Our family of four (kids ages 10 and 8) spent 12 fabulous days in August touring GC, Bryce, Zion, etc. We travel a great deal but this trip was by far our favorite. We did some serious hiking, learned how to rappel, and the kids really enjoyed horseback riding. All agreed Bryce was our favorite but we loved it all.

So here's the dilemma: where to next? My husband is willing to fund another trip this summer (wanting to take advantage of the children's enthusiasm for this part of the world) but we are conflicted about where to go. Seems like we shouldn't repeat as there are so many great places to see in the U.S. Had thought about doing SF/Yosemite or some other California thing. Husband has always wanted to go to Glacier or the Northwest. But we're leaning toward a return to Zion and Bryce.

Any thoughts? Advice? Ideas? Utahtea, I'd love to hear your thoughts. We would go again in late August/early September.

Hi cc: we did a similar trip this past summer as you (w/ 8 year old daughter). This coming summer we plan to visit NPs in Wyoming, S Dakota, & Montana.

I really love the parks you mentioned and, since I live close, visit them often. However, if my family had never been to Glacier, I'd take them there and then on into Canada. The scenery is spectacular and very different than the southern parks.
Yellowstone/Teton/Yosemite would also be a great trip but, by adding Yosemite, you'd spend quite a lot of time driving. It's a long way from northern Wyoming to central California.

Like many of the posts on this forum, this advice is based on personal opinion. When my kids were growing up, I wanted to give them as many widely varying experiences as possible. Going back to the same places is comfortable and enjoyable but I think kids (and adults) learn more by going to new places and seeing new things.

I agree with Dwooddon, go somewhere different. We drove to San Diego from VA and returned though the NPs in Utah. Drove so we could see the country from ground level. Next year we will drive to Glacier NP and the Canadian Rockies. The time to go back to what you've really enjoyed is after you have seen other place to make a comparison to.

How about Yellowstone and the Tetons?
That for me is always a wonderful trip.

Or, if you are not affected adversely by the heat, I think you would enjoy Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. Similar theme to Zion and Bryce, however.

Yosemite is beautiful, but crowded. However, I found that after a short walk up a trail, the crowds were behind me.

I remember once we hiked up to the top of Nevada Falls. The trail going up to the Vernal Falls footbridge was crowded.
It seemed like everybody and his dog was headed up there. Progress was slowed by a parade of wide bodies huffing and puffing along.

Once we left the footbridge and headed up to the base of Nevada Falls, the crowd thinned quite a bit. By the time we were at the top of Nevada Falls, there were mostly young people.

I am sure the route is still crowded, but by the time you reach the top of Vernal Falls, the parade is considerably smaller!!

You might need rain equipment on that trail. It is not called the Mist Trail for nothing.

If you are really ambitions, tackle Half Dome. That is unforgettable. Fabulous.
It is a long hike, but your group sounds like they are in shape for it.

If you go to Yellowstone and/or Yosemite, take the time to learn some of the geology. It for me is fascinating, and your visit will be enhanced.

I'd recommend Yellowstone and Grand Teton, with visits to at least Cody and Thermopolis. There's lots of interesting stuff at the NPs, and Cody has a great little rodeo and Thermopolis has hot spring pools with water slides and a high dive.

We also love Colorado - but more the SW part of the state (Ouray, Telluride). You could take in Mesa Verde NP, or do what we did and do a large loop and take in Rocky Mountain and Black Canyon. In CO there are lots of alpine slides, hot spring pools and historical sites that kid friendly.

Thank you all for your terrific responses. Great ideas. We have 'done' Grand Teton and Yellowstone so the other suggestions are of particular interest.

The Colorado loop is a strong possibility as we have USAir frequent flyer miles that we should (quickly) trade for United. And there are nonstops to Denver from Boston.

Keep the ideas coming. Question about Yosemite: would it be unwise to go there in late August due to lack of waterfalls? Would we really miss things?

Or...
Mt. Rainier + Olympic + Mt. St. Helens + Columbia Gorge. Ocean, mountains, giant trees, mighty rivers, nice cities too.

Or...
Glacier + Banff + Jasper. Nothing like it.

Or...
Mt. McKinley + Prince William Sound + a one way cruise back to Vancouver. Adventure, comfort, animals, whales, mountains, glaciers...

c,

Another great loop trip would be The San Juan Mtns (Ouray, Silverton, Durango), Mesa Verde, Moab. Plenty of variety!

Here's another vote for Mt. Rainier & Olympic. Olympic is my favorite park outside of Bryce & Zion. The kids will love the wildlife - marmots, elk, starfish & sea anemone in the tidepools - and the varied landscapes - lakes, mountains, streams, waterfalls, ocean beaches, and a really cool rainforest.

Last year I asked my brother, who leads bird tours and has traveled most of the west (especially the NPs), what his must-do Wonders of the West trips would be. These were his suggestions:

1) Pacific Northwest loop (his favorite for greatest variety)- Start in Seattle. Either do Mt. Rainier first or save for last. Head north into British Columbia, detouring east to the mountains in one of the provincial parks (he has a favorite resort that's quite inexpensive by American standards). Then head back to the coast for visit to Vancouver, ferry over to Victoria (apparently a charming town), where you can whale watch on a cruise of the San Juan Islands. Then ferry over to the Olympic peninsula (and NP), and eventually back to Seattle. All told, you see mountains, beautiful coastal islands, quaint Victorian towns, a rain forest, etc., plus cities if you want.
2) Alaska- He says to skip the cruises. Fly into Anchorage. His two must-sees are Kenai Peninsula area (Seward), where you take a boat to the Kenai Fjords NP and see glaciers calve along with whales, seals, etc., and Denali NP, with Mt. McKinley. According to bro, the Rockies will never look big again.
3) North Rim of GC, Zion, and Bryce.
4) Tetons/Yellowstone.

We also have two kids (a bit older than yours) and want to show them these incredible natural wonders in the next few years. We did GC/Zion/Bryce last summer and, like you, loved them. This year we had frequent flier miles on United and wanted to use them on the most expensive destination we could, so we have booked Alaska for next summer. I have no doubt the other two itineraries will follow in '06 and '07. Good luck wherever you go. It sounds like everyone's suggestions would be winners.

I've done all of the above except for Mt. McKinley, Vancouver, Prince William Sound and Alaska. You simply can't go wrong with any of the suggestions. All of them are fabulous trips.

I will add that if you go to Banff, be sure to go to Yoho NP which is a tiny and adjacent to Banff. You need to plan three months ahead (to the day!) to arrange reservations to hike in the park, but it's worth it because it is so spectacular. Check out their website for details.

In answer to your last question re: going in August with lack of waterfalls, the only one that shrinks a lot is Yosemite Falls. Some years it's more (or less) than others. Still, Bridleveil runs strong throughout the year and Vernal and Nevada Falls keeps you coming back for more. On the positive side, you are more inclined to ride a raft and take a dip in the Merced river to cool off from the daytime temps, which you can't really do unless wearing a wetsuit in the Spring, when the falls are in full kilter.

We have been going to Yosemite over Labor Day for as long as I can remember, and I couldn't imagine a prettier or more enjoyable place to be, along with the flock of kids we drag with us. We camp out for the most part, although in later years we'd start off or end up getting a hotel room for one night. The falls (other than Yosemite Falls) run well into September.

Having said that, last year was the first time we went over Memorial Day weekend (the busiest weekend of the year). The weather was surprisingly good, and I was pretty taken aback at how Yosemite Falls, in peak period, looks. I was totally awestruck, and this is a pretty awestriking place at any time of year.

Enjoy!

I'll second the Canadian Rockies!! We took our kids when they were about that age. Hiking, Snowcoach ride on the glaciers, hot springs etc., all located in several national parks all within a short days ride. We also took a few days and visited Drumheller (east of Calgary) to do a dinosaur dig and visit the Dinosaur Museum there.

Also, the Pacific NW was a real pleasure to visit. We spent three weeks last August touring through Olympic NP, Columbia River Gorge, Crater Lake, Redwood National Forest, the Oregon coast and Mt Ranier. We started and ended in Seattle. It was a very different trip from the Zion/Bryce/GC tour of the year before because all the flora/fauna/scenery was the opposite of what we'd experienced in the Southwest.

Good luck with all your planning. Whatever you decide should be great fun, your kids are at a great age to travel and discover new horizons. It's fun to share that kind of time with them!!

Another vote for Pacific Northwest - the kids may think Mt. St. Helens is cool, especially if it is still waiting to blow up again (or even more so if it does). Don't know how you feel about cities, but Seattle is great, Could get all your outdoorsy needs met in Washington and Oregon. (We also went to Bryce, Zion and GC 2 summers ago - our favorite was also Bryce)

A completely different idea (depending on point of origin) would be to do Acadia NP (Maine). Lots of hiking, ocean is beautiful, though cold. Could even do a side trip for a few days to Nova Scotia or New Brunswick - exchange rate makes Canada still a great bargain.

Hi ccrosner,

I'm just now catching up on post since my return from a short trip to visit our dear grandson in South Carolina.

My second choice would be Yellowstone, but since you have already done that and they enjoyed Utah so much, I would recommend Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks. Rent a jeep and do some exploring. There are plenty of easy 4 x 4 trails that make excellent adventures. Excellent hiking trails and there are also some bike trails but I've never explored those. Our boys really loved the white water rafting trip out of Moab, Utah. This is also an excellent are to do rockhounding and plenty of places to see petroglyphs.

Depending on how long a vacation you had you might be able to squeese in Mesa Verde National Park, CO and Monument Valley Tribal Park on the AZ/UT border.

My other choice would be the Canadian Rockies. Banff, Jasper and the Icefield Parkway are favorites when it comes to mountain scenery and wildlife. We saw more wildlife here than when we drove to Alaska and back. Nearby is also Yoho and Kootenay National Parks. Make sure you take the Snowbus on the Columbia Glacier. If you have time you might swing down to Waterton/Glacier National Park on the US border.

Utahtea

Yosemite without the falls is still pretty, but medium full falls like Nevada and Vernal make the trip even more spectacular. You can still admire El Capitan, Half Dome, and other sights, but the falls are, to a major extent, what Yosemite is all about.

Sorry for the delay in acknowledging more great thoughts. Utahtea, thanks for taking the time...glad you got to see that adorable grandson!

I was thinking about Canyonlands since all have written so beautifully about it and the whole area. And the Canadian Rockies is a leading favorite as well since my husband and I had a fabulous trip there before the kids were born. And both options seem to offer some good variety.

I'll let you know what we do. Need to focus on the holidays and then get into it again!

Happy holidays to all,
Carol

Our family has done three cross country trips in the last four years. One to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Utah area. Another to Yellowstone, Glacier and Washington State area. And this past year a third back to Seattle, Yellowstone & Tetons and many places in between. We are from the Midwest and have poured on many highway miles, but as many have said it is a great way to see the country. We have visited many of the national parks along the way from Mt. Rushmore to Little Bighorn to Zion to Olympic.

We have always tried to take the good back-roads as much as possible. You never know what neat stuff you're gonna see compared to the highway, and it's the true America.

Anyway, my recommendation is this: since you have been to some of Utah's great parks I strongly suggest a change of pace and go for the Northwest trip. Glacier park is a must. Hopefully you can make a large loop between Glacier, Seattle, Olympic, Mount St. Helens, and the Columbia River gorge. Maybe even get over to Long Beach and Astoria. This area of the country is very different from Utah and the Grand Canyon but in a way just as spectacular.

We have been to Mount St. Helens from the less visited "Windy Ridge" side in the blast zone. On my "wow-O-meter" it is right up there with most of the major national parks.

If you do decide on the northwest, I have some ideas of places to see and roads to travel (instead of the interstate) that are good roads with spectacular scenery.

To Utahtea, later I will be writing for suggestions for our second trip back to the Grand Canyon/Arizona and some more of Utah's great parks I did not see the first time thru. And yes, I will be driving cross country again so I can see a little more of America! The trip will be next summer, but not soon enough.

Overtheroad,

I'll be looking for your quesions. I LOVE road trips!

ccrosner,

Canyonlands has 3 different districts. Maze which is very remote and Island in the Sky and Needles district. Both of these are beautiful and different and a 4 wheel drive vehicle can really come in handy for some good family fun!

Utahtea