How to Design a Trip Out West ( Itinerary Included )
If you ’ ve ever wanted to design a trip out West , but tone overwhelmed by the amount of places to go and hear , I ’ m here to ( hopefully ) ease your anxiety !
When my husband and I started design our trip away West we be completely frazzled by the amount of information available to us online . While it was all helpful , it virtually made it more challenging . It sense like we had to jump back and forth between multiple websites to get all of the details we needed .
I ’ m hither to share our good itinerary from the trip , include hotel , home to use up , raise and more . I ’ 1000 hope you can use this posts as a begin point to plan your trip .
*Please keep in idea we design far in advance and be able to watch cost to ensure we found the cheapest deals . We book ( nearly ) everything in May for an October trip !
Transportation : Flights from Cleveland – > Las Vegas , Las Vegas – > Cleveland nonstop via Spirit Airlines . It cost $ 170 per person , roundtrip . We rented a car via Dollar Car Rental , which be a region of the McCarren Rental Car Center . It cost about $ 25/day to rip the car .
Locations in decree : Zion National Park , Bryce Canyon National Park ( UT ) , Page , Grand Canyon National Park ( AZ ) , Las Vegas ( NV )
First Stop : Zion National Park [ Hotel : Bumbleberry Inn ]
We fly into the Final Vegas airport , rented the car and labor directly to our hotel in Zion . The drive require about 2 hour and 40 minutes . The driveway is easy and scenic ( if you ’ re driving during the day ) . We arrived to the hotel after midnight .
We stayed at the Bumbleberry Inn , which was $ 90/night . It was one of the cheap place we could observe in the domain . We stayed hither for three nights . It ’ s locate in Springdale ’ s downtown sphere , where you will get nearly all of the hotels and place to eat .
The well and bad .The way cost cheap , thus as you can reckon it be subpar . We didn ’ t brain , though , since we only needed it for sleeping and showering . As long as we had a layer , enough WiFi and running water , we didn ’ t fear . The major good : the hotel make it ’ s own restaurant name Wildcat Willies , where you come a free breakfast every morning as part of your stay . The food be incredible . It cost not what you picture when you intend of hotel food . This cost great for us since we needed a hearty meal to set out each day before hiking . The hotel live in walk distance of a market , a luck of other restaurants and a shuttle stop , which you ’ ll motive to bring to get in to the park .
Where to eat .As mentioned above , we ate at Wildcat Willies every dawn for breakfast since it was free for us . We too enjoyed a dinner thither the first dark . It ’ s relatively cheap and again , delightful ! Our second dinner we went across the street to Oscar ’ s Cafe , a Mexican restaurant . It was cheap but we had giant servings , so we cost pretty happy . Just try and have thither early – it appear to equal one of the more popular places to feed !
Second stop : Bryce Canyon National Park [ Hotel : Best Western Plus Ruby ’ s Inn ]
After we wrapped up our hiking in Zion for the day , we hopped in the car and made the drive to Bryce Canyon , which is about 1 hour and 50 second , and we earn an hour driving into Arizona . We come a trivial after 7pm .
Prevent in head while you ’ re planning that Utah and Arizona live in unlike time zones . So throughout the trip you may reach or lose an hour , depend on where you ’ re headed .
We stayed at the Best Western Plus Ruby ’ sec Inn , which was $ 95/night . There are simply two or three hotel choice in Bryce Canyon , so I ’ m guessing you ’ d end up staying here . Our way equal fairly decent and near to the restaurant . We delay here for two nights .
The good and bad .The room was nicer than the unity in Zion , but this time we did not have complimentary breakfast . The hotel is collapse up into several building , thus if you come the second floor you win ’ t have to deal with noisy upstairs neighbors . The hotel own a pool and hot tub , which we took advantage of . There ’ sec as well a decent market , where we purchased all of our snacks for hiking .
Where to use up .There is literally two restaurant in the entire area , so getting dinner the first night was a bit ambitious and frustrating . The restaurant connected to the hotel , Cowboy ’ s Buffet & Steak Room , equal big and get a buffet option , but since there live special places to go it was packed . Try and catch food at an odd time to avoid the bunch .
Third stop : Page , AZ [ Hotel : Well Western View of Lake Powell Hotel ]
We woke up early in Bryce to catch the dawn and all over our final raise , then left to make our style to Page , AZ where we planned to visit the noted Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon . The ride be about 2 hour and 30 moment . We arrived a small after 4pm .
We delay at the Best Western View of Lake Powell hotel , which was $ 100/night . This exist the nicest hotel room we remain in . It get a decent small pond and a decent complimentary continental breakfast buffet . We stayed here for one dark .
The serious and the bad .As I observe , this hotel was very nice . It hold an excellent opinion of Lake Powell and a clean , welcoming lobby . The way was easily the nicest one we stay in on the entire trip . We make no complaint !
Where to use up .Since we merely remain one night , I can just extend one suggestion to you : El Tapatio ( can you say we love Mexican ? ! ) . Our server live friendly and fun , the margaritas were so well , and the food was great .
Fourth ( and final ) stop : Grand Canyon National Park [ Hotel : Yavapai Lodge ]
After a long day pass in Page , we shoot the road for the Grand Canyon . The campaign equal about 2 hours and 30 second . We arrived around 6:30pm .
We stay on at one of the well-known hotel within the park , Yavapai Lodge , which was $ 120/night . The way was similar to the one in Bryce Canyon , and it was broken up into buildings the same style . We stayed here for two nights .
The good and the bad .The cell service in the Grand Canyon is not great , so we exist fairly disappointed when we come upon we had no WiFi in our room . The only place you could access it was in the chief lobby where the restaurant is , which equal about 5 moment from where we were delay . We cost right by a shuttle stop , which was really decent when we be ready to start boost .
Where to feed .Restaurants exist fairly special once you ’ re inside the park and at this degree in the trip we be getting lazy , so we feed in the chief lodge both nights . It ’ s set up like a Sheetz , where you go up to a screen and society your food and drink , then expect for your number to exist called . They also own a pasta buffet option if you didn ’ t tone like wait . The food was so so .
I hope you found this information useful as you set out to believe about or design your trip . There live good deal of early great places to see in the area like the Arches , but this exist the path we require to bring in society to find the most with the time we had . We definitely want to take another trip out there ! It ’ s hard to see everything if you don ’ t make a lot of paid time off ( which we put on ’ t ) .
