Utah and Arizona national parks
Jul 23rd, 2013, 07:12 PM
#42
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Stay at El Tovar inside the Grand Canyon south rim. If you are hiking you will need two nights. I took a mule ride down to the canyon which was awesome. Book way in advance for everything. If you have time, stay at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon. Skip Sedona.
Jul 27th, 2013, 10:26 AM
#43
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We flew into and out of Phoenix when we did our trip. I would have preferred to fly out of LV but it did not work out. If you can drive right to Sedona and stay overnight. The Best Western Sedona is beautiful. I loved Sedona. You can get up early and see it at sunrise it is gorgeous! We then drove to the GC and stayed one night in the Bright Angel lodge (a cabin) near the rim. Loved it. One night is long enough unless you are going down into the canyon. We walked along the rim trail for quite a ways. We then drove to Zion. We stayed in the Best Western outside of Zion but if I could have I would have stayed in the Park. The setting is gorgeous. The Best Western was great too and had wonderful breakfasts which were included. I would stay here another night and only stay one night in Bryce. I loved Bryce but it is very small. You will have time to see it and hike down into it with only one night stay. There is a lot of hiking in Zion, on both sides of the tunnel. We only had one week so we had to head back south and we did stop at Glen Canyon and Page, AZ. If you have the time it is worth the trip. Even if you just stop at the lake for lunch and walk through Antelope Canyon. We went on the side that is less travelled, which they say is more strenuous, but it is not. It is unbelievable! I took hundreds of pictures. We did a lot of driving on our trip but loved every minute of it. The change in the geography is amazing. I planned my trip a few months before I went (we went the last week in April). It did snow a little in Bryce but just bring some warmer clothes. Have a great trip!
Jul 28th, 2013, 02:53 PM
#45
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Hey Dayle,
We are still working out the details of our Oct trip but we'll be out there until Oct 13. We posted back in early Oct that we'd be in Moab Oct 3-5 - wanted to see if anyone was interested in hiking into Seven Mile Canyon or meeting for dinner. Those dates are pretty well set. This trip we're focused on the southeast corner of Utah - Canyon of the Ancients, Cedar Mesa, Natural Bridges. A friend will be in southeast Utah during our trip and we're trying to arrange some time to meet up with him. It may be possible to be in Boulder on Oct 11 - let us know what you're plans are, and we may be able to work something out!
We are still working out the details of our Oct trip but we'll be out there until Oct 13. We posted back in early Oct that we'd be in Moab Oct 3-5 - wanted to see if anyone was interested in hiking into Seven Mile Canyon or meeting for dinner. Those dates are pretty well set. This trip we're focused on the southeast corner of Utah - Canyon of the Ancients, Cedar Mesa, Natural Bridges. A friend will be in southeast Utah during our trip and we're trying to arrange some time to meet up with him. It may be possible to be in Boulder on Oct 11 - let us know what you're plans are, and we may be able to work something out!
Jul 28th, 2013, 05:56 PM
#46
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Sedona is a 2-hour drive from Sky Harbor, so if you get in early enough, you can easily spend the night in Sedona.
GC is another 2-hour drive from Sedona, so there is no reason to spend the night in Flagstaff. While I prefer the North Rim, the South Rim is a must if it's your first/only visit.
GC to Moab takes you right through the Painted Desert. The Desert really needs to be seen at sunrise/sunset to get the full effect of colors, etc., that's why many are disappointed. Moab is 5.5 hours, even taking Hwy 163 through the Valley, so don't miss Monument Valley. There is Cameron Trading Post along Hwy 89 north of Flagstaff before you get to the turnoff for Hwy 160 that is worth visiting. I highly recommend staying at The View hotel to experience both sunset and sunrise, but even if you can't do that, it's worth visiting the Valley. FWIW, you can drive through the valley and get pretty close to the "monuments" and see them from different vantage points. It can get pretty dusty too if it's dry. If you're like me, you'll swear you can see John Wayne riding through.
Bryce is 5.25 hours from Moab, so you have time to see the sights along Hwy 12, but it will be mostly just drive-by sightseeing. I haven't made that drive yet, so I defer to the others. Next time we go to Bryce we're going to stay in the park and take the trail ride down. Staying in Panguitch 30 minutes away is a lot cheaper, but the accomodations are just adequate. We stayed at the Purple Sage Motel in a 2-bedroom suite for $100 2 years ago. It's far from the Ritz, but was good enough for us for overnight. Hiking in the park can be strenuous because of the altitude, that's why I'm taking the trail ride next time. Like others have said though, the park is small, so there is no reason to spend 2 nights unless you just want to hike most of that time.
Zion will probably be the highlight and I think you've chosen your route wisely. You'll definitely want 2 nights there because there is a lot to see in the area. FWIW, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a 3-hour drive from Zion. There are far fewer overlooks, so you could consider a day trip out of the Zion area. Just west of Kanab is Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park too if you want to try you luck hiking up sand hills.
Unlike some others, I think flying into Phoenix is a splendid idea. Yes, Sedona is a tourist trap these days, but you can pick up a parking pass and hike around Bell Tower. They've redone the highway with round-abouts now, so traffic flows so much better. The Chapel of the Holy Cross in the hillside is worth a stop and the drive through Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff is a nice drive. Google takes you through Williams, a typical old Route 66 town, but the alternative is Hwy 180 northwest out of Flagstaff, also a nice drive through open prairies.
Even though there is a lot to see/do in Las Vegas, not much happens during the day, so I highly recommend the 45 minute drive to Hoover Dam. I don't know what you plan to do in Las Vegas, but there are plenty of free shows, like the Bellagio Fountains, the pirate show at Treasure Island, some talking statues in Ceasar's Palace, and don't miss the inside show at the Rio, IMHO the best free entertainment in town. If you can, get down to Fremont Street for their outdoor light and sound show. You can now purchase all day buffet tickets that let you eat at any of the participating casinos. The Harrah's chain is a good one because I think there are 8 or more participating casinos.
GC is another 2-hour drive from Sedona, so there is no reason to spend the night in Flagstaff. While I prefer the North Rim, the South Rim is a must if it's your first/only visit.
GC to Moab takes you right through the Painted Desert. The Desert really needs to be seen at sunrise/sunset to get the full effect of colors, etc., that's why many are disappointed. Moab is 5.5 hours, even taking Hwy 163 through the Valley, so don't miss Monument Valley. There is Cameron Trading Post along Hwy 89 north of Flagstaff before you get to the turnoff for Hwy 160 that is worth visiting. I highly recommend staying at The View hotel to experience both sunset and sunrise, but even if you can't do that, it's worth visiting the Valley. FWIW, you can drive through the valley and get pretty close to the "monuments" and see them from different vantage points. It can get pretty dusty too if it's dry. If you're like me, you'll swear you can see John Wayne riding through.
Bryce is 5.25 hours from Moab, so you have time to see the sights along Hwy 12, but it will be mostly just drive-by sightseeing. I haven't made that drive yet, so I defer to the others. Next time we go to Bryce we're going to stay in the park and take the trail ride down. Staying in Panguitch 30 minutes away is a lot cheaper, but the accomodations are just adequate. We stayed at the Purple Sage Motel in a 2-bedroom suite for $100 2 years ago. It's far from the Ritz, but was good enough for us for overnight. Hiking in the park can be strenuous because of the altitude, that's why I'm taking the trail ride next time. Like others have said though, the park is small, so there is no reason to spend 2 nights unless you just want to hike most of that time.
Zion will probably be the highlight and I think you've chosen your route wisely. You'll definitely want 2 nights there because there is a lot to see in the area. FWIW, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a 3-hour drive from Zion. There are far fewer overlooks, so you could consider a day trip out of the Zion area. Just west of Kanab is Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park too if you want to try you luck hiking up sand hills.
Unlike some others, I think flying into Phoenix is a splendid idea. Yes, Sedona is a tourist trap these days, but you can pick up a parking pass and hike around Bell Tower. They've redone the highway with round-abouts now, so traffic flows so much better. The Chapel of the Holy Cross in the hillside is worth a stop and the drive through Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff is a nice drive. Google takes you through Williams, a typical old Route 66 town, but the alternative is Hwy 180 northwest out of Flagstaff, also a nice drive through open prairies.
Even though there is a lot to see/do in Las Vegas, not much happens during the day, so I highly recommend the 45 minute drive to Hoover Dam. I don't know what you plan to do in Las Vegas, but there are plenty of free shows, like the Bellagio Fountains, the pirate show at Treasure Island, some talking statues in Ceasar's Palace, and don't miss the inside show at the Rio, IMHO the best free entertainment in town. If you can, get down to Fremont Street for their outdoor light and sound show. You can now purchase all day buffet tickets that let you eat at any of the participating casinos. The Harrah's chain is a good one because I think there are 8 or more participating casinos.
Aug 14th, 2014, 09:51 AM
#47
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Thanks everyone for all your thoughts, ideas, and information. You were a great help in planning our trip. My husband and I did make our trip in May. We had a fantastic time hiking, rafting, and enjoying the scenery.
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