Just Back from GC, Bryce and Zion
Jun 3rd, 2002, 05:34 PM
#1
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Just Back from GC, Bryce and Zion
Just got back yesterday and we had wonderful trip. Thanks to all the Fodorites for their advice in helping plan my itinerary.
Trip info for days 1 - 3
Day 1: Flew out of Raleigh with a layover in Charlotte. After boarding plane in CLT, an irate passenger had to be removed from the plane and then it was later decided due to security concerns that we evacuate that plane and move to another plane. This caused a 1 1/2 hour delay to Vegas. What a way to start a vacation!
We stayed overnight at the Amerisuites in Vegas which is close to the airport. Nice hotel with a really good continental breakfast that is included in the room rate. Wide assortment of items and a good selection of fruits.
Day 2: Left Vegas and arrived in Springdale, UT at appx 1 pm . Ate lunch at a place called Sol Foods. Should have been named Slo Foods. We finally got our food after a 1 1/2 hour wait. The food was cold and nothing to brag about. Maybe if we had ordered cold sandwiches, service may have been better. The guy singing out on the patio for tips was pretty good though.
Finally after lunch we took the shuttle into Zion National Park. The rock formations here are incredibly huge. Very scenic park. After leaving the shuttle we drove Hwy 9 East, driving by the Checkerboard Mesa which is huge and interesting. Then we got on Hwy 89 to Kanab. Stayed overnight at the Best Western Red Hills hotel in Kanab. Not a pretty hotel but the rooms were large and clean and Kanab is only appx 80 miles away from the Grand Canyon North Rim.
Day 3: Arrived at GC North Rim in the morning. The Grand Canyon is absolutely awesome. Especially enjoyed the views at Cape Royal. We stayed overnight at one of the park's cabins. The Grand Canyon Lodge is perched at the canyon's rim and there is a large porch where you can sit and view the canyon. We had dinner at the lodge which was very good but on the expensive side. The restaurant has large windows for viewing the canyon. Very nice.
We saw some chipmunks, squirrels and many mule deer during our visit.
Trip info for days 1 - 3
Day 1: Flew out of Raleigh with a layover in Charlotte. After boarding plane in CLT, an irate passenger had to be removed from the plane and then it was later decided due to security concerns that we evacuate that plane and move to another plane. This caused a 1 1/2 hour delay to Vegas. What a way to start a vacation!
We stayed overnight at the Amerisuites in Vegas which is close to the airport. Nice hotel with a really good continental breakfast that is included in the room rate. Wide assortment of items and a good selection of fruits.
Day 2: Left Vegas and arrived in Springdale, UT at appx 1 pm . Ate lunch at a place called Sol Foods. Should have been named Slo Foods. We finally got our food after a 1 1/2 hour wait. The food was cold and nothing to brag about. Maybe if we had ordered cold sandwiches, service may have been better. The guy singing out on the patio for tips was pretty good though.
Finally after lunch we took the shuttle into Zion National Park. The rock formations here are incredibly huge. Very scenic park. After leaving the shuttle we drove Hwy 9 East, driving by the Checkerboard Mesa which is huge and interesting. Then we got on Hwy 89 to Kanab. Stayed overnight at the Best Western Red Hills hotel in Kanab. Not a pretty hotel but the rooms were large and clean and Kanab is only appx 80 miles away from the Grand Canyon North Rim.
Day 3: Arrived at GC North Rim in the morning. The Grand Canyon is absolutely awesome. Especially enjoyed the views at Cape Royal. We stayed overnight at one of the park's cabins. The Grand Canyon Lodge is perched at the canyon's rim and there is a large porch where you can sit and view the canyon. We had dinner at the lodge which was very good but on the expensive side. The restaurant has large windows for viewing the canyon. Very nice.
We saw some chipmunks, squirrels and many mule deer during our visit.
Jun 3rd, 2002, 06:16 PM
#2
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Posts: n/a
Rest of trip report:
Day 4: Left Grand Canyon that morning and headed to Bryce Canyons National Park in UT. Bryce is incredible with much of it bright orange in color. The colors of the hoodoos same to change with the settings of the sun. Spent a good amount of time at Sunset Point. A good place to view the hoodoos during sunset.
Day 5: Spent this day at Bryce also.
We hiked only part of the Under the Rim trail. This trail is 22 miles long, no way we could have done it all. Both nights we spent at Best Western Ruby's Inn which only a mile or so outside of the park.
Day 6: We went back to Zion National Park and spent the day there. We hiked the Emerald Pools Trail which was very pretty. This was the only hike we did as the weather was very hot. We were told that it was a record setting temperature for this particular day. The temperature reached 103.
Day 7: We arrived in Vegas that afternoon. We stayed at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Very nice and we had got rooms at a reasonable price of $67 for the night.
Day 8: Toured several of the hotels in Las Vegas. Bellagio which is located across from the Paris Hotel is very beautiful. We especially enjoyed the water fountains that spew every half hour after dark in front of the Bellagio.
In closing we had a terrific time. Vegas was interesting but it does not even come close to being as beautiful as the parks that we visited.
The weather at the Grand Canyon was really nice. The first day we were there the high for the day was 69, the next day was 71 with the lows being in the high 30's. Cool enough for a sweater in the evenings. Zion was nice in the 80's on our first day there but had got really hot on our visit at the end of the week. Bryce was nice, in the 80's and a little cool at night.
On our trip we had packed a collapsible cooler which came in handy. During our visits to the canyons, we brought along picnic lunches which is very convenient. We also brought along plenty of drinking water. This is essential even if you are doing only a short hike.
My only regret about this trip was not being able to visit Capitol Reef Park but we simply were not able to fit it in our schedule. Maybe next time.
Thanks again to all that I received advice from on this trip. Had I not read Fodor's travel forum, I would not have even realized that Southern Utah has so many beautiful splendors!
Day 4: Left Grand Canyon that morning and headed to Bryce Canyons National Park in UT. Bryce is incredible with much of it bright orange in color. The colors of the hoodoos same to change with the settings of the sun. Spent a good amount of time at Sunset Point. A good place to view the hoodoos during sunset.
Day 5: Spent this day at Bryce also.
We hiked only part of the Under the Rim trail. This trail is 22 miles long, no way we could have done it all. Both nights we spent at Best Western Ruby's Inn which only a mile or so outside of the park.
Day 6: We went back to Zion National Park and spent the day there. We hiked the Emerald Pools Trail which was very pretty. This was the only hike we did as the weather was very hot. We were told that it was a record setting temperature for this particular day. The temperature reached 103.
Day 7: We arrived in Vegas that afternoon. We stayed at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Very nice and we had got rooms at a reasonable price of $67 for the night.
Day 8: Toured several of the hotels in Las Vegas. Bellagio which is located across from the Paris Hotel is very beautiful. We especially enjoyed the water fountains that spew every half hour after dark in front of the Bellagio.
In closing we had a terrific time. Vegas was interesting but it does not even come close to being as beautiful as the parks that we visited.
The weather at the Grand Canyon was really nice. The first day we were there the high for the day was 69, the next day was 71 with the lows being in the high 30's. Cool enough for a sweater in the evenings. Zion was nice in the 80's on our first day there but had got really hot on our visit at the end of the week. Bryce was nice, in the 80's and a little cool at night.
On our trip we had packed a collapsible cooler which came in handy. During our visits to the canyons, we brought along picnic lunches which is very convenient. We also brought along plenty of drinking water. This is essential even if you are doing only a short hike.
My only regret about this trip was not being able to visit Capitol Reef Park but we simply were not able to fit it in our schedule. Maybe next time.
Thanks again to all that I received advice from on this trip. Had I not read Fodor's travel forum, I would not have even realized that Southern Utah has so many beautiful splendors!
Jun 3rd, 2002, 07:40 PM
#4
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Posts: n/a
Hey Misty,
Thanks for the trip report! Glad to hear you had a good time. If you are ever able to come again, try for earlier in the spring for beautiful wildflowers or fall for gorgeous fall leaves against the red rock. Hiking is a lot more pleasant in the 70's & 80's than 100's for sure!
Happy trails!
Thanks for the trip report! Glad to hear you had a good time. If you are ever able to come again, try for earlier in the spring for beautiful wildflowers or fall for gorgeous fall leaves against the red rock. Hiking is a lot more pleasant in the 70's & 80's than 100's for sure!
Happy trails!
