Utah and Nevada: Vacation Planning 101

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I’m currently in the middle of planning our next trip. Because it’s my big birthday trip, I was supposed to be surprised. However, that’s not how it’s worked out. Dennis did have some great ideas, but none of them worked out with the time we have off work. Somehow, exactly how I’m not sure, I took over planning, and it’s been a quagmire from almost the beginning. I wanted to say “disaster,” but it’s not quite as bad as it could be. However, we will be headed out west, no matter what. Our plans now involve visiting Utah and Nevada.

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How it all began

Dennis came up with the grand idea of a railway trip through the Southwestern U.S. for my birthday. It was a great idea, and maybe someday we’ll be able to do it–probably after we retire. However, we only have a week off work, and the schedules just didn’t work out.  One of our kids has been living in Denver since June, and we’ve only seen her and her family once since then. I miss my little J.R. terribly, so if we were going to go west, we had to make a stop in Denver. Thus, my plan, such as it was, was born. We would visit Utah and Nevada–Utah being one of the states that I’d hoped to visit on my quest to visit 50 states before I turned 50.

*Just so you know, I’m not making my fifty states goal–I still have Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and North Dakota to go. If I end up driving to Denver–not Spokane (see below)–this summer, I will add another four by driving through  Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa on the way to or from Colorado. J.R., on the other hand, will probably visit all 50 states before he turns five. *

Road Trips

We haven’t been on a multi-destination road trip since Christmas 2015 when we did our ten states in ten days trip to St. Louis, Little Rock, New Orleans, and Nashville trip (when I was actively trying to visit all 50 states before I turned 50) .Road trips are a different type of planning than a Disney World vacation or a guided tour of Ireland. Not only do you need to research each destination, you also need to know how long it will take to travel between each location and which route is best to take. This trip definitely has had its issues. Here’s how the planning for this Utah and Nevada trip has proceeded thus far:

Our Plans

Step one: Purchase airplane tickets to Denver.

I found what I thought was a pretty good deal. Tickets for approximately $130 to Denver one way.  I thought we’d fly to Denver, spend the weekend with the kids, drive through Utah, and visit Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Not only was I ambitious, but maybe a little crazy, as well. I also didn’t realize how far it was from Denver to Arches National Parks. I thought it was 3 1/2 hours–it turned out to be 6 1/2 hours.

Step two: Research car rental prices from Denver to Las Vegas

This is where it got dicey. One way car rentals were super expensive. We were looking at over $1300 to rent at car at Denver International Airport and turn in it at Las Vegas’s McCarran International Airport. Ouch! I held off on the reservations because I was hoping to get a better deal. That was a good thing.

Step three: The part where the kid tells you she may be moving to Spokane

Yep. That happened. Kid number three informs us that she might be moving to Washington State before our vacation to Utah and Nevada. We’d had our tickets to Denver less than a month and had already booked several of the hotels. So, it was back to the drawing board. Luckily, for once I’d purchased trip insurance so those wonderful tickets to Denver could be cancelled. Now we have a credit on United that has to be used before the end of December. Not a problem– I’m planning to fly somewhere west (wherever Meghan ends up living) sometime in the next few months–maybe more than once.  And, if not, I’m sure United flies to Orlando.

Step four: Cancel plane tickets and find new flights

Most of the hotel reservations had already been made, so after cancelling the first plane tickets, I looked for new  round-trip tickets to either Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. Las Vegas was the winner–not only could I get the tickets from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas and back, but I could also get the car rental included for the total price of about $1500. Definitely a winner.

Step five: Plan

This is the step I’m currently on. I have all the hotel reservations, including the one at our favorite Pittsburgh Park and Fly hotel.  Here’s where we are staying:

Day 1: Friday night–Doubletree Pittsburgh Airport

This hotel was already booked, and my reservation was non-refundable, so we were pretty much stuck flying out of Pittsburgh instead of Cleveland or Akron. It worked out okay, though. We found an early morning flight to Las Vegas through Phoenix that will work. We were on our way to Utah and Nevada once again.

Day 2: Saturday night–Expedition Lodge, Moab, Utah

The plan is to land in Vegas around noon, pick up the rental car, and drive the six hours to Moab.  We still have two rooms reserved because Meg, Joe, and J.R. are supposed to meet us, no matter where they are living. Hopefully they will be able to do so.

Day 3: Sunday night–Expedition Lodge, Moab, Utah

Our plan is to explore Arches National Parks. There are several short hikes that I’m looking forward to going on. Everything we do has to be suitable for someone who is almost 7 months pregnant (not me) and a three year old, so it definitely can’t be strenuous. Luckily, Arches National Park has several short, easy hikes with gorgeous scenery.

Day 4: Monday night–The Lodge at Bryce Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Utah

I’d planned to visit Canyonlands–Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point State Park in the mornings then take scenic Route 12 through Hanksville and Escalante to Bryce Canyon National Park. After researching, I knew this route would take a long time, but it still sounded so pretty. Then, I realized the road was closed in the winter. So, I guess it’s back to I-70 for us!

I’m excited about staying in the park. It will be so nice to see the canyon at both sunset and sunrise by just taking a short stroll.

Day 5:  Tuesday night–Majestic View Lodge at Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah

Since we really only have one day, we’ll be limited on what we can do at Zion. I’m looking forward to seeing the hanging gardens and going on some of the shorter hikes.

Day 6: Wednesday night–Downtown Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada

Our plans involved spending one night near Fremont Street. I’d never been there and wanted to see the lights. A friend from high school recommended the Downtown Grand, and it really seemed to fit the bill. Plus, the price was super reasonable!

Day 7: Thursday night–originally the El Tovar at the Grand Canyon, Arizona, now the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada

Last week we changed another part of the trip. We decided that we really did not have enough time in Las Vegas and that we would be tired of driving by Thursday. So, I cancelled our El Tovar reservations and added another night on the Strip in Las Vegas. It made sense because our flights home were much earlier than I had originally planned.

Day 8:  Friday night–The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada

I’m so glad that we added another night at the Venetian. I’d considered switching to a less expensive hotel, especially when I realized that we would need to leave so early on Saturday for our flight home.  Thursday night was much less expensive (and half the price of the Grand Canyon hotel).

Hits & Misses for Our Utah and Nevada Trip

As you can see, there have been so many changes to this Utah and Nevada trip. I don’t think I’ve ever had a trip with so many little hiccups. I feel like I could spend an entire week at each of the Utah National Parks, and instead, I’m just driving through. I’ve never been to Utah though, and the scenery is so different from that of Northeast Ohio. It’s just hard to pick and choose what to see and do.

I have been to Las Vegas before. One of my cousins was married there years ago, and I flew out and stayed at the Luxor for a long weekend. Dennis and I will probably only have three evenings and two full days in Vegas, but I’m looking forward to it.

Packing

I’ve checked the average weather, and it will be much colder in Utah and Nevada than I had originally anticipated, especially at the higher elevations. If we were driving the entire way from Ohio (not enough time off), we would pack differently than we will because of our flight. We normally take a cooler for food and drinks as part of our road trip essentials. Instead, on this trip, our space will be limited to our airline luggage. So, Amazon, here I come. I’d like to find a great collapsible cooler and a few other items to take along. These are a few of the items on my list to purchase:

1.  Snacks

We’re trying to stay away from carbs, so I’ll probably pack some low-carb non-perishable snacks in our suitcases. We will definitely have to make a grocery stop for cheese, veggies and water before we get to Moab.

2.  Collapsible cooler

 

3. Sunglasses

The desert sun in Utah and Nevada is bright, no matter what time of the year it is.

4. Hats

See above. However, it may be cold, especially in the higher elevations of Utah, so we’ll also need winter hats, as well.

5. Windbreaker Jacket

Dressing in layers will be important on this trip.

6. Warm Hat & Gloves

Hats that keep the sun out of your eyes are great; however, a warm hat and gloves may be needed at the higher elevations.

7. Lightweight Backpack

We purchased two of these backpacks to take to Ireland last year. They are perfect because they fold up into small pouches and don’t weigh much at all. They have several different pockets and even have places for water bottles. I think they will be perfect for Utah and Nevada.

Conclusion

Have you been to Utah and Nevada in the early spring? What are your do-not-miss sights and activities? Any tips or tricks for visiting this area of the country? Let me know below!

 

 

 

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