Help with trip out West

[rolltider11]

Hey guys, I'm in Birmingham, Al. I'm trying to plan a trip out west for the last week of June 2017 through the first 3 weeks in July. I am off for 4 weeks, my wife is off 3. I'm going to to try and get out west and have wife fly in when she gets off on Friday. Would like to see Grand canyon, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Bryce,Zion, Arches, and Yellowstone. No idea if this is possible or not. Never been out there so please advise on a good route with days at each place, where to meet wife to technically start the trip, and what I need to see. Do I need reservations or can I just wing it? Thanks!

[Busskipper]

rolltider11 wrote:
Hey guys,

I'm in Birmingham, Al.

First off - no problem. Birmingham to Vegas - just you so the 1800 miles in three days (Use Wal*Mart to get there then Dump) so you leave after work on Tuesday - get a good jump on the trip - no stops - just nose down get to Vegas get a site pick up DW at the airport -Southwest one way flight. Suggest Oasis , close easy will allow you to do Vegas for the night or two. So Friday in Vegas - Saturday get the HeliCopter to the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead and the Dam - saves a lot of driving and is FUN. Gets a lot off the list right away.

I'm trying to plan a trip out west for the last week of June 2017 through the first 3 weeks in July.

4th might require a reservation - so where would you need to be? Likely Zion 160 miles on Sunday (2nd) night - do you hike? - Angels Landings (3rd) - all day - Narrows (4th) - all Day - Zion (5th) to Bryce - Bryce hike down into the Hoo Doo's (6th) Drive through Rt 12 Hog Back by Escalante and Kodachrome on to Capitol Reef. END OF FIRST WEEK...

I am off for 4 weeks,

28 days

my wife is off 3.

23 days

I'm going to to try and get out west and have wife fly in when she gets off on Friday.(30TH)

Vegas will likely be the consensus location to start.

Would like to see Grand canyon, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam,

Suggest the Helicopter, fun and easy out of Vegas see if you can catch the last one out - see the sunset over the City

Bryce,Zion,

First week

Beginning of WEEK TWO - Arches - RT 128 (7th & 8th)- Dinosaur NM - Flaming Gorge - Alpine - Jackson (9th) - Tetons (10th & 11th) - Yellowstone (12 - 15th) - Beartooth Hwy - Chief Joseph to Cody (16th) - Wind River Canyon (17th) - to Steamboat - to Lake Granby and Catch RMNP (18th-20th) to Denver Get a reservation in Golden Clear Creek RV Park Relax a few days - maybe do Peak to Peak - Coors - Denver - Rt 6 - Central City.

Run wife to airport for Noon Flight on Sunday on Southwest - you again put your nose down and head for home, 1300 miles with the jump you get on Sunday afternoon you will easily arrive home on Tuesday fresh and ready for work on Wednesday.


No idea if this is possible or not.

EASY

Never been out there so please advise on a good route with days at each place,

This is what would work for me ---- so.

where to meet wife to technically start the trip,

VEGAS - Cheap air fare easy pick up.

and what I need to see.

Put a lot on your plate but what you don't have time to get out and touch will at least not just be something in a book and will allow you to plan your next trip to Colorado and the Southwest.

Do I need reservations or can I just wing it?

Holidays and weekends will likely require reservations.

Thanks!

Might be a lot more than you wanted - but we have Snow Ice today so ........you got a lot of my time.

Hope this helps out - we have done all of the suggestions, and one year (just before Christmas) flew the boys out for the week to Vegas, going to the top of Angles Landings in shorts only to have the most Beautiful 10"'s of snow in Bryce the next day.

Best of Luck,

[MikeDavies]

rolltider11 wrote:
Hey guys, I'm in Birmingham, Al. I'm trying to plan a trip out west for the last week of June 2017 through the first 3 weeks in July. I am off for 4 weeks, my wife is off 3. I'm going to to try and get out west and have wife fly in when she gets off on Friday. Would like to see Grand canyon, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Bryce,Zion, Arches, and Yellowstone. No idea if this is possible or not. Never been out there so please advise on a good route with days at each place, where to meet wife to technically start the trip, and what I need to see. Do I need reservations or can I just wing it? Thanks!

YellowStone is packed in July

[smlranger]

It is doable, as noted, but will involve a lot of driving and you will just scratch the surface of all there is to see in the great American West.

Our first trip out there we had one month. We traveled from Virginia to Rapid City (Mt. Rushmore). Then stopped in Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, CO. From there we drove down thru Moab, UT and on into Monument Valley. We then went to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. From there we started back east and stopped in Amarillo to visit Palo Duro Canyon, and then stopped in St. Louis before heading home.

We stayed in each place for several days (2 -4 generally). It was a lot of driving but we enjoyed being on the move and just seeing parts of the country we had never seen before.

Since retirement, we've been back 3 more times but we allow at least 3 months.

I agree with the others about saving Yellowstone for another time. It is just so huge. We spent a week there and still did not see it all.

[jmtandem]

All the places you mentioned except Yellowstone are relatively close to each other. Yellowstone would add substantial additional travel.

[USAFBILL]

I agree with earlier posts about bypassing Yellowstone this trip. We spent winters in Arizona and really enjoy the west. So much to see and so little time to do it. RTR

[rolltider11]

Wow! Quick responses, thank you. I will be in a 40 foot diesel pusher so I can boondocks or have hookups doesn't matter. Summers in Alabama may not be like out there but it's pretty hot. So, is the consensus to not do Yellowstone? Roll Tide!

[2gypsies1]

Yes, your trip is very doable. Bryce will be the coolest. Just get up early and do your hikes and outdoor things and plan indoor things for the afternoon.

One thing I'd recommend is to cross off Yellowstone and save it for another trip along with Grand Teton, Glacier and that area.

Each national park has a great website with things to do, road information, special alerts, camping. Check them out. Here is Grand Canyon's:

https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

Also, plan to stay in the parks themselves for the best overall national park experience and less time spent driving.

It's much better to see these parks with only a few days rather than not seeing them at all. You can always come back for more. Have a good one. Roll Tide! 🙂

[ksg5000]

If it were me I would scratch off Yellowstone - the others are in reasonable proximity to each other and you only have 3 weeks.

[Ivylog]

Would help to know if you are a FHU or boondock type and if you have a generator. I would go to Yellowstone first as it's further from home and easy to get there in a week. SW airlines service that area with several choices changing in SLC. Work your way south from there. Will be hot in the SW either direction.

[donn0128]

Well, you can figure a week shot just driving cross country. Remember, by late June the desert SW is getting really really hot, so the places you want to visit are going to be not so nice. Doable? Sure, just a lot of driving.