After three days in Sedona , we have another three days to spend somewhere in AZ/southern utah before heading to Vegas.

Keep in mind I have two small kids, want to see the Canyon and other areas, without heavy hiking/roughing it too much.

Any suggestions on itinerary/lodging?

Thanks in advance.

Jen

Hi Jen,
it would help if you would include area in which you wish to stay in your title. Even though you choose an area when posting a question, all questions end up under the United States. Just a helpful tip. Post again using Arizona and Southern Utah in your heading. You will get more answers that way.

Bryce Canyon and/or Zion. You might want to stay at Ruby's at Bryce - I have mixed feelings about the place, but enough diversions there for little kids and they have a pool.

Please ease my mind at Grand Canyon and Bryce - keep a hand on your kids - I saw too many little unsupervised kids dancing around right on the edge. (But falling into the Grand Canyon was one of my worries before we went last summer!)

The trip between Sedona and Zion National Park is 300 plus miles I believe. Then 150 plus to Las Vegas. I think it is a lot for three days.

My recommendations:

1. The Verde River train ride.
2. The Grand Canyon train ride.
Take a look at: www.grandcanyontourguide.com/gc/20.htm

They have both train rides listed.

keep a hand on your kids

On my first visit to Cangon de Chelly, I witnessed an event that is forever embedded in my memory. My wife and I had had pulled off at one of the overlooks that had an unprotected sheer drop of about 800 feet. Some goats that were clearly used to people (probably used to getting fed by them) wandered into the area. An unattended girl about five years old became scared of the goats and began quickly walking backwards, completely unaware that she was only about 15 feet from the edge of the cliff. Nobody was close enough to save her and it happened so fast it was like watching your life go by in two or three seconds. The goat in front of the pack quickly ran toward the girl, lowered its head, knocked her to the ground, immediately retreated and returned to its docile way.

My wife and I helplessly saw the entire event. There's no question in our mind that the goat saw the girl's danger and intentionally knocked her down to save her life. She was crying and more scared than ever of the goats, entirely unaware of how close she was to death were it not for the one goat that saved her.

This web site is responsible for the kind of innosent mistake that deserbound made in assuming the question would end up under an AZ or UT category.

Perhaps the Fodors webmaster could figure this out and make it clear with a few words at the top of the page.

I would either go to the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park for the 3 days.

Both parks have free shuttle buses to ride. Both parks have an I-Max theather just outside the main gates. You can stop at Wupatki National Monument on the way to both parks.

Zion will be just a couple of hundered miles longer but when you leave there it will just be a short 3 hour drive back to Las Vegas. You won't have to double back the same route you came.

If you are worried about your children and being on the canyon rim, then Zion would be a better choice. In Zion you are in the canyon looking up. There are some really nice and easy hikes like the Riverside Walk and the Pa? rus trail . You can also go play in the Virgin River to cool off on hot days. You also see a lot from the shuttle buses.

Utahtea