Descent From Ridgeline to City Distance: 3.4 Miles (7.1 miles total for the day) Elevation Gain/Loss: 115 feet/670 feet We started the day at Sweeney Ridge to complete both sections as one hike. We spent much of the day in a comfortable descent down from the ridge line toward the ocean. By the time we…Read more
A ridge trail with no ridge, and very little trail Distance: 8.6 miles (4.5 miles and 4.1 miles) Elevation Gain/Loss: 655 feet/565 feet I’m hate to say it, but the two ridge trail sections that make up this hike were both my least favorite so far. I was not expecting much from this primarily urban…Read more
This route, which starts and ends in Las Vegas, packs a whole lot into 8 days. This doesn’t include the additional 3 days in Las Vegas which we added to the end to rest. Although I would not consider Las Vegas a particularly restful place. Still, it’s nice to stay still for a few days…Read more
A short drive today of only 2.5 hours to get from the Las Vegas airport car rental to Springdale, AZ outside of Zion National Park. https://goo.gl/maps/Gopfy4T26q3JWp7k8 The short drive passed through all 3 states included in the road trip. The scenery began as an empty desert but improved significantly as we entered the Valley of…Read more
We had only a 2 hour drive planed for the day with two hikes. First, before driving anywhere, we would hike the Zion Narrows. Then on the way out of the park we planned to hike a one hour out and back on Canyon Overlook Trail. So, on this day we woke up very early,…Read more
The plan for day 3 was to get an early start on the sights in Bryce Canyon, including a short hike. Then off to Torrey, UT for the night. Torrey is just outside Capitol Reef, so that would allow an early start on tomorrows route. https://goo.gl/maps/yyuJKz1fXahwv2B1A The drive to Torrey goes along Utah 12 through…Read more
Less than three hours of driving planned for today, but with two national parks to visit, Capitol Reef and Arches. After we hit up the small and somewhat lacking breakfast buffet at Broken Spur Inn we were back on the road toward Capitol Reef National Park. https://goo.gl/maps/rt41ZCU5hAcBypcGA Food is sparse along this route and although…Read more
This is the longest day of driving on the trip. Four hours in the car seems to be around the limit where it starts to feel like too much. This is particularly true when you have back to back days of long driving. But when the day is broken up it with stops, rests and…Read more
The tribal park at Monument Valley has a 17-mile scenic drive which includes following a dirt track through the park. At the time we visited the drive was only open to official tours or to people who stay at The View. It is a nice additional perk of staying at the only hotel within the…Read more
After sunrise we took advantage of the cool morning weather and walked along the rim. The morning sunrise crowd dispersed and we were able to enjoy some quiet views before eventually exiting the park and heading south toward Williams, AZ and Route 66. https://goo.gl/maps/cLPD2YyEc2218ZJW7 Route 66 To see the entire Route 66 through Williams you…Read more