Wednesday
Arrive in Sedona by 3pm and Cheryl, your tour leader will meet you at the shuttle drop-off at Super 8. Check into our motel with red rock views and change into hiking clothes. Hike among the red rocks to Devil’s Bridge learning all about the desert flora and geology. Later, we can soak our feet in Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing enjoying great views of Cathedral Rock. Dinner will be at Cheryl’s home.
Thursday
After an easy breakfast in Sedona we’ll drive two hours to view the splendor of the Grand Canyon. On the way we’ll view the Imax film – a great introduction to the Canyon. In addition to gazing at the majesty from several overlooks we’ll have time to shop at Hopi House. Lunch will be at historic El Tovar Hotel. This afternoon we drive towards Nevada with a stop at iconic Hoover Dam. Maybe the new bridge will be finished which will give us great views of the dam. Lodging in a hotel on the Nevada side of the river so gambling is an option tonight!
Friday
Breakfast at the hotel then we’ll meet Helen, our guide, drive a short distance to the river and launch our sit-on-top double kayaks for a 13-mile paddle on the Colorado River. There’s a great picture we’ll take of our group in the kayaks with the dam and bridge towering behind us. Helen knows all the amazing spots to stop at including Sauna Cave, Gold Strike Canyon and Arizona Hot Springs where we’ll lunch on the beach. It great fun to soak in these natural hot pools. On the paddle to Willow Beach take-out we may see big horn sheep staring down like sentinels watching us pass. The scenery is incredible. Drive through the Nevada desert to Zion National Park. Dinner and lodging in the cute town of Springdale, UT. We break our rule at dinner and include famous bumbleberry pie for dessert!
Saturday
After an easy breakfast we ride the eco-bus into Zion National Park enjoying the magnificent scenery. We spend a couple of hours hiking and sloshing through the Virgin River in the Narrows – some even float back on the return. Back at our motel we change into riding clothes and drive to Bryce Canyon. This is a spectacular drive demanding several photo stops along the way. After a quick lunch we saddle-up for an incredible three-hour mule-ride through the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park on the Peek-a–Boo Loop Trail. We think this is the most stunningly scenic park in the US and you’ll photograph unforgettable views from your horseback vantage point. Take a break half way through the trip - it’s great to dismount and stretch your legs. Dinner is at historic Ruby’s Inn and motel lodging close by.
Sunday
After a high-energy day yesterday you get to sit and enjoy Utah’s amazing scenery. Drive through the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, tiny desert communities, and up over a 9000’ pass through alpine meadows of aspens. Enjoy great views of the Waterpocket Fold, the main feature of Capitol Reef National Park. This isolated park has towering red rock formations and even rock art from the Fremont Anasazi. We’ll lunch in Hanksville then drive across to the west of Utah to Dead Horse Point State Park. Our view here is the famous Goosenecks section of Canyonlands. There is one more highlight for the day – wonderful petroglyphs just outside of town. Its fun trying to figure out what they mean. Tonight we’ll stay in Moab and eat at the Brewery. Moab is a fun adventure town with great shops and there’s plenty of time after dinner to buy gifts and souvenirs.
Monday
Early start, a quick breakfast and we’ll hike to incomparable Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It takes about 45 minutes to hike up to Delicate Arch one of the most beautiful formations in the West. It’s extra special to enjoy this vista before the crowds. On the way out we’ll take time to walk through the Windows section of the park and another short walk to Double Arch. Check out of our motel and assemble for our river trip. Spend the afternoon on a float trip on the Colorado River in rafts and inflatable kayaks. This often involves relaxing in the river, floating along in our lifejackets. A picnic lunch is served riverside on a beach. Outside Moab we stop at Hole in the Rock, a unique home. There is no place in North America quite like this home so we indulge in a short tour. Spend the night at a cozy country B&B in the La Sal foothills. Massages available.
Tuesday
After a delicious breakfast at the B&B we’ll drive south. The scenes as we drive towards Monument Valley bring back wonderful memories of watching cowboy movies as kids! We capture the quintessential photo of the left and right hand mitten buttes at the Navajo Tribal Park and it’s on to lunch at historic Gouldings Trading Post. Drive south to Kayenta where we’ll see a small exhibit describing the importance of the Navajo Code Talkers during WWII. Drive further south to Chinle. All aboard a jeep for a great ride into Canyon de Chelly including a visit to famous White House ruins. Camp the night beside Antelope ruins where you’ll be entertained around the campfire by our Navajo storyteller.
Wednesday
After a pancake breakfast we’ll jeep back out of the canyon with a stop at the Ute raid panel. Load our van and have time for a visit to a hogan at the visitor center. Drive along the rim looking down into the great views of the canyon. It’s a short walk to enchanting Spider Rock where spider woman lives. Navajo legend claims she taught them to weave. Visit the Hopi villages on First Mesa where we’ll visit an artisan’s home and this is a great opportunity to purchase a kachina doll or some pottery direct from the artist. Drive to Hopi Cultural Center for lunch and more opportunities to buy crafts. Drive north to Page and hike to stunning Horseshoe Bend. Dinner and motel lodging will be in Page.
Thursday
After breakfast we’ll climb onto a truck for a trip to Antelope Canyon, the most famous of the slot canyons and affording great photographic opportunities. Drive to Lake Powell where we’ll board our private vessel and take a boat ride on Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge. We’ll lunch on the lake and relax and swim in the warm water. Return south on the lake with a stop at Dangling Rope marina for ice creams. Further south we’ll find a campsite and set up camp for the night. Dinner prepared while you swim and relax. Lake Powell is one of the most wonderful places in the West to get away from it all and you may choose to sleep under the stars outside the tents. Watching the sun set the canyon walls ablaze with it’s last light is one of those indelible travel memories. After dinner you can be kids again and roast marshmallows for smores.
Friday
It’s fun to climb out of your tent and dive straight into the warm water before coffee in camp. We’ll motor back to the marina and load our van. After breakfast in town we head south stopping at a scenic overlook to see Marble Canyon, where it’s clear to all how Mother Nature sculptured the Grand Canyon out of the Colorado Plateau. This is also an opportunity to shop for Native American trinkets at roadside stands. We’ll see dinosaur tracks in the desert and you’ll never forget what coprolite is after this experience! At lunch at Cameron, still an active trading post, you may wish to try their specialty, Navajo Tacos. There is also an excellent museum to wander through. Drive down Oak Creek Canyon into Sedona and check into our motel. Our final hike up Cathedral Rock, a female vortex is one of the best hikes in Sedona. It’s a steep climb but the views make the effort very worthwhile. Our last meal together is pizza and salad at Cheryl’s house. Its fun to watch a slide show of our trip and the wonderful places we’ve explored in 10 days. All agree that this trip is very well named!
