The Western Part of the Western World - Part 3: The South-Western States
Mar 20 '04 (Updated Apr 05 '04)
The Bottom Line Don't like moisture? Here's the section for you!
Welcome to Part Three of this trip that takes you all around the Western US & part of Canada in one big disfigured circle. This section goes from San Diego, California to Denver, Colorado. I've decided to make a change from my initial plan to exclude Nevada, so now Las Vegas is a part of it all. If you've yet to read the first two parts to this big trip, you'll be fine as each section works all by itself, but if you just want a better understanding of this whole trip, there's a better explanation in Part One.
I'll get it out in the open right now, and point out that I know the least about this section, mainly because I don't enjoy going on vacation to desert areas. Therefore, I'm making this section the shortest, and this is only a general guideline, so it's not like it's hard for you to modify it to your liking. Towards the end of this section I will resume my typical way of writing about this whole itinerary, as I know that area quite well.
Part 3: The South-Western States - 14 days
You'd better like the desert, because that's what you get a lot of. However, there are a number of very nice national parks and the like along the way, which make the trip tolerable and even enjoyable. Nevertheless, you'll become a witness to one of the ugliest landscapes in North America when you're about ready to leave Utah, but at least it leaves a lasting memory. If you've been through the areas below and want something different, a not bad alternative would be to go to Phoenix, up to Flagstaff, over to Sante Fe, and then up to Denver.
San Diego, California to Las Vegas, Nevada 1 day
You'll basically be going right back up to Los Angeles, except you take the I-15 instead of the I-5. The I-15 actually takes you right to Las Vegas, but if you want to save some time there are a few little shortcuts you can take, which are obvious when you look at a map. Once you get past the Los Angeles area, there's really nothing much else until you hit Las Vegas.
Las Vegas, Nevada 5 nights, 4 days
Well now, Las Vegas really doesn't offer much. You've got a few hotels, a few deadbeat acts, and gambling. As much as I love to debate certain issues, I could never convince a semi-educated person that that's the case these days. I will, however, convince you that I know little about Las Vegas. Since the whole gambling things is basically a given anywhere you go, I'll just ignore that whole aspect, and look at the other sorts of activities. There are all the major hotels like the Bellagio, the Mirage, Treasure Island, the Flamingo, the Venetian, the Luxor, and the list goes on and on. Although Las Vegas doesn't really appeal to me, I must admit that after watching a few shows on Discovery that I'd really like to see the Venetian and the Fountains of Bellagio, as they are quite the engineering feats. Then there are the shows like Celine Dion, who oddly enough cancelled her show after a friend of friend of mine saved up for over a year just to go and see her. There's also a huge pile of good amusement rides scattered around, like the Big Shot Rollercoaster. Finally, there are a number of nearby parks like Zion and Grand Canyon that everybody should at least see once in their lifetime.
So there you have it, Las Vegas summed up in a pathetic manner. I put down 4 days, but you could spend well over a week in Las Vegas and still not get bored.
Las Vegas, Nevada to Moab, Utah 1 day
The drive from Las Vegas to Moab is long, boring, and in many parts ugly. It's about an eight-hour drive, with little of interest along the way, so although it is a lot of driving, you aren't missing a whole lot. If you want to move at a slower pace, you could spend the morning checking out a park near Las Vegas, and then moving on to Richfield, and then spend the next day driving to Moab and then spending the afternoon in Arches National Park. The driving directions are simple, as you just continue north on the I-15 and then head east on the I-70 until you reach an obvious intersection that you want to take south.
Moab, Utah 4 nights, 3 days
Moab is a nice town, at least from what I saw of it. Moab itself is nothing amazing, but what surrounds it is what makes it a destination. On the northeastern edge is Arches National Park, and on the southwestern edge you have Canyonlands National Park (they accept the same park pass). I, unfortunately, only budgeted time to visit Arches National Park, as the whole idea of visiting the area was somewhat of an afterthought. If getting to the area weren’t such a miserable trip, I'd certainly make a return visit and allow time to check out Canyonlands.
Two or three days is all you need, and you must keep in mind that during the summer months, you won't want to do much during the day due to the heat. I packed the majority of Arches National Park into a night and early morning, moving quickly and getting some spectacular pictures. For more information on Arches, and a little on Moab, check out my other review. As looking at arches does grow dull (even though it was incredible to start with), spending the other day(s) at Canyonlands gives you something similar, but different enough. Having only seen the outer limits of it, I cannot contrast the two, but it's a place I'm interested in visiting in the distant future.
Moab, Utah to Vail, Colorado 1 day
Driving from Moab to Vail is infinitely better than driving from Vail to Moab, but it still sucks. Other than Glenwood Canyon, it is as ugly as a landscape can naturally be. It's one place where you wouldn't care if they dumped toxic waste. Anyways, you retrace your steps north to the I-70, and then continue east all the way to Vail. The one nice section, Glenwood Canyon, has a very popular trail that goes to Hanging Lake, which took me about 20-30 minutes to hike up to, but for most people it took more like 45-60 minutes. Allow yourself two hours total. Even though it had billions of people, many of whom, to be blunt, were jackasses; the beauty of the lake made the slog worth it. You should also go about thirty yards past the lake to spouting rock, where there is nobody. For a little bit more on this area, you can check out my review of Colorado. Other than that, there's nothing worth stopping for.
Vail, Colorado 2 nights, 1 1/2 days
Unlike everything around it, Vail is a very nice mountain village. Perhaps in winter the surrounding areas look attractive, but not in the summer. There’s a mess of small towns and resorts around Vail, with cheaper lodging to be had in places like Avon and Dillon, but for a night or two I'd just pay a little more and stay right in Vail. A restaurant I visited many times was Pazzo's Pizzeria (in both Avon and Vail), which has some excellent pizza, but sloppy service. As for what there is to do, I enjoyed just walking around the town and looking in a few stores. Another day I took a long hike up to a lake, but it's too strenuous for most people, but there are a few other shorter hikes around. With a day and a half, I suggest spending the half-day in Vail, and the full day either hiking or you could drive to Beaver Creek and Breckenridge and just look around (but that's not as fulfilling). For many more details on Vail and the general area, click here.
Vail to Denver, Colorado 1/2 day
Whether or not you go to Denver is optional, as there is an alternate route that you can take to the first stop of Part 4 in a day. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, so it is one of those things that is totally up to you. To get to Denver, you just continue east on the I-70. A place you should stop at is Georgetown, which is an old mining town with some neat restaurants and stores.
The alternate route that takes you to Rocky Mountain National Park takes you off the interstate and north. You can either go north at Silverthorne on Highway 9 (what I did), or you can go just past Georgetown and up Highway 40. Your goal is to get to Highway 34 that will take you to Estes Park, but given part of the road, you should not do this with an RV or trailer.
Denver, Colorado 3 nights, 2 days
Although I was in Denver, I was only driving through it, so I can't tell you much about it. In many ways it is just considered to be like Calgary, but ten years ahead in size/population. Since I don't know it, I'm just giving it two days, but you could easily spend longer as it is a big place with a lot to do. Given its size, you will easily find a place to stay the night any time of year. As for what there is to do, here's just a few of the things:
Elitch Gardens
Such an unexciting name for an amusement park. It has roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, and the typical things you'd expect to find at an amusement park. An unlimited ride pass costs $40.
U.S. Mint
This seems to be a popular selection on the websites I'm looking at, so I've included it. Personally, as much as I love money, I'm not particularly interested in seeing it get made. If you are interested, the tours are apparently free.
City Park
A very popular public park with gardens, playgrounds, tennis courts, and the like. It is also the home to the Denver Zoo and the Museum of Natural History. From the looks of it, this is one of the areas you shouldn't miss.
16th Street Mall
A "vibrant" and somewhat historic part of Denver, where you can shop and eat. I wouldn't devote a full day to this, but perhaps a dinner and evening stroll would be enjoyable.
I've tried to pick out some of the commonly mentioned attractions, but in such a large city there is a lot more to do. There are a number of breweries all over the place, as well as historic sites, and also some natural areas. From the very short time I spent in Denver, and all that I've read about it, it strikes me as though it is more a place to raise a family than it is to go and vacation at (just like Calgary). There is still a lot to do, but it is not as clear-cut as places like San Francisco or Los Angeles.
That is where this section of the whole trip ends. I'm sure that more than ever I have missed an incredible amount of information, and for that I apologize, but as it has been pointed out, I'm covering a large area, so there's my excuse. It may be a pathetic excuse, but I'll take it. The fourth and final installment will connect Denver with Calgary, in a rather indirect line, and will actually cover a number of places I have already reviewed separately. Areas like Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone N.P., and Glacier N.P. are just a few of the highlights of it.
Click below to go to the other sections of the trip:
Part One: Western Canada
Part Two: The Western US Coast
Part Four: The Inner-Western States
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
tch7
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Reviews written: 112
Trusted by: 145 members
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.