dmpalena

Putting together our plans for a visit to Arizona and Utah mid-September and would really appreciate some input as to our current itinerary. We will be starting out in Vegas since we were able to obtain great airfare and car rental rates from there. Have been to Vegas before and will not be spending any time In Vegas at all. We have a very early flight from the east coast on September 17th, so we will be arriving in Vegas around 10:30 a.m.

Two years ago we traveled to Zion and Bryce and up along Route 12 to Capitol Reef and absolutely loved it!! Want to see the area again since we will be returning to LV to fly home. Since Zion is only 3 hours from LV (and we are flying out late pm on the 25th), we decided to end in Springdale, UT so that our last day we can sightsee a little before we drive on to LV to fly home.

We have also been to the Grand Canyon on another vacation and would like to see it again, but do not plan to spend any length of time there. Our thought was to do the following route:

Drive from LV to Grand Canyon
Then on to Page, AZ to see Antelope Canyon
Drive from Page to Monument Valley (no intention of spending much time here, but would like to arrive in time to at least see the area and watch the sun set)
Continue on to Moab and spend the most amout of time there to see Arches and Canyonlands
Leave Moab and head down to Route 12, stopping to see Bryce and Zion on the way to Las Vegas

I realize some of these days will be long travel days, but we are not hikers and enjoy scenic drives (especially since we will be renting a convertible for this trip). We also realize that driving via Route 12, Bryce and Zion adds a lot of time and driving to the itinerary, but we absolutely loved that drive the first time and can't wait to see it again!

Since we have a late flight out on the 25th (and gain an hour driving back from Sprindale to Las Vegas), we actually have eight nights and nine days to do this trip. Is it enough time and what suggestions might you have about how to split the nights between the various locations? The new sights for us will be Page, Monument Valley and Moab so I know we may be cutting our time short at some of the other destinations, but we have already spent significant time at them during previous vacations.

Any suggestions for lodging at any of these locations?
Am I right in assuming that the weather will be good mid September?
Looking for dry, sunny weather (okay if it's 80's to 90's, but we don't want scorching weather!).

Thanking you in advance for any help or suggestions!

emalloy

You can probably get a reservation in the National park at Grand Canyon which will let you see sunset and sunrise there and then get up to Page in time to do the hike out to the overlook for Horseshoe bend or a tour of the VC at Glen Canyon Dam and then get lodging for the night there. There are lots of chain type motels in Page. They say that the best time to see Antelope Canyon is noon, but we went there in the mid afternoon and thought it was spectacular, but you do want it to be sunny when you go. You can go from there to Monument Valley and stay either in a motel in Kayenta or in MV at their motel or Gouldings or if you are early enough, do a drive through MV then go up to Blanding, Bluff, Mexican Hat or Monticello for lodging. Check out the Needles District of Canyonlands then up to Moab for Arches and Island in the Sky in Canyonlands and any of the other activities in the Moab area that you find fun. Check out Capitol Reef on the way back to Bryce and Zion. You can stay in the NP at either Bryce or Zion or stay at Ruby's for Bryce and one of the places in Springdale for Zion. We have done versions of this from Vegas, Denver and Albuquerque in a week to ten days with some variations with other sites, like Mesa Verde and Bandelier. I do have a trip report from last spring that you can get to if you click my name here and pictures at www.flickr.com/photos/emalloy2009/sets

tom_mn

The shortest way to Page from Vegas is via the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. If you have already visited the south rim, consider the cooler and forested north rim.

Then you would visit Zion first, then the North Rim, then Page and on up. I suspect that you would save 4 hours of driving by doing it that way.

Dayle

dm,
If you do go through MV to Moab, stay overnight at the Valley of the Gods B&B. MUCH better than anywhere nearby or in MV. Valley of the Gods is about a 2 hr drive south of Moab and on the north edge of MV, kind of a mini-MV and a very interesting place.

I live in Utah and finally got to spend more time in this little corner of the state. Just loved the Valley of the Gods B&B. Very unique! But make your res NOW!

dmpalena

Thank you all for your kind replies. emalloy.....your pictures are beautiful! I gather from your reply that you might not think we are "biting off more than we can chew" with our itinerary. After seeing your pictures, we are definitely praying for a gloriously sunny day when we visit Antelope Canyon. It seems like such an usual place!

tom_mn, I have been doing some preliminary research on mapquest.com to check distances and driving times for this trip and am confused about your suggestion to start off in Zion and visit the north rim, instead of the south rim. I have no objection at all to seeing the north rim (it actually would be exciting to see the "other" side of the Grand Canyon), but according to mapquest, I don't understand how I would be saving 4 hours of driving. Assuming our first night would be in the Zion area, that would be a 2 1/2 hour drive from LV. Mapquest puts the north rim at a 3 hour drive from Zion and Page another 2 3/4 hours drive from the north rim, itself. Am I doing something wrong? Or is there a more expedient route for us to consider? Absolutely I would like to eliminate as much driving as possible, without eliminating the destinations we want to see. What route are you suggesting and where do you recommend we spend the first night or two?

Dayle....thank you for the tip on the Valley of the Gods B&B. It certainly sounds like a lovely place to stay. How long would we need to see the Valley of the Gods and could we combine it with a short visit to the Needles District of Canyonlands on the day we drive to Moab?

Again, I thank you for your kind suggestions and advice!

spirobulldog

I 2nd for Valley of the Gods B&B. You can just drive the short dirt road in the valley in about an hour. Don't miss Goosenecks of the San Juan, Moki Dugway, and Muley Point. This is all right near Valley of the Gods which is just north of Monument Valley.

If you didn't see Goblin Valley on your last visit, I would make a short stop there as well.

There are several Arches that are only a very short walk that you will want to visit in Arches. Landscape is doable by almost everyone and you will want to see it. Delicate Arch is somewhat difficult, but is very much worth doing.

Have you considered seeing Rainbow Bridge while in Page?

utahtea

Vegas to Zion, North Rim then to Page, AZ is 386 miles.
Vegas to S. Rim, then to Page, AZ is 418 miles so there's not that much difference and the drive times are going to be very close. It's a slow curvey mountain drive into the N. Rim and if you get stuck behind a slow moving RV, it can even take longer. On the other hand, if you've seen the S. Rim, you might enjoy seeing the N. Rim.

While in Page, AZ make sure you take time to go see the Lake! Consider taking a boat tour, it's a beautiful lake.

Monument Valley dosen't have to take a lot of your time, but please drive into the park. You can see a lot of the park on your own.

While in Moab make sure you drive Hwy 128 out to see Fisher Towers, the Potash Road Hwy 279 to see petroglyphs and Kane Creek road for more petroglphs.

Utahtea

tom_mn

No, you're not missing anything, I forgot about the long way in to the North Rim. BUT, the drive from Vegas to the South Rim is lengthy and frankly pretty ugly, and it takes up the better part of the day. Hoover Dam can have some delays on that route. Also, you save a bit of time going from Bryce to Vegas by beelining it to the interstate.

If you go to the North Rim, consider a detour to Lees Ferry which has some interesting history and allows you to easy access to walk along the roaring Colorado.

dmpalena

Wow! Thanks so much for all the input. My list keeps growing of "must sees" and am wondering if we are giving ourselves enough time to see them all. Because we want to end in Springdale (Zion) on our last night so the next day is a short trip into LV to fly home, I think we would still stick with our original idea of LV to the south rim, then Page onto Monument Valley, Moab and the drive back passing by Bryce, ending in Zion. But can anyone help me with suggestions how to split the nights amongst these locations, allowing enough time to see them all? Will nine days be enough? Haven't committed to the airline tickets yet so I want to be sure we're giving ourselves enough days to do this trip justice. Can we do it comfortably in the nine days we planned.......we don't plan on any long hikes.

I appreciate all of you taking the time to add your suggestions! Thanks!

spirobulldog

Here are my thoughts;

I would do the North Rim over the South Rim because you are going to Page the next day. The North Rim is different and it just depends on who you ask as to which one is the best. I would for sure do the North if you have seen the South in your previous trip. Either place getting down into the canyon a little ways by hiking or on a donkey. North Rim has several options for donkey rides, including a ride just along the top. From the South side you might want to take a helicopter tour. From the North Helicopter tours depart from Page. They also offer helicopter tours from Page to Rainbow Bridge. I think 1 night is enough at either place unless you are really going to do a lot of hiking.

In Page you will want to see Antelope Canyon, perhaps a cruise to Rainbow Bridge, probably would see Horseshoe Bend.
1-2 nights here depending on what all you want to do.

See Monument Valley on you own, or more extensive by doing a guided trip. Consider spending the night just north of MV in Valley of the Gods B&B. The next morning on your way to Moab, see Goosenecks of the San Juan, Moki Dugway, and Muley Point. All pretty much right on 261. You might consider seeing Natural Bridges National Monument on you way in also. Sipapu Bridge is very impressive. It is very short, but slightly moderate hike. Not hard at all for me, but it does have a little bit of elevation gain coming back out of it. There are 3 huge bridges in the park Sipapu being the most impressive. See all 3 of them with very short hikes to them. You can see them from the road, but they are much much much better standing right under them.

In Moab, the number of days just depends on what all you want to do. You can see the highlights of Arches in a day, but probably 2 days if you want to dig a little deeper. You might want to take a 4 wheel drive tour. We did a small aircraft flight over Canyonlands an enjoyed it. You will probably want to see Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. I would see Deadhorse Point as well. The views from Deadhorse are very pretty, but similar to Grand Canyon viewpoints. In Arches I would for sure see Delicate Arch(slightly moderate hike to it), Landscape Arch(super easy hike-better hike is to hike all of the Devils Garden-but it does take 3-4 hours), Balanced Rock, Double Arch, Windows, Wall Street, Three Gossips(these can all be seen pretty much from your car or walk right up to them in 4 or 5 minutes).

In route to Bryce I would not Miss Goblin Valley. Right near Goblin Valley is Little Wildhorse slot canyon. It is super easy slot canyon. It probably isn't as nice as Antelope, but you can do it on your own. You would want to go at least a mile in and then back out, or you can hike the entire 8 miles. Goblin Valley ranks right up there with anything in Utah in my opinion.

Not for sure then how long you would want to stay in Bryce and Zion, since you have been there before.

I would for sure do something with the "Night Sky". Canyonlands, Goblin Valley, Bryce all offer opportunites with telescope for Ranger-led viewing. The stars are just incredible.

My ideas were 7 or 8 days not including Bryce and Zion. Since you have been there before, I would want to spend more time at the other places. Utah is very interesting and the more time I spend at each place and dig into it the more it amazes me.

I know you say you aren't hikers, but www.derserthighlights.com is my all time favorite adventure in a national park. This includes rafting the Grand Canyon and Salmon Fishing in Alaska.

Here is a link to my photos of Capitol Reef/Goblin Valley/Little Wildhorse
http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...B?source=pw980

link to my Moab pics/Canyonlands/deserthighlights
http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...6?source=pw980

link to our Mesa Verde/Monument Valley pics
http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...4?source=pw980

link to some wild waterfalling in Oregon with deserthighlights
http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...F?source=pw980

the last one doesn't pertain to your trip, but deserthighlights from Moab does this in Oregon 1 week each year. The stuff in Moab is very mild compared to this. It is actually super easy, fun, and not that strenuous. It is less dangerous than climbing on a ladder. They are the only authorized concessionaire in Arches. They offer a couple of options through the Fiery Furnace in Arches. The pics of our canyoneering on the link Moab is the hardest one they offer. It wasn't bad at all. Very rewarding!

dmpalena

Spirobulldog
Thank you for taking so much of your time to recommend an itinerary for us, as well as many great suggestions for places to see on this trip. I think we will add at least one more night to be sure we have enough time to see most, if not all, of the sights you mentioned. Nine nights (with the 10th day still open to sightsee before we fly home) will give us more room to add attractions in Page and/or Moab.

Your photos are wonderful and thanks for the link to deserthighlights.com. Now all we have to do is work up the courage to tackle canyoneering!!! Looks like loads of fun! We usually do a summer vacation, but now with our youngest in college, we can finally extend our window of opportunity to travel to other seasons of the year. It'll be hard waiting though!!

Thanks, again, to all of you for your kindnesses.

BTW, someone had mentioned to me the option of including Mesa Verde on this vacation, but would that be too far out of the way? Is it worth forfeiting time somewhere else in our itinerary to see it? Just a thought.

spirobulldog

While all of the places in Utah are different, they do begin to run together. Mesa Verde is very much different. I liked it far better than Capitol Reef or Monument Valley.

There are two sections that you can visit. The Wetherill section doesn't open until June. We were there the last of May so didn't get to see it. It took us an entire day, so if you wanted to really see it you would need a day or even 2 days. I think we went in 3 or 4 of the houses. I believe the Wetherill area contains a couple of others that you can see. There are many houses built into the cliffs, but they only allow you to go into 7 or 8 of them. These 7 or 8 houses actually are comprised of many rooms. Each house is unique, you would want to try and see as many of them as you could. Most of them require you to be with a ranger. One or two of them you can do on your own.

Hoovenweep and Canyon D Chelly are two other indian ruins that are close. I think most people would say Mesa Verde is the best. I haven't been to the other two.

There is just so much to Utah, we keep finding ourselves wanting to go back over and over again. It's like an addiction, wanting to see every shape of rock a person can find.

dmpalena

Spirobulldog,

After reading your last post, it sounds like Mesa Verde is a destination we shouldn't miss! I know years ago my boss visited there and he's still talking about how unusual it was. According to mapquest, it seems to be only a two hour drive from the Bluff area and less than three from MV to Moab. I'd rather do a short trip past Monument Valley and spend at least one full day at MV. Do you think with our itinerary that would be doable?

After several suggestions of seeing the North Rim this time around, I think we would change the route as follows:

LV to Springdale, UT for first night
North Rim and on to Page for second night
From there I'm not sure how many nights to spend and where, but the route would continue to Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods, etc.
Mesa Verde then onto Moab
Drive onto to briefly visit Bryce and Zion before flying home from LV

Can we do all this in 10 days? We have been to Capitol Reef before so we wouldn't be stopping there at all this trip. Would still like to drive Route 12 again though.

If we can include Mesa Verde, how should we divide our days or nights? Thanks for your invaluable help!

spirobulldog

Do you plan on doing just Antelope Canyon in Page? I haven't seen Rainbow Bridge, but to me it is a really "must see" if you are in the area. It does require 4 or 5 hours roundtrip on a boat to see it. I would spend the first night at the North Rim instead of Springdale.

After Page, just drive thru Monument Valley, see Goosenecks of the San Juan, Moki Dugway, and spend the night @ Valley of the Gods B&B. In Mesa Verde we went through- Balcony House, Spruce House and Cliff Palace. All three very good, Cliff Palace is probably my favorite.

Really put the pencil to it, you might need to skip Zion or Bryce since you have seen those before. Work them in as to whatever you can.

In Mesa Verde, it just depends on how much of it you want to see. I would say you would be ok with 1 full day. You would need 2 days if you want to include the wetherill area. After you reach the park entrance, it is still going to take about an hour to get to the ruins as the road is slow going.


I'm not sure what all you want to do in Moab. I don't know if you are going to stay there 2 days or 4 or what???

dmpalena

Spirobulldog, you are absolutely right! I do think we should plan on seeing new sights first and then if there is time, squeeze in what we can of places we have already visited. From what I have read here, we would be crazy not to include Mesa Verde, especially since it's not far off our planned route. While in Moab we want to spend one full day at Arches and one full day for Canyonlands (Island in the Sky and Deadhorse Point). I guess adding in the travel day we would be staying in Moab at least three nights.

As you suggested, I am going to put some things down on paper and figure distances and driving times and what we hope to accomplish each day. Then maybe I'll have a better idea of how many nights to stay in each location and what locations make the most sense. Many thanks!!

Dayle

dmpalena,

I have to agree with spirobulldog when he says the more time you spend in Utah, the more you want to spend. I've been exploring and traveling Utah for many years and live here by choice. Once you get out here, you will know why.

PS - you all should come up and spend a little time in northern UT too. It's amazing in different ways, and still lots to do and see.

dmpalena

Dayle,

It's funny you should say that, because we have been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel out west during the past 7-8 years. In those travels we've driven though some of the most beautiful states there, such as California, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. In conversations, however, my husband and I often remark that it was the state of Utah that really took our breath away. Not speaking of any one specific location or attraction, but the whole state, itself. It is one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen and I can certainly understand why you chose to live there.

Looking forward to falling in love more!