After doing some amazing sightseeing as a group, Craig encouraged us to take a walk at sunset around the area. It was spectacular! We ended up running into Craig on our walk and he took some photos of us that I will treasure.

We ate dinner that night at Fred Harvey. This nearby restaurant was nothing fancy, but had amazing service and delicious food! Restaurants are all very short-staffed right now, so there were some places that were not open. 

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The next day we were off for more breathtaking sightseeing around the Grand Canyon area before we headed to Lake Powell. Before leaving I took an optional helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and it was breathtaking! Globus offered several choices of tours for the group in this area. Most of the tours in the trip were included for no additional cost!

We stopped for lunch in Williams, Arizona, along the old Route 66. It was a very cute town that made me feel like I was dropped back into the 1950s. Even Elvis was there!

We arrived at Lake Powell in the late afternoon. The drive was absolutely beautiful! For the next two nights, we stayed in a lovely room right on the lake. We had dinner at the hotel overlooking the lake. It was a great way to meet and mingle with some of our traveling companions.

The next day we had the option of sightseeing on the motor coach or hiking. Those who opted for sightseeing saw Glen Canyon Dam. It was very hot out West, but the skies were bright blue with white puffy clouds. The motor coach was air-conditioned and stocked with ice-cold water. We were even able to get in some great pool time.

The next area we visited was Monument Valley. This is a beautiful Navajo desert territory and we were so excited to be there. Our stop that night was at Goulding's Lodge, overlooking the valley. We had a delicious backcountry cookout with the locals. You just can't get that same experience on your own!

The following day we explored Monument Valley on a 4-wheel drive tour. You may be familiar with this place because it was often used as the scenery for old Western films. John Wayne starred in many pictures filmed here, as well as a slew of other famous cowboy stars. Scenes from Back to the Future 3 were filmed here as well!

The day we went was the first day the visitor center and this area was open again for tourists. There were a few gift shops in the area, which film director John Ford used as sets for many of his films. We visited a Navajo Hogan (traditional housing) and watched a rug-weaving demonstration. We then said our goodbyes and stopped in Moab, Utah, for lunch. There were plenty of places to choose from!

We then arrived at our new "home" for the next two nights, Red Cliff Lodge! Every room had a separate area with a sofa, a full kitchen, and a beautiful patio. We were right on the river! That evening we had an included wine tasting and Western barbeque.

The next day we were off again and visited Arches National Park. It was amazing to see how nature has carved out these spectacular red rock arches. We had time to explore and then we were off to Canyonland National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. ​When we got back to the lodge, we had free time to enjoy the pool and have dinner to ourselves.

Waking up the next morning, I was very excited as we left for Bryce Canyon National Park. The sky was getting a bit hazy from the fires out West, but the temperature was starting to cool down. Our first stop was Capitol Reef National Park, which turned out to be a favorite! It was much greener than the other parks we had visited this trip and filled with Petroglyphs from Native Americans over 700 years ago. We had a picnic lunch here and then visited the cutest little bakery with a variety of pies and a neat gift shop. As sad as we were to leave this area, it was time to leave for Bryce Canyon!

We arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park in the late afternoon. Our accommodations for the night were the only time we stayed outside of the National Park, but we were only 5 minutes away and the property was very nice! The next morning we left for the park. The scenery is some of the most spectacular in the world! Our tour escort had something to offer for everyone, from long hikes into the canyon (which interested my of the younger people in our group) to a shorter trail that we opted for where we could see all of those ambitious hikers going around. We got to visit the place where Thelma and Louise *spoiler alert* drove off the cliff! Sorry if I ruined the movie for you!

The next morning we left for Zion National Park! The greatest part of being on this tour was that we never had to wait to get into any of the parks, as the motor coaches seemed to have priority access. I want to give a shout-out to our motor coach driver, Wade, who was outstanding! The motor coach was always spotless and he was always there waiting for us.

In Zion, we took the Park Shuttle to the end of the line and hiked along the river. It was so beautiful and the weather was cooler than it had been. Our guide, Craig, got us moving a little earlier so we could avoid some of the heat. We had a wonderful lunch at Zion. The staff everywhere were lovely and very accommodating.

We arrived back in Las Vegas in the afternoon and got ready for our farewell dinner. Our group was fairly diverse, with a few younger children, a few teenagers, some single people, and lost of couples, ranging in age from their 40s to early 80s. Everyone got along really well and it was nice to make new friends! We ate dinner with a variety of fellow travelers throughout our trip. We would highly recommend visiting the National Parks on a motor coach tour. I think you will see so much more and you will be able to take the stress out of your travels.

Interested in touring the Canyonlands with Globus? Contact one of our Travel Consultants! Call us today at 314-439-5700