Today's top tips
Thank you to every one who sent in questions and to all our experts for their great advice and suggestions. Here are some of the highlights:
Vegas for kids from @mollyodonnell: Springs Preserve has a host of fun indoor installations and educational desert activities (and even animals) for little ones. Pinball Hall of Fame is not to be missed. And unique museums include the new Mob Museum and if early or late enough in the day the Neon Sign Boneyard (pictured).
Mountain huts in Colorado from @sarahryan: Use the 10th Mountain Hut system to see the biggest and best of Colorado's mountains. They're open for hiking and biking in the summer and fall, and skiing in the winter and most of the spring. A few huts are accessible to beginners, but most of these trips require intermediate skills at least. You can rent a few bunks in a hunt or a whole hut. It's a very Euro experience (the whole system was created by soldiers from the 10th mountain division after WWII). Learn more at http://www.huts.org/
Rent an airstream from @sarahryan: Go retro and rent an airstream. This father-son team restores and rents airstreams and will deliver them to a location for you: http://airstreamparty.com/rent-me
Vegas festival from @chuckmonster: The Life is Beautiful festival is taking place in downtown Las Vegas on October 26 & 27. It features an astonishing array of musicians, artists and celebrity chefs all doing their thing in front of a massive crowd wearing satin casino jackets.
Don't try to do too much from @mikematson: Anyone who works in these parks, will tell you that you can spend a whole year exploring these places and still not see it all. A hike into the backcountry will leave almost everyone behind and totally change your visit. Sometimes its worth it to focus your energy in one place. A good example is hiking to the Subway Narrows in Zion National Park.
Find out more about native cultures from @theblondecoyote: A number of museums and heritage centers in the West are incredible repositories for artifacts and information about Native cultures. The Anasazi Heritage Center just north of Cortz, Colorado (home of Mesa Verde National Park), is one of the best. You can also visit some of the many ancient ruins in CO and UT. I highly recommend Hovenweep National Monument in southwest Colorado. Mesa Verde is tremendous, but tends to get crowded on weekends.
The best biking spots from @SarahRyan: Fruita is a good stopover between Moab and the rest of Colorado with amazing trails in the Book Cliffs (pictured). Telluride is epic and unforgettable (and there’s a great little campground in town). Salida and Steamboat Springs are surrounded by endless options. If you’re camping, check out my guidebook Colorado Camping for a list of the best campgrounds for mountain bikers.
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Colorado-Camping-Complete-Outdoors/dp/1598807544/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1
More biking tips from @Brettprettyman: For a totally unique experience consider riding the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. It is a 100-mile loop starting from the Island in The Sky Visitor Center. Most people take two or three days to ride it, camping along the way with a support vehicle. Permits are required. Here's a story and short video we did after riding it this spring.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56439032-78/bucketlist-utahbucketlist-trail-mountain.html.csp
Tips for the solo traveller from @theblondecoyote: I'd recommend looking into Meet Up groups in the US at href="http://www.meetup.com/find/">http://www.meetup.com/find/. There are lots of hikers out there organizing small group trips, usually for no or low cost.
And more on solo travel from @sarahryan: Have you tried Rocky Mountain National Park? You can put together numerous 3-5 day loops with lots of time above timberline. I backpack solo there when I can and feel very safe. Plus, you're likely to see elk, bighorn sheep, tons of marmots, and there's been a few wolverine sightings on the west side of the park. I would also look into Great Sand Dunes National Park in the San Luis valley of Colorado. You could fly into Colorado, rent a car, and put together a big loop that takes in Denver, Salida, San Luis Valley, Taos, and Santa Fe. You won't be lonely in northern New Mexico--it's a magnet for solo travels. Happy trails!
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Don't forget the state parks!
Expert Mike Matson says:
Everybody has heard about the National Parks, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches and Canyonlands. But lots of travelers don't realize that Utah has some amazing state parks too! Places like Kodachrome Basin state park, Coral Pink Sand Dunes state park , and Snow Canyon state park are all examples of state parks that can be added to any southwest loop road trip.
And fellow expert Mary Caperton Morton (the blonde coyote) recommends:
I'll also add Goblin Valley state park to that list. They even have showers! A rarity in Utah. Right outside the park you'll find ample free camp sites along the San Rafael Swell. Little Horse Canyon is a beautiful non-technical slot canyon near Goblin Valley.
Quirky Vegas
Soulless, rabidly commercial, fake... these are the criticisms often levelled at Vegas. And they're true, on one level. But Vegas also has a brilliantly quirky, cool, even surreal side. Our Las Vegas city guide featured some great alternative places to stay combining old-school charm and kitsch; some great alternative shows, including improv and gonzo theatre; and some bizarre shopping experiences, including the Rainbow Feather Dyeing Company (should you feel the urge to don a feather boa), and the Zombie Apocalypse Store. As with most cities, in Vegas, steer clear of the blockbuster attractions and you'll find a parallel city that is anything but soulless (except perhaps for the zombies).
Watch the video about the zombie store here.
Reader question – travelling with a baby
@peterepka asks about road-tripping with a one-year old. Has anyone done it? What are the dos and don'ts? He doesn't say where he wants to go but any advice on particularly family-friendly destinations welcome. Has anyone hiked or trekked with a baby? Or is that best avoided?
@GuardianTravel #usaroadtripwest would the panel advise if it is possible to do a 10 day tour with a 1 year old baby ?
— Pete Repka (@peterepka) July 17, 2013
Reader question – camping in August?
Leo Roberts (@leonickroberts) tweeted a request for campsite recommendations for an 11-day Denver-San Fran road trip via Mesa Verde, Moab, Bryce, GC, Zion, Vegas, Yosemite. Has anyone come across any great sites? Will he fry in a tent in August? Add your tips in the comments below
@guardiantravel Taking a tent on our Aug road trip: suggestions for campsites? And will we be able to handle the heat!? #USAroadtripwest
— Leo Roberts (@leonickroberts) July 17, 2013
What's your favourite national park?
Thanks to Jamie Lafferty (@megaheid) who tweeted this photo:
@GuardianTravel Hard to pick a favourite national park in the region, but Bryce Canyon is a beauty: https://t.co/KrlYSXpcMM
— Jamie Lafferty (@MegaHeid) July 17, 2013
Top reader tip
Top tip from @Dief
Zion, Bryce, Arches - check, check, check... A little less visited? Try an overnight at Natural Bridges National Monument near Canyonlands. The bridges themselves are nothing compared to what you'll see at Arches and can be done in a few hours but it has some of the darkest skies in the US.
Natural Bridges was Utah's first national monument (declared in 1908) and the first international dark sky park. These photos are of Owachomo, the thinnest and most fragile of three natural bridges in the park, and considered to be the most elegant.
And here it is at night:
And one from the archives:
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Reader question
@GuardianTravel #usaroadtripwest. Driving Route 66 with a detour to Las Vegas (prev stop Flagstaff). Must sees on the route in Nevada pls?
— oleinwebster (@oleinwebster) July 17, 2013
Don't forget you can also send us questions by twitter: @GuardianTravel #usaroadtripwest.
Climbing in Canyonlands – watch the video
Steve "Crusher" Barlett, one of our local experts, was photographer David Levene's guide when he made this video for Guardian Travel about climbing in Canyonlands, Utah. It showcases some epic scenery – mile upon mile of amazing cliffs with incredible colours. We also love Steve's attitude to climbing – for him it's not about the lifestyle, the calorie counting or the cool gear; it's all about the landscape. He also proves that you don't have to be a pro to start climbing. He persuades David to scale a 150-foot tower of rock that no-one has ever climbed before – watch it to the end to see David's triumphant (read terrified) ascent... "What! I don't get to hold a rope?!"
Beyond the icons
@davecamden is planning a 10-day road trip, starting and ending in Las Vegas. The stop-offs are Kanab, Cedar City, Moab, Gunnison, Canon City, Taos, Santa Fe and Flagstaff. He says:
I'm going to do all the obvious stuff, like Bryce Canyon and the Arches etc, but is there anything along the way that might not be in the tour guides?
Does anyone have any tips about exploring Utah beyond the icons - or should he stick to the famous parks given that he only has 10 days, and there are a lot of amazing parks? Where are the best places to stay near Bryce and the Arches and other national parks?
Meet the experts
Forming the backdrop in countless movies, this trio of states is among the most familiar in America – incredible desert-scapes of red rock cliffs, towers and riverbeds, and breathtaking mountain scenery. But deciding how to make the most of this vast, spectacular natural playground can be overwhelming – where to stay, what routes to take, which national parks to visit ...
Our panel of experts are long-term residents or frequent visitors to Colorado, Utah and Nevada, so can serve up plenty of insider tips to help you plan a trip through these cinematic landscapes.
The great outdoors is what this part of the US does best and many of our panelists are keen hikers, climbers, skiers and cyclists, and are happy to share their secrets, from where to stay when visiting Bryce Canyon to their favourite extreme sports companies around Boulder. And, if you are looking for the perfect campsite, two of our panelists have written the book, literally. Finally, amid this breathtaking landscape is, of course, one of the world's best party towns, so don't forget to post your questions on sin city too.
Post a question below, or tweet us your questions at @guardiantravel using #usaroadtripwest
Colorado
Sarah Ryan is the author of Moon Handbooks Colorado Camping. She loves to hike, camp, backcountry ski, bike, and raft all over the state. She’s an expert in getting off the beaten track in any season, with or without kids. She’s also a food lover, who enjoys culinary adventures in Fort Collins, Denver and Boulder.
Joshua Berman is travel columnist for the Denver Post, where he specialises in outdoor adventures, hiking, and dude ranches. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Men’s Journal, Yoga Journal and National Geographic Traveler. Find him at joshuaberman.net and on Twitter at @tranquilotravel.
Steve Bartlett is a climber, writer and photographer. He grew up in Kent, but has lived in Boulder, Colorado since 1983. He works for a local guidebook company, Sharp End Publishing, and is the author of Desert Towers, a book about climbing in the south-west.
Claire Walter is an award-winning writer, guidebook author and blogger, based in Boulder, CO. She first visited Colorado to ski and moved there in 1988. She loves the state for the combination of year-round outdoor activities and cultural and culinary offerings. She blogs at travel-babel.com and culinary-colorado.com.
Mary Caperton Morton is a freelance science and travel writer who makes her home on the back roads of North America, living and working out of a tiny solar-powered Teardrop trailer. A regular contributor to EARTH magazine, where she writes the Travels in Geology column, Mary also pens an outdoor adventure/road trip blog at theblondecoyote.com.
Utah
Mike Matson is an outdoor writer and photographer. He's the author of Moon Take a Hike Salt Lake City and Moon Utah Camping. His stories and photos have been published in the Utah Adventure Journal, Backpacker, National Geographic Adventure, and Canoe and Kayak magazines.
Brett Prettyman has been an outdoors writer at the Salt Lake Tribune in Salt Lake City, Utah, for 23 years. He is currently working on an one-hour film "the Utah Bucket List" which features 12 must-do adventures in Utah. Stories regarding the Bucket List have been running in the Tribune with video clips since May. Check them out here.
Tyson Bradley is a senior guide and director and of Utah Mountain Adventures and the author of Backcountry Skiing Utah. He is passionate about skiing and climbing in the Wasatch Mountains, where he guides 100 days per winter (ski, avalanche instruction, mountaineering and ice). In summer he teaches rock climbing.
Caroline Gleich is a pro skier. She has travelled all over the world in pursuit of the best snow but her favourite place to ski is the mountains around Salt Lake Cityl. Caroline skis for Patagonia, Zeal Optics, Nordica, Leki, Thule, Clif Bar, and Sanuk. Follow her at carolinegleich.com.
Dustin A Cook is an outdoor adventurer and photographer on the weekends and a business developer during the week. He also volunteers with Utah Country Search and Rescue, helping people who are injured or lost find their way back home safely. He blogs at utahoutdoorfun.com.
Nevada
Molly O’Donnell is an editor and freelance writer whose work has appeared in various regional and national magazines and newspapers, and on National Public Radio. She co-founded ArtsVegas.com, and also contributes to Las Vegas Weekly, and Desert Companion.
Chuckmonster is the founder of VegasTripping.com, an irreverent guide to the city. He is also a member of the Vegas Gang Podcast, a roundtable discussion of the global gaming industry. Follow him at @chuckmonster.
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