4-Week August Family Trip

mekkerl wrote:
Wow! Great information...seems to make my planning tougher!
My family & kids are very active...and love traveling and hiking. We were in Acadia NP this past summer, and climbed five mountains in five days. So short and strenuous hikes are not a problem for us.

I had no idea the Ouray Pools were so nice!

I've been debating Lake Powell, and this information may have helped me take that out. My parents took us there when we were children, and all I remember is how fun it was to rent a boat and have a day on the lake swimming and jumping off cliffs, etc.
Maybe we take out the three nights at Lake Powell...and add a night to the drive out to GCNP...and from there go to Las Vegas for two nights...then into Zion.
Thoughts? Circus Circus? (my kids actually asked to go to Vegas, ha)

Zion, Bryce, and Moab are non-negotiable for this trip!

As for Colorado...again, excellent information Ken and Busskipper...what do you think of this route...taking a night away from Moab:

Moab to Durango for three nights (one day at Mesa, one day in durango)
Durango to Ouray for one night (Pools upon arrival, leave next day)
Ouray to Salida for three nights (one day in salida, one day at Sand Dunes NP)
Salida to Kentucky.......

This cuts out Rocky Mountain NP...and the two things I was going to do in CO Springs (Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak).

Thank you again for all this help!
Getting closer to a final route!

Sounds like your editing is spot on. And to pivot off your kids wanting to go to Vegas...if you haven't already, ask them about the edited trip. See if it meets with their approval. Cutting things out is a good idea, can always be on another trip :) Though I love Rocky and am up there a lot, you've made the right call to cut it for this trip.