retiring soon and taking 1st long trip..help! please

You'd do just fine in any of the southern Utah national parks. They're all awesome! A warning though - June will be hot. Since you're retiring in June why not move your trip to September? Better temps and less crowded.

I'm a year ahead of you. I retired last year, and hit the road for the summer. Quite a few folks here told me I was trying to do too much in three months. They were right! Make sure you take your time, and don't follow a specific schedule if you can help it. It's much more fun to take your time, and enjoy your new freedom at your pace.

When you get to a fork in the road take it.
Have fun

Can think of many places to go in June/ July, other than Utah, unless you are headed to Northern Utah. Salt Lake City/ Park City has much better weather that time of year.

In our 15 years of Utah experience, the best time to go to Bryce, Zion, and Arches is September and October. Leaves are changing, gorgeous weather, and no crowds. June thru August is pretty darn hot.

Have a great trip. We are a couple months ahead of you, and are headed for Oregon, Washington, and Montana for the Spring/ Summer this year.

Safe travels

Southern Utah is great with all the parks. But if you don't like the heat, maybe head to higher elevation places in Colorado, like Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park or Durango.

If the date of June is a given--and I think it is, and I don't blame you, I would head from Oklahoma to Colorado.

Of course, I have no idea about your previous experience. Perhaps you have already been all over Colorado and are ready to visit Utah. I love them both, for different reasons. I'm only responding to the fact that Colorado will be more comfortable in June and July.

No need for me to comment on all the wonderful possibilities for places to visit in Colorado. If you should decide to go that way you will get really good suggestions on this forum.

For that matter the same can be said about parks in Utah.

Have you ever taken a one-week trip? If so, a four-week trip is just four one-week trips strung together albeit without going home to wash clothes!
I hope you have a GPS; makes finding those new addresses so much easier. Search this Forum for GPS to get lots of ideas.

My suggestion: Turn right out of your driveway and go.

I am a planner. Like to know where I am going, when I am getting there, Where I will be staying.

Couple years ago...wife (who made me do it) got home from work at 2:00 pm on a Sunday and we headed East. Only rule I was allowed to make...we start looking for a place to stay no later than 7:00 pm.

It was only a 12 day trip, but what a blast. When we hit my time limit for the day, we GPSed a camp site, made the call, settled in for the night. Next morning we turned NORTH. Stopped at what we wanted to see or when we got hungry, then moved on....Found a place and stayed a couple days. After a few days we went west..... You get the idea.

Don't tell her...but it was....well..... freedom. You have a particular place you want to see, and a month time frame to use up. Give yourself 10 days to get there, 10 days there, and 10 days to get home. NO MORE PLANNING, and all plans subject to change.

[COLOR=]Planning is for those of us who have 7-10 days to get there, VACATION, and get home. We don't have time to RELAX.

Since you are from flat land TX, in June go North to MT, Canada, WA, and OR. Then let the snow chase you back south for the winter. Next year in the early Spring chase the warm weather to New England and even Newfoundland CA. Again in the Fall let the cold chase you south.

TenOC wrote:
Since you are from flat land TX, in June go North to MT, Canada, WA, and OR. Then let the snow chase you back south for the winter. Next year in the early Spring chase the warm weather to New England and even Newfoundland CA. Again in the Fall let the cold chase you south.

Maybe they LIKE cold, wet, snowy, miserable days??? :h NAAAYYYYYY :S