Trip Report: NM, AZ, UT and WY

Old Jun 16th, 2006, 02:14 PM
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Trip Report: NM, AZ, UT and WY

Our two week vacation this year took us to New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Wyoming. We are a family of four with a son 16 and daughter 13. This is our 3rd trip out west. We’ve also been to California, the Northwest, and Washington D.C.

Day 1 was 10 hours of driving from Arkansas to Tucumcari, NM. We usually drive longer on day 1, but I planned a little more relaxed trip this time. Not too many places to eat in Tucumcari so we settled for the Holiday Inn. The only other towns between here and Albuquerque (Santa Rosa and Moriarity) didn’t look like they had much either. Day 2 was spent in Albuquerque at Old Town and Petroglyph National Monument. Basically an easy start for the vacation.

Day 3 we went to Chaco Canyon National Monument. The road was very rough. They weren’t deep ruts, but the frequency of the ruts was what made the road bad. Still, any car can make the trip. The park was very nice, not crowded at all. We watched the film in the visitor center and walked through the first three ruins, which are the main ones. Not as spectacular as Mesa Verde, but still nice. The family rated it 4 stars out of 5. We spent the night in Farmington and had a great dinner at Three Rivers Brewery.

Day 4 we drove through Valley of the Gods, up Moki Dugway to Mulley Point and over to Goosenecks State Park. We pretty much had all three areas to ourselves and ate a picnic under a shade tree along a dry creek bed in the Valley. That evening we took a jeep tour of Mystery Valley with Richard from Simpson’s Trailhandlers Tours. He is the same guide we took our tour of Monument Valley with four years ago. We just can’t say enough good things about him. He took us up to the top of a huge arch and then climbed down to take our picture. He then climbed back up to help us down. He finished the tour by taking us to an enclosed canyon and playing Navajo songs on a flute. We spent the night at Goulding’s and arose to watch a gorgeous sunrise. Don’t know if it was worth the extra $100 or so to stay there, but the convenience and the once in a lifetime aspect made it worthwhile. The day portion was rated 3 stars and the evening portion was rated 4 stars.

Day 5 we drove to Page Arizona and took a tour of Antelope Canyon with Antelope Slot Canyon Tours. What a beautiful place. We took more pictures there than anywhere we’ve ever been. The whole tour took about an hour and a half, including the drive to and from Page. Highly recommend this stop and tour company. Our guide took several pictures for us and she played the flute also. This was definitely rated 5 stars. After the tour we drove to Bryce Canyon National Park.

We spent Day 6 and two nights in a cabin at Bryce about 100 yards from the rim of the canyon. We hiked down Navajo Loop, through the canyon, and back up the Queen’s Garden Trail. That was about the limit for hiking for this family, but we took our time and really enjoyed it. In the afternoon we took the scenic drive and went to Inspiration Point for sunset. Staying in the park was expensive, but worth it since we were able to walk back to our cabin after the hike to rest and east a picnic lunch. We rated Bryce Canyon 4.5 stars.

Day 7 we drove scenic Highway 12 to Torrey, Utah just outside Capitol Reef National Park. Took a detour down Burr Trail and drove through some scenic canyons. We took our time, but only managed to stretch it to 5 hours. We checked in early and caught up on laundry and the Internet. (Hey, we have two teenagers!) Day 8 was spent at Capitol Reef. We hiked to Hickman Bridge, drove the scenic highway, and checked out the Petroglyphs. We only spent a little over four hours here, then drove three hours toward Jackson, Wyoming. If I had to do it again, I would have combined Highway 12 and Capitol Reef into one day. This would be better accomplished by starting at Capitol Reef so you can hike in the morning, them head down Highway 12 to Bryce. We only gave these two days a combined rating of 2.5 stars. I think we had seen enough of this type scenery by now. They are both worth the time to see if you are in the area, but don’t go out of your way.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 02:19 PM
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Part 2

Day 9 was a Saturday which we used to drive through Salt Lake City and Logan Canyon to Jackson. We stopped at Bear Lake for some great Raspberry shakes. None of us were too crazy about Jackson, too touristy and too expensive. Day 10 we drove through the Grand Tetons on the way to Yellowstone. We took the boat across Jenny Lake and hiked to Hidden Falls. Didn’t see near as much wildlife as we did the last time we were here, but the sky was clear and we had beautiful views of the mountains. The Grand Tetons earned 3.5 stars. After two trips here we feel like we’ve seen all we’re going to see. (Remember, we’re not hikers) Stopped at West Thumb Geyser Basin on our way to Old Faithful.

Days 11, 12 and 13 were spent in Yellowstone, the first two nights at the Snow Lodge and the last night at Mammoth. This is our favorite place in the whole world. Needless to say, we give it 6 stars out of 5. We spent one day walking around the Upper and Middle Geyser Basins. We checked the geyser schedule in the visitor center and timed our walk accordingly. We packed a picnic and ate lunch while waiting for Grand Geyser, which was spectacular. Much better than Old Faithful and well worth the wait. We also saw Riverside Geyser, which wasn’t quite as good, but enjoyed the weather and peace while we waited. We saw pictures of Beehive Geyser which looked like a fire hose, but it wasn’t predicted and we didn’t have time to wait. Maybe next time.

We went on the one hour horseback ride and cowboy cookout at Roosevelt our last night. This was really fun and well worth the cost. The food was very good also. We saw a black bear about 500 yards away while we were eating.

The rest of the time in Yellowstone was spent driving around looking for wildlife. We got caught in a couple of Bison Jams, which are cute at first, but after three or four they start to get old. We saw many Elk, a Bald Eagle with two babies, two Coyotes and a Wolf real close to the road. Then there were the bears. The first one we saw was a speck in the distance even with binoculars. The second was at the cookout. Then the morning we left we saw two black bears right next to the car between Mammoth and Roosevelt, and a another black bear crossed in front of us just north of Canyon. Then as we were waiting in the construction area heading to the East entrance we saw a huge Grizzly and cub about 20 yards away. What a way to finish the trip!

The weather the first two days in Yellowstone was fantastic. Clear blue skies and 85 degrees. Then as were leaving, between Fishing Bridge and the East Entrance the temperature dropped to 34 degrees and we ran into a snowstorm. Unbelievable! The Snow Lodge was very nice, but the cabin in Mammoth was small. We travel with an air mattress that the kids take turns sleeping on. We barely had room for it in the cabin with the two beds, and had to rearrange our luggage because only one suitcase would fit in the room. But we were only there long enough to change clothes and sleep, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Hope this helps. Keep in mind that our ratings are based on a family that loves wildlife, seeing ancient cultures, and beautiful scenery in that order. Also, this is the most hiking we’ve ever done on a vacation. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 05:53 PM
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Thanks for taking the time to post your trip report. When planning a trip, I usually start by researching the reports and then asking specific questions.

We can't wait to return to this area, but it may not happen for a while. Especially want to see Antelope Canyon. Please explain what Gouldings is. Thanks.
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 05:58 PM
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Goulding's Lodge is the only place to stay at Monument Valley. Pricey, but what a location!
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Old Jun 16th, 2006, 09:09 PM
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richbutnot: Great trip report!

Seems like you covered a lot of ground during your vacation!

Some of the places you mentioned brought back wonderful memories, like Antelope Canyon. Isn't it spectacular?

Others, like Yellowstone, I haven't visited in years, so it was great to be able to "revisit" through your trip report!

Thanks again!
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