We'll pick you up at your Las Vegas Strip hotel at about 7.00 a.m. and travel north up interstate 15, crossing into the desolate Arizona Strip, before heading up the Virgin River Gorge and into Utah.  There will be stops along the way, to admire the views, take photographs, stretch your legs or grab a quick snack. Shortly after the small town of St. George, close to the Utah/Arizona border, we'll branch off the interstate, and cross back into Arizona. Right at the border between the two states, you'll see the twin polygamous towns of Hilldale and Colorado City, where an extreme Mormon sect still indulges in the old Latter Day Saint practice of multiple wives!
 

The scenery on this leg of the trip is interesting, almost all the way from Las Vegas. After dropping back into Arizona and traveling past scrub land and desert, we'll enter the Kaibab National Forest, as we start climbing up to the North Rim. This part of the Grand Canyon is over 8000 feet, and it can be cold there outside the middle of the summer, so please bring the appropriate clothing. We'll drive through some magnificent groves of Ponderosa pines, and sweeping wide open meadows that are filled with deer at sunrise and sunset, before entering the gates of the Grand Canyon.          TOP

Only about 10 percent of the people who go to the Grand Canyon visit the North Rim, which is not as easy to get to as the South.  There will be ample time to take in the views, grab your self a bite to eat, and relax and enjoy the incredible views.

After driving back through the Kaibab National Forest, we'll head east at Jacob Lake, and start our drop down to the desert below.   Depending on the time of the year, we should pass a number of Navajo roadside stands, and we'll stop to give you a chance to purchase souvenirs.  After a relatively short drive along the Vermilion Cliffs, we'll reach Page, on the shores of Lake Powell.

There is a lot to see and do in Page.   We hope you're not too tired for a short hike to Horseshoe Bend, a spectacular Colorado River overlook, viewed through the canyon walls below.  Please bring a good pair of walking shoes with you.

Spend the night in Page.  An example of the motel we use can be seen here.  A continental breakfast is provided tomorrow morning.

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The Colorado River flows from Lake Powell out of Glen Canyon Dam, towards Lee's Ferry, the official starting point of raft trips through the Grand Canyon.  Today you'll be taking a float trip down the river.  The adventure begins with an unusual ride down the two mile long Glen Canyon Dam access tunnel.  At river level, with the dam soaring almost 600 feet above you, you will board a comfortable, motorized pontoon raft for your journey downstream. 

For the next fifteen miles, you will experience one of the most dramatic stretches of river in the western United States.  Your experienced guide will tell the story of the area’s soaring sandstone cliffs, crystal blue-green waters, abundant wildlife, exploration by Major John Wesley Powell (after whom Lake Powell is named) and others, and the river's modern role in the Southwest’s water and power delivery system.

A stop to view an impressive set of ancient petroglyphs will offer you a chance to stretch your legs while bearing witness to the area’s former inhabitance by ancient native cultures.  If you choose, you may also refresh yourself by wading in the cold, clear river.     

The river portion of your trip ends at historic Lees Ferry, gateway to the Grand Canyon. The rafting company will either take you back to Page where your guide will meet you, or the guide will pick you up at Lee's Ferry.

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Travel to Monument Valley.  On the way you will start to see the mesas and buttes for which the area is so well known.  There will be plenty of time to take photographs, as well as stop to shop and eat at Navajo roadside stands

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Up next is a 1 1/2 to 2 hour tour of Monument Valley, conducted by a Navajo guide. Visitors love to see the buttes, mesas and other sandstone formations that are so prevalent in the Monument Valley area. Monument Valley is actually not really a valley at all, but a relatively flat plain surrounded by red cliffs, with the buttes, as well as the remnants of ancient volcanoes, towering from the earth. 

For fans of old western movies, Monument Valley is the epicenter of the west, with many great cowboys and Indians films having been shot in the area. The familiar rock shapes can be seen from many miles away, with the really great scenery to be seen on the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which straddles the Utah/Arizona border. 

Amongst the sites that your tour will likely take in are Anasazi ruins, petroglyphs, movie locations, 1000 foot monoliths, rug weaving and Indian hogans. The famous monuments are visited. 

At the gateway to the park is a section of road with vendors, where you can shop for Navajo souvenirs, and sample Navajo Tacos and fry bread, foods that are unique to the Navajo Nation. 

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Spend the night at the same motel.

Depending on whether there are people continuing on to do one of our Yellowstone tours tomorrow, the following portion of the route may be done in a different order.  The road to Zion passes through the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, after which there will be a short stop in the small town of Kanab to shop for southwestern, cowboy and Native American souvenirs and jewelry. 

Zion is Utah's most popular National Park, and its story is one of rock and water. We'll enter the park from the less traveled east entrance and take a leisurely drive through an incredible tunnel blasted into the Navajo sandstone, stopping frequently to take photographs and enjoy the scenery.

Our route will take us through an incredible tunnel that has been blasted into the rocks, and down a switchback road, towards the Great Arch of Zion.  At that point we'll turn around and retrace our steps, back to the east entrance.

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Travel to Bryce Canyon along a particularly scenic Utah back road. 

Many who have seen both Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon tell us that Bryce is far more spectacular. You will marvel at the weirdly shaped hoodoos, in an amazing array of colorful hues.

Bryce is not really a canyon, but a large amphitheatre carved out of a variety of rock types.  You will have the opportunity to take a stroll from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point, if you choose, and we will also check out Bryce Point, the most spectacular view at Bryce.

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Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City

271 miles
434 km
4 1/4 hours

It's now time to head for Salt Lake City.  You will be dropped off at a downtown Salt Lake hotel, ready to be picked up for the trip to Yellowstone tomorrow. 

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Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone

You will be picked up at your downtown Salt Lake City hotel at about 7.30 a.m., and  head off for West Yellowstone, Montana.   The initial route out of Salt Lake touches on the Great Salt Lake, at Willard Bay, before crossing over into Idaho.  There is some great scenery along the way, especially as you climb up into the skies, through the Targhee National Forest into Montana.   There will be opportunities for you to stop, admire the view, stretch your legs and buy a bite to eat.

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High meadows outside West Yellowstone

Our first major destination is a horse ranch, located in a beautifully high mountain valley (or hole, as old timers called it) just outside West Yellowstone.  It's time to go horseback riding!   (I'm not into horseback riding ... what do I do?)  Depending on what the group decides, there are a variety of trail options.  You can take a steep, high trail through the rugged mountain terrain, traversing the streams that flow down from the nearby Continental Divide, or you stay lower down in the wide, expansive meadows. 

In the summer, cattle are often moved from one area to another, and you may have the opportunity to play cowboy!    A sack lunch is provided today.

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It is a short drive from the ranch to West Yellowstone.  The motel at which you are staying, Al's Westward Ho, is the closest one to Yellowstone!  Our little restaurant/Internet Cafe is right next door, and supper at the restaurant is included in the tour price.  You will spend the night at Al's.

Breakfast is provided at our restaurant to start the day.   Please take a look at the sample menu. 

The roads that run through Yellowstone make a massive figure of eight.  Today we'll be exploring the Upper Loop of Yellowstone.  This will be a full and fun day!  The route we take will depend on possible road closures in the park, but it will be something like the following.

There is going to be a lot to see and do.   We'll head out of West Yellowstone towards Madison Junction, where the Madison, Gibbon and Firehole Rivers meet.  Turning left (north) we'll make for Norris Geyser Basin.  Along the way we'll stop briefly at Gibbon Falls.

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Although not as well known as the other geyser basins, Norris is the most thermally active part of Yellowstone.  It is divided into two separate areas:  Porcelain Basin and Back Basin.  You will have the opportunity to stroll around both, enjoying the pristine beauty.  Back Basin is home to Steamboat Geyser, the highest geyser in the world. 

The next stop is Mammoth Hot Springs, headquarters of the park, and home to a fascinating array of weird rock shapes, bright colors and sizzling hot springs. Elk are generally plentiful in this area, wandering around the old park buildings, and, if you're lucky, you might even see a whole herd.  

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