[Tom]

Day 1 (Springdale) After getting a small taste of Zion a few weeks earlier (pictures) Shari and I couldn't wait to return to experience more of Zion and the Southwest. Flew in to Vegas to pick up our rental car and drove to Springdale. Made a pit stop at Costco in St George to pick up supplies (in hindsight should have got a cooler too to keep drinks cool ), checked into the Desert Pearl and had dinner at Blondies. Temperatures in the 90's.

Zion West Temple from Highway

Mountain of the Sun, Twin Brothers, and Mount Spry from South Entrance

Day 2 (Zion) Woke up early to hike Angel's Landing and take advantage of the morning shade. Great climb and not as scary as I anticipated (YMMV). Lighting might be better for photos later in the day (but more crowds).

Cathedral Mountain (I Think) From Angel's Landing Trailhead

Virgin River, The Organ, Observation Point, and East Rim from Angel's Landing Trail

Angel's Landing Switchbacks

Cathedral Mountain from Angel's Landing

Looking South from Angel's Landing

Observation Point and East Rim from Angel's Landing

Looking North from Angel's Landing

Descending Angel's Landing (Route Continues Along Fin)

Looking Back to Route Up Angel's Landing

Angel's Landing from Valley

Great White Throne and Virgin River from Grotto

Decided to hike the Emerald Pools trail in the afternoon. Only a trickle of water was flowing into the lower pool which looked pretty stagnant. Everyone coming down from the upper pool said it was worth hiking to so we continued on. Upon arrival we were pretty underwhelmed (though I'm sure it's a bit more impressive when it isn't half dried up and water is flowing into it from the 400'+ cliffs above). Picked up (another excellent) dinner at Blondies on the way back to the hotel.

Deer Along Emerald Pools Trail

1 label

Waterfall Trickle Above Lower Emerald Pool

Upper Emerald Pool

Cliffs Above Upper Emerald Pool

Middle Emerald Pool

Virgin River from Emerald Pools Trail

Day 3 (Zion) Original plan was to hike the Zion narrows but unfortunately it was closed due to high water levels. The Subway was open so decided to do that instead. Zion Adventures recommended water boots and neoprene booties which I rented for $20 (but in hindsight didn't really need them). The Subway was a lot of fun but the 800' hike up from the river at the end of the day in the heat was brutal. Ate dinner at the Spotted Dog cafe (pricey, not that good) then drove the Kolob road to catch sunset (nice views but turn around at the high point instead of continuing down to the Kolob Reservoir).

Dinosaur Track Along Subway Trail

Slab Waterfalls Below Subway

Terraced Waterfalls Below Subway

Curved Walls Below Subway

Approaching Subway Pools

Subway Pool Closeup

First Subway Pools

Large Subway Pool

Subway Waterfall

Subway Pools

Subway Reflections

Largest Subway Pool

Subway Exit

Subway Gold

Waterfall Below Subway

Small Waterfall Along Subway River Trail

Rest Stop Along Subway River Trail

Alpenglow from Kolob Road

Day 4 (Zion-Bryce) Left Zion and savored the views along the Zion-Mt Carmel highway en route to Bryce.

West Temple and Altar of Sacrifice

View Along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway

View Along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway

View Along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway

View Along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway

Zion-Mt Carmel Highway

View Along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway

Checkerboard Mesa From Zion-Mt Carmel Highway

View Along Zion-Mt Carmel Highway

Hoodo Views Along Highway Between Zion and Bryce

Approaching Bryce

Checked into Ruby's Inn (nice lobby, not so nice rooms) before driving the park. Weren't sure of the best photo ops so drove to Rainbow Point (end of the road) first. By the time we reached Rainbow Point things had clouded up making for challenging photography. Was somewhat bummed we hadn't arrived earlier but things started to clear to as we headed back towards Bryce Point. Stopped at Paria Point and thought it was pretty scenic until we turned the corner and caught our first glimpses of Bryce Point. WOW! I've seen a lot of beauty but Bryce Point has to be one of the most stunning vistas on earth! Unfortunately my camera battery died from the onslaught of shutter clicks that ensued (and I'd left my spare in the room so didn't get as many photos as I'd like). Had dinner at the Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant (fantastic) then headed back to the park to check out Inspiration Point and sunset at Sunset Point.

Clouded Views From Rainbow Point

Raven at Overlook

Bryce Natural Bridge / Arch

Bryce Paria View

Approaching Bryce Point (Viewpoint to Upper Left)

Sea of Hoodos (from Bryce Point)

Vista from Bryce Point

Wall Street Switchbacks from Sunset Point

Looking North from Sunset Point

Day 5 (Bryce-Capitol Reef) I'd read conflicting reports of the best spot to photograph sunrise in Bryce. Luminous Landscapes recommended Bryce Point so woke up early and set up camera there. Brrr, it was cold, particularly with the wind chill (dress warm)! Got some decent shots but suspect Inspiration Point might be a better choice for sunrise as my best shots were those looking down on the hoodos (which glow when the morning sun first hits them).

Glowing Hoodos Below Bryce Point at Sunrise

Glowing Hoodos near Bryce Point at Sunrise

After sunrise we headed back to Ruby's to have breakfast and check out. Rubys was a zoo - huge line for the buffet with people muttering "can't believe we paid $20 for that" as they walked out so we jumped in the car and ate at Bryce Canyon Pines (which was fantastic again)! After a hearty breakfast we hiked the 3 mile Navajo Loop. The Queens Garden section of the hike was somewhat ordinary IMO but coming up Wall Street was fantastic (and offered nice cool shade for a good portion of the ascent).

Navajo Loop / Queen's Garden Trail

Hoodo's Along Navajo Loop Trail

Kissing Buddhas Along Wall Street Trail

Glowing Hoodo's Along Wall Street Trail

Looking Back to Wall Street Switchbacks

Bryce Rim and Inspiration Point from Sunset Point

Looking Back to Queen's Garden

Left Bryce by 1 PM and headed to Torrey. Along the way we stopped at Kiva Koffehouse (don't miss) for a late lunch, Anasazi State Park (lame Pueblo ruins in back yard - not worth paying $4 / person), and drove the scenic Burr Jeep Trail (paved for most of the way). We also planned to hike Calf Creek Falls but skipped it as we were short on time. Checked in to the Best Western in Torrey (not bad) and had a fantastic meal (best of our trip) across the street at the Rim Rock (the honey glazed chicken is to die for)!

Kiva Koffehouse

Scenic Burr Jeep Trail

Rock Formations Along Burr Jeep Trail

Vista from Burr Jeep Trail at End of Paved Road

Mini Slot Canyon Along Burr Jeep Trail

Day 6 (Capitol Reef - Moab) Our internal clocks didn't go off until 10:30 AM and almost missed checkout. Packed quickly and headed to Capitol Reef. In contrast to the drive the day before which was a bit of a letdown after visiting Zion and Bryce, Capitol Reef offered some unique and impressive vistas. We took the short Scenic Drive to Capitol Gorge and it did not disappoint.

View Along Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

View Along Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

View Along Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

View Along Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

Egyptian Temple From Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

Guardians of the Rock (Capitol Reef Scenic Drive)

View from Capitol Reef Visitor Center

Peppered Rocks Along Capitol Reef Highway

Scenery Along Capitol Reef Highway

Historic Home Along Capitol Reef Highway

We continued on to Hanksville for lunch at the Red Rock restaurant (recommended) and then a detour to Goblin Valley State Park (small but worth visiting to see the unique goblin formations). By mid-afternoon the temperatures had soared into the 90s but we stuck to plan and hiked Little Wild Horse slot canyon. We were running short on time so only hiked in a mile or so to snap a few pictures before heading back to the car and continuing on to Moab and the Red Cliffs Lodge (nicest place we stayed, highly recommended if you can find a reasonable midweek rate).

Entering Goblin Valley

Goblin Valley

Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon

Leaving Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon

Day 7 (Canyonlands / Arches) The lady at the front desk recommended we only spend a half day at Canyonlands to enjoy the vistas, then spend the rest of the day at Arches to get an idea of what to focus on at Arches our last day in Moab. This turned out to be good advice as we pretty much saw all we wanted of Canyonlands in a few hours (3 or 4 viewpoints and a short arch hike).

Colorado River From Highway 128

View From Canyonlands Green River Overlook

Canyonlands Mesa Arch

Canyonlands View From Top Of Mesa Arch

Canyonlands View Trru Mesa Arch

Vehicle Navigating Final Switchbacks of Shafer Trail Road

Temperatures were brutal (approaching 100) so pretty much had to stick to the car and shorter hikes in Arches. Unfortunately you can't see the best Arches has to offer from the car - it's definitely a park for hikers.

Park Avenue (Arches National Park)

Deputy Dog and The Sphinx (Arches National Park)

La Sal Mountains from Arches National Park

Balanced Rock (Arches National Park)

North Window (Arches National Park)

Delicate Arch from Lower Viewpoint

Fiery Furnace (Arches National Park)

Skyline Arch

North Windows and Turret Arch

Day 8 (Arches) In contrast to the blistering temperatures the day before the forecast was for cooler temperatures so looked forward to exploring Arches on foot. Decided to hike the Devils Garden Loop first as it offers the most bang for the buck. Parking was a zoo and it took forever to find a spot. By the time I finished the loop the thunderstorms had arrived along with heavy wind and rain and reluctantly decided to call it a day.

Three Gossips and Courthouse Towers

Three Gossips (Arches National Park)

The Organ at Courthouse Towers

Tunnel Arch(es)

Pine Tree Arch

Yellow Cactus Rose

Pressed Rock Formations Along Arches Primitive Trail

Scenery Along Arches Primitive Trail

Hiking Arches Primitive Trail

Arriving at Private Arch

Private Arch From Below

Private Arch

Double O Arch

Double O Arch from Trail

Black Arch

Rock Formations Along Trail to Navajo Arch

Navajo Arch

Partition Arch

Recently Collapsed Wall Arch

Landscape Arch

Day 9 (Moab - Monument Valley) Left Moab for Monument Valley. Along the way we visited Newspaper Rock (must see), Natrual Bridges National Monument (nothing compared to Arches) and Goosenecks Sate Park (a viewpoint, not really a park, but highly recommended)!

Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs (Santa and Reindeer?!?)

Sipapu Bridge (Natural Bridges)

Kachina Bridge (Natural Bridges)

Owachomo Bridge (Natural Bridges)

Desert Submarine

Goosenecks State Park

Mexican Hat Rock

By late afternoon we arrived at Monument Valley, checked into The View Hotel and had dinner at the restaurant (pretty good and reasonably priced vs. the hotel). Enjoyed sunset from the room while catching the American Idol finale.

King on His Throne, Castle Rock, Bear and Rabbit, and Stagecoach Butte (Monument Valley)

The Mittens at Sunset (Monument Valley)

Bronze Statue in Hotel Lobby

Day 10 (Monument Valley - Page) After checking out of the hotel we drove the dirt road into Monument Valley. Weather was nasty (cloudy and very windy which was blowing dust everywhere). I felt sorry for the people doing the open air guided tours (the fortunate of which had bandanna scarves to be able to breathe). Other than sunset the night before, I wasn't that impressed with Monument Valley and couldn't wait to leave.

Kachina Dolls in Hotel Lobby

Dawn at Monument Valley

Three Sisters Butte (Monument Valley)

Camel Butte (Monument Valley)

We continued on to Page, stopping at Navajo National Monument which offers a short hike to an overlook with great views across the valley of Navajo cave ruins (Betatakin).

Navajo Sweat House

Betatakin from Viewpoint

Zooming In To Betatakin from Viewpoint

We crossed our fingers hoping for better weather in Page but the clouds followed us. After checking into our room at the Days Inn we ate at the Fiesta Mexicana (excellent) and then drove to a few viewpoints to snap some photos of Lake Powell.

Lake Powell from Antelope Point

Lake Powell from Mile 552 Viewpoint

Lone Rock Beach (Lake Powell)

Love Glen Canyon Style

Lake Powell from Lakeshore Drive

Lake Powell from Lakeshore Drive

Day 11 (Page) We had hoped to take a scenic cruise on Lake Powell to Rainbow Arch, then tour the antelope slot canyons the next day. Unfortunately this wasn't in the cards as it was raining harder than I've ever seen! When the rain finally eased many of the roads were closed and according to some of the locals it was a 100 year flood. So instead of amazing pictures of Lake Powell, Rainbow Arch, and Antelope slot canyons all I have to offer is this gratuitous road trip Walmart pic.

As I looked out the window I couldn't help but laugh at what I saw. I'm sure some of you will laugh with me... (maybe not)

Actually we made lemonade out of lemons. Ate a late lunch at the Ranch House Grill (very good) then drove to Marble Canyon to check out Lees Ferry and Cliff Dwellers. The clouds actually made for nice photo ops of the Vermillion Cliffs and we would have missed this area if not for the weather.

Colorado River at Lee's Ferry

Cabin at Lee's Ferry

Vermillion Cliffs

Vermillion Cliffs

Vermillion Cliffs

House at Cliff Dwellers

Cliff Dwellers

Rock at Cliff Dwellers

Day 12 (Page-Grand Canyon) The weather was finally starting to clear in Page so decided to stop by the viewpoint below the dam for some pics as well as hike the 3/4 mile trail to Horseshoe Bend (must see)!

Powell Dam from Viewpoint

Colorado River from Powell Dam Viewpoint

Horseshoe Bend (26 mm)

Horseshoe Bend (18mm)

Ate lunch in Cameron at the Trading Post (great burgers, gorgeous pressed tin ceiling) and continued on to the Little Colorado Gorge viewpoint (good views and souvenir shopping).

Kachina Dolls and Pressed Tin Ceiling of Cameron Trading Post Restaurant

Little Colorado River Gorge from Viewpoint

Little Colorado River from Viewpoint

By the time we reached the east entrance of the Grand Canyon the clouds had returned. Stopped by the Desert View watchtower and took a few pictures.

Cloud Show at Desert View (Grand Canyon)

Grand Canyon and Colorado River From Desert View

Mural Inside Desert View Watchtower

Desert View Watchtower

Grand Canyon was a circus! Had we realized it would be Memorial Day weekend when we arrived we probably would have picked another week to visit. Stopped at one of the other viewpoints but the weather was deteriorating so headed for the El Tovar hotel where we had a room for 2 nights. First available dinner reservation at the hotel restaurant was 9:30 so we headed over to the Maswick for cafeteria food (not bad).

Grand Canyon from Roadside Viewpoint

Grand Canyon from El Tovar Viewpoint

South Rim of Grand Canyon from El Tovar Viewpoint

El Tovar Hotel Lobby

Day 13 (Grand Canyon) The next morning we had to check into a different room as we had snagged cancellations for each night. The room we had the first night was fabulous but our new room was on the terrace level (aka basement) and had a musty smell. Our allergies started going haywire so went back to the front desk to see if we could get a different room. Unfortunately they were completely booked so we opted to cancel and check out a day early. Tried to drive to a few of the viewpoints but parking was impossible due to the crowds so Shari dropped me off at Mather Point so I could get some pictures. After snapping a few pictures the thunderstorms hit and heavy rain started to fall at which point the swarms of tourists crowding Mather Point ran yelling and screaming back to the safety of their cars en-masse. What a zoo (and we couldn't wait to escape)! As we drove thru the park exit past the the long line of cars waiting to enter it was clear we couldn't have left soon enough. The long (5 hour) drive to Vegas went by pretty fast until we hit Hoover Dam and an hour long backup. Unless you want to see Hoover Dam I'd highly recommend taking the detour thru Laughlin to avoid the backup until they finish building the new bridge to relieve congestion. Days 14-16 (Vegas) After 2000+ miles of driving and the poor weather the last 5 days of our trip it was nice to unwind and relax in the warmth of the desert for a few days before returning home. The past 2 weeks had gone by so fast and it was hard to believe we were at our end point. In retrospect, there aren't many things I'd change expect perhaps to do the trip in the reverse so the scenery builds. I'd also allocate a few more days (definitely not any less) and visit Mesa Verde in Colorado. Maybe next time!

[John Morrow]

Allrighty, Tom!!! Can't get enough of red rock photos. Incredible photographs you take. Phenomenal color. Thanks for sharing. I love it! John

[Don]

Wow! What a trip Tom! You hit just about everything! Thanks for posting the pic of the former Wall Arch. It was still standing during my visit, and I've been curious as to the aftermath. Now I've got to go back and finish reading...

[DIYSteve]

Fabulous pics! Cool trip. Looking at all that arid land makes me thirsty.

[GeoTom]

I am not jealous of your trip. No way. Not even a little bit. Ok, maybe a little (or a lot).

[Hikingqueen]

WOW!

[goats gone wild]

Thanks for a fantastic TR, Tom. You brought back a lot of great memories from the trip our family took last year. And your pictures are top notch! Two weeks go by pretty fast when there is so much to see and do.

[Dean]

What more can I add, that was a great trip and one of the reasons why I'm really falling in love with Utah. Thanks for sharing.

[Tom]

Thanks guys! After the gauntlet of southwest trip reports this season I thought it might be getting a bit old but good to hear you guys enjoyed the TR and pics.

[Ingunn]

I don't think I'll ever get enough of this area (I see I really need to go to Arches) - thanks for writing a report, I've been waiting for it since you shared some of the photos in Picture of the Day. Too bad the weather didn't cooperate for the last half. We ate at the Spotted Dog Cafe in Springdale and thought the food (salad, three bean soup, vegan gnocchi dish, Spotted Dog Ale) was excellent, but then again it was our first real meal after days of Mountain House and soy dogs. We did feel somewhat out of place in our grubby hiking clothes though; the restaurant is fancier than the name implies.

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Uniquely nice photos, Tom.

[dicey]

Awesome pics! Might want to change the date to 2009

[GeoHiker]

Great job, always good to see more pics from the red rock country.

[Tom]

[GaliWalker]

Inspirational stuff! I think I'm going to go waterfall hunting this weekend (now that I'm in jolly ole Pittsburgh, scrabbling for more dramatic stuff).