We are leaving for the Southwest tomorrow! We will do one night in Sedona, two nights at the GC South Rim, and then on to Page, Bryce, Zion and Vegas. So far, the wether for next weekend, when we will be in Bryce and Zion, doen't look too good - cool and rainy. We are thinking of only doing one night at each instead of two, and possibly finding non weather related things to do. Are there any 'indoorsy' attractions in this area in case of bad weather, or should we just spend the extra time in Vegas? However, we much prefer hiking to casinos.

Once you are there (Bryce and Zion) there's really not much else to do except be outside. I really can't imgaine staying inside at Ruby's for any length of time.

There is a little drag in Springdale (outside of Zion) that has a few shops. Also, there's a ghost town where they filmed part of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid just outside of Springdale, but that means getting outside.

There's a small town about 20 miles west of Bryce, Panguitch. They have a shop or two.

If it's raining (or about to rain) do not do any hiking down any narrow canyons. Flash floods are a very serious threat.

By the way, I'd spend two days in each. The thought of spending extra time in Vegas is a real turn off to me. I'd gladly take the rain.

I just checked weather.com and the weather looks pretty good for the next week.

On the weekend they are calling for scattered thundershowers and that's only 50%. Take rain slicks or buy some there. The showers will probably come and go during the day and you will have plenty of time to do siteseeing.

If you get stuck in Bryce and it's raining take a drive out scenic Hwy 12. If you get stuck in Zion and it's raining go see the I-MAX movie that's in Springdale.

I never trust weather predictions!

Utahtea

I forgot to mention. In Zion you can ride the shuttle buses and if it's raining you will see waterfalls.

Utahtea

Cool and rainy in the Southwest is usually pleasant. A real downpour here is nothing compared to what we used to get in southern Texas. Hardly anyone here knows where to find their umbrellas. A windbreaker is usually enough to feel comfortable.

In terms of safety, obviously you'll want to be careful on wet slickrock, avoid exposed places if you're in the midst of a thunderstorm, and stay out of gullies and washes if you're warned about potential flash floods. It's likely that the rain will just make things more pleasant.

To give you an idea of risk, in twenty plus years of hiking in the west, I've had about 3 real lightning scares and seen 2 flash floods (both in Texas). So, be aware of your surroundings, but expect to have a good time.