Primarily penned by my better half ..
Two hearts beat as one .. two hands, please treat as one !!
This will most benefit US West Coast Crowd ..
We did a four day AZ-UT road trip this week-end !!
Nota Bene : Decide on a road trip for ur next vacation, its superb fun!
SF to Las Vegas
Miles : 600
Total Time ~ 10 Hrs
Breaks : 3
Avg Speed : 65-70 mph
(LA to LV takes 4 hrs)
Luckily my colleagues at work also decided on a Las Vegas trip, our starting point. So instead of flying to LAS, we rode with them in a 15 seater huge van. It was
comfortable and powerful and quite easily drivable compared to its intimidating size. From Las Vegas we separated and used a rental car. We got a nasty deal,
and the economy car was a sluggish sloth. Had REAL trouble overtaking on inclines and single lanes, Anyway we overcame it.
NB: Large vans are not so scary to drive. Small economies can pass But DONT compro on the car !! Also, take as many drivers as possible.
Las Vegas to Grand Canyon (GC)
Miles : 297
Total Time ~ 6 Hrs
Breaks : 2
Avg Speed : 75-80 mph
Anyway, starting at 8 am, we drove along US93 and I-40 toward Grand Canyon.The drive on US 93 and I-40 took us through so much of a varying landscape.
Most of it was arid desert and rocks, with no car in sight either ways. I did feel at times that in case the car broke down, god knows how many days we would be
there till the next one came along. It was a bit scary as our cell phone refused to catch any signal in the wilderness too. Bits of broken tyres, abandoned cars,
boards saying next services 87 miles, and no sign of anything human in sight added to it. All this and the official speed limit of 75 took its toll, and we sped along at 85 miles/ hr in our poor car. It was good though that we beat Mapquest times by a long shot, and reached the canyon at 2 pm.
NB: A road trip is all about being alone on the road, enjoy it!
So we hit GC and drove straight to Mather point for a first breathtaking glimpse. And we got it from a cloudy sky, with a slight snow flurry. Being spring, the
forecast was ’’sunny with chance of snow’’. What? we had not believed it. By 4 pm we were in the middle of a regular snowstorm, with large chunks of snow
sailing at our windshield, and no sight of the canyon at all! There went day one of sightseeing.
NB: Check and believe the weather forecast at the destination and plan for it.
So, since we couldn’t see the canyon for real, we saw the IMAX GC Show, nice, but hey, not the real thing! Our spirits as damp as the weather, we explored the
different lodges inside GC. We stayed at Yavapai, but Bright Angel Lodge has the best room views and access. Did some geography reading on the canyon, gift shopped and drove in the snow. Probably the least praised, but Grand Canyon with a coating of fresh snow was beautiful. The transition of the place from red and green to white was a superb experience. I am glad I saw it.
NB: Make best use of the bad weather ;)
Hoping to catch the sunrise at Hermits Rest at the tip of West Rim, we took the compulsory shuttle bus the next morning. As the sun rose slowly the clouds and mist lifted and the canyon became slowly visible. It was one of the most beautiful sights, the red canyon aglow with sun rays and snow dusting its peaks. And beside it on the rim, a new years postcard snowscape. We took a short trail along the rim, taking in the beauty and grandness. Trees dripped melting snow on us all the way !
NB: Visit national parks in spring, a little snow adds a special touch to the scenery.
Grand Canyon to Bryce Canyon
Miles : 290
Total Time ~ 5 Hrs
Breaks : 0
Avg Speed : 80-85 mph along US 89, 35-40 mph for last 30 liles along HWY 12
Our next stop was Bryce Canyon.The Mapquest time from GC to Bryce was estimated 8 hrs. We left GC at 2 pm and caught the sunset at Bryce. The road from GC to Bryce is exceptional for the spectacular rock formations and desert views. The red sandstone, yellow limestone and grey schist in Utah is sculpted differently all along the way to give a very colorful and different type of scenery.
We passed the Glenn Canyon, Powell Lake, Coral pink Sand Dunes, Mount Vermillon, Strawberry peaks, Red Canyon and countless other unnamed beauties on our way. (No kiddin’, these are real place names . It’s color on the rocks , folks !!) Had our car been a 4 wheel drive SUV we would have taken a short cut through Escalante National Park. The dirt road there is very nasty to drive on but supposed to be out of this world for the views. In fact we later knew through one of the exhibits that while travelling from depths of GC to highs of Bryce, we had also covered geological history of the planet from 1.6 Billion years (Age of rock-bottom of GC) to 750, 000 years (Age of Bryce) and all landscapes in between as we moved those 300 miles !!
NB: Make sure your road trip offers eye candy on the long drives. Then the drive is a piece of cake.
Bryce Canyon is an uncommonly visited place, but as beautiful as the Grand canyon, though in a different way. The Hoodoos and Arches and Natural bridges here carved by action of frost on red rocks gives it a very delicate touch. Its intricate beauty is more palpable, while GC’s grandness is overwhelming. We stayed here at the BC Lodge, overlooking the Sunrise point. It was expensive, but worth it being at the rim in 5 mts from our room.
NB: While staying outside the National Park saves a lot of money, the Lodges within have a unique thing to offer. + most rooms are double-double in which two couples can stay , thus making it affordable.
Bryce Canyon to Zion
Miles : 112
Total Time ~ 1.5 Hrs
Breaks : 0
Avg Speed : 80-85 mph along US 89, 35-40 mph for last 15 miles along HWY 9 (thru’ Zion NP)
Good bye to Bryce by lunchtime, and on the road again towards Zion National Park. Just an hour from Bryce, it offers red and purple monolithic rocks with different corrosion patterns called mesa. The best we liked was the checkerboard mesa. Very similar to Yosemite, Zion is larger in scale and more vivid in colour.
Definitely worth visiting if u go to the area.
Zion NP to LV
Miles : 154
Total Time ~ 2.5 Hrs
Avg Speed : 85-90 mph along I-15
And time to head back! We had a deadline of 2 pm to reach las vegas to join our party back. And we got stuck behind a RV. Did 12 miles in 40 mts and then 120 in 90 mts.
NB: Make sure you overtake any RVs and speed all you want!
A tiny last thing of interest, the different crossings we encountered on the roads: Ped Xing, Horse Xing, Deer Xing, Duck Xing, Cow Xing, Elk Xing, Mule Xing
All in all a fantastic trip, one of our very best . Both of us highly recommend visiting Utah if you are the National Park types.
NB: Annual National Parks pass is an investment you should make ASAP. We had spent 50$ on entrances already before buying the pass worth $50 and immediately utilising $60s worth in this trip alone!
We had very short time and felt kind of rushed thru’ the whole thing. Well, thats a road-trip for you ! If I had a whole week, I’d also like to fit in the following (Starting LA/SF and back)
California :
Death Vally NP, Joshua Tree NP
Utah : Grand Canyon North Rim, Capitol Reef, Canyon Lands, Arches NPs.
And now back from the Rocky Road to Reality!