Vegas -Grand Canyon Loop

Zion National Park - take the shuttle to the end and take the Riverside walk. Be prepared to walk in the river with your sneakers, barefoot just doesn't cut it.

Bryce Canyon - we went on a 3 hour ATV tour and had a blast. Not only did we see the most amazing sights the driving was fun. We took an 11 and 13 year old and they had an equally fun time. We went to different points to view Bryce and walk into the canyon-it left us speechless.

Lake Powell - we stayed at Wahweap Lodge right on the lake. The extra a night for a lakeview room was money well spent. The view was awesome and changed as the sun was setting. We took a smooth river raft trip down the beginning of the Colorado River from nearby Page, AZ. Amazing sights. We rented jet skis to travel on the lake. This was a major highlight of an amazing vacation. Do it-- it's worth the money. Grand Canyon must be seen in person. A stay at the Mirage was a nice way to end a vacation. It is a bit hectic with kids, but there is plenty to do.

Quick Tips:

Book everything as far in advance as possible. We booked some things up to a year in advance to make sure we didn't get closed out of anything. You probably wouldn't have problems booking with less lead time. The El Tovar at the Grand Canyon does book quickly though.

Lake Powell jet skiing - this was the only thing we did spontaneously and we paid alot of money. A worker at the hotel had suggested several local places in Page, Arizona(about 10 min car ride) that would have cost only to rent a jet ski for the day. It may be worth a call to the Chamber of Commerce.

We had great seats to the shows we saw in Vegas - Seigfried & Roy and Cirque de Solei-Mystere by reserving when the box office opened 90 days in advance.

Best Way To Get Around:

We rented a car with a large trunk (Grand Marquis) to travel the 'loop'.

We spent most of our time in Vegas without a car.

Traveling in Vegas was a Pain. Cab fare was expensive. The Strip made New York city look like the country. The hotels are huge and therefore cover a good distance. Be prepared to walk alot, pay alot in cab fare or if u r renting take Industrial Road when u can; it runs parallel to the Strip and has less traffic and shorter traffic lights.

We arrived after 12 a.m. and the ladies behind the desk were quite helpful. This hotel is off-strip, which made it more convenient to leave Vegas in the morning for the rest of our trip. The accommodations were better than expected-clean, spacious and safe (room key was needed to enter all areas). There was a nice pool area, which was surrounded by rooms on three sides. We did not stay long enough to go in the water. There was a room where the included, rather comprehensive continental breakfast, was served. Although the hotel/motel was quite nice, and perfect for our travel plans it is a bit inconvenient if you wish to explore the strip. It is not at all as extravagent as the huge hotels on the strip. Our AAA discount made this a bargain at $67.50/night + tax(including continental breakfast) for a Thursday evening stay.

This motel was only a couple of miles outside of Bryce Canyon. It was busy and filled with many foreign tourists - not quite as rustic as I had expected. The accommodations were housed in a number of buildings on the grounds - ours was a bit of walk from the main building which had the pool, restaurant and gift/grocery store. You were able to book a number of tours from the main lobby. The rooms were spacious, but basic. There was a very large double sink/counter outside the private shower/toilet. This made it easier for 4 people to get ready. The pool was indoors and enclosed by glass, with a soaring ceiling. There were several chairs and loveseats outside to relax and observe. The gift shop was quite comprehensive and the "grocery" shop had a pretty good selection of food and sundries. A rodeo is held on their property across the street- it was not worth the admission. They had kids who were probably just practicing for school performing. Its proximity to Bryce and the available services made this clean, basic hotel worth a stay. You may want to research the lodge inside the park (try )- I am not sure if it had a pool or not which was important for our children. The AAA discount helped lower the price.

The lodge was spread out and consisted of many 3 story buildings. The additional $10 a night we paid for lakeview was totally worth it - it was not only a sight to see, it assured us a pretty good location. We could also see the main pool from our room. The lodge was part of a very large complex which includes: an RV park (up on a hill far enough away that a car was necessary, and where the washer/dryers were located), a marina - where there were many houseboats and where jet skis, boats, etc. could be rented or launched, a pizza place, a water sports equipment store, gift shop, restaurants and bar. I''m sure I didn''t see everything. We booked our room as a part of a package that included a float trip down the beginning, calm part of the Colorado River. We once again used our AAA discount. The accommodations were fine- clean and roomy. The balcony overlooked the Lake and the pool - providing not only beautiful daytime views, but also evening views of the moon and the lightning storms(common in summer). Our only major problem was with the air conditioning. We called and complained(not common for us), since it was quite warm in the room. The technician was quite helpful, not only with cooling off the room, but also with giving us some restaurant suggestions for nearby Page, AZ and jet ski rental info.

Historic- you knew that this quietly, elegant hotel had been around for a long time. The old, beautiful staircase with a large balcony led to our room. Our room was unique, and not quite like anything we had stayed in before. A very heavy, wooden door with a glass pain above it led us into our room. Once inside there was the extremely comfortable beds, TV in the chest, a winged chair with table and a couple of large, old fashioned windows, one of which allowed us a peak of the canyon. There was a small step up into the bathroom and the separate dressing area which had an additional window and room to store our suitcases. The people at the front desk were very accommodating. Since we arrived in the evening and there are not many places to eat I was happy that we made reservations at the elegant restaurant in the hotel. During the busy summer months it is necessary to book this hotel far in advance. People do make cancellations (we cancelled 2 out of 3 of the nights we booked) so keep trying if you are unsuccessful at first.

Elegant- the room was beautifully decorated and more spacious than many average sized rooms. You enter an open area which has a marble floor, a mirrored-closet and a vanity. The beds were very comfortable and the armoire unit the TV was spacious and held quite a bit of clothing. The bell hop brought up our luggage quickly. The marble bathroom was an average size. In the evening, security would only allow hotel guests by the elevators, giving us an added feeling of safety and allowed us to feel comfortable leaving our 11 and 13 year olds in our room late at night when we went off to do what people in Vegas do. Even though the hotel was large, it is not overwhelmingly big. Somehow it feels a little more intimate than many of the hotels we saw in Vegas. The pool--WOW--is only open to hotel guests. The chairs are packed closely together, but no need to get up and get a drink- the waitress service is very accommodating. There are waterfalls and slides for the kids or the adults. We spoke with someone who said they checked out the pools at the other resorts and the one at the Mirage was the best by far.