Itinerary

Mon., Oct. 1 Arrive Phoenix or Flagstaff, AZ / Grand Canyon
Our journey begins in Flagstaff, Arizona but we do offer free shuttle service from Phoenix for those that prefer to fly in to a larger airport.  Plan on flying in the night previous or arrive this day no later than 11 AM if Phoenix is your preference.  We will recommend a group hotel where we pick you up, or you can meet us back at the airport at 11:00AM if you arrive early.

From here we stop for lunch en route (your cost) and meet those arriving in Flagstaff at the airport at 3:00 PM. With this schedule we can be at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in time to settle into our lodgings and enjoy a welcome dinner and sunset. The opportunity to stand on the rim of  the Grand Canyon at sunset provides one of life’s most memorable moments!
Accommodations at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon (D)

Tues., Oct. 2 Grand Canyon
We have the full day to explore various viewpoints and vistas of the Grand Canyon.  Birds we may find are Townsend’s Solitaires, Juniper Titmice, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Chickadees, or an elusive flock of Pinyon Jays. There is even the possibility of finding California Condors!  But the main attraction here is the play of light and rock and sky. Throughout the day, colors of the canyon change. The canyon is approximately 10 miles wide, and over a mile deep.  Vivid panoramas reveal a fantastic geologic history. Weathering and erosion have created fantastic buttes and mesas within the canyon, while water and wind have sculptured the canyon walls.  A convenient shuttle-bus system allows us to travel from place to place and gives you plenty of time for photography, wandering, and taking in this famous World Heritage site. Tonight we enjoy dinner at the historic El Tovar Hotel situated right on the rim.
Accommodations at the Grand Canyon South Rim (B,L,D)

Wed., Oct. 3 Zion National Park
Today we continue on to another treasured Southwest national park – Zion, quite different from the Grand Canyon in character. Zion National Park is a fantastic realm of steep canyon walls and great domes and towers rising above the Virgin River.  We again use a convenient shuttle bus system to see the park with the opportunity to walk short vista point trails. Here we look up to witness the bold power of erosion and the Earth’s movement. Local highlights are the Narrows of the Virgin River, the Emerald Pools, and the Weeping Wall.  The deep chasm of Zion Canyon displays a palette of reds, oranges, deep salmon, pink, yellow, and cream. Along the trails you may find Black-throated Gray and Yellow-rumped warblers; Black-headed Grosbeaks; a lizard sunningitself; a secretive Ring-tailed Cat; or other local wildlife. Along the Virgin River we may find American Dippers, Black Phoebes, and Rock and Canyon wrens. Time passes quickly!  Tonight we dine together at a great local restaurant in Springdale. Shuttle buses connect points in town with the Visitor Center so you can come and go at your leisure ahead of our dinner reservation.
Accommodations at the Desert Pearl Inn, Springdale, UT (B,L,D)

Thurs., Oct. 4 Zion National Park, UT
Today we explore some more remote sections of Zion National Park, venturing higher in elevation to lush Ponderosa Pine forests near a small reservoir. The scenery is just stunning and with luck we find higher elevation birds such as Steller’s Jays, Pygmy Nuthatches, raptors and possibly California Condors.  Breakfast is at your leisure, there is pastry, fruit and coffee for a nominal fee at our hotel, or several good restaurants for full breakfast nearby. We set a departure time and you can plan this as you wish.  Today we explore the Virgin River corridor which provides easy passage for migrants and breeding home for colorful species such as Western Tanagers.  This is the lowest elevation and most arid section of Zion National Park and vicinity. At a Mormon pioneer homestead we often find species of the Southwest such as Vermilion Flycatchers, Rock Wrens and Greater Roadrunners.  We also find stunning vistas.  En route back to our lodgings, we take time to see exhibits at the Visitor Center where we can also peruse the fine bookstore. Dinner is at your leisure tonight, with a great selection of local restaurants nearby.
Accommodations at the Desert Pearl Inn, Springdale, UT (L)

Fri., Oct. 5 Bryce National Park
This morning we depart Zion National Park on yet another route, this time passing by fascinating Checkerboard Mesa.  We travel out to the Sevier River valley, then through Red Canyon and on to Bryce Canyon, home of one of the oldest trees on earth, the Bristlecone Pine. Bryce provides fanciful rock formations in every color of the rainbow and is completely different in character from either Grand Canyon or Zion.  It is higher in elevation and allows us to explore a variety of forests with a mixture of birds and mammals. We look for Utah Prairie Dogs in the Bryce Canyon entrance area and Mule Deer and Elk can both be found here. The Visitor Center provides a wonderful orientation to the park, with excellent displays and an extensive collection of natural history books on the region.  The historic dining room at Bryce provides a lovely place for our dinner.
Accommodations at Bryce Canyon National Park. (L,D)

Sat., Oct. 6 Bryce National Park
Bryce Canyon, established in 1905 by Theodore Roosevelt, is often the favorite of the parks among our participants as it is small, intimate and presents a real playground of light. Perhaps more than the other parks it appeals to the imagination, with its intricate pinnacles and hoodoo rocks that appear to take on human form.  The multi-hued rocks of the large amphitheaters (actually eroded plateau edges) that comprise Bryce seem to glow in the early morning light. Thousands of colorful spires rise and join together in a panorama like no other.  Today we may want to get up early for a short walk to see the beauty of sunrise from the canyon rim.  After breakfast, enjoy a great hike through an area aptly named the Fairyland or the famous Peek-A-Boo Loop Trail.  Experience first-hand the myriad, wonderful creations in siltstone, sandstone, limestone, and dolomite. We take a picnic lunch and have the day to explore this wonderland of rock. Townsend’s Solitaires sing from atop Bristlecone Pine, and Clark’s Nutcracker often call in flight overhead, busy caching their winter supply of seeds.  We often see both Mountain and Western Bluebirds, and if the Pinyon Pines have a good cone crop, we may find flocks of Pinyon Jays.
Accommodations at Bryce Canyon National Park (L,D)

Sun., Oct. 7 Antelope Canyon / Page, AZ
On today’s drive we pass from 8,000 feet down to 4,000 feet through Hatch, Long Valley and Orderville, small and historic Mormon communities. Orderville, created in 1874, was a socialistic experiment by Brigham Young for all to share resources and work. We go to Kanab for a restaurant lunch, and then drive to meet our Navajo guides for an afternoon visit to Antelope Canyon.  This narrow slot canyon, rich in texture and color has become a favorite place of landscape photographers. With or without cameras it is a fabulous place to visit.  By dinner time we reach our lodge on the edge of Lake Powell. Dinner is at your leisure tonight, at the lake or in the neighboring community of Page (your guide will give you some options).
Accommodations at Wahweap Lodge on Lake Powell, Page, AZ (B,L)

Mon., Oct. 8 Lake Powell / Rainbow Bridge, UT / AZ
We embark on an all-day scenic 7.5 hour boat trip to Forbidding Canyon and Rainbow Bridge, which includes lunch, a walk to the bridge and time to explore this extraordinary place. The Navajos called this sacred site the “rainbow of stone,” and it truly is one of the wonders of the natural world. Until Lake Powell was flooded this was one of the most remote, inaccessible places in the U.S. With the uplift of the Colorado Plateau about 60 million years ago, waters draining the 10,388 foot Navajo Mountain have created a masterpiece of erosion, first seen by non-natives in 1909. Composed of Navajo and the harder Kayenta sandstone at the base, Rainbow Bridge is a testament to the ravages of time as natural exfoliation continues.  Return to the lodge and enjoy a farewell dinner.
Accommodations at Wahweap Lodge on Lake Powell, Page, AZ (B,L,D)

Tues., Oct. 9 Flagstaff, AZ  /  Departures or Join our Navajo/Hopi Journey which begins today.
Today we leave this red rock wonderland to return to Flagstaff, Arizona for flights home.  Or, join us for an exploration of Monument Valley and lands of the Navajo Oct. 9-14, 2012.  (B)

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