bellhouse

Somehow my post disappeared - maybe I signed off too soon, so I'll try again. This is what we've come up with:

First night in Las Vegas - DH wants to see the neon, and I'll probably be tired - that's a Friday


Sat/Sun/Mon nights - Zion

Tues/Wed nights - north rim GC

Th/Fri nights - Bryce
then it gets iffy - I'm going to have to sit down with the family and see what people want to do in Moab, but I think

Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues - Moab -
Arches, Canyonland, Dead Horse, canyoneering (boys only!), rafting, maybe ballooning. 4x4 tour - not quite sure

Wed - visiting family in Park City

Thur/Fri nights Salt Lake City

Sat - home

I got us rooms in the lodges at the National Parks - thanks to whoever said to call, not rely on the computerized reservation system! It's set up to coincide with astronomy nights, but the first 3 stops are the only "set in stone" part.

I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't really gone into your last posts in depth - had some difficult days after a stent replacement - but I'm feeling better now so will print them out and go over them - and come back with more questions.

I did sort of wonder about stopping betweem Bryce amd Moab seems like if we do even some of the suggested stops we would have a very long day. Also I wondered (have I already said this? I'm also checking with Utah relatives and I forget what I say to who - major senior moments!) about things to do between Moab and Park City. If that was answered above and I overlooked it - please ignore!

spirobulldog

I say for sure don't miss Goblin Valley. You could do it in an hour.

For a slot canyon, you might try my suggestion of Little Wildhorse or Myer's suggestion of Willis Creek. Either of those can take 2-4 hours depending on how far you go into them. Not sure how long for Willis, I haven't done it.

Stop at Gifford House in Capitol Reef- allow an hour for this

Calf Creek Falls- You should probably allow a half day for this probably 4-6 hours.

A lot of people eat at Hell's Backbone Grill, I am trying it at the end of May for the first time.

There are several back country high clearance vehicle trips you could do.

There are a variety of rafting options from mild to wild. I'm sure the boys would like Cateract Canyon and do it overnight. It is a wild one and may not be for everyone. I haven't done it, but it is high on my list. ballooning does look awesome, I am debating about it myself for our upcoming trip.

Can you cut out visiting with the family on weds to get an extra day in. maybe they should spend a couple of days with you in Moab. LOL, just kidding.

spirobulldog

I'm sure I'll catch it from some suggesting to do GV in an hour. That is the minimum. Stay longer if you can.

bellhouse

Would I ever be in trouble if I skipped seeing niece and family! That aside, I really do want to stop and see them - we don't see them all often and they are favorites of the boys. Unfortunately their kids are really young (4 and 2) and Lexie's husband is having to travel a lot right now for business - so it will be easier for them for us to visit them where they live.

Dayle

bellhouse,

If you do end up at Hell's Backbone Grill, be sure to make advance reservations. It's tiny and even their lodge guests need to make reservations for breakfast & dinner.

Have fun!

bellhouse

I'm back after a very hectic few weeks. New question: in going from Bryce to Moab - should we spend a night along the way so that we can see more things in between without having to worry about getting to our Moab hotel that night? It seems like we might want to take out time, then see one of the smaller parks near Moab on the way in the next day. That might be pushing it - I'll have to go back over time recommended for Arches, etc.

Michael

I would take highway 12 to Hanksville and then drop south toward Natural Bridges National Monument. It probably is the longer route, but I think it would be more interesting. The Calf Creek Falls trail is off 12.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623176227912/

Myer

Depending upon how much you want to squeeze in you could stay in Boulder, UT.

Between Bryce and Boulder you have a choice of Willis Creek, Devil's Garden Escalante, Lower Calf Creek Falls and the infamous Rte 12.

Then on the way to Moab (skipping thru Capitol Reef) you could stop at Goblin Valley.

I spent the unheard of amount (for me) of 4 days in Moab. We even hiked Fisher Towers and saw some climbers about 900 feet above us climbing the Corkscrew. Also spent half a day rafting.

I could go back and do exactly the same things again.

spirobulldog

Austin's Chuckwagon Motel/Cabin in Torrey is a pretty good place to stay. This is just outside Cap Reef.

bellhouse

Thanks - and back to the map to look at things. I'll probably have more questions tomorrow, but it's almost bedtime now. As always - thanks!

bellhouse

Fast question before bed - couldn't stop myself from browsing a bit before bed - what about the Boulder mountain Lodge?

Myer

spiro mentioned Austin's. I stayed in Torrey but stayed at the BW close to capitol Reef. Mayn others have stayed at Austin's.

The next night we stayed at Boulder Mountain Lodge in Boulder. It was ok. Very convenient and home to the famous Hell's Backbone Grill.

I found the restaurant's menu very restrictive and overpriced but still worth the experience.

Between Boulder and Torrey on the way from Bryce to Moab, I would select based on which sights you want to see in each segment.

We went in thew other direction. From Goblin Valley to Capitol Reef it was dark for about half the ride. It's pretty flat and unexciting so it was ok. For the part between Boulder and Torrey you want to do it when it's light.

So if you squeeze in Willis Creek slot canyon, Devil's Garden in Escalante and Lower Calf Creek Falls (all possible in a day after seeing a spectacular sunrise at Bryce Point if you travel efficiently) you might consider staying in Boulder.

On the other hand, if it's still light out I would probably consider driving to Torrey so that the next day's drive is shorter. Always pros and cons with everything. Either will work.

Myer

Something for you to consider. As you read the comments from each person you should recognize the different travel styles.

Some people hike in the morning, sit around the pool in the afternoon and watch the birds fly by, eat three full meals a day and get ready for the next day.

I definitely do not rush the sights. I spend as much time at each sight as I feel like. I do not visit a sight to check it off. I visit to enjoy the sight. In some cases (Delicate Arch) I will go back more than once.

However, I'm non-stop. That pace is not for everybody.

Recognize your style and make the advice people give you fit your style. The most important thing is to see what you want and enjoy yourself.

spirobulldog

My style is usually to start early 5 or 6 in the morning and pretty much stop by 6 that evening. We eat a very light breakfast and picnic wherever we are at for lunch. Usually a nice evening meal. In Utah, I do things a little different. I try to hike in the morning, drive in the afternoons, and then hike a short hike in the evening. This avoids the serious heat. We are fairly use to hot weather though. With two sons at the ages you mention, I imagine they can probably go all day pretty good. You might let them do some of the hiking or adventurous stuff on their on and you can relax in part of the time.

I haven't eaten or stayed at Boulder Mountain Lodge. I plan on eating there in May. It looks good to me, so we'll have to wait and see. They serve dinner and breakfast only--no lunch. Another place that everyone eats at that is a little nicer(which is hard to find in the middle of UT)is Cafe Diablo in Torrey. I haven't eaten there either. Both places get mixed reviews on this board and tripadvisor. Probably our best dining experiences in Utah were The Whiptail Grill(just outside of Zion) and The Zion Lodge inside the park. There are some pretty good places in Moab as well. Between Torrey and Moab really your only options are a few burger joints. The two or three I ate at were good though. They all have some sort of funky pinkish condiment on the tables. They call it fry sauce. I believe it is a mixture of catsup, mustard, and mayo.

bellhouse

Just looked at Austin's Chuckwagon - thanks,spiro I think that will be it if we can get a room - looks fun and is a little farther along towards Moab. I am so annoyed with my AAA map - it just isn't big enough/doesn't show enough. I keep having to go back and forth between the computer (for this plus mapquest - which I don't always trust) and the AAA map.

As to travel style....We are not "hang around the pool" or "shoppers". We have only so much time and we want to see as much as we can. We like being outdoors - if it's hot, we get up early (but not 6, except in Death Valley a couple July's ago) to take advantage of cooler temperatures for hiking, take a break in the middle of the day (try to time drives for then), then get outdoors again when it's cooler in the afternoon/evening. We're from Florida, so, although the west is hotter it is much less humid and it doesn't seem as overwhelmingly hot to us. We do know to drink lots of water and make sure we have plenty in the car. I've slowed down some with the cancer, so it may be that when we are staying in one place I may send the guys out to hike the longer bits and I'll find a scenic spot to read a book or just look around. We do cover a lot of ground with driving from place to place, then try to set up the trip so we settle down for a couple of days.

Myer

That's a good choice location.

A couple of years ago we spent a day at Capitol Reef. Did a few hikes (Chimney Rock, Hickman Bridge and another). It's not one of my favorite places.

If you're not planning to spend any significant time there you can spend some time at Goblin Valley and then go into Arches on the way into Moab. If it's a couple of hours before sunset it'll be perfect. You can hike to Delicate Arch and watch a spectacular sunset with the snow-topped mountains in the background.

Moab is good for a least a few days. I believe you can now reserve a place for the Fiery Furnace ranger-led hike online. They only started that within the past year or so. In the past you couldn't reserve a place unless in person.

You have the makings of a great trip.

spirobulldog

I hiked 26 miles or so i Cap Reef last year. Did a lot of the major trail. It isn' one of my favorites either. You will like the fact that it isn't very crowded. I haven't been there when you can pick fruit. I am going to be there(just passing thru)over Memorial Day Weekend. I'm still going to be early for fruit this year as well. Hopefully, some of the trees will be blooming though. The orchards are impressive, but you can just see them from your car. The hiking there is good, but I just find the other areas to be spectacular. Like Hickman Arch trail is a 7, but a lot of the other areas you are going to are 10's. oops, Hickman Bridge, I think Myer is correct it's a bridge not an arch.

bellhouse

Spiro- looking forward to your feedback after Memorial Day. I am going to start a new post about where to stay in Moab - just because it would be more specific - but welcome input from this post, too. So - we were thinking about renting a house or condo in Moab since we're going to be there 3 nights. Can anyone recommend a reliable site to look for such rentals? Also, what area would be considered walking distance to restaurants/bars/etc. when I'm looking at a map of where a house/condo is located?

bellhouse

I left you out, myer - sorry. That's a good idea about Goblin Valley and then Delicate Arch. I have a feeling that by the time we get to Moab, the boys will be ready to do something other than looking at more rock formations in more parks - they are looking at an all day canyoneering and something else outing, which would give DH and myself another day of looking at scenery. Oh - another question - the rafting trips I found had only 1 and 2 rapids, so we were thinking about a jet boat sunset cruise. Has anyone done this?

Myer

We spent a morning rafting above Moab. It sure felt like a lot more than two rapids. In fact, a couple of times we went to the side where the water goes in reverse, paddled back and went thru again.

I think they'll enjoy Goblin Valley. One of those places where you don't just look at the rocks but climb all over them. A lot of fun for kids of all ages (ahem!!).

The hike to Delicate Arch is also somewhat different. It's all uphill going (and downhill on the way back). Not difficult if you stop to rest as required.

Then you just hang around for a while taking photos of each other under Delicate Arch. Then everybody sits back and watches as the sun lowers and the arch turns golden.