trip plan from LV to nearby NPs

[happyrabbit]

Hi,:

Our family ( two adults, one 6-years-old kid, one 16-months-old baby) will go to Las Vegas on June 10th, and fly back Toronto midnight June 19th. As I myself will attend a business show June 13 to 15, the family will stay at LV that 3 days.
I am planning to visit some of the National Parks the other days. My hubby and I can drive. Our 6-years-old boy is comfortable with all road trips as he had a few experience travelling with us before. My concern is the little baby and hot weather(especially the desert weather). We prefer to go to Grand Canyon(South Rim), Lake Powell,Bryce, Zion and stay 1 night each park. Is it possible or is it too much? Should I break this loop as 2 trips as I have to attend the business show 3 days between? Also, I don't know how to get to Bryce from Grand Canyon south rim. I heard the beauty of Bryce is beyond Zion and Grand Canyon. But it is small. Is one day plus one night is enough for Bryce? If we have to skip one of the park, which one should we give up, Zion or Lake Powell? Or another choice might be LV-Zion-Bryce-Capitol Reef from June 16-19 and LV-Grand Canyon for June 11 and 12., is this way much better?
We know that have a trip with a baby is not convenient especially to West/Desert area in summer day. (Actually we took the baby with us and had a business travel to Paris this Feb.) But we like to travel leisurely with less pressures.
Any suggestion will be very much appreciated.

P

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

I think that you should probably plan on doing two separate little excursions, one before and one after you attend to business. You seem to have two full days prior to the convention and three days afterwards. So, I suggest that you go to the Grand Canyon first and spend the night there or nearby (make reservations as soon as possible!) If you and your 6 year old feel that you've seen what you wanted at the Canyon by the end of the first day, then you can also visit some of the other sights in the area such as Walnut Canyon National Monument or the Museum of Northern Arizona before heading back to Las Vegas. Just keep in mind that it's a solid 5-6 hour drive each way between Las Vegas and the Flagstaff/Grand Canyon area.

Then after the convention, you can head up to Zion and Bryce National Parks, and experience these at a slightly more relaxed pace over three days. I think I'd take a pass on Lake Powell which is more of a recreational area (boating and fishing), and on Capitol Reef just because it is a bit farther afield than the other two. It's not that those two areas are not worth visiting, but with your limited time, you will need to make choices.

As for the baby, just make sure to keep him shaded and hydrated. A nice floppy, wide-brimmed hat and light colored, loose fitting, full length clothes (not shorts and T-shirts) are in order, for both the kids and the adults. And take and drink LOTS of water. Milk and natural fruit juices are also OK, but not high-sugar, caffeinated soft drinks. Let the baby drink as much and as often as he wants. You may have to change an extra diaper or two, but keeping him (and you) full of water is the best thing you can do. There are babies that are born and raised here, so just follow common sense and you'll be fine.

AZBuck

[happyrabbit]

Hi,AZBuck:
Thanks very much for your response.
The plan you suggested is just the one we are thinking about. Actually our return flight will be around 11:30 pm June 19th, so roughly we have 4 days after the business event.(June 16-19th). Do we still have time to Capitol Reef/Or Lake Powell except Zion and Bryce?
Your inputs for the baby care will be much helpful.

P

[Quebec Gen]

You could buy one or two of these shade thingies you can put in your car windows, but sometimes they're not enough to block the bright SW sun. Bring small blankets to stuck in the backseat side windows instead. Make regular stops and apply plenty of FPS 60 sunscreen on him/her to prevent sunburns. A/C is a great invention, but don't keep it too high or directly towards the baby if you don't want him/her to end up with a cold. Don't worry, like Buck said, plenty of baby were born in the SW and they managed to survive thus far:o). My friend brought her 1 yr old daughter in the Mojave and Death Valley NP in the middle of July last year and she didn't experienced any problem.

As for the itinerary, Buck gave you excellent tips and I can't seem to find anything to add!

Have a fun trip!
Gen

[AZBuck]

The problem with trying to do it all is that it's about an 8 hour drive between Capitol Reef National Park and Las Vegas, so that if you spend a day each at Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef, and then drive back to Las Vegas on the 19th, I think that you'll have a tough final day. It wouldn't be much better even if you make the return from Zion, you'd still have a four hour drive and then a long plane ride late at night. I think you and the kids might be better served by being back in the Las Vegas area on the night of the 18th. Then you can sleep in late on the 19th and then see some of the local scenic parks around Las Vegas such as the Valley of Fire State Park or the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. But in the end it's your call as to how to best allocate your time to best meet your needs and see the things you want.

AZBuck

[happyrabbit]

Hi,
Thanks for all your inputs, Gen and AZBuck. Definitely I will take all your suggestions, they are reasonable and helpful.
Although I happened to know this site/forum just 4 days ago, I like it so much. Thanks
P