Two couples. In our 70s. Some of us had been to this part of the world before, others not. Me,
not. I’d seen Grand Canyon from 37,000 feet and was determined to see it up close. This was a
trip I’d looked forward to for a long time. I did much research on Fodors.com, and herewith
present my account of our trip, hoping it will be of some use to people planning the same tour.
On April 23 we flew to Las Vegas, arriving late, and stayed overnight at Bill’s Gamblin’
Hall and Saloon. (My thought was, if you’re gonna go to Las Vegas, for heaven’s sake why
would you stay anywhere else except a place called Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon?) When we
checked in it evolved that we’d been upgraded to suites (our rooms cost $69.95 each) – and what
a hoot that was! The bathroom of our suite was, with hardly any exaggeration, the size of the
diningroom and livingroom of our condo combined! In the center of this extravaganza was a
humongous jacuzzi. There were, I think, six phones, a second bathroom, a complete kitchen,
large livingroom. As I say, it was a hoot. I loved Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall (although none of us did
any gamblin’).
On Thursday April 24 we picked up our rental car, a huge huge SUV, which I hated, as I
hate all SUVs. We’d reserved (through Thrifty) a mini-van, but when we got there they didn’t
have any. My friend B said she was determined to get a pic of me behind the wheel of the
monster -- she’d use it for blackmail. I’m quite vociferous in my dislike of this genre of
automobile. (I had a tiny nagging fear that I might be seduced by the SUV, but that was not the
case. I hated ‘em even more at the end of the trip - it handled like a truck (surprise!) and there
was little room between front seat and passenger seat, and etc. etc.)
After stocking up in a grocery store in L.V. (cooler, lots of bottled water, snacks, etc.) we
drove from Las Vegas to Zion – desert, desert. Then the road ahead disappeared into the
mountains, which had been in the distance. We took bets as to where our road might go, but it
was hard to see. Of course it went through a cut, rising somewhat. The start of our
mountain/canyon adventure.
El Rio Motel in Springdale, where we stayed two nights: barely met our lowest limit of
acceptability - small rooms, a bit seedy – but nice people, and good location. We had supper at
the Spotted Dog, which was more than just acceptable! I had a vegetable dish, shaped like a
hockey puck, a fabulous vegetable mixture with wonderful flavors and sauce, and beautifully
presented. Husband W had braised lamb shanks of which he approved. The waiter was fun and
cute and knowledgeable. Breakfast the next morning at Pioneers Café (I think was the name) -
fun and good.
One can discuss endlessly which park is most spectacular; it’s really a futile argument. I
thought, during the day we spent in Zion, that surely nothing could come close to it, in terms of
beautiful, rare, spectacular, sensational. We were all gape-mouthed, and the words “wow!” and
“Yikes!” (me) were heard constantly. From the gorgeous sheer rock marvels to the energetically
bubbling stream, from subtle ecrus and ochres to blazing oranges and sienas, from peaks to
valleys – all was perfectly wonderful, and like nothing I’d ever laid eyes on.
Zion is wonderfully run. There are shuttle buses that leave every 6 or 7 minutes,
transporting passengers to the far end of the road, dropping people off and picking ‘em up
wherever desired. We stayed on ‘til the end, and walked the Riverwalk Trail. The Narrows were,
unfortunately, not open, because the water was running too high, but the Riverwalk Trail was
heavenly. The walls of the canyon rose steep on either side of the river. There was discussion
about whether it was better to be at the bottom of the canyon looking up or at the top looking
down. My feeling was, I very much liked being at the bottom. Only problem: crick in arthritic
neck from looking up. Oh well.
Squirrels abounded, fresh guys with no fear of people. Crows. Actually I think they were
ravens. Bigger than crows, and huge black beaks.
We spotted rock climbers, and all of us earth-bound folk wondered at their – well,
courage, and – well, good sense. You could barely make them out, even with binocs, on the
smooth facades. Night, we were told, had to be spent en route to top, hard to fathom.
On the way back we split up, our friends taking the Weeping Wall Trail and we opting for
the Emerald Pool Trail. Nice walk, not too strenuous. Water cascading from heights – spraying
one when a breeze came.
Supper at Pizza and Noodles – fun and good. Each couple split an order (no problem) and
salad – which was the only way to do it – the servings are huge. One is plenty for two people.
Next morning, Saturday, we left for Bryce - one night there. En route we saw amazing bright red-orange
hoodoos – the first of so many, but really astonishing ones.
Bryce: 17-mile road – we drove all the way, without stopping, then back, stopping at most
overlooks. (The Bryce shuttle bus was not operating yet.) Of course Bryce is lovely – the colors
are – well, they’re my colors: rusts, pinks, oranges, terra cotta. The hoodoos look like sand
castles; you know, where you take wet sand in your hands and let it drip through? They come
small, large, in groups, alone.
We stayed at Bryce View Lodge, across the street from Ruby’s, and – we think – part of
the Ruby’s operation, which is huge. We ate at Ruby’s, and it was Too Much Food! We all
suffered from overkill (I can’t remember why we didn’t split our orders here). When you can’t
take stuff home for lunch the next day, you try to eat all you can. Moral: Always split orders! If
possible. And no one seemed to mind.
Sunday a.m. – up at crack of dawn – no, before crack of dawn. We’d been told Bryce
Point was the best place to witness sunrise, so there we went. Cold beyond description! Everyone
bundled up, huddling together.
Stayed at the Point a half hour or more watching the colors change on the acres of pointy
hoodoos. I saw to my astonishment one row of hoodoos that caught back-light, reflection of the
sun hitting hills beyond – It looked as if light was coming from within the rocks.
Satiated with sunrise, we decided to have breakfast at the Bryce Lodge, a buffet. I had
fruit, French toast, bacon. (For me, when traveling in the U.S., there’s only one constant: bacon
every breakfast.)
A’s doing all the driving so far (except part of the run from Vegas to Zion, which I did).
He’s been doing a splendid job. The drive from Bryce to Torrey, through Escalante, was the best
– the scenery changed without warning: we’d be driving through fairly simple, sagebrush- and
cottonwood tree-filled land, and suddenly there would open up a canyon vista – or a gulch – or
some hoodoos. We climbed eventually to Boulder Mountain (top: 9600 feet), stopping at most of
the overlooks. Each was sensational. Oh, the vistas, the incredible distances you can see, the
unbelievable differences of terrain and color. The many textures (the magma-created, soft-
looking mounds of land; the hoodoo-like peaks; the straight, smooth-sided buttes and mesas ...)
In Torrey we went straight to the Visitors Center for Capitol Reef and planned our
strategy. (These Visitors’ Centers are all wonderful. The rangers are helpful and cheerful, there is
a plethora of information available.) One area, Pioneer Lookout and Gooseneck Point, was close
enough that we figured we could do it that day. We didn’t stop at Pioneer, just continued on out,
by dirt road for a few miles, to Gooseneck.
Gooseneck. How to describe. My favorite place so far. A simple walk up a rock-studded
rise to a rounded hilltop covered with ever-larger boulders. (I have loved, all my life, climbing on
rocks.) On the other side of this “hill” opens up the most gorgeous, deepest, most sensational
canyon ever. At one end of our hill is a lookout point that takes your breath away – far far below
us the meandering river, twisting and turning (hence “Gooseneck”). Then as you work your way
along the crest, more vistas open up. In some places you can see way up the canyon. In others,
huge boulders tumble down into the chasm. It’s beyond spectacular. It occurred to me that I could
set up housekeeping and stay there forever. People might come to me asking for wisdom.
I took lots of pictures, of course, but found later that the camera had been on “view”
rather than “take,” or something. So next morning, before we started the planned itinerary, my
dear husband and friends took me back there; my infatuation was pretty obvious. So I was able to
see the same site in the a.m. light and it was different and just as wonderful.
We took the 17-mile[?] scenic drive through Capitol Reef, stopping where we’d been told
would be the best view, both directions, of the Waterpocket Fold – absolutely fascinating – how
the earth could produce this 100-mile “fold” – well, like everything else in this unique and
wonderful area, it just boggles the mind.
In Torrey we stayed, one night, at Capitol Reef Inn and Café, had a nice dinner there (trout for me)
and a good breakfast as well. There’s also an attractive shop. B bought 12 colorful cloth napkins
which I liked a lot too.
Drive to Moab: Long! I spelled Alan at the wheel. Set cruise control and wished I had a
“wheel control” as well. Passed through Green River which was maybe the most depressing town
I’ve ever seen – practically every establishment there was out of business, the whole place was
like a ghost town. We did find some place for a late lunch. Who would live there?
Moab is fun. We stayed two nights at Red Stone Inn. Pleasant people, perfectly adequate
rooms (with kitchen!). No restaurant, but good place across the street. And one night we ate at
Sunset Grill – perched high on a cliff, north of town. W & I each had a vol au vent, which I
haven’t seen on a menu for years, and which was very good.
Tuesday: Arches. Somehow I’d had a slightly different idea of what Arches would be – I
think I had a picture of hundreds of arches stretching as far as the eye could see. Of course it’s
said there are 2,000 arches in the park. But you don’t see ‘em unless you walk more than we
wanted to, and we didn’t have enough time. W and I took a fairly short jaunt to Tunnel Arch and
Pine Tree Arch. We got up close and personal with Pine Tree, and it was great fun. The park was
wonderful – even without as many arches as expected. Balanced Rock, the Three Gossips, all
hoodoo-like structures – terrific. We spent most of the day in Arches.
Next day, Wednesday: Canyonlands. Some sources had led us to think this wasn’t as
thrilling a park as some, but those sources were wrong, at least as far as we were concerned. We
headed first for Dead Horse Point, a state park, and this was one of the highlights of the trip.
First, a wonderful Visitors Center that had a Nature Trail, well-marked and very instructive (with
unbelievable sensational views all along the way).
Then into Canyonlands proper and on to Island in the Sky, stopping at overlooks. A fave:
Wilson’s Arch. A bit of a trek to get there, but well worth it. It’s an arch that you can get close to,
but Yikes! You don’t want to go an inch too far, because through the arch and on the other side
is: Nothing! Nothing but space, forever. The arch simply hangs out over the edge of the canyon.
The view from the end of Island in the Sky is one of the most magnificent anywhere. It’s
hard to tear yourself away. No words to describe.
Canyonlands is north of Moab, so we had to pass back through on our way south.
Stopped at a diner there for 3 o’clock lunch.
We decided, reluctantly, to bag Canyon de Chelly. We were all getting fatigued and just
needed a few hours of down time. So we canceled our reservations at CdeC and booked at a Best
Western in Kayenta. Next night would be at Gouldings, nearby - it was too late to get a
reservation there for a second night.
Long drive from Moab to Kayenta (I drove). It was VERY windy and I had to fight to
keep the durn monster car steady. Tiring. Had dinner at Holiday Inn. Thursday we relaxed; I got
caught up with this journal. Then we drove the short distance to Gouldings, and at 4:00 boarded
the little trailer-bus for our tour of Monument Valley, hosted by a delightful Navajo guide. The
3½ hour trip took us into the back country – very bumpy ride! The “monuments” were fun – all
seemed familiar, as seen in many westerns, and commercials. We visited a lovely older Navajo
woman, Suzie, in her hogan, where she showed us how she first combed sheep’s wool, then
made yarn, then wove her rug. It takes several months to make a rug, which was reflected in the
prices. I’d love to have one, but too dear. Our guide then took us to some wonderful arches – one
was a perfectly round big hole in the top of a huge cave. And we saw some marvelous Anasazi
petroglyphs This was a worthwhile tour.
Gouldings was very nice. Our accommodations have improved at every stop. The people,
Navajo (Din&eacute are for the most part cheerful, funny, lovely people. There’s an effort afoot to
change the name Navajo (because after all, that’s a name given them by the Spaniards) back to
Diné, which means, simply, the people.
Friday, long drive to Grand Canyon. Alan drove. We stopped at some Navajo shops
alongside the road, bought a bit of jewelry.
At the town of Cameron, we stopped because W was there years ago and he wanted
to take a picture. The Cameron Trading Post is the best! Good stuff at prices not as outrageous as
many. E.g., I bought a really pretty basket, light green and ecru, almost flat – I love the design –
for $38, I think. I later saw the same basket someplace else, same artist, for $68.
Got to Grand Canyon mid-afternoon, arriving from eastern end of the park. We stopped at
all the overlooks, or almost, east of our hotel, Maswik Lodge, where we would spend two nights.
What to say about G.C.? Yes, we’ve all seen pictures all our lives. But there’s no way a
picture captures the essence of the absolutely incredible size of the thing. It’s huge beyond
comprehension. And beautiful, with its layers of dark green of trees along the top of the North
Rim, lines of tan, ochre, sienna, terra cotta, some areas of black within the terra cotta.
G.C.’s vastness is accentuated by its stillness. Nothing moves. There is no sound, except
the wind through the trees.
There are gorges within the canyon. And promontories. There’s a crevasse—Bright Angel
Fault. You can see the river far far below, and some places you can make out the white water.
One can’t stop thinking of – how – why. One is told how and why, but one can’t take it
in. After all, 1,000 mya is a hell of a long time.
We’ve commented that we really did our trip the right way: if we had come to G.C. first
and then to Zion, Zion would seem pretty tame. But I’m not sure that’s true. For many reasons I
love the other parks as much or more than G.C. They all are plenty awe-inspiring, and each has
something different to offer. I love them all.
The worst thing about G.C., of course, goes right along with its being the biggest,
grandest, etc. – and that’s the crowds. We hadn’t experienced anything like that before. People
from all over the world. Young and old. All colors, shapes and sizes, all crowding around the
best positions on the overlooks, all taking pictures like mad (including us).
But the thing is so worth seeing!
G.C. was the only place we had accommodations inside the park. And certainly we did
that right, too – in Zion and Bryce and the parks near Moab, it wasn’t at all a hardship not to be
literally inside the park; the hotels in the towns were close enough, and it was okay. But it
wouldn’t have been okay at G.C. The accommodations outside the park were very far away.
Maswik Lodge wasn’t right on the rim, but who cared? It was within very easy walking distance.
One day we split up, and I walked by myself from the hotel to the rim, found myself a rock to sit
on, and communed with the canyon for awhile, writing in my journal. Maswik was nice enough,
and close enough – you don’t have to stay at El Tovar. Another thing: at El Tovar, there are
crowds of people around, not just the folks staying at the hotel, but everyone else too. So we
were perfectly happy at Maswik.
We decided that our timing for this trip was impeccable. The weather was clear and
lovely (tho’ pretty cold in some places, like Bryce, where there was plenty of snow) and the
crowds were not an issue at all (except for G.C.) All the planning for the trip was with the help of
Fodors forums, and it was one of the best trips I can remember. We all loved everything about it!
So, I hope this account will give planners some helpful ideas!

What a nice trip report! Have been to most of the places you mentioned and agree that each of them is special in its own way. Sounds like you had a great trip.

What a great trip report, judykayher. Thanks so much! We've done several different versions of your trip and love the parks more each time. So much to see, it's incredible!

So glad you had such an amazing trip!

judykayher,

Glad you enjoyed my part of the world! I'm curious, how did you choose the El Rio Motel in Springdale? It's definitely not talked about on Fodor's. Not the best option in the town for sure!

Did you read or do a review on TripAdvisor or elsewhere?

Thanks for the report. We are leaving for LV/Zion/Bryce next week!!!

MY

Hello, Dayle,
One of my traveling buddies was in charge of accommodations on the road (me, just L.V.), although we all discussed each choice. A's a fan of Frommers, and I think that's where he got El Rio. Wouldn't y'know, it's one of the few places we stayed two nights! Oh well, it wasn't THAT bad, and the price was right!

We stayed one night at the El Rio on our '04 trip and it was fine for a night and cheap! I think it was only $50/night. Since we didn't get to Springdale until about 9pm, we had very little time in that tiny room. But the location is great and, as judykayher said, the people are very nice. For those on a budget, it is clean and fine for a few nights.

We also stayed at the Capitol Reef Inn in Torrey in '04. For $48/night, it too was fine. And it is nice having the cafe on site. But with Austin's nearby and only $69/night, there is no comparison. Austin's is so nice and has the pool and hottub. Capitol Reef Inn claims it has a hottub but it wasn't functional when we were there.

On our last trip to Utah (Sept '07), we spent 3-4 nights in Torrey (which we love) and stopped at Capitol Reef Inn to check out the really cool walkways and walls built out of all kinds of interesting rocks. While we were there, my husband and I decided it was the place that we'd buy when we won the lottery (dream on). The property is beautiful and the inn mostly needs a lot of updating. But overall, it is a good value.

I just returned last night from my second trip to Utah (Dayle, I've started to write the report).

Very interesting to read the different opinions sbout the same places.

By the way, was that Wilson Arch in Canyonlands or Mesa Arch?

What a great trip report, Judy! Thanks for taking the time to write it. I especially enjoyed your color descriptions...took me right back to our similar trip in August 04. We have relatives going at the end of June so I'm just poking about making sure that some of my recommendations are current.

Wonderful report Judy thanks for the effort. It was quite a whirlwind tour. You covered a lot of ground in a small amount of time.

I'm glad you enjoyed Islands in the Sky at Canyonlands...it IS quite a view from up ther isn't it. One day we were there a few years ago and got to experience thunderstorms which added to the experience.


Here's what it looked like:

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/35062357

Anyway...thanks again for the report.

Hi, Meyer,
This Wilson's Arch is in Canyonlands. And if you want to see some pictures of it, check out Peter's photo gallery.
Peter, your pictures are absolutely sensational. Thank you for sharing them. I felt (almost) as if I were right back in that gorgeous country again! What a splendid gallery!

A lovely report, Judy! My wife and I are planning the same route for early October and your desciptions of the parks are quite inspiring. We're doing our in 17 days which will give us a few days to linger. I'm hoping to take some off-the main-road detours to really get a away from it all.

Nice report. You saw a lot of territory and rocks just like you described people at the GC, every shape, size, color, and even personality. I have been to a lot of the places you mentioned and hope to get to the others. It is always funny how one person sees thing differently. I didn't really care for Monument Valley, but really did like Arches. I thought you perhaps felt differently than I did. I do think that as a trip progresses, you generally like best what you saw first. Not always the case, but is the case for me a lot of the time. You are right about arches, you do have to hike to a lot to see the arches. I haven't seen Wilson Arch, but it sounds like Delicate Arch, perched on the side of cliff. Dead Horse Point is a knockout scenic view. We are planning a 4 day trip to Zion in October, so hopefully we will have similar weather as you had.