paulhelmick

ketchpa mentioned that you would almost be making a circle through utah.this in fact is called the great circle tour.you might find this tour company web site interesting.
http://www.utahscenictours.com/tours_circle.html

InSandy

Both Capitol Reef and especially Bryce are at a high elevation- meaning less heat. So taking them out of the picture doesn't really make sense if you are doing it to avoid the heat.
I wouldn't take any time away from Moab--- if you are worried about heat take a river trip.

I haven't read through all the comments, so don't know if they have addressed you staying in Bluff to see Mesa Verde. I love Bluff, it is a great town and I would stay there for lots of reason, but the drive to Mesa Verde and back will eat up your time there. Stay in Cortez instead (or at the Far View hotel near the park).

Durango to Silverton is gorgeous, love it. on the highway or on the train. It would indeed be a nice change from rock.

On your day 10 you say 2 hrs from Bluff to Canyonlands and then 2 hr from Canyonlands to Moab....There are three sections to Canyonlands. The Needles is about an hr from Moab, (maybe a little more), Island in the Sky is about 1/2 hr from Moab (this is the same place you'd see Dead Horse Point), so not sure which you are referring to, but one of those two hr drive is too long. The other section of Canyonlands is the Maze and you won't be going there.

grendel

Thank you all for your input.

Just to let you know - we now have in-park lodging on one of our Yellowstone days! One room at the Canyon Lodge (not quite sure where it is in relation to everything). We are trying to find something for the other days, but if we don't, we will stay in West Yellowstone and probably Cody for the other days. Cody is for the rodeo and maybe the Buffalo Bill museum.

We have decided to leave the first part of our itinerary (the great circle tour) like it is for now, and depending on if and when we can get in-park lodging in Yellowstone we might do Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon in two days instead of three.

For the rest of our trip (Yellowstone - Yosemite - San Francisco etc) I will start a new topic. Please comment on that one too, all suggestions are welcome.

meloumelaki

Hi there ...Oh how l envy you...l did the trip last year with my family and despite the fact that we've been all over the world ,it was the best one ever.Admittedly you'll be on the road a lot but you know what you'll see so many things that you won't mind one little bit.I think you will want to spend a bit longer in Vegas when you get there it is a wow place ...my kids couldn't get enough of it.Check out the TRUMP HOTEL its at the end of the strip but it's cheeeeeeeeap and super lux plus they will shuttle you any where you want to go.As for supermarkets you don't just come across them on the strip they are off strip.Coming into Vegas from the airport hit the strip then turn off immediately to the right after a couple of kilometres you should find a Wallmart.As for the outlets DON'T MISS them.But what you could miss is downtown LA but do go to the Getty Museum and the observatory both of which are free after 5pm.Check out the ichotels.com because both in LA and SanFran we stayed in HOliday Inns got great deals and the kids ate free.And don't worry about the fact that there are five in your party we booked for 2 adults 2 ch.and they had no probs letting 5 of us in one room.And if you can stretch your budget stay at Ceasars Palace..wow...and for a good deal in Vegas get the meal deal ticket...gives you access to 7 hotel restaurtants where you can eat as much as you like for 24 hrs.if you get the deal around 11am you'll get all meals one day and early breakfast the next.Beware of long queues.I could go on forever ...

grendel

Thanks meloumelaki for your tips on Las Vegas, you are so right - my kids are really excited about LV; for example the shark-aquarium pool at the Golden Nugget where we are staying. They also talk about some crazy roller coaster they have heard about. I think they are too young (14, 12 and 10) for some of the wildest rides (http://vegasclick.com/vegas/las-vega...-coasters.html) but I am thinking about Adventuredome for the day before our return to Europe.

We have booked the Golden Nugget for both the beginning and the end of our trip, but I did have in mind to book something different for the end, just for the change. Thanks for the tip on Trump Hotel - I know my kids would really enjoy something super lux since that is not something they are used to. The Golden Nugget doesn't look too shabby either in the photos!

I didn't know about the meal deal tickets in Vegas - are they part of the Trump Hotel deal or general for all hotels? Will definetly look into that.

Will also check out Holiday Inn for SF and LA, haven't booked anything there yet since the dates depended on the first part of the round trip and we just recently decided on that part.

I wouldn't mind you going on forever, especially since you have done a similar trip with three kids just last year. Have you published a trip report?

emalloy

Here is another link for discounts in Vegas www.smartervegas.com/ Have a great trip!!

chinquapinhill

What a wonderful trip you have ahead of you. To add another wrinkle, check out www.frontierpacktrain.com for a combination trail ride and hike in Yosemite. I took a trip with them a few years ago and it was fabulous - no crowds, just unbelievable beauty. You might have time to do a custom trip with them, if so, it would be worth it.

grendel

Thank you emalloy and chinquapinhill for your links!

I am getting so much interesting information from all of you that I could start planning a second trip already. I would love to do the kind of hiking/trail ride they propose at frontier pack trips, with over-night camping. I've seen that you can do that in Yellowstone also. That will have to be for the next time.

About Yellowstone - I now have 3 nights of in-park lodging in Yellowstone and plan to do one night in Cody and one night in Jackson Hole before going to Yosemite.

I am booking whatever has been cancelled in Yellowstone, and for now it looks like this:

day 16 drive from Bryce Canyon to Yellowstone, sleep in Grant Village Lodge
day 17 Yellowstone, drive to Cody for the rodeo, sleep in Cody
day 18 drive from Cody to Yellowstone, sleep in the Canyon Lodge
day 19 Yellowstone, sleep in the Lake Lodge Cabin
day 20 Yellowstone, drive to Jackson Hole, sleep in Jackson
day 21 Horse trail ride in Jackson, then drive towards Yosemite (first stop Wells, Nevada)

So the lodging in and around Yellowstone will be in this order: Grant Village - Cody - Canyon Lodge - Lake Lodge Cabin - Jackson Hole

Challenge:
- to plan the days in Yellowstone so that there isn't too much back tracking.
- to find some nice hikes

utahtea

Idea:

Day 17 From Grant Village make a clockwise circle starting with the West Thumb Geyser area, Old Faithful, and the other geyser areas and drive thought the middle of the park to Canyon and then back to Fishing Bridge and make your way to Cody.

Day 18 Visit the Mud Volcano the do the upper circle of Yellowstone to visit Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Falls, and at dusk try to be at Hayden Valley to see the wildlife.

Day 19 If you haven't had time to see the canyon and falls, then spend the morning doing that and then I'd go back to any area you either didn't have time for or missed. For me that would be the geyser area, I love seeing all the geysers!

Utahtea

grendel

Thank you Utahtea for these tips (and all other tips you have given on this topic)!

I will follow your suggestions above. I still hope to find in-park lodging on the second day and push the visit to Cody to the end of our Yellowstone visit. The rooms I have found so far I've booked on-line, but this morning their on-line booking system is down.

Will keep trying

Thanks again

grendel

I finally got reservations in the Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone!

From what I have understood it is the best in-park option?

So with this reservation, and a reservation in Mammoth Frontier Cabin, I think our Yellowstone days are finally shaping up.

Today it looks like this:

day 16 drive from Bryce Canyon to Yellowstone, sleep in Old Faithful Inn
day 17 Yellowstone, sleep in Mammoth Frontier Cabin
day 18 Yellowstone, sleep in the Canyon Lodge
day 19 Yellowstone, drive to Cody for the rodeo, sleep in Cody
day 20 Drive from Cody via Yellowstone to Jackson Hole, sleep in Jackson
day 21 Horse trail ride in Jackson, then drive towards Yosemite (first stop Wells, Nevada)

To me it looks better, what do you think?

utahtea

WOW...that's GREAT! You can now work your way around Yellowstone park and see each section!

Utahtea

happytrailstoyou

I didn't read everything here, but the best advice I got about Grand Canyon at this forum was to stay in a lodge on the rim of the canyon. I did, and I'm glad I did because in the evening and morning we enjoyed the canyon free of large crowds. HTTY

happytrailstoyou

If you stay at the Best Western in Torrey UT, book a room with a balcony overlooking the red rocks (much more private than the rooms with terrace). The breakfast at an additional charge is a good value.

In Springdale, UT, Desert Pearl is a wonderful place to stay if it's in your budget.

It is definitely worth the effort to book a room in Yosemite NP. We like Lodge at the Falls (a motel-like facility).

South of Big Sur, we like to stay in Pismo Beach because we can get a room with a great ocean view. Check out Kon Tiki Inn and Ventana Grill for dinner.

I don't see Grand Teton NP on your list--a major oversight. This is a spectacularly beautiful place. Stay at Signal Mountain or in Jackson at a place such as Ranch Inn.

You may be disappointed to discover that some of the busiest drives in Yellowstone are not scenic. On the other hand, all the drives in Grand Teton NP are filled with beauty.

HTTY

DiscoverSB

Hello, Grendel.

I lived in Las Vegas for 6 years (loved it!), then moved to Santa Barbara (love it more!). So maybe I can help you with these two destinations.

It will definitely be hot throughout July & August; 100 degrees (F) or more. Evenings cool down to around 85-90 degrees F. But the casinos can be cold inside! So you might want to bring a light jacket if you plan to see a show.

The Golden Nugget on Fremont Street is 5 miles north of the Bellagio on Las Vegas Blvd. (The Strip). That's an impossible walk. Driving yourself around Vegas can be very confusing. It's much more relaxing to hire a taxi. Your head will be on a swivel with all the sights to see!

The Fremont Street Experience is awesome (http://vegasexperience.com/). It's only 5 blocks long and designed for pedestrians. You & your family will love the free entertainment and Viva Vision shows (every hour on the hour beginning @ 8:00 PM).

While in Vegas, I loved finding bits & pieces of "Old Vegas". Those remnants are getting harder and harder to find. There is an old adobe fort on Washington Street (http://www.parks.nv.gov/olvmf.htm), now a museum if you're interested in seeing the earliest settlement of Las Vegas (spanish translation: fertile plains or meadows).

There is a lot of history connected with Fremont Street. Back in the day, everyone arrived by train, so Fremont Street was the center of town. The Plaza Hotel at the west end of Fremont Street is the site of the first railroad depot in Las Vegas. It is no longer used as a train depot, but the last time I looked (5 years ago) you could still see an old mural on one of the walls leading to the depot. It's way in the back by the employee's lounge (which used to be the waiting room for the depot).

Don't miss one of the oldest original casinos in town, the Golden Gate at the corner of Fremont & Main Street across from the Plaza Hotel. Originally the Hotel Nevada, it opened as a first-class establishment in 1906. In 1907 it installed the first telephone in Las Vegas. Not glitzy, very small and so historic.

Go to the back of the Golden Gate Casino to the Shrimp Bar & Deli. This is probably the only deli in the world providing piano entertainment. The Golden Gate is the home of the 99 cent shrimp cocktail that Vegas used to be famous for, and one of the only places in town where you can still get one.

The Bay City Diner, also at the Golden Gate, is another famous landmark in Vegas.

To satisfy your shopping needs, I recommend the Las Vegas Premium Outlets North is just 2 miles from the Golden Nugget on Grand Central Parkway. You don't want to go to the Premium Outlets South. That's 8 miles away from the Golden Nugget.

The AdventureDome is at Circus Circus. They also provide free circus acts, which is good family fun.

As for Santa Barbara, I love it so much I'm creating a website about it: http://www.Discover-Santa-Barbara.com. I hope it'll help you find a room & some fun things to do while you're here.

Have a great trip!

grendel

Thank you DiscoverSB for these great LV tips! I really like the idea of seeing the "old Vegas", the museum on Washington Street and the Golden Gate casino.

For our two LV days at the end of our road trip however, I would like to stay on the strip. I have found a site with good prices but I am not sure which one to choose. If you had to choose between Planet Hollywood, MGM Grand and Paris LV, which one would you recommend for maximum glitz and lux?

I will check out your Santa Barbara site for our California days.

Thank you again for great ideas