Few places in the world offer more natural wonders than the American Southwest.  The area has been imortalized by the film industry for the past half century.  It presents an opportunity for the best roadtrip in America.  Do not pass it up.

We only had three vacation days left for the year but were determined to get in one last trip.  Using Labor Day and a weekend, we were able to make room for a six days vacation.  My main priority for the trip was to keep it cheap.  Using Kayak’s Explore page, I discovered Frontier Airlines flights from Atlanta to Denver for less than $75 each.  While my initial thought was to explore the Rockies, we were quickly drawn to the National Parks in Utah.  We had less than a month to plan and quickly realized that seeing everything was going to be a real challenge.  As things evolved, a plan began to fall together and it was going to be a sprint.  What had began as a simple trip to the Denver area evolved into a 1,400 mile, four state roadtrip to Las Vegas.

 

DAY ONE

To make the trip work, we had to fully optimize our time.  That meant racing to the airport for a red-eye flight after work.  We arrived in Denver just after midnight.  It was going to be a long night.  The longest drive (5:30) of the trip was ahead and I was not going to waste our whole morning making it.  So, we picked up the car and got on our way.  I made it to the Utah boarder before I had to pull over.  After a quick nap, we arrived at Arches National Park by early morning.  I had underestimated Arches.  While it is relatively small, we were easily able to fill the day with incredible and diverse sights.  While eating dinner in Moab, we realized we had missed the Delicate Arch hike.  We had just enough time to race to the top and catch the sunset highlighted by a beautiful rainbow in the distance.  We ended the day with a short but much needed stay at Up the Creek Campground.

“While we will never forget the nonstop adventure, the lack of sleep was only temporary.”

DAY TWO

We started the morning with a trip to Dead Horse Point State Park.  This stop is on the way to Canyonlands NP.  The view of the Colorado River snaking through the canyon below is well worth a short visit.  Canyonlands consist of three sections all with separate entrances.  Unfortunately, we only had time to visit the “Island in the Sky.  The “Maze” and “Needles” sections look equally as stunning but generally require more time often requiring extended backcountry hikes.  A full day in the “Island in the Sky” would be ideal but we were able to see the highlights in a half-day.  The top sights were the Grand View Point Overlook (take the two mile hike!), Mesa Arch and Green River Overlook.  After the short stop in Canyonlands, we drove three hours south to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.  Monument Valley doesn’t require too much time.  Visitors are only allowed to drive down one road and hike one short trail.  Do not let the lack of activities deter you, a visit is worth it for the view alone.  If you would like to stay overnight, “The View Hotel & Campground” should be the only place you consider.

DAY THREE

 

We woke at 3 A.M. and packed up our camping gear under the stars.  This way we were able to make the 2:20 drive to Horseshoe Bend in time to catch the sunrise.  I was prepared to be underwhelmed but the magnitude of the canyon was a real surprise.  I enjoyed watching the sunrise and the area was large enough that I was able to find a spot to myself off to the side.  We spent a couple hours there before it was time to head to Antelope Canyon for our tour.  You can read more about my thoughts of the tour here but, in short, we loved it.  From there, the race continued as we headed three hours north to visit Bryce Canyon NP.  Expect large crowds as there is only one primary road going through the park.  The views from the road give a good overview of the park but, to truly appreciate it, a hike into the canyon is required.  There are numerous routes that can be combined to your choosing.  We started at Sunrise Point; taking the Queens Garden Trail into the canyon.  From there, we continued to the Navajo Loop Trail where we hiked back out to Sunset Point.  From here we watched the sun… set.  The hike down into the canyon travels beside (and through) the hoodoos that make the canyon so unique.  The total distance of the hike is only three miles but you should be prepared for a strenuous hike out of the canyon.  Finally, we headed back to the Bryce Zion Campground for some well earned sleep.  The campgound was sufficient but not overly impressive.

DAY FOUR

We intended to wake at sunrise and depart for Zion NP.  In reality, we left the campground around 10 a.m.  Zion is notoriously overcrowded and Labor Day weekend was certainly no exception.  Personal vehicles are only permited on a single road passing through the park.  All the parking lots were full inside the park and we ended up having to drive into Springdale a couple of miles.  From there, it’s possible to take a shuttle back to the park entrance.  There was an hour wait for the next shuttle to take us into the park.  By the time we got off the bus at the last stop, Temple of Sinawava, it was noon.  After a mile walk along a paved sidewalk, the trail continues into the Virgin River.  In late summer the water was chilly, but refreshing, and the narrow canyon provided shadow from the sun.  Don’t waste your money renting specialty shoes, an old pair of tennis shoes (the more mesh the better) will work fine.  We hiked up the river for a mile or two before returning back to the Temple of Sinawava.  We got off the shuttle one stop up at The Grotto.  From there, we began the hike up to Angels Landing.  It is a short but strenuous hike.  In an effort to make up some time, we were able to reach the top in under an hour.  From the landing, we rested to watch the sun set before rushing back down.  Once we got back to our car, it was time for one last drive.  This time we were headed to Las Vegas.

DAY FIVE

Our fifth day was quite different from the trip thus far.  This time we slept in, waking just before lunch.  Las Vegas can be alot of fun but you have to go into it with the right mindset.  Joy referred to it as Disney World for adults, a description that I found accurate.  We stayed at Madalay Bay, opting for a strip view room.  The most important thing to consider in your hotel selection is it’s proximity to the strip.  We spent the day walking the strip which is guaranteed to provide endless people watching opportunies.  That night we we took a cab to Fremont Street.  We intended to stay there a short time and return to the strip later in the night.  However, we really enjoyed the area and ended up sticking around until after midnight.

DAY SIX

11 o’clock check outs are the best!  We took full advantage.  Honestly, this day was a wash.  We did not do anything noteworthy but were very glad we had choosen to book an afternoon flight.  Even better, our tickets cost less than $20 thanks to the 20,000 SPG points (+5,000 bonus) we transfered to the Delta Skymiles program.

CONCLUSION

While flexibility is always preferred if time or budget is a concern, detailed planning is key.  This trip would not have been possible had it happened spontaneously.  By scructinizing our itenerary, we were able to minimize daytime driving (only 40%) and watch sunrise/sunset in key locations.  I will admit that doing this did require us to sacrifice one thing… sleep.  Alas, while we will never forget the nonstop adventure, the lack of sleep was only temporary.  Every trip requires some amount of give and take.  Decide what is most important to you and come up with a plan to maximize it.  If you would like to take a similar trip, I would be more reasonable to allow for at least a full week in addition to any time spent in Las Vegas.  Regardless of how long you have to spend, do not pass up the chance to explore one of the most beautiful and unique landscapes in the world.

 

TIP – If you decide to make this trip or a similar one, consider purchasing a National Park Annual Pass for $80.  This pass will allow you and everyone in your vehicle to enter any National Park.  For a trip like this, do the math and see if it can save you money.