Trip Report: Utah and Arizona
Sep 7th, 2005, 02:07 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 565
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trip Report: Utah and Arizona
This is the trip-report I wrote on Tripadvisor.
I was debating rather to put my trip report in the Utah or the Arizona forum, but decided to put it in the Utah forum because I was in Utah the most.
Here is my trip report:
Day 1- Flew into Las Vegas from Baltimore (BWI) and drove to Kingman,AZ stopping at Hoover Dam along the way. Hoover Dam was very interesting and I got a special tour from a police officer that I know who works for the dam. After seeing the visitor center presentations and the exhibits on top of the dam. He took us on a special tour into the dam. We took the old tourist elevator down instead of the one in the visitor center and walked though some tunnels to where the normal visitors come down to see the generators. Then, we walked though a tunnel where you could see the actual rock and water dripping through the rock and went into a room where you could feel the water moving through the pipes shaking the floor. I got to look at the generators up close and got to walk the very bottom of the dam down by the river, a very good photo vantage point of the dam. It is amazing how much stuff is inside the dam, you wouldn't think it was hollow. After our in-depth tour of the dam, we drove to Kingman,Az and had a bad to okay meal at Hubb's Bistro.
Day 2- Drove Route 66 from Kingman to Seligman which was interesting and definitely beats taking the interstate. Had to skip Grand Canyon Caverns. But , we stopped in Seligman and took a little time to explore it and we had malt shakes at the famous snow-cap which was the best malt-shake I have had. Then, after that I hopped on the interstate and then up 64 from Williams to the Grand Canyon. First thing I did was see the Imax Movie which was very interesting. Then, drove into the park to Mather Point which was crowded and took the Shuttle Bus to Yaki Point. Then, I took the shuttle bus out to Hermit's Rest stopping at a couple of the viewpoints like Trailview and a couple others before arriving to Hermit's Rest which is very interesting. Then coming back I stopped at Mohaive Point and Hopi Point which were some of the best pictures I got.
Day 3- Got up early and hiked the Bright Angel Trail to the 1 1/2 mile resthouse which was an easy hike and gave you a good overview of the inner canyon. Then, I took an ATV tour through the pine forests around Tusayan which was great and was fun but no views of the canyon. Then, drove back into the park and went to Grandview Point which was great, then I went to Yavapai Point but got stuck inside the gift shop because of a monsoon thunderstorm. Great meal that night at the El Tovar.
Day 4- Drove out the east entrance from Tusayan and stopped at all the viewpoints and the Tusayan Ruins. Desert View was awesome. Some of the best viewpoints are out towards Hermits Rest and the viewpoints around Desert View rather than the crowded Yavapai and Mather Points. After, I drove out the east entrance, I saw the Little Colorado River viewpoints which were interesting. Then, I continued onto Page which was my destination for the day. Took a Antelope Canyon Tour with the Navajo Guides which was great and the slot canyon was beautiful. Then, I did the short hike to Horseshoe Point which was also very beautiful and took a lot of pictures. I visited the Glen Canyon Dam's visitor center but the elevator into the dam was broken, so the tours were only on top of the dam, so I skipped the Dam tour and settled into my hotel and had a good dinner at the Dam Bar and Grill.
Day 5- Saw the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook, then drove non-stop to Zion NP. First thing I did at Zion was to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail which gives a good view of the canyon without a strenuous hike. Then, drove to the visitor center to see the flash flood danger and it was moderate, so I decided to do the narrows. I took the shuttle bus up to Temple of Sinawava and started out on the Riverside Walk. The river was really high. The Riverside Walk was pretty, but at the end I walked into the river and started hiking up the Narrows. One 50 foot stretch a little bit after the end of the riverside walk was up to my neck. But, the rest was about knee deep. I made it all the way up to Orderville Canyon. The water coming in from the side canyon was crystal clear and a lot warmer compared to the muddy, cold water of the narrows. Walked up Orderville Canyon a very short distance and snapped some pictures and headed back down the narrows. It was one of my favorite hikes in Zion.
Day 6- Got up early and took the shuttle bus up to the Grotto and started up the Angel's Landing Trail. It was much easier and less scary than I thought. The switchbacks gave you a work out but not too bad, Refrigerator Canyon does feel like a refrigerator, and Walter's Wiggles was cool. It was all paved which made it easier except the last half mile which was on the knife-edge ridge which was cool and didn't scare me really at all and I have a fear of heights. This along with the narrows was my favorite in Zion. Then, hiked back down and took the shuttle up to Weeping Rock which was a short, but very interesting hike to Weeping Rock and had good views of Zion. Then, I was debating rather to hike to Emerald Pools from the Grotto or Zion Lodge. I chose the Grotto and hiked to Lower Emerald Pool. I decided to skip the Upper Emerald Pool because I was short on time. Lower Emerald Pool was okay, just a pool of water with algae in it.
Day 7- Drove to Bryce very early in the morning to do a mule trip into Bryce Canyon at 8 in the morning. It was great, I did the longer 1/2 day one rather than the 2 hour and it is great. The longer mule trip takes you into Bryce Canyon by Sunrise Point on the special horse trail but paralleling the Queen's Garden Trail and then it takes you around the Peakaboo Loop Trail which is great. The mules are very sure footed and it is a great ride. After that we got back around noon and we drove to Sunset Point, Inspiration Point which is the best in my opinion, and Bryce Point (also a very good one). Then, I decided I wanted to get to Rainbow Point at the end of the Scenic Drive. I got there and did the Bristlecone Pine Trail which was great, then drove back stopping at the Natural Bridge and a couple of other southern viewpoints. The Northern Viewpoints have the best views of the hoodoos and the Southern ones provide the distant views of the Grand Staircase. Good meal that night at the Bryce Canyon Lodge.
Day 8- Drove from Bryce to Torrey with stops along the way. Decided to skip the Mosey Cave Trail and Kodachrome State Park which I had planned to do but slept in too late. Stopped at the Escalante Petrified Forest and did the 1 mile loop there which went past some colorful petrified wood and had some good views of the surrounding land. Then after that, I drove further up Route 12 to Calf Creek Falls stopping at the good viewpoints along the way. Then, I did the 6 mile round-trip hike to Calf Creek Falls, which was one of my favorite hikes the whole trip and it leads to beautiful Calf Creek Falls. It is a great example of a desert waterfalls and is oasis. That took a little longer than I thought, so I had to skip the Burr Trail, which I was going to drive a short distance, but just didn’t have time. But, I made sure I stopped at the Boulder Mountain Viewpoints which was great and provided pretty views of Capitol Reef. After that, I drove into Torrey which is a beautiful and peaceful little town. The Chuckwagon Lodge was a great hotel.
Day 9- Second night in Torrey and spent the day in Capitol Reef. Capitol Reef was awesome. After being to the crowded Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef had no crowds and was peaceful just like the town of Torrey. First thing I did was hike the Hickman Bridge Trail which is a nice little short drive that goes under a beautiful natural bridge with a couple views of the canyon and Capitol Dome. Then, I drove out the east entrance a little ways seeing the Cainesville Badlands and stopping at the waterfall in the eastern edge of the park. Then, we drove back and headed down the scenic drive to the Grand Wash Road and hiked up Grand Wash, I think to the Narrows. Then, we drove back to the Scenic Drive and headed down further getting great pictures at the pull-outs along the way. Then, we got to the Capitol Gorge Road and decided we had skip driving down into Capitol Gorge because we were going to do the Chimney Rock Trail, so we drove back up the Scenic Drive to the Chimney Rock Parking Area and hiked up the trail. It was strenuous in the beginning (I think it climbs 900 feet) but got easy and had awesome views of the whole park and it went up pretty high. The views were totally worth it. The trail takes you way above the height of Chimney Rock and it looks small when you see it from up there. Also, the land around the water pocket fold is all tilted and the trail gives you a good overview of the park. That night I ate at Café Diablo which was good meal too, but a little bit pricey, but the delicious food was worth it.
Day 10- Drove from Torrey to Cedar City. I decided to drive into Panquitch on Route 89 and drive 143 to Brian Head rather than taking Route 20 from 89 over to I-15 and then south on that. It was a pretty drive and I drove up to the top of Brian Head Peak which was pretty. From Route 148 just north of Cedar Breaks, there is a dirt road heading off to the right if you are coming from the south and it is about two miles and goes to the very top of the mountain (above 11,000 feet). There was still small patches of snow up there. The chairlift from the ski resort only goes half as high as this road does. The road is well-maintained and I did it in a car. There were no trees at the top at all and you could see Cedar Breaks and all of the surrounding country. Then, I drove through Cedar Breaks NM which was neat but after Bryce it seemed the same. Then, I drove to the trailhead for Cascade Falls near Navajo Lake, a trail the locals only know about. It was pretty and follows the cliff edge to a neat waterfall coming out from a underground cave (I think a lava tube), a headwater of the Virgin River and the outlet of Navajo Lake which is a pretty lake. There were also views of Zion NP. Getting to the trailhead involves driving on gravel/dirt roads but again well maintained and can be done in a car. Then, I drove into Cedar City stopping at the Zion Overlook.
Day 11- Drove from Cedar City to Las Vegas. I first stopped at the Kolob Canyons which was pretty and right off the interstate and I drove the road through Kolob Canyons hiking the Timber Top Overlook Trail at the end. Then, I drove back to the interstate and headed south. A scenic stretch of the interstate is when I-15 cuts across a corner of Arizona and goes through what is called the Virgin River Canyon. It was really pretty and the interstate goes right through the bottom of the canyon. Neat!! Then, in Nevada, I got off the interstate and drove though the Valley of Fire then along the Lakeshore Drive which was neat except it was cloudy and a little bit rainy. Then, drove into Las Vegas and checked into the Aladdin which was awesome. It had a great location (right across the strip from the Belligio) and was very nice. It wasn’t smoky and was very clean unlike some of the older casinos. The Belligio fountains were awesome. Saw Cesars Pallace, Paris, and the Luxor. It was very neat and I saw the portion of the strip right next to my hotel at night which was neat but I never got a chance to get to the north part of the strip (maybe where the lights are better?). I never got to go in the Stratosphere Tower ether but it was just too far to walk and I didn’t feel like taking a bus or driving in the traffic.
Day 12-Flew from Las Vegas back to Baltimore (BWI)
I really enjoyed my trip and thanks everybody for the advice you have given me. Feel free to comment on my trip-report.
I was debating rather to put my trip report in the Utah or the Arizona forum, but decided to put it in the Utah forum because I was in Utah the most.
Here is my trip report:
Day 1- Flew into Las Vegas from Baltimore (BWI) and drove to Kingman,AZ stopping at Hoover Dam along the way. Hoover Dam was very interesting and I got a special tour from a police officer that I know who works for the dam. After seeing the visitor center presentations and the exhibits on top of the dam. He took us on a special tour into the dam. We took the old tourist elevator down instead of the one in the visitor center and walked though some tunnels to where the normal visitors come down to see the generators. Then, we walked though a tunnel where you could see the actual rock and water dripping through the rock and went into a room where you could feel the water moving through the pipes shaking the floor. I got to look at the generators up close and got to walk the very bottom of the dam down by the river, a very good photo vantage point of the dam. It is amazing how much stuff is inside the dam, you wouldn't think it was hollow. After our in-depth tour of the dam, we drove to Kingman,Az and had a bad to okay meal at Hubb's Bistro.
Day 2- Drove Route 66 from Kingman to Seligman which was interesting and definitely beats taking the interstate. Had to skip Grand Canyon Caverns. But , we stopped in Seligman and took a little time to explore it and we had malt shakes at the famous snow-cap which was the best malt-shake I have had. Then, after that I hopped on the interstate and then up 64 from Williams to the Grand Canyon. First thing I did was see the Imax Movie which was very interesting. Then, drove into the park to Mather Point which was crowded and took the Shuttle Bus to Yaki Point. Then, I took the shuttle bus out to Hermit's Rest stopping at a couple of the viewpoints like Trailview and a couple others before arriving to Hermit's Rest which is very interesting. Then coming back I stopped at Mohaive Point and Hopi Point which were some of the best pictures I got.
Day 3- Got up early and hiked the Bright Angel Trail to the 1 1/2 mile resthouse which was an easy hike and gave you a good overview of the inner canyon. Then, I took an ATV tour through the pine forests around Tusayan which was great and was fun but no views of the canyon. Then, drove back into the park and went to Grandview Point which was great, then I went to Yavapai Point but got stuck inside the gift shop because of a monsoon thunderstorm. Great meal that night at the El Tovar.
Day 4- Drove out the east entrance from Tusayan and stopped at all the viewpoints and the Tusayan Ruins. Desert View was awesome. Some of the best viewpoints are out towards Hermits Rest and the viewpoints around Desert View rather than the crowded Yavapai and Mather Points. After, I drove out the east entrance, I saw the Little Colorado River viewpoints which were interesting. Then, I continued onto Page which was my destination for the day. Took a Antelope Canyon Tour with the Navajo Guides which was great and the slot canyon was beautiful. Then, I did the short hike to Horseshoe Point which was also very beautiful and took a lot of pictures. I visited the Glen Canyon Dam's visitor center but the elevator into the dam was broken, so the tours were only on top of the dam, so I skipped the Dam tour and settled into my hotel and had a good dinner at the Dam Bar and Grill.
Day 5- Saw the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook, then drove non-stop to Zion NP. First thing I did at Zion was to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail which gives a good view of the canyon without a strenuous hike. Then, drove to the visitor center to see the flash flood danger and it was moderate, so I decided to do the narrows. I took the shuttle bus up to Temple of Sinawava and started out on the Riverside Walk. The river was really high. The Riverside Walk was pretty, but at the end I walked into the river and started hiking up the Narrows. One 50 foot stretch a little bit after the end of the riverside walk was up to my neck. But, the rest was about knee deep. I made it all the way up to Orderville Canyon. The water coming in from the side canyon was crystal clear and a lot warmer compared to the muddy, cold water of the narrows. Walked up Orderville Canyon a very short distance and snapped some pictures and headed back down the narrows. It was one of my favorite hikes in Zion.
Day 6- Got up early and took the shuttle bus up to the Grotto and started up the Angel's Landing Trail. It was much easier and less scary than I thought. The switchbacks gave you a work out but not too bad, Refrigerator Canyon does feel like a refrigerator, and Walter's Wiggles was cool. It was all paved which made it easier except the last half mile which was on the knife-edge ridge which was cool and didn't scare me really at all and I have a fear of heights. This along with the narrows was my favorite in Zion. Then, hiked back down and took the shuttle up to Weeping Rock which was a short, but very interesting hike to Weeping Rock and had good views of Zion. Then, I was debating rather to hike to Emerald Pools from the Grotto or Zion Lodge. I chose the Grotto and hiked to Lower Emerald Pool. I decided to skip the Upper Emerald Pool because I was short on time. Lower Emerald Pool was okay, just a pool of water with algae in it.
Day 7- Drove to Bryce very early in the morning to do a mule trip into Bryce Canyon at 8 in the morning. It was great, I did the longer 1/2 day one rather than the 2 hour and it is great. The longer mule trip takes you into Bryce Canyon by Sunrise Point on the special horse trail but paralleling the Queen's Garden Trail and then it takes you around the Peakaboo Loop Trail which is great. The mules are very sure footed and it is a great ride. After that we got back around noon and we drove to Sunset Point, Inspiration Point which is the best in my opinion, and Bryce Point (also a very good one). Then, I decided I wanted to get to Rainbow Point at the end of the Scenic Drive. I got there and did the Bristlecone Pine Trail which was great, then drove back stopping at the Natural Bridge and a couple of other southern viewpoints. The Northern Viewpoints have the best views of the hoodoos and the Southern ones provide the distant views of the Grand Staircase. Good meal that night at the Bryce Canyon Lodge.
Day 8- Drove from Bryce to Torrey with stops along the way. Decided to skip the Mosey Cave Trail and Kodachrome State Park which I had planned to do but slept in too late. Stopped at the Escalante Petrified Forest and did the 1 mile loop there which went past some colorful petrified wood and had some good views of the surrounding land. Then after that, I drove further up Route 12 to Calf Creek Falls stopping at the good viewpoints along the way. Then, I did the 6 mile round-trip hike to Calf Creek Falls, which was one of my favorite hikes the whole trip and it leads to beautiful Calf Creek Falls. It is a great example of a desert waterfalls and is oasis. That took a little longer than I thought, so I had to skip the Burr Trail, which I was going to drive a short distance, but just didn’t have time. But, I made sure I stopped at the Boulder Mountain Viewpoints which was great and provided pretty views of Capitol Reef. After that, I drove into Torrey which is a beautiful and peaceful little town. The Chuckwagon Lodge was a great hotel.
Day 9- Second night in Torrey and spent the day in Capitol Reef. Capitol Reef was awesome. After being to the crowded Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef had no crowds and was peaceful just like the town of Torrey. First thing I did was hike the Hickman Bridge Trail which is a nice little short drive that goes under a beautiful natural bridge with a couple views of the canyon and Capitol Dome. Then, I drove out the east entrance a little ways seeing the Cainesville Badlands and stopping at the waterfall in the eastern edge of the park. Then, we drove back and headed down the scenic drive to the Grand Wash Road and hiked up Grand Wash, I think to the Narrows. Then, we drove back to the Scenic Drive and headed down further getting great pictures at the pull-outs along the way. Then, we got to the Capitol Gorge Road and decided we had skip driving down into Capitol Gorge because we were going to do the Chimney Rock Trail, so we drove back up the Scenic Drive to the Chimney Rock Parking Area and hiked up the trail. It was strenuous in the beginning (I think it climbs 900 feet) but got easy and had awesome views of the whole park and it went up pretty high. The views were totally worth it. The trail takes you way above the height of Chimney Rock and it looks small when you see it from up there. Also, the land around the water pocket fold is all tilted and the trail gives you a good overview of the park. That night I ate at Café Diablo which was good meal too, but a little bit pricey, but the delicious food was worth it.
Day 10- Drove from Torrey to Cedar City. I decided to drive into Panquitch on Route 89 and drive 143 to Brian Head rather than taking Route 20 from 89 over to I-15 and then south on that. It was a pretty drive and I drove up to the top of Brian Head Peak which was pretty. From Route 148 just north of Cedar Breaks, there is a dirt road heading off to the right if you are coming from the south and it is about two miles and goes to the very top of the mountain (above 11,000 feet). There was still small patches of snow up there. The chairlift from the ski resort only goes half as high as this road does. The road is well-maintained and I did it in a car. There were no trees at the top at all and you could see Cedar Breaks and all of the surrounding country. Then, I drove through Cedar Breaks NM which was neat but after Bryce it seemed the same. Then, I drove to the trailhead for Cascade Falls near Navajo Lake, a trail the locals only know about. It was pretty and follows the cliff edge to a neat waterfall coming out from a underground cave (I think a lava tube), a headwater of the Virgin River and the outlet of Navajo Lake which is a pretty lake. There were also views of Zion NP. Getting to the trailhead involves driving on gravel/dirt roads but again well maintained and can be done in a car. Then, I drove into Cedar City stopping at the Zion Overlook.
Day 11- Drove from Cedar City to Las Vegas. I first stopped at the Kolob Canyons which was pretty and right off the interstate and I drove the road through Kolob Canyons hiking the Timber Top Overlook Trail at the end. Then, I drove back to the interstate and headed south. A scenic stretch of the interstate is when I-15 cuts across a corner of Arizona and goes through what is called the Virgin River Canyon. It was really pretty and the interstate goes right through the bottom of the canyon. Neat!! Then, in Nevada, I got off the interstate and drove though the Valley of Fire then along the Lakeshore Drive which was neat except it was cloudy and a little bit rainy. Then, drove into Las Vegas and checked into the Aladdin which was awesome. It had a great location (right across the strip from the Belligio) and was very nice. It wasn’t smoky and was very clean unlike some of the older casinos. The Belligio fountains were awesome. Saw Cesars Pallace, Paris, and the Luxor. It was very neat and I saw the portion of the strip right next to my hotel at night which was neat but I never got a chance to get to the north part of the strip (maybe where the lights are better?). I never got to go in the Stratosphere Tower ether but it was just too far to walk and I didn’t feel like taking a bus or driving in the traffic.
Day 12-Flew from Las Vegas back to Baltimore (BWI)
I really enjoyed my trip and thanks everybody for the advice you have given me. Feel free to comment on my trip-report.
Sep 8th, 2005, 07:11 AM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Great report, thanks! Just so you know for the future, you don't have to worry about what board to post to. Everything dumps into the U.S. board no matter which state you choose when you post. The separate state boards are for searching only. Again, thanks for the great report!
Sep 8th, 2005, 12:46 PM
#7
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 977
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It sounds like a great trip although I have to say that if you hiked the trail to Angel's Landing then you can't claim to have a fear of heights!
Your trip report sure makes me want to return to the magical Utah.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Your trip report sure makes me want to return to the magical Utah.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Sep 8th, 2005, 12:48 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 565
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I went to the Moab area last year and Salt Lake City. The whole state of Utah is just so beautiful, not just southern utah. I do know on Fodors it dumps into the U.S. forum. But, I also wrote this same trip-report on Tripadvisor and just cut and pasted onto this forum. Since tripadvisor dosen't have a general u.s forum, I posted it under the utah forum.
Sep 8th, 2005, 01:02 PM
#9
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
asdaven, just so you know Navajo Lake is at it's highest level in over 30 years. That area of mountains in SouthWestern UT actually had the most unusual winter this past year with 300% over normal water content. You probably noticed some of the landslide areas (from the spring meltdown) if you went done Route 14 into Cedar City. That whole area is just incredible a "visual feast" in my opinion! Glad you had a great trip.
Sep 10th, 2005, 05:15 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 565
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Will in fact, I thought there was going to be a landslide while driving into Cedar City. I ran into a moonsoon thunderstorm while driving down the mountain and it was really rainning hard. And the water was running down the hills on the side of the road. A little bit scarry.
