If you really are going to go to MV, consider checking out on Tuesday and driving the southern route, basically past Hoover Dam, down to I-40 as far as you can and spending the night then north to MV. On the way home use the northern route as it will be daylight and the northern route goes through spectacular scenery, but you would not want to be on those roads at night, as animals use them too and visibility around corners is limited and lodging options are fewer.

maps.google will give you both routes and the time is not significantly different.

janisj, there is in fact quite a bit of comparison, have you ever tried to get from London to Stonehenge? But it is mostly in the idea that there are things we want to see and are willing to do what we can to get there. The way I see it they have at least two days, why not try?

"have you ever tried to get from London to Stonehenge?"

Yes -- and from Oxford to Stonehenge, and from Bath to Stonehenge, and from . . . well you get the Idea. I lived in the UK for 5 years and have been back countless times and have been to Stonehenge maybe 15-20 times over the last 35 years.

From London it is an easy train ride to Salisbury and then a bus to the stones. From just about anywhere else, it is an easy drive.

A 1-day trip (not requiring an overnight) including Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Avebury, and more is no problem from just about anywhere in southern England.

Las Vegas to Monument Valley in 1 day or even 2 days is sorta not similar . . .

I'm guessing your wife wants to see the amazing rock formations in Monument Valley. If that is right, Bryce Canyon National Park is much closer to Vegas. www.nps.gov/brca

Lee Ann

thanks for your replys ,been on to ba and now we have managed to change a few bits so now i can leave 1/2pm on monday so i thought drive there,stop night ,then we have untill about 2/3 before heading back to vegus.does this sound a bit better ?

If you are leaving around 1-2 pm, take the northern route: drive up I-15 to St. George, then take 9 east to Springdale and stay there overnight. Tuesday morning, take 89 to Page and beyond to Monument Valley. Not sure about The View hotel; I've wanted to try it myself but haven't made it yet. You could always loop back around and stay the night in Page. Then head back to Vegas Wednesday.

Is it a lot of driving? YES. But it sounds like your wife really wants to see Monument Valley, which I get, because I did too and it remains probably my favorite place on earth (so far...). If you enjoy road trips, this would be a fabulous Southwest America road trip, with almost constant awesome scenery once you get through St. George. You'll see Zion National Park by staying in Springdale, Glen Canyon National Rec Area by going through Page, and of course, Monument Valley. Have fun!

thanks that sounds goog will look into it.

seandrew, get ready for the heat. Hot, dry, heat. Take precautions, lots of water and ice in a cooler. Have fun in Las Vegas and driving to Monument Valley.

ziggy, that's just what I was going to emphasize - couple of gallons of water and cooler of ice. And dude, it's "Vegas" not "Vegus

thanks for the replys and advice,and spelling lessons !

seandrew has probably made his choice, but I'll throw another alternative out there, especially if all lodging in Monument Valley is booked up, which is entirely possible due to the relative dearth of hotels in that area.

You might consider driving to Page/Lake Powell, which is about a 5 hour drive from Las Vegas, staying the night there and enjoying Monument Valley from the air. The Page Municipal Airport has 2 air tour operators that offer both 90 minute flyovers of Monument Valley, or half-day air/ground tours where you'd actually land at the Goulding's Air Strip and take a 2-hour 4x4 tour with a Navajo Indian Guide. The latter will get you up close and personal with areas of the valley that you couldn't see with a hire car.

The reason I bring this up is that the best areas of Monument Valley are only accessible by unpaved road, and most rental car outlets expressly forbid off-road driving. Plus Page has more hotels to choose from. Anyway, for what it's worth, here's info on one of the Monument Valley air tour options ->: http://bit.ly/z6IKpY

If you go, I have stayed at The View and highly recommend it. I woke up to the sunrise over the mittens from my balcony. And, the food in the restaurant is outstanding. It is actually in Monument Valley and I want to say it is run by the Navaho.

The lounge area was great too. As it happened, the wi-fi wasn't reaching as far as our room so we spent a lot of time on the comfortable couches in the lounge area on our laptops.

It was really worth the extra money to just be right there.

The loop drive on your own is fine for all the views. You'll stop a lot to take pictures, so allow a lot of time. As others have said, have water. Lots and lots of water.

On the way in and out of Monument Valley be sure to stop at the Burger King. That sound funny, except there is an extremely interesting exhibit on the Navaho Code Talkers from World War II: http://www.navajocodetalkers.org/

Yes it sounds a little crazy to be making the trip, but, your wife really really wants to go and if you are willing and able to do it, I hope it all goes well!