spirobulldog

JCM,

Give us a rundown of what you are doing each day. I take it you are doing this order

Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon(south or north?). There is a plethora of things to do on your way to Moab.

jcmrbm1

actually what we're doing is flying into Phoenix, driving to Sedona staying over night, driving to Grand canyon south, staying 2 nights driving to Moab staying 2-3 nights, driving to Bryce staying 2 nights, driving to Zion stayin1-2 nights, the driving to Las Vegas staying 2 nights then heading home. Plan on doing some hiking, maybe rafting and just enjoying the sites. we are open to suggestions.

Keith

Consider going to Antilope Canyon. It and Bryce were the top two favorite locations in our recent trip.

spirobulldog

Are you hiking at the GC? If you are hiking then 2 nights, if not then 1 night would be enough.

I would add a day in for in between Moab and Byce. A Full day to explore Goblin Valley, Little Wildhorse Canyon(right by Goblin Valley) and Capitol Reef. Spend the night in Torrey before continue on to Bryce the next morning. I would get pie at the Gifford House in Cap Reef(they arrive at 8:00AM-I think). Eat them in the Orchard picnic area with all the deer there.

Cut a day from Las Vegas if you have to, you won't be sorry. 1 day at Grand Canyon is enough unless you are hiking down into it a good ways.

mlgb

There is some beautiful country between GC South and Moab. Also, you may want to use at least half of that day for the stops on the way out of GC, to the east. I would try to get into Monument Valley lodging (there isn't much). Then you can see MV in that morning. You are also passing near Hovenweep which is one of my favorite ruins in all of the SW. Kayenta or Blanding may be other options if you want to spend time in that area.

I don't think you need two nights at Bryce, it's really quite small.

sharondi

The drive from GC to Moab and then Moab to Bryce - both long hauls and you'll be missing so much good stuff in between. Don't miss Route 12 - it's incredible. If anything, skip Sedona. As everyone suggested, fly into LV instead of Phoenix. It's not worth it for only one night in Sedona. It's pretty but it doesn't compare to the sights you will see.

By flying into LV, you can head straight to GC South Rim, spend a night or two, head east through Page & Monument Valley. Spend a night somewhere over there - Valley of the Gods is beautiful. Head to Moab for a couple of nights to see Arches, Canyonlands, Route 128, then out through Green River to Capitol Reef - spend a night in Torrey. Up over Boulder Mtn on Scenic route 12 thru Escalante to Bryce for a night or two. On to Zion for a few more nights and LV to fly home. You can easily do this route in 12 days. You'll break up the long drives so it'll be more fun and you'll see more amazing stuff!

mlgb

I agree with flying into LV and skipping Sedona, especially if you do it last. It will pale in comparison to what you see elsewhere. I think Sedona is highly overrated unless you just need an escape from Phoenix, which I can understand.

jcmrbm1

OK, appreciate all your suggestions. My husband wants to see the painted desert so we are going to fly into Phoenix. I thinks this is going to be our itinerary:
Phoenix-drive to Flagstaff, 1 night
Drive to GC-2 nights
Drive to Page- 1 night
Drive to Bluff-1 night
Drive to Moab- 1-2 nights
Drive to Torrey-1 night
Drive to Bryce-1-2 nights
Drive to Zion-1 night
Drive to Las Vegas, stop and see Hoover Dam 1-2 nights
Fly home.
Plan on doing some hiking, possibly a rafting trip in Moab,and seeing as many sights as we can. I tried to break up the driving as much as possible so it's not a drive by vacation. Is it possible to find a place to stay the day we arrive? Don't want the vacation to be too scheduled. Also we may find that we want to stay longer or shorter than we intended. I realize that this is not possible in GC, Bryce or Zion but, what about the other locations. Appreciate your thoughts and comments.

peterboy

Not to be a buzzkill but, the Painted Desert has to be one of the most over rated places ever...cool name though.

mlgb

I would definitely drop a night in Bryce and add it to ensure two nights in both Moab and Zion (Springdale is actually easy to add nights at the last minute).

Instead of Flagstaff I'd probably try to get that first night inside the national park and then you will have an extra night to add to Zion.

msteacher

Looks like a great trip! I agree that you could steal a night from Bryce and add it to Zion. You'll definitely want 2 nights there (one full day).

WhereAreWe

"My husband wants to see the painted desert so we are going to fly into Phoenix."

That is not a good reason to fly into Phoenix. The Painted Desert is east of the Grand Canyon, so there's no advantage to flying into Phoenix.

Also, if you flew into Vegas you could visit Hoover Dam on your way to the Grand Canyon. It is about an hour from Vegas but directly on your route to the Grand Canyon.

Skip the first night in Flagstaff, you might as well drive another 1.5 hours and stay at the Grand Cou'll get some great views of the Painted Desert as you exit the east entrance on the way to Page. You can also drive south on 89 and see a bit more of it, possibly stop at Wupatki and Sunset Crater as well.

You're really going to want an extra night at Zion, if need be cut Bryce to 1 night and add the extra night to Zion.

peterboy

Yes..into Vegas and the Hoover Dam first makes more sense...it really isn't on your way to Vegas from Zion. Also agree that 2 nights in Zion is better than 2 at Bryce.

Also not sure why a night at Page after GC...just continue on to Bluff (or Monument Valley) for that night and free up a night to add somewhere else..Moab would be my choice for 3 nights if you want to hike some as well as a rafting trip...lots to do in Moab. Or you could give Bryce two nights to have a full day there to hike into the canyon...lots of great, short loops there.

You really have to consider Vegas...the airport is very modern and efficient and you can usually get a better deal on a rental car there vs Phoenix. You are getting good advice here from folks who know the area well (been there, did that)and want you to have the best experience you can.

The part of your adventure that will make the biggest impression on you will be from Moab over to Torrey and down Rt. 12 to Bryce and Zion. Everyone should see Grand Canyon once in their life but that won't be the high point of your tour.

Here's some links to our Utah adventures to whet your appetite:

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/utah_03

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/utah04

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/utah_tr

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/utah_2012_trip_report

As you can see...we're hooked. We have another 12 day trip in the planning stages for October...flight is booked...yes, into Vegas...waiting now for the fall car rental deals to open up.

I grew up in Arizona and yet my motto as far as travel to the southwest is concerned is "Utah, everything you thought Arizona would be".

Regardless of how you do it...you're going to have great adventure.

spirobulldog

Peterboy,

Have you guys hiked The Wave. That is still tops on my list of To Do in Utah(although the hike starts in UT, The Wave is about 2 on the other side of the border in AZ.

peterboy

No, haven't done the Wave...no patience to gamble on the permit lottery I guess.

jcmrbm1

My mistake, we are not spending a night in Page. We are driving to Bluff. As for Phoenix,I this has been driving everyone crazy but, from where we live it is more expensive to fly to Las Vegas than it is to Phoenix, about $100 or more per person and the flight times suck. I really don't want to spend 8-10 hrs in a plane and then another 5 hrs driving to Grand Canyon. I know Zion is closer but I'm worried we might have weather problems since we're going mid May. I will switch our plans and spend 2 nights in Zion and 1 in Bryce. Our Moab stay will also be extended. Thanks for your help.

peterboy

Hey, ya gotta go with the cheaper flights and better timing...not worth spending more to spend more time on the planes. If your flight gets in early enough you can drive all the way to GC no problem. Plus you'll get to see those crazy saguaro cactuses on your way up the Black Canyon Highway.

Sedona might be worth a drive through but is more of a tourist trap these days. Sure wish my dad had bought the property he was considering back in the early 1960s...worth a fortune now.

emalloy

Don't just look at flight costs, look at car rental too. Phoenix is almost as high as Denver for cars. I got Aa $100 cheaper flight booked and when all was done the car was $400 more in Denver than Vegas.

peterboy

Just curious...where are you flying in from?

jcmrbm1

We're flying from "you can't there from here", Richmond Va. Southwest airlines won't be flying from here until September,when I look at the price it's over $400. We did look at the price of renting an auto in both Las Vegas and Phoenix. There wasn't that much difference in price even dropping it at a different location.