Cheap vacation in December?

My wife and I flew into Vegas for our honeymoon, then rented a Jeep and spent a week in the Grand Canyon/ Zion National Park/ Bryce canyon area. The Jeep was the high dollar part of the trip at @$90 a day.

Best two single days were the day we took the fire road through Escalante national park and the day we spent in Kanab on the fire roads on the north side of the Grand Canyon. If we had another couple of days we would have gone north to Arches and Moab.

When I do the trip again I will leave Vegas, go over Hoover and along the south rim of the Grand Canyon and over to Mesa Verde, then back along the North rim until I cut up through Kanab to Escalante again, to Bryce, Arches, and Moab, then back through Cedar Breaks and Zion and onto Vegas. Lots of road time, but lots of stopping along the way too.

Ooh yes, Zion is really nice in December. You can drive everywhere (some of the roads are closed in summer) and it's deserted. Good time for some gorgeous hikes because it's not blistering hot. Janel and I did that a couple of years ago. Bryce is a bit of a disappointment, the interesting trails get closed and it's kind of a one-trick-pony otherwise.

I live in Tucson. The SW is an excellant place to visit in December.

Were is Zion?

The more I research Portland the more I think December isn't the time to go. Seems like lots of rain and not favorable hiking/camping weather.

Zion is in Prince George, UT. One of the most popular national parks in the US, which is why it's great to go in December when nobody's there! Our favorite hike was Observation Point. The famous Angel's Landing trail may not be passable due to snow/ice at that time of year.

Those pictures make Chatty look like Heaven. Got to get down there and apply fer jerbs.

Update:

Portland looks awesome, just not in Dec.

Southwest is having a sale and it looks like for about $120 my girlfriend can fly roundtrip to New Orleans. My flight is going to be expensed so who cares. Is it really a puke covered s**t fest?

I haven't been to New Orleans in a while, but from my memory of it, no. Sure, on a Saturday night on Bourbon St it can get pretty wild in some of the bars. But if you want to stay away from that stuff, then just don't go in those bars. Unless something has changed recently, they're pretty easy to spot. When I was there, there were plenty of places to get some good food, have a (as in one) drink and listen to some good music.

Enyar wrote: Were is Zion? The more I research Portland the more I think December isn't the time to go. Seems like lots of rain and not favorable hiking/camping weather.

Late to this party, a little

If you want more enticement to consider Zion, it's also a short drive to Bryce Canyon, as well as the north rim of the Grand Canyon. It's an amazing area to vacation in, as the three parks are oh so very different from each other, even though they are so close to each other.

I did the better part of a week camping around that area, and included a drive across Hells Backbone.

(OTOH, we'll be on a cruise ship Dec 7.)

This is where I long to spend a vacation, but NO! Wife wants to go to DisneyWorld, wife wants to go to the beach, wife wants to go to the mountains. Sigh.
Not my shop, BTW.

Not sure I like the tail lights on that, but other than that, I'd be quitte content. Far to clean though, I have a hard time believing a lot of work happens in there.

PHeller wrote: Those pictures make Chatty look like Heaven. Got to get down there and apply fer jerbs.

Pics can be deceiving. I'd much rather stumble around N.O. drunk and unarmed than chatt.

I think we are just going to do the extended weekend in NOLA. Fits our requirement of being cheap (at least airfare) and lets me save some PTO for other upcoming vacations. Gonna book her flight tonight and start searching VRBO. Should we have a rental car?

alfadriver wrote:

Enyar wrote: Were is Zion? The more I research Portland the more I think December isn't the time to go. Seems like lots of rain and not favorable hiking/camping weather.

Late to this party, a little If you want more enticement to consider Zion, it's also a short drive to Bryce Canyon, as well as the north rim of the Grand Canyon. It's an amazing area to vacation in, as the three parks are oh so very different from each other, even though they are so close to each other. I did the better part of a week camping around that area, and included a drive across Hells Backbone. (OTOH, we'll be on a cruise ship Dec 7.)

FYI, the north rim is not accessible during the winter.

I'll be in the pits of the Thunderhill 25 around that time

Keith Tanner wrote: FYI, the north rim is not accessible during the winter. I'll be in the pits of the Thunderhill 25 around that time

Didn't know that. Technically, Bryce was closed when we visited at the end of December, but the gates were open, and we could drive up to the overlooks. It was an amazing comparison to what I saw 6 months earlier.

Enyar wrote: I think we are just going to do the extended weekend in NOLA. Fits our requirement of being cheap (at least airfare) and lets me save some PTO for other upcoming vacations. Gonna book her flight tonight and start searching VRBO. Should we have a rental car?

Walked pretty much everywhere the one time I went...except when I could barely walk. Then we took a cab. I thought I would hate New Orleans. I berkeleying loved New Orleans.

Things I would recommend:

Breakfast and Bloody Marys at Mother's (I think you might have to go next door for the bloody.)

At least one evening of free drinks and gambling at Harrah's.

If you see somebody performing on the street, stop & check 'em out. There is at least one really, really bad, but hilarious magician.

Wander around at night and check out some of the unique architecture/funky homes. N.O. has a vibe that you can feel; and it's not the bourbon street vibe. I never felt "unsafe" there. Be aware of what's going on around you and don't look like a victim.

So easy Aguadilla Puerto rico gas chambers

BTW, my cheap December trip has me GOING to Tampa!

Would you happen to live in New Orleans? We could just swap houses.

Puerto Rico sounds great, though my girlfriend hasn't mastered surfing ....yet.

Of course, the only thing I forgot to do on my to-do list yesterday was book my flights while SW was having their 40% off sale. Oh well....the search continues.

you can get 80 $ per way out of Orlando to aquadilla /////// rent car stay at rincon . The hills and roads in the mtns pretty groovy . Boogie board is the ticket . Cold fronts from USA bring nice surf to the west side .