Travel advice filter – planning a trip which will take me via Canyonlands, Bryces and Zion NP to Las Vegas, and from San Francisco to San Diego.

May 26, 2008 5:29 AM

Travel advice filter – planning a trip which will take me via Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon and Zion NP to Las Vegas, and from San Francisco to San Diego. I am looking for any thoughts on my itinerary in general and am particularly interested in ideas for: nice places to stop en route, must do things in San Francisco and San Diego. Also, am I allocating enough/too much time to the national parks?

The plan as it stands is for a 16 day trip first half of September. I will be traveling on my own. Accommodation will be a mix of hotels, camping and hostels I think. At the moment I am contemplating two starting points.

Version 1
Day 1 –travel London to Denver (hotel near airport)
Day 2 – drive Denver to Moab in time to go for sunset hike in Arches (camping Moab)

Version 2
Day 1 – travel London to Salt Lake City (hotel near airport)
Day 2 – drive Salt Lake City to Canyonlands NP (camping)

Day 3 – explore Canyonlands NP (camping)
Day 4 – Drive to Bryce Canyon NP & explore (camping Bryce),
Day 5 – Explore Bryce (camping Bryce)
Day 6 – Drive to Las Vegas via Zion, (hotel)
Day 7 – Fly from Las Vegas to San Francisco, (hostel)
Day 8-9 – Explore San Francisco
Day 10 – Leave SF for Yosemite NP & explore, (camping)
Day 11 – Explore Yosemite, (camping)
Day 12-14 Drive down to San Diego taking scenic route and stopping anywhere nice (motel/hotel)
Day 15 – Explore San Diego (motel/hotel)
Day 16 – travel back to London

Now, I have been to Arches NP, the Grand Canyon and also Vegas. The first 3-4 days are basically making sure I get to see the rest :)

I am planning to hire a car for days 2–6 and again days 10-14. From the research I’ve done so far it a lot of driving either way. Version 1 appears to be just over 100m more driving but six hrs less travel on day one and is also cheaper. I have looked at connecting flights from Denver to say Grand Junction but that would also work out more than car hire and fuel would cost. However I am open to any alternative suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

posted by koahiatamadl to travel & transportation (18 comments total)

These suggestions would increase your driving time by an hour or two on each leg, but they're fantastically scenic drives. First take Highways 24 and 12 from Canyonlands to Bryce, driving through Capitol Reef National Park and Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument. Then from Yosemite to San Diego, take Tioga Road east, over the Sierra Nevada, then 395 south, eat at the Whoa Nelli Deli in Lee Vining, check out Galen Rowell's Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, and look up 10,000 ft at Mt. Whitney from the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine.
posted by driveler at 6:34 AM on May 26, 2008

There are some great driving routes from Denver to Moab. You could cut down to Bishop's Castle on CO-165 & then back up via Monarch Pass on I-50, left at Montrose on the 550 to Ouray & then to Durango & then head into UT for Cannyonlands or Moab. Could be a long day but you could stop in Ouray which is cute as buttons.

I found Zion more fun to hike round than Bryce so I'd recommend a night stop there. The Angel's Landing hike is good fun & a bit scary in places if you've a head for heights.

Other possible places to stay are Dead Horse Point & Goblin Valley (state parks in UT) and Valley of Fire in NV near Vegas.

I could write more but my gf is desperate for lunch so laters :-). I've done the whole loop round that part of CA, NV, UT, AZ, CO & NM so am happy to give some email advice on any specifics.
posted by i_cola at 6:39 AM on May 26, 2008

Looks like a nice plan to me. I might suggest taking one of the days you're allowing for the leisurely drive to San Diego, and spend a full day in Zion NP. It is truly one of the jewels of America's national park system.

You also perhaps won't realize until you see it, just how vast Canyonlands is. One could easily spend an entire week there. The park is divided into four districts, each with their own distinct appeal. One day there will pretty much limit you to just one of the districts. Then you must decide, do I want to view down from above, or up from below? That will determine which section to choose.

Regardless, it sounds like a fabulous trip and I'm sure you will love every minute, if you don't get exhausted. ;)
posted by netbros at 6:41 AM on May 26, 2008

Zion is incredible. I am not sure you are spending enough time there. If you had to do a quick look-see in one place and exploring in another, I would do the opposite of you. To me, I thought 4 hours hiking around the Bryce amphitheater was enough for me, but I needed a lot more time at Zion to really appreciate it. Granted with the time you are spending at these sites you are just scratching the surface.
posted by mmascolino at 6:45 AM on May 26, 2008

Dude, camp in Zion! Screw Vegas. What are you thinking? Zion is so great that it's worth flying all the ay there from London just to do that. Get some water shoes and hike up the river gorge for half a day, and then camp out there. It's ridiculously cool.
posted by donkeymon at 7:06 AM on May 26, 2008

Seconding Donkeymon, above, and seconding whoever said to drive Utah 12. It's fantastic.

Unless you go below rim, the stop offs in Bryce are maybe a half-day thing or less. Spend more time in Zion.
posted by notsnot at 7:13 AM on May 26, 2008

Also, this question has lots of advice.

If you can, push your trip a little later, to late late september - you'll get all manner of fall color.
posted by notsnot at 7:15 AM on May 26, 2008

I would recommend against Vegas and instead suggest a visit to The Valley of Fire, which is just two hoots and a hollar away. It has very good facilities and is a great place to just wander.
posted by SPrintF at 8:10 AM on May 26, 2008

What you want to do in San Diego has a lot to do with what you are in to. Our zoo is great, which is attached to Balboa Park. We are becoming known for our beer bars/brew pubs and if you are so interested, I'd suggest stopping @ pizza port in either carlsbad or solana beach. That will give you a bit of flavor of north san diego and they are both pretty close to the 5 freeway. Of course, you must eat mexican food. If you will be near downtown at all (really not that exciting unless you like touristy stuff), I'd suggest some authentic food at las cuatros milpas. Any specific questions, email is in my profile!
posted by fillsthepews at 10:42 AM on May 26, 2008

Wow, there's really no time in that itinerary for unexpexted problems, or staying longer anywhere fun. I'd end it in San Francisco, and give yourself more time in Zion and SF. Or something like that. Yosemite at that time is not the best- it will be hot and dry as hell. It's better early October once Autumn starts to set in. I think you've just got too many deadlines to meet with all the airports, and not enough wiggle room. I'd say cut the number of destinations in half, and you'll get more out of the trip.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:01 AM on May 26, 2008

Bryce is striking, but Capitol Reef has a lot more variety and a lot more to see IMO. Plus it's less developed/touristified/narrated/mediated.
posted by eritain at 11:33 AM on May 26, 2008

Of course you can't do everything, but if you find the time do the Island in the Sky division of Canyonlands. That's the part of the park between the two rivers (Colorado and Green). From Moab you have to travel quite a way upstream to get to a bridge, but once across you can drive right down the ever-narrowing strip of land to the point that overlooks the confluence. It's spectacular, and since not many people are willing to make the trip, you may very well have the point all to yourself. (My girl and I did). Many times since then I've looked down on that point from an airliner overhead, and looking at the surrounding terrain you realize what a privilege it is to have been there.

One tip: when driving on unimproved washboard roads in Utah, let a little air out of the tires. You'll get a better ride and make better time.
posted by dinger at 12:29 PM on May 26, 2008

I have to agree with oneirodynia, I think you are going to come back with lots of great memories of things you've seen through the windshield of your rental car, and not much actual fresh air exploring. I've done trips like this around the southwest, and you get a great list of places to say you have been, but not really any quality time anywhere. Personally I suggest slowing the whole thing down, cut off everything after Vegas, and instead end by driving or flying to LA and fly back to London from there. That way you can spend more time in great places like Zion, and you aren't beholden to airline reservations if you want to change your plans a little.

Next time you visit this area, do the coastal trip on PCH, its deserving of a trip of its own.
posted by Joh at 3:00 PM on May 26, 2008

Ooh! My home digs!

Days 12-14, when you're driving down to San Diego: You MUST drive Hwy 1, which goes along the cliffs over the coast and is (I believe) the most photographed scenic highway in the US. It goes by several must-see things.

- Stop in Monterey to see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, best in the world.
- Stop in Carmel (10 minutes south) for the huge white sands beach and long stretch of tiny boutiques and fancy restaurants (be sure and get a tourist guidebook, because they're all good and how will you choose otherwise?).
- Drive an additional 15 minutes south to Point Lobos National Park and take a quick 1 hr easy hike along the sea cliffs. You'll see seals, otters, all kinds of birds, great rock formations, startlingly blue inlets. Gorgeous.
- Then drive on down another 1/2 hour to Big Sur. Stop and have lunch/dinner at Nepenthe's while you watch the ocean crash and roll a mile below you. Go to a wine tasting at Bonny Doon vineyards.
- downtown San Luis Obispo (about 2.5 hours south of Monterey) is also charming, and a good place to stop for lunch. If you're lucky it'll be a Farmer's Market, which is very large and totally worth a stop.

Ah, I miss California. :)
posted by GardenGal at 7:50 PM on May 26, 2008

Thanks everyone. That's plenty of food for thought :)
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:08 PM on May 27, 2008

I think you're spending too much time driving on days 12-14. I'd strongly suggest that you do the drive as an overnight. Whether you drive down the coast (which I'd recommend with GardenGal's notes) or Highway 395, don't take more than 2 days to do it. Spend the extra day in San Francisco, Yosemite or one of the other National Parks. Also, if you do drive down the coast, consider cutting over to I-5 at San Luis Obispo. The coast is nice past that point, but you're essentially seeing more of the same, and it's slow going. The down side is that you will run into ugly traffic in LA between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

I disagree with oneirodynia about Yosemite's weather in September. The average high in September is 86, with a 52 degree low. There is a chance that you'll get mid-90 degree weather. There is just as good a chance that you'll get unbelievably beautiful 80 degree weather. There is plenty of shade in the valley and even when it's hot, it only stays that way between 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Do not let worries about the weather deter you from Yosemite in September. It doesn't sound like this will be a problem, but you don't want to be in Yosemite on Labor Day weekend on September 1.

Consider flying from Las Vegas to Fresno, renting a car there and going directly to Yosemite. (There is nothing to see in Fresno). Then, after you've left Yosemite, go to SF, down the coast and on to San Diego. If you're going to drive down the coast anyway, you'll save one leg of the boring 3.5 to 4 hour drive back and forth from Yosemite. You could return the car in SF and pickup another one when you leave the city to keep costs the same.
posted by cnc at 6:50 PM on June 4, 2008

To clarify, Labor Day in the US is the last weekend of the summer travel season, so Yosemite is really, really crowded. Again, it doesn't sound like this will be a problem with the timing of your trip.
posted by cnc at 6:52 PM on June 4, 2008

I disagree with oneirodynia about Yosemite's weather in September. The average high in September is 86, with a 52 degree low. There is a chance that you'll get mid-90 degree weather. There is just as good a chance that you'll get unbelievably beautiful 80 degree weather. There is plenty of shade in the valley and even when it's hot, it only stays that way between 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Do not let worries about the weather deter you from Yosemite in September.

It's not only hot, the waterfalls are a mere trickle, and the Valley is full of smoke from all the burns. If a bit of trip has to go, I'd definitely leave out Yosemite in September. I think it's the worst month to visit that particular park. Even the bears are extra hungry and cranky.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:12 PM on June 5, 2008