Crimson Canyons and Mesas National Park Tour - September 2024

Crimson Canyons and Mesas National Park Tour

Denver, Colorado to Las Vegas, Nevada

Friday, September 20, 2024 to Sunday, September 29, 2024

With Your Man Tours (YMT) and Mary Marsden and Kate Whitehead

Friday, Sept. 20/24 – Welland, Ontario to Denver, Colorado – Kate arrived from Hamilton last night since we had a morning flight from Buffalo to Denver at 11:40 AM. Don drove us over the border for our 3 hour flight to Denver. We arrived at 1:05 PM (Mountain Time). Denver Airport is huge. Sunny and 80 degrees. We found our way to the train for Downtown Denver – Union Station – 23 miles away, 37 minutes travel time and it cost us $1.35 each. We walked a mile along the 16th Street Mall (still under construction for the past 4 years?) and had a healthy dinner at a Market Café. We explored along the way and reached our destination for the night at Hyatt Place. There we met our tour director Joe Miscavage and checked into room 1029. There are 49 guests booked on this YMT bus tour and Kate and I will be the only Canadians and the rest Americans. In the evening, we did more Denver sightseeing in our hotel area – government buildings. Then a shower and bed to start our tour tomorrow morning. 

Saturday, Sept. 21/24  Denver to Vail to Grand Junction  Sun /Cloud  75 degrees

Up for 6:30 AM breakfast, bags out at 7 AM and on bus at 8 AM. Drove into Rocky Mountains (over the Continental Divide) to ski town Vail with a short comfort stop at a Walmart along the way. Bought wine, insulated lunch bag and ice pack at Walmart. Had 2 hour stop in Vail to enjoy a walk along a stream to the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens (8,200 feet) where we ate our lunch by a small waterfall. Walked back to beautiful downtown Vail with its amazing flower boxes. There was talk of a storm approaching and they may have had snow that night. 

Back on the bus for a 2 ½ hour ride to Grand Junction through tunnels and amazing landscapes along Highway I-70. Arrived at the downtown TRU Hotel (by Hilton) before 4 PM. Walked downtown for our dinner at Taco Party and visited many antique shops to find a suitable glass for my wine. Lovely sculptures throughout the downtown. Back to hotel for quiet evening. 

Sunday, Sept. 22/24  Grand Junction, Colorado  to Moab, Utah    Sunny  75 degrees

Breakfast at 7AM and on bus at 8AM. Our first stop was the Colorado National Monument Park (sometimes referred to as the Mini Grand Canyon).  Amazing sandstone and granite unique rock formations such as Coke Ovens (sent picture to CHCH Hamilton weather picture), Independence Monument. President Tuft declared National Monument in 1911. John Otto was the explorer of the area along with his Indian guide and dog. Stopped at the Visitor’s Centre. 

We drove into Moab, Utah for lunch with 2 hours to look around at the many t-shirt shops. 

Then on to Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky area. Canyonlands is Utah’s largest park. Majestic mesas above Colorado and Green Rivers. These 2 rivers carved two large canyons into the Colorado Plateau. Other districts in the park included The Needles and The Maze. 

We were fortunate to get to the Grand View Point because it was Sunday and construction in the parking lot was paused for the day so we could see the landscape there. 

We checked into the Fairview Inn and Suites by Marriott (for 2 nights) on the outskirts of Moab and then walked around downtown Moab again for dinner at Gracie’s. Back to hotel for a soak in the hot tub, shower and bed by 10 PM. 

Monday, Sept. 23/24                     Moab, Utah                   Sunny  80 degrees

Up at 6 AM for breakfast and on the bus at 7 AM to Arches National Park. Getting into this park early to get ahead of the crowds. Everyone needs reservations for the day and time of entry. 

Many sites seen – Balanced Rock, North and South Windows, Double Arch, Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, Tunnel Arch and many fantastic vistas along the road. 

 

Ending at the Visitor’s Centre. We ate some lunch and spent the afternoon relaxing at the pool and catching up on our daily journal, emails and rest. At 6 PM we enjoyed the Canyonlands Cowboy Dinner and Light Show. It was a chaotic dinner with 100 others. There was alot of barbecued meats. Then we were loaded onto a flat-bottomed boat and travelled down the Colorado River for a laser show on the cliff faces. The show was about the history of the beginning to present. We motored back to the dock with lovely music and a fantastic starry sky. Bed by 10 PM. 

Tuesday, Sept. 24/24 Moab, Utah to Ruby’s Inn, Bryce Canyon, Utah  Sunny  81 degrees

Up at 7 AM breakfast and on road at 8 AM. First stop was at a Moab Grocery Store for picnic supplies. Then off to Capital Reef National Park with amazing scenery along the route. Our second stop was right outside Moab on a scenic road to see petroglyphs on a rock face right beside the road. Our next stop was at Hollow Mountain for the comfort stop in Hanksville.  

On to Capital Reef National Park to visit their Visitor’s Centre and have a picnic lunch. In the center of the park, Fruita was a Mormon settlement established in 1879 and is well known for its orchards which are still maintained. 

Back on the bus for a long ride to Bryce Canyon with a scenic stop along the way to admire the golden yellow of the fall Aspen trees. 

Arrived at 6 PM to Best Western Historic Ruby’s Inn at Bryce Canyon (Ponderosa Lodge #7154). This big complex consisted of General Store, Restaurants, Ebenezer’s Bar and Grill, Inn and Grand Hotel, RV Park and Campground, etc – everything except for the Bryce Canyon Shuttle buses. It all started by Reuben Syrett – known by most folks as “Ruby”- and his wife Minnie who both grew up in the Panquitch area in the late 1800’s. They were married in 1905 and always dreamt of having a ranch of their own. In 1916 their dream came true as they headed for the land they bought on the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau – the entrance to Bryce Canyon. Today the 6th generation of the Syrett family own and run the complex with 800 employees through the summer and 350 year-round. 

Kate and I bought our dinner supplies at the General Store and ate in our room. Complex is very busy with 10 tour buses here and a large motorcycle tour group too. Kate made me watch “Dancing with the Stars” – stupid show. Shower and bed. 

Wednesday, Sept. 25/24    Ruby’s Inn, Bryce Canyon, Utah    Sunny  85 degrees

Up at 6 Am for breakfast at 7 AM and on bus at 9 AM into Bryce Canyon. Our first stop was Bryce Point – elevation of 8300 ft. 

Second stop was Inspiration Point followed by Sunset Point and a short walk to Sunrise Point for amazing “HooDoo” Views. Ended this trip at the Visitor’s Centre and Kate went back to Ruby’s Inn with our bus and I hopped on the park shuttle bus to hike the Navejo and Queen’s Garden Trail (starting at Sunset to Sunrise – 3 miles – most at bottom of canyon – enjoyed the scent of the pine trees). So many amazing pictures in this 2 hour hike. Shuttle to Inn by 3:30PM. 

 

Took Shuttle Bus back to Ruby’s. Had a swim and hot tub at Ruby’s Indoor Pool in the Main Building. Took our bus over to Ebenezer’s Cowboy Dinner and Country Music Show at this Ruby’s Inn complex. We were in front row seats. The dinner was chicken/pork, beans, kale salad, mashed potatoes, buns, and apple square for dessert. Six musicians did a great show and we were back to our lodge by 9:30 PM. 

Thursday, Sept. 26/24    Bryce Canyon, Utah  to  Page, Arizona   Sunny  90 degrees

Up at 6:30 AM, breakfast at 7 AM and on bus at 8 AM heading to Zion National Park. Scenic landscape along the way. First sighting of the Checkerboard Mountains. On entering Zion National Park we passed through a long tunnel with windows. 

Arrived at Zion Lodge at 11 AM and we hiked a 1 mile path beside the Virgin River to the Narrows. The Park Shuttle was the only vehicle allowed to get to the hike starting spot. 

Back to Zion Lodge for our picnic lunch and Kate relaxed on the lawn under a huge cottonwood tree. I went to the river and soaked my feet in the cool river water. 

There are posters to warm guests not to feed these fat squirrels since it may result in a nasty bite from that squirrel. 

Our bus left the park at 3 PM to go to the Lake Powell area outside of Page, Arizona. 

Spent the night at the Best Western Lake Powell view in Page, Arizona. We walked to downtown area but did not eat in a restaurant and instead shopped at Safeway. 

Kate and I hosted a Vegas warm-up get together in the hotel lobby to play Left/Right/Centre dice game. There was a dollar ante and Maureen was the big winner of $10. Bed by 10 PM. 

Friday, Sept. 27/24    Page, Arizona to the Grand Canyon   Sunny  94 degrees

Woke up with a headache blaming it on the oversized bed pillow? Breakfast at 7 AM and on bus at 9 AM. The bus let us out at the entry of the Page Bridge over the Glen Canyon dam. Vibrations felt when heavy trucks went by. 

Interesting Visitor Centre at Glen Canyon – large power dam. Note the Condor Rehabilitation program, dinosaur tracks, trying to keep zebra mussels from the waterway. Lake Powell and this Glen Canyon dam is the start of the Grand Canyon for 277 miles of the Colorado River to Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. Bought some “ghost bead” bracelets – handmade – with dried juniper berries. On to the Grand Canyon South Rim. 

We drove into the Grand Canyon East Gate to explore the South Rim – the North Rim is a 100 miles away. Our first stop was the Mary Colter’s Desert View WatchTower. We did climb the 4 flights for the top view. 

Then on to Yavapai Lodge # 7017 at 4 PM. Checked out the Lodge and the local Grocery Store at that location. The Park has a shuttle system so when half of our bus went for a Sunset Hummer Tour, Kate and I boarded the Blue Route shuttle bus and explored Grand Canyon Village at sunset as it is situated on the South Rim. The Village consists of several large hotels- Bright Angel Lodge, Thunderbird Hotel and El Travor Lodge and specialty gift shops and studios. This is also the rail stop of the train from Williams, Arizona which hosts its own cowboy, Indian, bandit show. The railway was brought to the Grand Canyon by the Sante Fe Railroad Company. 

The lookout is an Art Studio and Gift Shop.

South Rim – elevation of 7,129 feet
North Rim – elevation of 8,143 feet
Canyon width from 10 to 18 miles.
Grand Canyon if 277 river miles (446 km) from upriver to downriver. It is 1 mile deep. Temperature change from top of rim to river level averages 30 degrees (hot at base). The hike from North Rim to South Rim is 24 miles and take all day if you make it. 

Took Blue Line Shuttle back to Yavapai Lodge and at 8 PM we played left/right/centre again with 10 and Jack won! Beautiful night sky full of stars – dark of the moon. Bed by 10 PM.

Saturday, Sept. 28/24    Grand Canyon to Las Vegas, Nevada   Sunny  100 degrees

Up at 6 AM and on bus at 8 AM but no breakfast included so ate Maureen and Mary Ellen’s leftover cheese pizza from last night. I took a short hike to the nearby “Shrine of the Ages” which was a small cemetery.  Our first bus stop was at the Visitor’s Centre lookout over the Grand Canyon. 

Yucca Flower and Mountaineer Volunteer

Then we went on to the Grand Canyon South Rim Town Centre to again see the beautiful hotels and gift shops we visited last night. Kate bought Davis a cute chipmunk stuffie. 

By 10 AM we were back on the bus headed for Las Vegas. We did have a stop for lunch off the main route – visiting Route 66 at Seligman, Arizona. Kate and I were still eating our cheese and crackers we purchased in Page, Arizona.

Arrived in crazy Las Vegas for this Saturday night at 4 PM and checked into the Horseshow Resort Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip to a room on the 11th floor. A quick dress up change and off to tonight’s entertainment. 

We had preordered a dinner and show for that night. Our bus took 15 of us to a mall nearby to a delicious Brazilian Grill for dinner and then to a small theatre in the same mall. We saw “Vegas – The Show” which was very entertaining with singers and dancers, a hulahoop guy and 2 strong guys doing acrobatics as a team. Our bus back to the Hotel. Did see The Sphere nearby and the Eagles were playing there that night. A couple from the bus had tickets to Garth Brooks that night. Our hotel was across from The Bellagio. Also we were close to the giant Ferris Wheel. The Strip had 4 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic each way and the sideways were packed. It was still 90 degrees at 9 PM. 

We stayed in the air-conditioned Casino area and played the Penny Slots for a $1 each. Kate got here $1 back but mine was lost. Bed by 10 PM.

Sunday, Sept. 29/24    Las Vegas, Nevada  to Welland, ON Canada 

Up at 6 AM to catch a Lyft ride with Myrna and her husband from Wisconsin (fellow tour passengers) at 7:30 AM. Airport was not far away and the traffic was light since it was Sunday morning. Our direct flight to Buffalo was scheduled at 11:25 AM for a full flight. Kate and I both had window seats on different rows. Since we did carry-on for the whole trip we did not have to collect any luggage and we walked out the exit to meet Don and drive back over the border to Welland. Kate stayed the night and drove back to Hamilton the next morning. 

Great Trip – We felt blessed to see such beautiful landscape and all went well for the trip – except for my broken sunglasses on the last day.