I have searched this site and got a lot of good advice that I will be using for our trip in early May.
We will be driving from LV to Zion, staying 3 nights at Zion lodge then driving to Bryce and staying 2 nights, finally going back to LV for 3 nights. We plan on stopping at St.Georges for lunch. Any suggestions? Other than the Zion Lodge, any good place to eat lunch and dinner within 1/2 hour drive? Finally, we planned on driving to the Grand Canyon North Rim and having dinner at the lodge dining room, but they wont be open for the season yet. Any other options close by?
Thank you

Do you mean the North Rim is open but the dining room isn't open yet? They have to wait for the snow to melt before they can open the road. There's a fun restaurant/shop call Jacob's Lake (no lake, as far as I could see) about 30-40 minutes drive north of the North Rim--not fancy, but it has good food and friendly people. There's not much else around. I'm sure it the Rim is open the snack bar will be open, so you won't starve.

You don't say if you are looking for family dining, or a couple looking for "fine dining." St. George is filled with motels and restaurants, many chains and tourist types. If you exit from I15 onto St. George Blvd. in the middle of town, you'll pass several of them. One I have enjoyed (I think it's a chain--we ate at one in Montana once) is Pioneer Pies, on your right about 3-4 blocks in after you exit I15. It's more a family place than fancy. Another, nearby on the opposite side of the street, is a plain looking place with Golf in its name. The placemats look like little "greens"! I don't remember the food much, but I'd go back in a minute to get another helping of their bread pudding for dessert. Yum!

Just outside the entrance to Zion is the town of Springerville (sp?). I think it's only 10 minutes or so from the lodge. There are several restaurants there but I have never eaten there. Your trip sounds wonderful!

A few years ago we did the LV-Z-B-St. G-LV route. Stayed at Z an B for 3 nights each, had more to do in Bryce. Stayed at the lodges, food was very good. Ate one night in Panguich, a small town west of Bryce, at small local restaurant where there was a guitar player. Food was surprisingly good. Sorry I can't remember the name. Also stayed in St. G., had dinner in a good Greek restaurant in center of town. See Snow Canyon outside of St. G.

You're going to love this trip! We're headed in May for our third SW adventure.
1. North Rim: Lodge opens May 13. By all means, eat dinner in the restaurant- the view is spectacular and the food is excellent. Tip: make reservations ahead of time- before you go out there. http://www.grandcanyonnorthrim.com
Jacob Lake is a more rustic spot, but the folks are very friendly and the food is good, especially when you've been on the trail all day. http://www.jacoblake.com
2. Zion: Go to Springdale for dining- we love the Zion Pizza and Noodle Co. Good pizza, pasta, and spirits.
http://www.zionpizzanoodle.com
Also have heard good things about dining at Flanigan's Inn and Restaurant in Springdale: http://www.flanigans.com
Dining at the Zion Lodge is good- but the NR food/ambience is better.
http://www.zionlodge.com
3. Bryce: Dining experiences are more limited here. A clean, unfancy, but great food place is Bryce Canyon Pines, part of a small motel right outside Bryce NP. All three meals are good here, and the price is right. The restaurant attached to Ruby's Best Western right outside the park is huge, but the tour bus traffic and general hubbub will drive you nuts. Of course, the restautant attached to the Lodge is best bet if you just want to park it for the night.
http://www.amfac.com.
Pack a coffee thermos the night before and plan to get up pre-dawn to park yourself at a prime spot at Sunrise Point. You won't regret it!

Thank you very much for your suggestions. My wife and I are taking my parents to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. I linked to the Grand Canyon North rim website and according to that page (maybe last years?) the dining lodge opens May 15th. It would be great if they opened on the 13th. I will call them to check. I am looking forward to the sunrise at Sunrise Point. I am thinkng it will be just as spectacular as the sunrise atop Haleakala National Park on Maui.

Glad info may be of help to you. I rechecked the www.nps.gov site and it shows the North Rim 2001 operating dates as: Open From 05/12/2001 To 10/15/2001. Call for info: 303-297-2757.
Also, since you're going to all three parks, consider getting a National Parks Pass. It's $50, good for a year. Where a "per vehicle" Entrance Fee is charged, Pass admits purchaser and accompanying passengers in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle. Where a "per person" Entrance Fee is charged, Pass admits purchaser, spouse, children and parents.
Click on the Parks Pass icon on the www.nps.gov site to get more info. You'll be glad to get this before your trip- makes going through the parks a breeze! Have fun!

Thank you RB, my father has a Golden Age Pass and that should save us some $$$. When is shuttle use mandatory at Zion?

You've made your reservations at the Lodge, correct? Then the Lodge should be mailing you a special permit that will allow you to drive your personal vehicle to the Lodge. When you want to go into Zion Canyon beyond the Lodge, all travel must be aboard the transportation shuttle- it's free with your paid entrance to the park, and I think the Golden Eagle Pass will take care of you all. Of course you can drive out in your personal vehicle into Springdale and outlying towns. The shuttles are very nice, very well-run, and an excellent way to see the sights. It operates a.m. to p.m. with two loops: one from Springdale to the Visitor Center with 6 stops between, and a second loop from the Visitor Center up into Zion Canyon making 9 stops along the way at various viewpoints. Treat the shuttle as your personal mode of transportation. It's a great way to hop off, see a site, and catch another at your leisure. They run numerous times, so you're never waiting long. If you haven't gotten your permit yet, call the Lodge. You can't drive up to the Lodge without it. Tip: we used the shuttle to ride into Springdale for an early dinner. Take the shuttle from the Lodge down to the theater in the park. The shuttle into Springdale picks up from there. There's also a grocery/convenience store located near the theater that's handy for stocking up on juices, muffins, snacks, etc. We stumbled across it by accident, and it's handy for picking up supplies. The Lodge also has a snack bar and store, but we preferred the food selection at the store in the park.

Its people like you that this site thrives. THANK YOU RB for all the information. We made reservations through AMFAC and have not received our pass yet, but will give them a call.
We have about 1 month before we will be there.

I have reservations for Zion and North Rim Grand Canyon for the end of May. I got a package from Amfac within a week after I made the reservation. Although the letter for Zion mentioned the permit it wasn't included. I sent them an email and got the permit about 3-4 days later. So you should probably contact Amfac if you haven't heard from them. The email is [email protected]

The letter for the North Rim doesn't say when the restaurant opens. But the phone number for making restaurant reservations is 520-638-2611