!

I don't think motion sickness is the issue when going to Antelope Canyon.

You will just be bouncing a lot. If your the only ones in the van/truck, ask that they go slowly. It's a dirt road.

If you want to see photos of my two trips to Utah, go to:

www.travelwalks.com

select the 2007 & 2008 trips.