I have been reading a lot of previous posts and I'm getting all kinds of great ideas - too many though and I think I could use some help.

My husband is a college professor who is now on sabbatical, which means we can travel at times other than the summer, when everything is crowded. His last sabbatical (7 yrs ago) we did the Vegas-Zion-Bryce-Glen Canyon-Grand Canyon loop in Oct and loved every minute of it, and are now looking at another Sept/Oct trip. We originally were thinking about Yellowstone/Grand Tetons, but it seems a little late to find lodging there and plus we're afraid of hitting cold and snow (which we get plenty of where we live and have no desire to rush the season). It seems like May/June would be a better time to visit that area which we can do any year, but if I'm wrong feel free to tell me.

Instead we're looking at something like this:
fly into SLC and drive to Moab for 4-5 days (Arches and Canyonlands). Then drive to Mesa Verde and up to Durango, Ouray, maybe Black Canyon. I was considering flying home from Denver and stopping at RMNP, but I don't think SLC is much farther from this point, and I know the one-way car rental will be steep.

We're thinking about 9-10 days total. I would greatly appreciate advice on any of the above. I'd also love to hear opinions on:
- adding or substituting other places (i.e.,Capital Reef, Monument Valley, etc)
- recommended places to stay - especially Moab since we'll be there a while
- best time to visit to avoid crowds and snow and have roads and sites still open. Is late Sept-early Oct too late? Should we avoid labor day weekend at all costs?
- sites and adventures not to be missed? Is the Durango train trip worth the time, if we're driving that way anyway? Recommendation for jeep tours? Will it be too late for rafting?
- Can we do this trip in a compact car or do we need a 4x4-or something in between?
- Other than Moab, can we play the trip be ear, or will we need motel reservations?

If you're still reading this (sorry about the length of the post), I want to thank you for your time and for any help you can offer.

You could do this tour in a rental car. Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, and the San Juan Scenic Skyway are all easy to drive.

There are lots of places in Ouray that rent Jeeps for the day, but they're pretty expensive from what I saw. I personally wouldn't recommend serious 4-wheeling unless you know what you're doing. Some of those old mining trails in the San Juans can be quite challenging. At that time of year, the weather will also be a factor, since at higher elevations you could easily get stuck in some serious snow. There are several Jeep Touring companies in Ouray, but I don't know the details.

Telluride is worth a stop. I didn't care for the town itself, but the free gondola ride alone is worth the detour. You could also visit Bridal Veil Falls.

I wasn't that thrilled by Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I was, however, impressed with Colorado National Monument. Since you'll be in the area anyway, it's definitely worthwhile.

You can't miss Arches Park or Mesa Verde. I was scared to go down and walk about and am now very sorry I didn't. We did something similar years ago and this year are doing something also like this but starting in Vegas as we usually do then to the Upper Slot canyons in Arizona onto Colorado bypassing Durango and Mesa Verde this time up to the Rocky Mountain park, back through Utah via Capitol Reef down to Zion and Bryce. It also may not be too late for Yellowstone as there are always cancellations. But be aware they had about a week ago mudslides and the East entrance to Yellowstone is closed as cars were buried when the mud came off the mountains. If you can get there you may also want to stay outside of the park as this is also one place not to be believed for its beauty and not to be missed.

Thank you both for your suggestions.

drsawyers -you said we could do the trip in a rental, but do you think a compact car would do it, or do we need more horsepower for the mountain climbs?

dillysnana-I heard if you're diligent you can get cancellations for Yellowstone, I'm really more afraid of the weather that time of year. I definitely want to go, I just thought it would be better to postpone that trip for May/June sometime - maybe even next year.

People travelled that area for decades using 1hp transportation. How much horsepower YOU need depends totally on your preferences. If you haven't done much mountain driving, you might want to go with a V6 to avoid frustration.

You should also take into consideration that you'll be driving on some wide open highways with higher speed limits. For me, interstate driving in a small car is more frustrating than mountain driving (where the speed is necessarily much slower).

Regarding Yellowstone:
1) The East Entrance mudslides should be cleared up soon. Check www.nps.gov.yell for updates.

2) The weather in September will probably not be much different than the weather in late May.

3) The big difference is that there may be much more wildlife (incl newborns) in the early spring.

Regarding Mesa Verde:
I did the tour of Cliff Palace just a few weeks ago. They make a really big deal about how strenuous it is, but I didn't think it was that bad (and I'm not in great shape). If you have asthma, heart trouble, or SEVERE acrophobia you should give it a pass but for ordinary non-athletic people it's quite doable.

If you are driving from Durango to Grand Junction or opposite I think you should stop at the Black Canyon. We didn't spend a lot of time there this summer, but we enjoyed the time we did spend there. Behind the Visitor Center you can walk out on an outcropping and you are almost standing in the middle of the canyon.

Also, the drive from Durango up the San Juan Skyway through Silverton and Ouray is really beautiful. Great secluded picnic spots along the way and nice little towns.

When we were in Moab this summer we stayed at the Aarchway Inn which was fine and there were numerous Hummer tours departing from there. Not sure how expensive but appeared to be easy to arrange. Also, when you drive up to Canyonlands, be sure not to miss Dead Horse Point State Park.

We enjoyed Monument Valley very much as we especially enjoyed driving across the Navajo reservation and seeing how the "Dine" live. What added to our visit the the reservation was reading several Tony Hillerman mysteries before we left. It gave us a good background and insight into the Native Americans in this area.

I wish we could go on vacation in the Fall but our jobs won't allow it, so we usually go in mid June. It seems we always enjoy our vacaton more in cool weather and especially when there's a little snow around.

A few places you might consider. Albuquerque's balloon festival is Oct 2-10. About 35m S of Farmington, NM is the Bisti Wilderness with its moonlike landscape & hoodoos. Also near this is Chaco Canyon (prehistoric ruins). In SW corner of Co is Mesa Verde (ruins) and in SE corner of UT is Hovenweap (ruins).
Monument Valley is between Mexican Hat and Kayenta as well as the Goosenecks State Park.
An excellent backcountry route is Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef Nat'l Park (will have to cross river so check with rangers before attempting - not a difficult or long crossing) The Burr Trail (road) runs S off UT24. Hike the Strike Valley overlook trail(marked Upper Muley) for spectacular view down onto the hogbacks and road you just came down.
Grand Staircase-Escalante Nat'l Monument is a beautiful area especially in fall with cottonwoods and aspens turning shades of red and yellow. Escalante River trail takes you to several arches and Indian ruins but you will be walking in and out of water all day long. Tennis ok. Nothing deep. The Hole-in-Rock road outside Escalante takes you to a number of great hikes. Devil's Garden (hoodoos), Peek-a-boo, Spooky and Brimstone slot canyons just to mention a few.
UT12 is undescribable there is so much beauty. Take the Cottonwood Canyon road off of it at Cannonville. Paved as far as Kodachrome Basin State park and Grosvenor Arch then gravel rest of way to US89. You can guess why the road is name such.
Page has Antelope Canyons (slots) and just outside town is Horseshoe Bend (river almost loops itself)
Will need high clearance but 4x4 not required unless roads are wet and then they are impassable.

Thank you all for your suggestions - you've all given me alot to think about. It seems like the whole area is beautiful and while we can't see it all, we can't go wrong no matter what route we take.

Try the Old Faithful Inn for awesome views and experience. Keep trying as they do get cancellations. Sept and Oct are fantastic for being in this area, as we travel out west that time of year almost every year and there are less crowds, the weather is great, not too hot and there is a feeling of more relaxation in the areas you travel. Enjoy.

Our family spent 11 wonderful days in CO/UT last June, & are hoping to return next summer.
We flew in & out of COS. We drove to Ouray first, stopping at Black Canyon on the way. We arrived just after the visitor's center had closed. It was absolutely gorgeous, & I plan to get back there next year. We hadn't near enough time for proper exploration.
We spent 2 nts in Ouray & loved it. What a great little town! We took a rental SUV on a 4WD road to Lake Como & it was scary.
We spent a nt in Mesa Verde & would have enjoyed more time there as well. Farview Lodge has a great location, & the Metate Room has wonderful food.
We spent a nt in Monument Valley, & that was plenty.The tour there was very nice.
Driving to Moab, we loved the Moki Dugway. The roadway seems to disappear into the base of the plateau.
The Hole-in-the-Rock is also very interesting & worth a stop.
We spent 4 wonderful nts in Moab at the Aarchway Inn. I can't wait to get back to Arches! We also drove the Shaffer trail in Canyonlands, rafted, hiked, and rapelled. We drove back to COS thru Co Nat'l Monument (OK), Glenwood Springs (want to stay there,) and Aspen & Independence Pass(excellent!)
We spent 2 nts in COS, biking down Pike's Peak & horsebackriding.
Enjoy your adventure! rbs

Thanks - I got back on Sunday and loved every minute of it. I'll write up a trip report when I have more time.

bd,

Another vacation fix....I can't wait!!!

:-"

Utahtea

Tap, tap, tap......:-" still anticipating that trip report as we are thinking of a similar trip this summer. Already have a week in Pagosa Springs, Co. planned, and are considering a week in southwest Utah. :-?
What would be a good homebase town in Utah for day trips here and there?

It's out there it 4 posts. Here is the link to part 1:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1

The others have similar headings.

Ok, that didn't work. Click on my id, and you'll see them listed.