Wednesday, September 28, 2016

the dreaded schedule

3 options: 1 week in hotels, 3 weeks driving all the way from MD and back, or 2 weeks camping.

OPTION 1: One week trip, flying in, hotel staying, restaurant eating:
Day 1: arrive in Vegas, chill
Day 2: explore Vegas, head to Bryce Canyon Villas or similar, 4.5 hour drive.
Day 3: Bryce: Navajo Loop and Queens Garden, 1/2 hour from Villas, 30 seconds from each other.
Day 4: Escalante: Willis Creek Slot Canyon, Devil's Garden (Bryce is 1 hr from Escalante)
Day 5: Escalante: Lower Calf Creek Falls, Capitol Reef: Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, Petroglyphs (Escalante is 1 hr 40 from Capital Reef)
Day 6: Zion: Canyon Overlook Trail, Many Pools (capital reef is 4 hrs from Zion)
Day 7: Zion: East Rim to Observation Point, drive back to hotel near Vegas airport (Zion to airport, 3 hours) 
Day 8: fly home in the morning

OR

Option 2: Driving from MD:
Day 1: MD to Hocking Hill State Park, OH, 6.5 hours
Day 2: OH to Garden of the Gods, IL, 7 hours
Day 3: IL to Ozark National Scenic Riverway, 3.5 hours
Day 4: Elk City State Park, KS, 5 hours
Day 5: Lake Scott State Park, KS, 5 hours
Day 6: Great Sand Dunes National Park CO, 5.5 hours
Day 7: Moab, UT, 6 hours
Day 8: Bryce, UT,  hours

Day 9: Bryce: Navajo Loop and Queens Garden

Day 10: Escalante: Willis Creek Slot Canyon, Devil's Garden

Day 11: Escalante: Lower Calf Creek Falls, Capitol Reef: Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, Petroglyphs

Day 12: Zion: Canyon Overlook Trail, Many Pools

Day 13: Zion: East Rim to Observation Point,

Day 14: salt lake city: 4.5 hours

Day 15: American Heritage Center, Larame, WY: 6 hours
Day 16: Scenic Driving tour of the Sandhills region of Nebraska including car henge: 7 hours
Day 17: Grotto of the Redemption, Iowa: 5.5 hours
Day 18: Chicago, IL: 7 hours
Day 19: Cedar Point Amusement, OH: 5 hours
Day 20: Maryland: 7 hours

*OR*

Day 15: Dinosaur National Monument, UT: 4 hours (or the DNM Canyon visitor Center in CO saves about an hour and a half on the road, but doesn't have the fossils).
Day 16: Estes Park, CO: via Trail Ridge Road: 6.5 hours
Day 17: Pass through Pawnee Grasslands and the Buttes on the way to the Nebraska National Forest which is the start of the #1 scenic drive in Nebraska, 7.5 hours
Day 18:

OPTION 3: 
*************************Flying out and just doing CO/UT********************
Would need to camp and cook to save the hotel/restaurant money
Day 1: Fly to Denver, arrive at noon, drive Best Western Amalmosa near Great Sand Dunes 
Day 2: Great Sand Dunes National Park CO, 5.5 hours
Day 3: Ouray/Telluride, 5 hours
Day 3: Moab, UT, 3 hours
Day 5: Escalante: Willis Creek Slot Canyon, Devil's Garden, 4 hour drive
Day 6: Escalante: Lower Calf Creek Falls, Capitol Reef: Capitol Reef Scenic Drive, Petroglyphs
Day 6: Bryce: 1 hour drive
Day 7: Bryce: Navajo Loop and Queens Garden
Day 8: Zion: Canyon Overlook Trail, Many Pools, 2 hour drive

Day 9: Zion: East Rim to Observation Point,

Day 10: salt lake city: 4.5 hours
Day 11: Dinosaur National Monument, UT: 4 hours (or the DNM Canyon visitor Center in CO saves about an hour and a half on the road, but doesn't have the fossils).
Day 12: Estes Park, CO: via Trail Ridge Road: 6.5 hours
Day 13: Denver

Great Sand Dunes to Old Hundred Mine: 4.5 (Great Sand Dunes adds 2 hours)
Old Hundred to Cliff Palace Mesa Verde: 2 hr 40 min (Cliff Palace adds 2 hours) 
Old Hundred to Moab: 4 hr (Moab adds 34 minutes) (Old Hundred adds 3 hours in San Juan Ntl Forest)
Moab to Zion: 5 hr 21min (Zion adds 3 hours) 
Moab to Bryce: 4 hr 26 min
Moab to Escalante: 4 hr 1 min
Cliff Palace to Zion: 6 hr 42 min
Cliff Palace to Bryce: 7 hr 15 min
Cliff Palace to Escalante: 6 hr 56 min
Cliff Palace to Moab: 2 hr 55 min
Escalante to Dinosaur/Vernal: 5 hr 49 min
Escalante to Moab: 4 hr
Moab to Dinosaur/Vernal: 3 hr 41 min (Dinosaur adds 2 hours) 
Bryce to Little Wild Horse Canyon: 3 hr 47 min (Little Wild Horse Canyon adds 2 hrs)
Little Wild Horse Canyon to Dinosaur/Vernal: 4 hr 35 min
Dinosaur to Emerald Lake: 6 hrs 6 min (Emerald Lake adds 2 hours) 

The problem is that Dinosaur and Estes are very far from everything else and add long (6+ hours) days of driving which results in hotel and food charges, but no real vacationing/experiencing.  Consider arriving Denver, and leaving from Las Vegas, or vice versa.  That would mean skipping the white water rafting, or doing it in a different place than Dinosaur.  





9 h 16 min (408 miles) - ()


9 h 16 min typically
408 miles
via UT-24 W
via unnamed roads
9 h 16 min without traffic
This route has tolls.
Arches National Park Visitor Center
Moab, UT 84532
Head southeast toward Arches Entrance Rd
34 s (161 ft)
Follow US-191 N and I-70 W to UT-24 W in Wayne County
2 h 5 min (133 mi)
Turn left onto Arches Entrance Rd
0.8 mi
Turn right onto US-191 N
27.0 mi
Turn left to merge onto I-70 W
32.6 mi
Take exit 149 for UT-24 W toward Hanksville
0.4 mi
Turn left onto UT-24 W
43.8 mi
Turn right to stay on UT-24 W
28.3 mi
2 h 6 min (133 mi)
https://maps.gstatic.com/tactile/directions/text_mode/waypoint-non-last-2x-v3.png
Capitol Reef National Park
Utah
Head west on UT-24 W 
18.7 mi
Turn left onto UT-12 W 
44.5 mi
1 h 26 min (63.3 mi)
https://maps.gstatic.com/tactile/directions/text_mode/waypoint-non-last-2x-v3.png
Lower Calf Creek Falls
Boulder, UT 84716
Head southeast on UT-12 W 
14.1 mi
Turn left onto BLM200/Hole in the Rock Rd 
12.2 mi
Turn right onto BLM 225
0.3 mi
45 min (26.6 mi)
Devils Garden Parking Area
Escalante, UT 84726
Follow BLM200/Hole in the Rock Rd to UT-12 W
25 min (12.5 mi)
Head northeast on BLM 225 toward BLM200/Hole in the Rock Rd 
0.3 mi
Turn left onto BLM200/Hole in the Rock Rd 
12.2 mi
Turn left onto UT-12 W
Street View
44 min (38.8 mi)
Follow Kodachrome Rd to BLM500/Skutumpah Rd in Kane County
27 min (9.0 mi)
Turn left onto Kodachrome Rd/Main St
Continue to follow Kodachrome Rd
2.6 mi
Continue onto Cottonwood Canyon Rd
0.3 mi
Slight right onto BLM500/Skutumpah Rd
2.8 mi
Turn right to stay on BLM500/Skutumpah Rd
1.6 mi
Turn left to stay on BLM500/Skutumpah Rd
Destination will be on the right
1.7 mi
1 h 35 min (60.4 mi)

Willis Creek Slot Canyon trailhead
Kanab, UT 84741
Follow BLM500/Skutumpah Rd and Kodachrome Rd to UT-12 W in Cannonville
27 min (9.0 mi)
Head northwest on BLM500/Skutumpah Rd toward Willis Creek Rd
1.7 mi
Turn right to stay on BLM500/Skutumpah Rd
1.6 mi
Turn left to stay on BLM500/Skutumpah Rd
2.8 mi
Slight left onto Cottonwood Canyon Rd
0.3 mi
Continue onto Kodachrome Rd
2.6 mi
Drive
25 min (17.1 mi)
Turn left onto UT-12 W
12.1 mi
Turn left onto UT-63 S
4.9 mi
Turn left
2 min (0.2 mi)
54 min (26.3 mi)
https://maps.gstatic.com/tactile/directions/text_mode/waypoint-non-last-2x-v3.png
Navajo Loop Trail
Utah 84764
Head northeast
95 ft
16 s (95 ft)
https://maps.gstatic.com/tactile/directions/text_mode/waypoint-non-last-2x-v3.png
Queens Garden Trail
Utah 84764
Head north toward UT-63
0.2 mi
Turn right onto UT-63
4.9 mi
Turn left onto UT-12 W
13.6 mi
Turn left onto US-89 S
43.1 mi
Slight right
Toll road
0.1 mi
Slight right onto UT-9 W
Toll road
22.7 mi
Turn right onto Floor of the Valley Rd/Zion Canyon Scenic Dr
2.0 mi
1 h 58 min (86.7 mi)
https://maps.gstatic.com/tactile/directions/text_mode/waypoint-non-last-2x-v3.png
Zion Canyon Scenic Dr
Utah
Head southwest on Floor of the Valley Rd/Zion Canyon Scenic Dr toward Service Rd
Street View
2.0 mi
Turn left onto UT-9 E
Toll road 
Destination will be on the right
6.8 mi
23 min (8.8 mi)
Many Pools Trailhead
Zion national park, UT 84767

Head northeast on UT-9 E
Toll road
3.0 mi
Turn left onto E Rim Trail
Destination will be on the left

0.1 mi
9 min (3.1 mi)
East Rim Trailhead, Zion National Park
E Rim Trail, Orderville, UT 84758

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