"The Best of the American Southwest" a Utah Travel Page by Schasm

Our trip to the Southwest began in Phoenix and we rented a truck. Drove to the Grand Canyon, and stayed in National Park accomodations. Although bleak and overpriced, it was worth it to sleep with wild animals at your doorstep and to wake up near the canyon rim.

We drove to Las Vegas to visit a college friend and to walk the strip. Since we are not really gamblers, we found the afternoon all-you-can-eat buffets the highlight of our Vegas stay.

However, by far, the highlight of the trip was our stay at the Zion Ponderosa Report on the Eastern Edge of Zion NP in Utah. Our all-inclusive stay included our own private Log Cabin with our own bath, more than enough to eat, and tons of activities to do including ATV tours, Mountain biking, archery, rappelling, horseback rides, swimming, tennis, and tons more! The staff was very kind as well! I've recommended this resort SO MANY times...I need to go back soon!

As if our stay near Zion couldn't be topped, we drove to Bryce NP before heading south through the desolate Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. So beautiful, and for me, quite spiritual. We saw only one other car that afternoon as we drove for miles on a dirt road through lunar-like terrain. A nice way to "recompress" before our drive down to Phoenix and our flight home.

In all, I enjoyed revisiting the National Parks of the American Southwest. It was nice to revisit the areas as an adult where my family had vacationed many times during my childhood. I have a better appreciation for it now!