Go West Dear Family! (Pre-trip)

[MizMissy]

We have been talking about taking a trip out West with the kids for several years, but it never worked out. In May, my DH finally said "enough" and purchased airline tickets and we worked our schedule around those dates.

It was tough choosing the location because there are so many choices. I wanted Jackson Hole/Yellowstone. We talked about Rocky Mountain National Park and maybe The Broadmoor. Finally, Southern Utah area won because it checked off the most bucket list items for the entire family - Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches, Four Corners. Of course, this wasn't planned a year in advance, but we did manage to grab one night each at Grand Canyon Lodge, North Rim and Gouldings in Monument Valley. I am concerned we are overly ambitious on our schedule, but we will try to make it work.

Trip dates - July 9 - 18.
Me, DH, DD (15) and DS (12).

We fly into Vegas on Thursday afternoon and will spend Thursday and Friday nights in Vegas. Plans Friday are the Hoover Dam and tickets to O.
Saturday morning we will leave Vegas and head to Bryce Canyon. We will drive through Zion National Park on the way and maybe other exploring. We spend two nights around Bryce Canyon. Sunday will be exploring Bryce Canyon.

Monday morning we will drive to Moab. I haven't planned any stops on the way yet. We have 3 nights in a 3 bedroom/3 bath town home in a development with pools/hot tubs and other activities. DH didn't agree with 3 nights in one place, but I thought by now, middle of the trip, we may want to spread out a little and have some down time if needed (and let me do a little laundry). Tuesday morning or afternoon we will do a half day rafting trip (basically to check off bucket list, but this mom is not very adventuresome or too outdoorsy). We can also use this time in Moab to see Arches and maybe Canyonlands or other exploring.
Thursday we drive to Monument Valley, spending this evening at Gouldings Lodge. If we see Four Corners, it will be on our way to Monument Valley. I'm not sure Four Corners is worth the drive but the kids want to see it and since we will be "so close".... we will probably make the call that day.

Our last night will be spent at Grand Canyon Lodge. I know we will have very little time seeing the Grand Canyon, but originally I wasn't sure if we would see it at all this trip. Being able to book one night at the Lodge at least gave us the chance to see it. While I doubt we will return to Southern Utah as a family, it is likely we would see Grand Canyon again, probably from the south rim and a trip to Arizona.
We fly out of Vegas late Saturday.

As you can see, I have a general plan. We may see more, we may see less. I'm going in with the idea that I'm going to spend a lot of quality time with my kids. They are good kids and travel well so we are just going to go with the flow while traveling a thousand miles in an SUV. Lol.

If anyone has any suggestions on must sees and dos or places to eat in the general area we are traveling, I would gladly welcome the advice. I did purchase the National Parks pass ... I'm not expecting it to save money, but maybe make traveling easier with the hang tag??

Thanks for reading!!

[faline]

What a fabulous trip you have planned! I'm sure your family members will each come away with some great memories!!!

[Altair]

Don't go out of your way to see four corners. You'll just drive there stand on the spot, take a photo and leave. Lots of Native American stuff to buy there.
Canyonlands is a very large park that is mainly for 4wheel drive vehicles. The drive out out to Green River Point is nice for a spectacular view of the Island in the Sky

Go to the Arches website for information on the best time of day to view each area. Some arches are best seen in the am or pm. I do highly recommend the hike up to Delicate Arch. It's worth the effort.
Try to hit Cedar Breaks National Monument, it's a hidden gem not too far from Bryce Canyon. It's above 10,000 feet and is very beautiful.
That's a nice trip you have planned.

[NJGIRL]

I am in agreement on the four corners. Have a great trip!