Zoom

Hello All:

I've never posted a trip report but since I've gotten so much help from all my fodorite friends thought I could maybe help someone else out...

We started this trip flying into McCarron in Vegas. Rented a Dollar rental car with trepidation as it seemed all the info on this board regarding car rentals made it seem like a pain. Well, yes there were lines at Dollar, but there were lines at all of the car rental desks. But no problems and within 30 minutes we were out the door with our car and to the hotel.

The rental car guy DID ask us quite a few times where we were planning to go with the car. On the advice of posters on this board we just kept saying around town. Not sure if it made any difference - we got the full size car we rented with very low miles...

Night 1 in Vegas stayed at the Monte Carlo. Was good for a place to lay our heads for the night as we planned to leave first thing for the GC. Hotel room fine - not deluxe. Good location on southern end of strip for this. Grabbed dinner at Irish pub at New York New York.

Next day headed out to the GC South Rim. Was a full five hour drive. Glad we had lots of water and stopped at Walmart in AZ to buy a cheap cooler and fill up with drinks and snacks. Great directions (including gas station stops - very important to know!) from Utahtea - thanks much!!

Such an interesting area to travel through - even tho it was mostly major hwy. Coming from CT just even seeing big open sky like this was cool for us.

Stopped off at Hoover Dam for a quick look see. Worth it - real engineering marvel!

Pulled into GC at about 4. Stayed two nights at Yavapei East. Lodge was fine - big, clean room with King bed. Looked out onto pines...a short walk to the rim. Hiked the Bright Angel trail to Indian Gardens. 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - straight hiking with little/few stops. Quite the hike. Was thankful we had both hiking poles and camelbaks. Camelbak is VERY important for any hike down into the Canyon. While there were three water locations on this trail, it was hot and the ascent back up was tough. Did I neglect to say that the GC was BEAUTIFUL? It was. Note to hikers - leave early in the a.m. to do this trail so you have ample time to get down and back up. We didn't have enough time to get to the observation point at the bottom because we thought we wouldn't make it up and out before sunset. Also we ended up following many mule trains up - smelly! Also, for all you potential mule riders out there - mule travel is not as easy as you would think. Hard on knees, some work involved...

Interesting that it seemed we Americans were the minorities at the GC. Europeans and Asians mainly.

We had a very nice dinner at El Tovar, but otherwise had breakfasts and dinner at the Yavapei cafeteria.

It may be just me, but I wasn't disappointed at all in staying at Yavapei. Sometimes on this board it sounds like if you don't get into El Tovar or Bright Angel you will be unhappy. But if you are going to the GC to do mainly hiking and enjoy the outdoors, the lodge atmosphere of Yavapei is just fine. El Tovar can seem stuffy. And believe me I can appreciate upscale...see our Bellagio stay below...

Well, after two days at the GC, on to Zion NP. Have never before traveled so much on big, open, empty roads. Thanks again Utahtea for your directions. We saw wide open vistas, prairies, plains, indian reservations, etc. All new to us. Really got a taste of the desert southwest. Again, bring water and provisions for the drive to make it enjoyable. There are not 7 Elevens on every corner like there are here in CT!!

Pulled into Zion at about 3:30 ish - after full 5 hr. drive. Came in through the canyon - SPECTACULAR!! We couldn't believe our eyes. The scenery was gorgeous. Stayed at the Desert Pearl and would go back in a heartbeat. Lovely accommodations, nice room, comfortable bed, pool and hottub, and met a lot of interesting people. Ate well at the area restaurants and did various hikes (Emerald pools, Hidden Canyon). Used the shuttles (real easy) except for 2nd night to drive in just before sunset. Lots of picture taking here! We decided that Utah (well, the little part we saw of it) is a beautiful state and we want to come back. What a great lifestyle....

On sixth day of trip it was time to drive back to Vegas for our last two nights. Very hard to leave Zion. We got up early, took one last little trip in via the shuttle, went to some quick observation points, then packed up the car for the drive in to Vegas.

3 hour drive, but big long stretch through desert. Amazing to see communities being built farther and farther out into the desert...80 degrees in October, can only imagine how hot it would get in summer. Pulled in to Vegas around 3 - some traffic getting in, but we are used to NYC traffic so as long as it kept moving we were psyched.

Checking in to Bellagio is like checking into other large hotels. Expect some lines and a large, kind of noisy lobby (tho very nicely adorned with Chihuly art and a fall theme). We had the deluxe room (the least expensive room I believe) and it was very nice. Large room, large bthroom, large tub,
comfortable bed, nicely decorated.

Spent our first night on the strip - went to the Bellagio buffet. Thought it was really well done. Usually hate buffets becuase I think the food quality suffers, but this buffet had a very nice selection of entrees, sides and desserts. Recommend it.

Saw the Bellagio fountains - worth it, took the gondola ride at the Venetian (don't bother paying extra to do the ride that goes indoors...I thought those folks felt foolish when they got into the mall and everyone is standing there staring at them). Recommend taking the outdoor ride in the evening.

Note on the Venetian. If you are not a "mall" lover, you may not like this hotel. Walking by Ann Taylor, and all the other stores that we have in our malls in CT, I just wanted out. I also wasn't crazy about their location - a bit farther north on the strip then I would like. Magnificent to look at, but I just don't think I would want to stay there.

Went to Madame Toussoud's wax musuem. Lots of fun - especially if you haven't been to one before. Bring the camera.

Excellent - and strong - margarita's at Buffet's Margaritavile.

Friday night celebrated birthday by going to the Elton John show at Caesar's. Really enjoyed it. Front row balcony is a good seat to get if you can't splurge and/or obtain front orchestra. He played lots of favorites - Your Song, Daniel, Philadephia Freedom....

Hung out some at Bellagio on second day - beautiful pools, large and lots of different seating options/arrangements. There are folks (nuts?) that must run out there at 6:30 a.m. to put towels on chairs (but at least this hotel says that a chair without a person on it for more than 1 hour will be considered unoccupied. Loved that.)


Bellagio Conservatory with its fall theme was magnificent. So picturesque.

We also made our way down to the Tropicana and saw the Titanic exhibit. Titanic enthusiasts shoud go. Nice exhibit, but wow, that hotel is depressing....

Heard that Circus Circus will be next hotel to be imploded. Also, San Remo looks like it should be on that list too.

Loved our trip to the southwest. This is a beautiful part of our country and interesting to see if you are not from it. Thanks Utahtea for all your information. Kept it with us in the car and it came in really useful.

Happy to answer any questions anyone might have!

Zoom.....

eab

Hi Zoom,
Thanks for posting your trip report! We did GC and Zion a couple of years ago and have wanted to go back ever since. We also hiked Bright Angel at GC, Hidden Canyon at Zion & stayed at the Desert Pearl, which we loved.

We intend to go back to Zion one of these days, and since I've never been to Vegas, we probably will fly there first, then drive to Utah. Since you seemed to find Zion as magical as we did, I wonder: was it weird going to Vegas after being in such a quiet, inspiring place? I've wondered if the contrast would give me some kind of mental whiplash or something.
Just curious. Great report!
Ellen

kopp

Hello Zoom,

Great job on your first report!

I remember walking the "mule trails" in GC. There weren't even any mules out at that time but OMG the smell practically knocked us out. They sure could use some "people only" hiking trails.

Did you try some of the gelato while at the Bellagio? Nothing finer on a hot October day IMO.

Happy travels!

utahtea

If you liked Zion, then you have a LOT more of Utah that you will LIKE!

Utahtea

sharondi

Thank you for the trip report, Zoom. Now you need to start planning your next trip to see the rest of southern Utah. It is truly incredible.

eab - Mental whiplast is a great description of how I feel in Las Vegas after 10+ days in Utah. Although we only fly in and out of LV and have never even spent a night there, all the people & traffic gave us major culture shock! But you can get cheap airfare to LV from most cities and it is an easy 3 hr drive to Zion.

Zoom

Hello again.

Thanks for the nice comments. We really are hoping to revisit Utah again soon - more hiking!!

Anyway, just like some people have whiplash heading into the great outdoors, some have whiplash heading into Vegas I suppose. The hwys on the outskirts of Vegas are like the ones outside of some major cities - dirty and unkempt -so that kind of bums you out after being in the great beauty of southern Utah. The ride out of the high desert is really interesting tho. Once we were in Vegas the mindset changed to enjoying what Vegas offers. Significant other just reported wanting a drink after the drive into Vegas from Zion. LOL So I guess there are different ways of easing into Vegas to diminish the level of potential whiplash.

wtm003

Zoom, thanks for the report. We are headed for Arches, Bryce & Zion next week. We are also staying at the Desert Pearl Inn. Can you recommend any restaurants in Springdale? This is truly a last minute trip, so if you have any other advice, I would appreciate it.

ellen_griswold

Ah yes, the Desert Pearl, my all time fave place to stay out west. LOVE it there. So glad you had a good trip and thanks for posting.

Zoom

WTM003....

Hope I saw your post in time. The Desert Pearl will actually provide you with a rundown typed up on the restaurants in the area. We were there two nights. One night ate at Bit n Spur, southwestern food, excellent tamales (that evening's special) & margarita's - $70 for 2 people. Next night we ate at Pizza & Noodles, great pizza (variety of specialty pizza's) and pasta (different options) menu (very good food). Spent about $45 (included a couple of beers) for two of us. Lots of people like the Spotted Dog across the street for breakfast. The food was good - but we were antsy to get out and hike -- so a white tablecloth atmosphere for breakfast and the waitservice (tho excellent) was a bit much for us.

We didn't get a chance to poke around in the shops on the town road, but they looked interesting.

Also, there is a small market up the road on the left and a good deli on the right for sandwiches, etc. Our last day there we picked up sandwiches and snacks for lunch.

Have fun! And listen for the elk at night - what a great sound that was!!

Hope to hear back from you as we would like to do Bryce, the Arches and Zion (your trip) next year!

iamq

Zoom,

Thanks for sharing a great report. Could you mention the route(s) that you took to get from GC to Zion?
Thanks.

-Bill

Zoom

Our route(South Rim to Zion) was supplied by another poster to this board - Utahtea.

It was....Hwy 89 to Hwy 9. 253 miles and will take about 5 hours. There is gas at Cameron. NO gas between Cameron and Page, AZ. There is gas at Kanab, Utah and Mt. Carmel Jct.

Really heed the NO gas warning from Utahtea. And where there is no gas, there is probably no water/snacks/soda either so plan accordingly. Spectacular scenery tho on those open roads!!

Oh - and Utahtea also wrote this note...Going on Alt 89 instead of Hwy 89 is about the same amount of miles, but will take a little longer to drive. It's more mountain driving and if you get stuck behind a RV then it will take longer.

We heeded that advice and skipped Alt 89. You do see a lot of RVs out in that area...

utahtea

Zoom,

I see you were really taking notes!

Utahtea

Zoom

Thank God we did Utahtea...LOL...if we didn't my guess is we would have been the ones praying (or swearing) as the gas tank edged toward E with NOTHING in sight. With your advice, we rolled along quite nicely with our snacks, drinks, etc.....just enjoying the view!

xyz99

wtm003,
We were in Zion about a month ago – stayed at the Desert Pearl, what a wonderful place! We had dinner twice at the Spotted Dog – great food both times. We had lunch at Oscar’s café – again, very good.
Can’t help with breakfast, we had pastries and coffee from the “Elements” shop right next to the Desert Pearl.
Have a wonderful trip!

wtm003

Zoom & xyz thanks for the restaurant tips. We were gone & back before I saw your posts, but we also ate at a few of the same places.

Zoom since you expressed an interest in our Bryce & Arches experience I'll continue with a trip summary on this thread. Hope you don't mind.

We started our trip from Denver and drove straight to Bryce. It was roughly a nine hour drive but we wanted to get the longest drive out of the way at the start of the trip. We stayed at the Best Western Ruby's Inn for the first night. Clean, large room and the bed was suprisingly comfortable. The room could have used some updating, but for $66/night, I'm not complaining. The Best Western was a large complex, including grocery store (expensive), gift shop and restaurants. The front desk also had a foreign currency exchange. Across from the hotel, bike & ATV rentals were available as well as horse and helicopter rides. I thought the location was great. We ate out of our cooler that night (sandwiches, fruit & beer) and relaxed. The next morning our car was covered with frost (make sure you bring an ice scraper). Since we were anxious to get into the park, we got coffee to go from the restaurant and muffins from the grocery.

The views in Bryce were spectacular. The rock formations were like looking at ancient castles and fortresses. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and the air was cool & crisp - perfect for hiking. We stopped at several points for hiking, but I really enjoyed the Navajo loop and walking between the hoodoos. We stopped at Rainbow Point for a picnic lunch and then hit the points we had previously missed, stopped at the visitor center and headed toward Zion.

It was about a 2 hour drive to Zion. The drive on the Zion-Mt. Carmel highway was awesome. The Checkerboard Mesa and tunnel are not to be missed. We continued on to our hotel - the Desert Pearl Inn. Wonderful! This is an oasis in the desert and really made our trip enjoyable. In fact we liked it so much, we stayed an extra night. We had dinner the first night at the Spotted Dog Cafe. The food was pretty good, but so many items on the menu were unavailable that it was disappointing. One night we also ate at Zion Pizza & Noodles which was good (huge salads). We had coffee & muffins a few mornings at Elements next to the Desert Pearl, which is a good choice when you feel like getting into the park right away. We tried out the Zion Park Lodge for one lunch and a breakfast. The food was good and hit the spot. No complaints.

I am really glad we went to Zion late in the season. The days were mostly sunny and cool. The fall foliage was beautiful. The hikes were enjoyable and the trails were uncrowded. The shuttle bus was extremely convenient. I don't know if I would have liked Zion if I had visited in the summer. I think with the summer heat and crowds it would have ruined the experience.

After 3 nights in Zion we headed toward Arches. We made a quick stop at Kolob Canyon and then continued our journey. We arrived at Arches in the late afternoon and spent a few hours in the park, mainly visiting the Windows area. We left and headed to our hotel in Moab intending to return to the park next morning. We stayed at the Best Western Canyonlands Inn(breakfast included). The location was great - close to shops and restaurants. I would not hesitate staying there again. For dinner we chose Miguel's Baja Grill. The food was excellent and the margaritas were the best I have ever had. I had the fish tacos which were yummy and my husband went with the fajitas. One minor complaint - only two small tortillas came with the fajitas, my husband asked for a few more and we were charged extra for a side dish of tortillas. Nothing major, but irritating.

The next morning we woke up to the wind howling. A cold front was coming through and rain was expected. We decided to skip our day in the park and head home. I can't believe we didn't get to hike to Delicate Arch on this trip. Fortunately, we are only five hours away, so we will save that for our next trip and add on Canyonlands National Park.

Zoom

wtm...thanks so much for that very good info! I'm sure I'll be referering back to it when we are able to get back to the southwest. Sounds like a great trip! Can't wait to make it back out there...

And I agree with your assessment of the summer v. fall visit for the NP's. I'm so glad we were at the Grand Canyon and Zion in October for all the reasons you mentioned.