Arizona - Utah trip - questions

Hi,

We (myself and my girlfriend) are flying to Las Vegas on Saturday November
18.
Our plane back home leaves the next Friday.

On this vacation, we want to rent a car and do the following itinerary.
Do you think this is doable ?
Problems with closed roads during the winter time (snow) ?
We will be renting an economy car (no 4x4).

* Saturday Nov 18 = stay in Vegas at a hotel on the Strip.
We both have been to Vegas several times and don't have any "must-sees"
left.
We might try to go see a show like "O". Is it necessary to make advanced
reservations ?

* Sunday = leave Las Vegas, drive south passing Hoover Dam, take old route
66 to Williams (Arizona) and drive up to Grand Canyon.
We want to stay in the park or just outside (Tusayan). Any recommendations
on good/cheap accomodations ?

* Monday = visit Grand Canyon, taking the west rim drive, and then the east
rim drive to leave the park at night. Drive to Kayente.
Any recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ?
I heard that you can only visit the park using a bus. Is this all-year
round, including November ?

* Tuesday = visit Monument Valley (by taking the self-guided tour by car),
and then drive north through Mexican Hat and up to Capitol Reef NP. Along
the way, stop at Natural bridge NM.
This road seems to go through high mountains. Is this a good road to travel
?
Sleep somewhere around (we'll be coming to the park from the east) or in
Capitol Reef NP. Any recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ? There
don't seem to be too many towns along the way!

* Wednesday = visit Capitol Reef NP. Nice park ?
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours to
complete) ?
Drive to Bryce Canyon NP, and sleep in or close to the park. Any
recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ?

* Thursday = visit Bryce Canyon NP.
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours to
complete) ?
Drive to Zion NP, and sleep in or close to the park. Any recommendations on
good/cheap accomodations ?

* Friday = visit Zion NP.
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours to
complete) ?
(short) Visit Valley of fire state park.
Friday night or Saturday morning, fly back home.

I realize that 1 day per park is tight; but I've been to most of them
already before.
We are interested in the highlights of the parks (including a nice 2-3 hour
trail).
Besides the things that I mention, are there other interested things to see
along this route ?

Jorn

In article ,
Jorn wrote:

* Saturday Nov 18 = stay in Vegas at a hotel on the Strip.
We both have been to Vegas several times and don't have any "must-sees"
left.
We might try to go see a show like "O". Is it necessary to make advanced
reservations ?

You probably won't be able to make advanced reservations for Nov. 18th
by this time. They probably sold out when reservations opened in May.
But give Cirque du Soleil a call and ask. Alternatively, they may have
some cancellations that night. We saw some folks lining up for possible
cancellations the night we picked up our tickets. It's a fascinating
show, so I hope you are able to see it.


Patty

Alternatively, they may have
some cancellations that night

Another strategy, if you REALLY want to see some particular show, is to
book a room at that hotel for that night, and then ask if any show
tickets are available for that night. Vegas hotels often hold a block
of show tickets in reserve for their guests. A friend of mine has used
that strategy several times to get into shows that were "sold out".

"Jorn" wrote in message
.. .
Hi,

We (myself and my girlfriend) are flying to Las Vegas on Saturday November
18.
Our plane back home leaves the next Friday.

On this vacation, we want to rent a car and do the following itinerary.
Do you think this is doable ?
Problems with closed roads during the winter time (snow) ?
We will be renting an economy car (no 4x4).

* Saturday Nov 18 = stay in Vegas at a hotel on the Strip.
We both have been to Vegas several times and don't have any "must-sees"
left.
We might try to go see a show like "O". Is it necessary to make advanced
reservations ?

* Sunday = leave Las Vegas, drive south passing Hoover Dam, take old route
66 to Williams (Arizona) and drive up to Grand Canyon.
We want to stay in the park or just outside (Tusayan). Any recommendations
on good/cheap accomodations ?

* Monday = visit Grand Canyon, taking the west rim drive, and then the
east rim drive to leave the park at night. Drive to Kayente.
Any recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ?
I heard that you can only visit the park using a bus. Is this all-year
round, including November ?

* Tuesday = visit Monument Valley (by taking the self-guided tour by car),
and then drive north through Mexican Hat and up to Capitol Reef NP. Along
the way, stop at Natural bridge NM.
This road seems to go through high mountains. Is this a good road to
travel ?
Sleep somewhere around (we'll be coming to the park from the east) or in
Capitol Reef NP. Any recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ? There
don't seem to be too many towns along the way!

* Wednesday = visit Capitol Reef NP. Nice park ?
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours
to complete) ?
Drive to Bryce Canyon NP, and sleep in or close to the park. Any
recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ?

* Thursday = visit Bryce Canyon NP.
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours
to complete) ?
Drive to Zion NP, and sleep in or close to the park. Any recommendations
on good/cheap accomodations ?

* Friday = visit Zion NP.
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours
to complete) ?
(short) Visit Valley of fire state park.
Friday night or Saturday morning, fly back home.

I realize that 1 day per park is tight; but I've been to most of them
already before.
We are interested in the highlights of the parks (including a nice 2-3
hour trail).
Besides the things that I mention, are there other interested things to
see along this route ?

Jorn

There is nothing basically wrong with your itinerary. I can't help with the
area around Grand Canyon, either, but circling way off to the East like you
are isn't something I would do, especially if you're not planning time in
and around Moab. Your Tuesday route = all day in the car.

I would suggest heading up past Page to Kanab and spending a long day at
Bryce, maybe two, and again at Zion. If you do go to Capitol Reef, then
Torrey is probably the town to stay in. It's small, of course, but with a
few points of interest and several places to stay, and a decent restaurant.

I'm not going to remember trail names, but at Capitol Reef if you follow the
road down to the turnaround, you can walk into a narrow canyon (where you
can touch both sides at once with your hands), and that would make a nice
4-hour loop.

The Navajo trail at Bryce is near or at the first parking area, and it goes
down pretty deep into the canyon on an easy enough trail (until you come up)
It intersects with a trail at the bottom that is a more direct way up.

These parks give you trail maps that tell you the difficulty and appx time
of the hikes. Pick your level of energy and the time you have available,
because I don't think anything will disappoint you.

At Bryce, Ruby's is the obvious place to stay, and it's fine. It's not that
far to Zion, so maybe stay a second night, leave early for a full day in
Zion park, then stay in a town like Hurricane before heading back to LV.

If you're the type, horseback riding is available in Zion and Bryce, though
maybe not for your dates.

k

"Jorn" wrote in message
.. .
Hi,

We (myself and my girlfriend) are flying to Las Vegas on Saturday November
18.
Our plane back home leaves the next Friday.

Here is the link for the National Park Service. You can find trail maps
etc, and plan some things in advance.

http://www.nps.gov/parks.html

I loved capital reef, it is amazing scenery. I cant say I would go all
the way out there though on your trip unless it was going to be a stop
toured mainly by car on the way to Moab.

Arches and Canyonlands are simply amazing. You mention having been to
the other parks on your trip so not minding going through quickly, so
my adivce would be if you havent done arches/canyonlands, I would skip
a couple of the others and head as fast possible to moab....


Chuck

Jorn wrote:
Hi,

We (myself and my girlfriend) are flying to Las Vegas on Saturday November
18.
Our plane back home leaves the next Friday.

On this vacation, we want to rent a car and do the following itinerary.
Do you think this is doable ?
Problems with closed roads during the winter time (snow) ?
We will be renting an economy car (no 4x4).

* Saturday Nov 18 = stay in Vegas at a hotel on the Strip.
We both have been to Vegas several times and don't have any "must-sees"
left.
We might try to go see a show like "O". Is it necessary to make advanced
reservations ?

* Sunday = leave Las Vegas, drive south passing Hoover Dam, take old route
66 to Williams (Arizona) and drive up to Grand Canyon.
We want to stay in the park or just outside (Tusayan). Any recommendations
on good/cheap accomodations ?


Flagstaff is about 1 to 1.5 hours away with plenty of accommodations
there, I think the closer you are to the park the more expensive the room.

* Monday = visit Grand Canyon, taking the west rim drive, and then the east
rim drive to leave the park at night. Drive to Kayente.
Any recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ?
I heard that you can only visit the park using a bus. Is this all-year
round, including November ?

Yes, you can only do the rim drive via bus, it stops enough times and
runs enough for low wait times.

I don't recall many choices to stay near monument valley...


* Tuesday = visit Monument Valley (by taking the self-guided tour by car),
and then drive north through Mexican Hat and up to Capitol Reef NP. Along
the way, stop at Natural bridge NM.
This road seems to go through high mountains. Is this a good road to travel
?
Sleep somewhere around (we'll be coming to the park from the east) or in
Capitol Reef NP. Any recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ? There
don't seem to be too many towns along the way!

* Wednesday = visit Capitol Reef NP. Nice park ?
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours to
complete) ?
Drive to Bryce Canyon NP, and sleep in or close to the park. Any
recommendations on good/cheap accomodations ?


Nice park yes (capitol reef), but I prefer arches and canyonlands park,
you can stay in moab, there are many choices there. Be aware its a good
7 to 8 hour drive from the caynon to Moab, if you do decide this route.
I haven't been to bryce or zion so I can't comment.
Enjoy your trip.


* Thursday = visit Bryce Canyon NP.
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours to
complete) ?
Drive to Zion NP, and sleep in or close to the park. Any recommendations on
good/cheap accomodations ?

* Friday = visit Zion NP.
What is a good walking trail with nice vistas (that takes up to 2-3 hours to
complete) ?
(short) Visit Valley of fire state park.
Friday night or Saturday morning, fly back home.

I realize that 1 day per park is tight; but I've been to most of them
already before.
We are interested in the highlights of the parks (including a nice 2-3 hour
trail).
Besides the things that I mention, are there other interested things to see
along this route ?

Jorn

On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 08:49:12 -0400, JN wrote:

Jorn wrote:

I heard that you can only visit the park using a bus. Is this all-year
round, including November ?

Yes, you can only do the rim drive via bus, it stops enough times and
runs enough for low wait times.

A year or so ago we drove the south rim. The NPS supplies free
shuttle buses along several routes and wishes everyone would use
them, but you can still drive except for a few restricted areas.
There was a proposal to disallow driving, but it hasn't happened
yet.


************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *