Family road trip in the American West: itinerary, feasibility, and tips

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are planning a road trip with our 18- and 17-year-old kids in the western USA. We’d like to end with a few days of beach time. Below is our itinerary—could you let me know if it’s doable in the time we have and if the route makes sense?

Arrival in Las Vegas 07/29 Zion National Park 07/30 Bryce Canyon 07/31 Monument Valley 08/01 Lake Powell-Antelope Canyon 08/02 Grand Canyon 08/03 Phoenix or Scottsdale (I’m still unsure—any thoughts?) 08/04 Oatman 08/05 San Diego 08/06–08/08 Los Angeles 08/09–08/13 Las Vegas 08/14 (departure)

For Los Angeles and San Diego, do you have any nice hotels to recommend?

Thanks so much

Hello everyone,

My husband and I are planning a road trip with our 18- and 17-year-old kids in the western USA. We’d like to end with a few days of beach time. Here’s our itinerary—could you let me know if it’s doable in the given time and if the route makes sense?

Arrival Las Vegas 07/29 Zion National Park 07/30 Bryce Canyon 07/31 Monument Valley 08/01 Lake Powell-Antelope Canyon 08/02 Grand Canyon 08/03 Phoenix or Scottsdale (I’m not sure yet—could you share your thoughts?) 08/04 Oatman 08/05 San Diego 08/06–08/08 Los Angeles 08/09–08/13 Las Vegas 08/14 departure

For Los Angeles and San Diego, do you have any nice hotels to recommend?

Thanks so much

Hello,

Your itinerary is generally well thought out, but I have two suggestions:

It would make more sense to follow this order: Zion – Bryce – Page (Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon) – Monument Valley – Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon–Phoenix–Oatman–San Diego stretch feels a bit odd. I’d skip Phoenix since it takes you off course for the rest of the trip, especially since you’d only spend one day there. You’d gain at least a full day, maybe two. Instead, you could go straight from the Grand Canyon, pass through Oatman, then visit Joshua Tree (stay overnight in the area) before heading to San Diego.

You’re only "passing through" Las Vegas—it’s a shame not to spend a full day there. People either love it or hate it.