Also on a similar trip now....currently in Escalante.
We came here on I-40 from NC. Our stops have been:
- Monument Valley 3 nights (don't miss Valley of The Gods)
- Lake Powell 3 nights (if you rent a boat or PWC go into Labyrinth Canyon)
- N Rim Grand Canyon 3 nights (wish we had done 4)
- Zion NP 5 nights (get shuttle passes 4-6 months in advance, impossible to get when you are here...also bring a bike if you ride)
- Escalante Grand Staircase NM 4 nights (love this place...best so far. Don't miss Lower Calf Creek Water Fall)
- Capital Reef - Torrey 4 nights
- Moab - Arches and Canyonlands NP 4 nights (5 would have been better to do both)
- Bluff, UT - Canyons of The Ancients NM
Then down to Sedona for a week. This is a good time of year IMO because it is not frying pan hot! All campgrounds have been full. We made reservations last February and there were only a few spots left at most parks.