g_a_thomas212

My plan at present is to Fly into Pheonix on May19th then goto Sedona , then onto Page for Lake Powell, via Grand Canyon. Then to Monument Valley, Bryce, Zion, Boulder City ( to visit Hoover Dam and Lake Mead) and leave from Vegas on Wednesday 11th June. Suggestions please on how long to stay in each place and also any other places to visit along our route. We are four people around 60 years old who enjoy some walking. Three of us can share the driving but don't wont do drive more than 5 hours in a day.

Tomsd

I would suggest a couple of days in and around Sedona, and the same for the Grand Canyon. Monument valley is a fairly easy 3+ hour drive (165 miles) from the GC - but you can also take an hour or more - and see the Cliff Dwellings at the Navajo National Monument - http://www.nps.gov/nava/index.htm - the turnoff being about 20 miles before you get to Kayenta - the town near Monument Valley.

The sunsets and the sunrise are the most beautiful times for Monument Valley - and from there - to Zion is about 240 miles - a full day of travel - but I can think of no better place to rest up/hang out for a few days than Zion and then Bryce Canyon is a couple hours from Zion.

If need be when traveling from Monument Valley to Zion - you could break it up and stay in Page and take a half day float trip down the Colorado river - through Glen Canyon - traveling through some deep canyon walls along the way. http://raftthecanyon.com/

Tomsd

This page gives the driving distances and a map for leaving Page - on 89 and heading up to Zion/Bryce National Parks.

http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/directions.htm

DebitNM

It will be hot - stay hydrated and use sunblock, hat too. Drink WAY more water than you think you need. It is very easy to get dehydrated because you don't "sweat" and often don't realize how easy it is to get dehydrated. Plan the most strenuous activities during the early morning. Late day tends to be the hottest time, not 11 -1 pm as most think.

Tomsd

Actually - a better route might be to go from Page to Bryce Canyon first and then to Zion - which is about three hours from Las Vegas.

g_a_thomas212

Thanks for your suggestions. I have been looking at Monument Valley and have been tempted to then go on to Moab for Arches and then go to Bryce and Zion. The only problem is the amount of driving. The option is Page to Bryce or Page to Moab via Monument Valley with a visit to Arches and then onto Bryce possibly via Highway12 which is very senic. The extra days for the second option would come from reducing each of Sedona, Bryce and Zion from 3 days to 2 Days.