utah/vegas trip on May 6-8
 

hi all, <BR>I'm planning to stay in southern <BR>UT for about 2.5 days after flying <BR>in to LV from my home in Florida. <BR>Thinking about seeing Zion and Bryce. <BR> <BR>I've a room for the four of us in <BR>St. George. Is this a good place to <BR>stay in? Or is it better to stay in <BR>Springdale, if I can even get rooms now?? <BR>My only concern about Sprindale is lack <BR>of nearby grocery stores... <BR> <BR>Now, assume we drive a rental from St. <BR>George to Springdale. Where do I park <BR>the car to board the shuttle to the park? <BR> <BR>I've heard also about the open air trams that <BR>run through the park. Are these better <BR>than the shuttles? We're 2 seniors and 2 <BR>adults. Which would we enjoy more? Planning <BR>on very little hiking, mostly sightseeing. <BR> <BR>Then are there any similar shuttles at <BR>Bryce? Where should we park the car to <BR>go there? <BR> <BR>THanks for any help!! <BR>

I think St George is about an hour from Zion so if you could get a room in Springdale I'd certainly think it would be better. You could stop in a grocery store in St. George or in Hurricane? which you drive thru to get to Zion. <BR> <BR>You have to park your car at the visitor's center. But if you stay in Springdale, the park shuttle also goes into town. I'm going there at the end of May and Amfac sent me a brochure on the shuttle. It shows the Springdale stops as Flanigans/Watchman Cafe, Pizza& Noodle/Bumbleberry, Bit & Spur/Zion Park Innn, Driftwood and Eagles Nest. The letter just talks about the shuttle it doesn't mention whether it is an open air tram. <BR> <BR>Bryce also has a shuttle. But when I was there last September you didn't have to use it. At that time, there weren't any crowds so it was better to drive yourself.

If you decide to stay in Springdale the Zion Park is a Best WEstern. Flanigan's is a nice place to stay. Bumbleberry Inn is probably the least expensive of the three. Zion Park Inn and Flanigan's have 800 numbers you can get from the 800 directory. Bumbleberry Inn may have one as well. All three are stops for the Zion shuttle.

Pati; <BR>If you can get a room in Springdale there is a strip mall just off of I-15 on the north side of St. George where there is a Wal-Mart and a grocery store. <BR> <BR>On my trip when I stayed in Hurricane I stopped in St. George and bought a cooler at Wal-Mart and then went to the grocery store for food items. (The WalMart is a normal one-not a SuperCenter) <BR> <BR>Bryce is less crowded than Zion and is open for driving; no shuttle is needed. <BR> <BR>I was at Zion last May before the shuttle started: sorry I can't help you there with info. <BR> <BR>

1. Definitely plan to stay in Springdale if you're not staying at the Zion Lodge inside the park. Flanigan's is probably best bet for Springdale; their restaurant is supposed to be good. Think their website is www.flanigans.com. Also eat at Zion Pasta & Noodle. Yes, as poster above says, you can catch shuttle in Springdale. <BR>2. We visited Zion in September 2000. The shuttles we rode were run by the NPS. They have glass windows, & are very nice & well-kept- they're a good size- not a standard bus, but not a mini-van either. You will appreciate riding them. I do not recall seeing the open-air shuttles, but that doesn't mean they're not there. The Springdale Shuttle loop stops at 6 locations in the park; the Zion Canyon Shuttle stops at 8 locations- the transfer is made at the Zion Canyon Visitors Center. There are small stores in Springdale and there's a good mini-mart type of shop inside the Visitors Center. <BR>3. Be prepared at Bryce to encounter some road construction/enhancement inside the Park. Check the nps.gov page for updates. A good idea is to catch the shuttle outside the park- the staging area is just as you turn on the approach road to the park and just before Ruby's Inn/Best Western (shuttle stops here as well) The Bryce shuttle should be running from May 15-Sept. 30. There are three shuttles: red, blue, and green. Blue takes you from staging area to inside park. Red takes you to upper park: Fairyland, Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration, Bryce Point. Green goes to the end of the park, stopping at scenic stops along the way. According to 2000 literature, the Green Line requires reservations which may be obtained up to 24 hours in advance at the Bryce Visitor Centers. The buses depart twice a day for a 2.5 hour trip to the southern end of the park. The buses hold up to 30 people. <BR>I plug the shuttles whenever possible- why have a car when all you're doing is driving from one scenic overlook to the other? Also, if construction is still underway, the shuttles get shorter delays than private vehicles. <BR>You can't go wrong on this trip- just drink in the beautiful views. At Zion, everyone enjoys the Riverwalk- nice paved easy stroll. At Bryce, the Rim Trail which goes from Fairyland to Bryce Points, as well as the Bristlecone Loop Trail at Rainbow Point, are rated easy to moderate. All the overlooks are easily accessible. Have a safe trip.

I would for sure stay in Springdale. Not much happening in St. George and too far away from the Parks. We like to stay at Flanigans, it ahs a very good restaurant also. The Bit and Spur is another very good choice for dinner.