# Suggestions for a fall trip



## gstepic (Feb 3, 2010)

I had to throw some points into RCI so I have a studio week with RCI. I do not use RCI much but know during off season I can get a one or two bedroom with my studio week.

We are looking at several choices for a fall vacation where I will use my RCI week. We have been to Pagosa Springs and that is one option, but we were there just last fall so I would like to go somewhere different.

I am a photographer so being able to take nic pics along with fall colors are important to me. I think the availablility of exchanges may be a big factor and this is where I may need some help.

Three other places we are thinking about are Steamboat Springs, St. George Utah, and Yellowstone National Park. We live in Albuquerque so we plan to drive to our destination. 

Fall would be off-season for all those areas. So far the top of my list is St. George because there are many parks within a few hours and I have never seen the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We go to Vegas every spring and last spring we took a day trip to Bryce Canyon and enjoyed the day, but we were rushed. My guess is we would not have any trouble finding an exchange around October.

We have never been to Steamboat Springs and I am guessing that would be another area we probably could get an easy exchange to in October. Not sure how much there is to do in the area.

In the next few years I definitley want to go to Yellowstone, my guess is there may not be much to exchange to. I am thinking we may want more than a week there as well since that would be the longest drive from Albuquerque.

We will wait to this summer to book so at this point I want to do a little research on the different areas we are considering. Any suggestions are welcome, especially concerning the availability of RCI exchanges during October or early November.

Edit-I noticed RCI has several resorts around the Salt Lake area. That could be another option.

Gary


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## cotraveller (Feb 3, 2010)

gstepic said:


> . . .
> Three other places we are thinking about are Steamboat Springs, St. George Utah, and Yellowstone National Park. We live in Albuquerque so we plan to drive to our destination.
> 
> I am a photographer so being able to take nic pics along with fall colors are important to me. I think the availablility of exchanges may be a big factor and this is where I may need some help.
> ...


It's never a sure thing, but October is often too late for fall colors at Steamboat Springs.  The last time we were there in October the Aspen trees had already lost most of their leaves.

I can't comment on the fall colors around St George, we haven't stopped there during that time of the year.  Zion National Park, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (about a 3-1/2 hour drive), and Snow Canyon State Park are among natures attractions in the area and all are well worth visiting. 

It's a long ways for you, but if you want to consider going on a longer trip, we were in Door County, Wisconsin in late October last year and the fall colors were in full bloom.  Very pretty.


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## gstepic (Feb 3, 2010)

*good suggestion*

I am from northeast Ohio originally so I know how beautiful fall can be. Lots of rolling hills, fields, etc. I will be in Ohio this summer and do plan a fall visit soon.

We had been going to Hawaii every year and my wife and I love the islands. She is a nurse and wants to cut down to working three days a week so we are going to give up our Hawaii trips for the next couple of years. We really want to start seeing more of the west. 

I am retiring in June so it does not matter if our trip will be late September, anytime October, or early November. I will get on-line and do some searching for fall color, we can find out just about anything on the net.

When I pulled up a map of western RCI resorts I did not see anything in Colorado, which surprised me. We can always use our Wyndham points for a future trip to Steamboat Springs.

I am leaning toward St. George. Is there any charm to the city itself or is it just a destination place to see some of the parks in the area? We drove through St. George on the freeway so could not tell much from that. 

I think seeing the Grand Canyons north rim, Bryce Canyon, and Zion would keep us busy for a few days, hopefully there is a lot more to see in the area. Visiting Vegas is out because we are going there next month and go to Vegas every year at the same time.

There is an RCI resort just a little north of St. George as well. 

Gary


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## Passepartout (Feb 3, 2010)

Gary, Northern Utah's about a day's drive from Albq. Check Park City area. Lots of TS. Some Autumn color in the canyons. It's off season, so lots of availability, no crowds. You could book a night in W. Yellowstone/Jackson area for a two day trip from there- it's about a 5 hr drive. SLC has plenty to do as well if you haven't explored that area.

Jim Ricks


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## eal (Feb 3, 2010)

In October 2008 we spent the first two weeks of October in Big Sky MT and the last two weeks in Park City.  It was wonderful. Fall followed us south and we had the areas to ourselves pretty much.  Hallowe'en was a hoot in Park City, with the main street closed to traffic, kids and adults dressed in costume, and even a dog parade.


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## gstepic (Feb 3, 2010)

*I am getting interested!*

What would be a clincher is if UNM has a football game with Utah or BYU during that time frame. I am sports photographer for UNM so I could get a press pass to shoot the game and combine pleasurable work with pleasure (did a check and it looks like UNM plays at BYU on October 30th - would October 30th be too late for fall colors?).

Then there is soccer and volleyball so surely UNM will be playing BYU or Utah when we would visit - whoo hoo, that would be fun shooting an away game!

It would be pretty easy to tac on some days at St. George for our annual Vegas trip (I go to photograph our basketball games during the MWC tournament held in Vegas) so northern Utah is looking more appealing to me for our fall trip.

Gary


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## John Cummings (Feb 3, 2010)

We did a fabulous loop trip in Utah last May/June. We did Capital Reef NP, Scenic Hwy 12, Bryce Canyon NP, and Zion NP. I strongly recommend it and you should get some great fall colors in October. The weather should still be pretty good. The scenery is spectacular and we took over 1500 pictures.

Here is a link to my trip report.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99895

Just ignore the non-Utah part.

I would skip Yellowstone at that time of the year. It will be pretty cold and you could have snow. It is much better weather in Utah.


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## Elan (Feb 3, 2010)

gstepic said:


> What would be a clincher is if UNM has a football game with Utah or BYU during that time frame. I am sports photographer for UNM so I could get a press pass to shoot the game and combine pleasurable work with pleasure (did a check and it looks like UNM plays at BYU on October 30th - would October 30th be too late for fall colors?).
> 
> Then there is soccer and volleyball so surely UNM will be playing BYU or Utah when we would visit - whoo hoo, that would be fun shooting an away game!
> 
> ...



  OT, but curious if you got to catch Elizabeth Lambert's actions in the UNM/BYU soccer game?  That was pretty appalling.


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## gstepic (Feb 3, 2010)

*No, I only shot one game of women's soccer*

I know selective film editing can distort reality. I think there is a lot of elbow throwing in soccer games and tripping as well so not sure if that famous film clip reflects who she is. I get to know many of the athletes because I am also a financial aid officer at UNM, but I do not know Elizabeth or many of the soccer players from this years team.

No matter what there is absolutly no excuse for pulling someone down by her pony tail, that could have broke her neck. I also don't like it when any player throws elbows or trips someone on purpose.

Personally I do not like to see "dirty play" in sports. To me there is a difference between playing tough and playing dirty. There are coaches that actually coach players to play dirty and those type should be fired in my view.

Gary


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## Elan (Feb 3, 2010)

gstepic said:


> I know selective film editing can distort reality. I think there is a lot of elbow throwing in soccer games and tripping as well so not sure if that famous film clip reflects who she is. I get to know many of the athletes because I am also a financial aid officer at UNM, but I do not know Elizabeth or many of the soccer players from this years team.
> 
> No matter what there is absolutly no excuse for pulling someone down by her pony tail, that could have broke her neck. I also don't like it when any player throws elbows or trips someone on purpose.
> 
> ...



  The footage everyone got to see was not in the context of the entire game, but I agree that her actions were inexcusable, nonetheless.  That's part of the reason I was curious as to whether you attended -- to find out if you could perhaps offer some additional context.  Thanks!


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## cotraveller (Feb 3, 2010)

gstepic said:


> When I pulled up a map of western RCI resorts I did not see anything in Colorado, which surprised me. We can always use our Wyndham points for a future trip to Steamboat Springs.
> 
> Gary



Sounds like you are narrowing in on Utah, which I must say has some beautiful scenery.  But concerning Colorado, a search of the online RCI resort directory shows me 74 RCI resorts in my state compared to 30 in Utah.  I wouldn't rule out Colorado based on a lack of resorts.  The period between Labor Day and the start of ski season is a slow time so you should find lots of availability in Colorado too.


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## BellaWyn (Feb 3, 2010)

*Colorado / Utah*

There is no bad scenery in either state!  Both photo worthy and spectacular almost any time of the year.  Yellowstone is difficult to trade into almost any time of the year, cold in the fall but still totally worth it!  

If you are focusing on games in Utah, Provo (BYU) is 3.5 hrs north from St. George and a little over an hour's drive from the Park City or Snowbird resorts.  We prefer PC over Snowbird.  

UofU is only 45 minutes west down Parley's Canyon from Park City and about 30 minutes north from Snowbird.  Pretty much all highway both directions.

St. George will get you Zion's and a whole slew of gorgeous canyons, plenty of hiking and warmer weather in mid-to-late fall with killer photo-ops.  Tourism to these areas falls off so the crowds are minimal.  

If you are considering Grand Canyon, best bet is Flagstaff.  Even going from St. George or LV makes a very long day.  Salt Lake will be crowded the first weekend in October so if you are considering that, definitely stay in Park City.


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## KevJan (Feb 3, 2010)

St. George is also busy the first weekend of October. The weather is St. George for the month of October is generally what I consider to be perfect high 70's to low 80's. However, an early cold front sometimes finds it way but doesn't stay long if it does. My favorite month of the year in St. George!


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## NWL (Feb 3, 2010)

This may be a little far for you, but Glacier National Park and the surrounding area is terrific in October.  The concessions are closed in the park by that time, but the park is open, the weather is nice and the scenery is beautiful.  I believe Meadow Lake Resort trades through RCI.  It would be an easy exchange with a studio.

Cheers!


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## gstepic (Feb 3, 2010)

*I really appreciate the suggestions*

I found out when I did my search on the RCI site for resorts I selected Utah so that explains why all the resorts I saw were in Utah and none in Colorado (duh).

Glacier National Park will be on our list but probably for another year. We have never been to the Northwest, Lake Tahoe, Idaho, and many other places in the west so still have a lot of exploring to do.


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## DaveNV (Feb 4, 2010)

Gary, I second John's suggestion about St. George.  We did that trip last Fall, from 9/26 to 10/3, and got the most amazing scenery shots ever.  Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon were incredible, but the best scenery of all was along Scenic Highway 12 between Bryce and Capitol Reef.  Entire mountain tops covered in Aspen trees, all blazing fire in their Fall colors.  It was absolutely awesome.

Dave


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## gstepic (Feb 4, 2010)

*We may start off in Park City and work our way down*

I think we may start our trip at Park City, book our resort for a week, then book a couple rooms in Southern Utah on the way back to Albuquerque. I like the idea of following the fall colors. 

I know it is hard to predict when fall colors will be at best because how wet or dry the summer is will impact when leaves change color. I am thinking of booking the week of Sept. 25th to Oct, 1st in Park City then spend Oct. 2nd and 3rd in Southern Utah. I would like to spend the 3rd near the north rim of the Grand Canyon, this way I can photograph morning and evening on the north rim. We could spend the 2nd in St. George. 

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, we can always tack a few days at St. George during our annual March Vegas trip to see more of the area. But I would love to see the area when the leaves are changing so I like the idea of spending a couple of nights in Southern Utah on our way back to Albuquerque.

Gary


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## Rose Pink (Feb 4, 2010)

Gary, if you don't have your heart set on the north rim, you could wend your way down the eastern part of Utah rather than the western (I-15) route.  You could see Moab, Arches NP, and Canyonlands NP that way as well as drive into Colorado to see Cortez, etc.


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## gstepic (Feb 4, 2010)

*Good idea, I am thinking of a different route to and from*

I may head to Park City that way and head back down the western side of Utah. I am now thinking of spending two nights in Kanab before we head back to Albuquerque.

Dang, it is hard to concentrate on work today! Because of this forum I am starting to nail down what I want to do. After work I am going to buy some maps to do more planning. I am requesting a ton of brochures from various travel sites.

So from your suggestion I may want to head north from Albuquerque on the eastern side of Utah, spend the last week in September in Park City, drive down the western part of Utah to St. George for something to eat, then head to Kanab for two nights (maybe three). It seems like there is a lot to see in the area. I think I would be following the colors as someone else suggested.

I think I will start another thread as to what resort to stay at in Park City. I will check out some reviews. I could also use help where to stay in Kanab or if there is a better location near the north rim.

Gary


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## John Cummings (Feb 4, 2010)

gstepic said:


> I think we may start our trip at Park City, book our resort for a week, then book a couple rooms in Southern Utah on the way back to Albuquerque. I like the idea of following the fall colors.
> 
> I know it is hard to predict when fall colors will be at best because how wet or dry the summer is will impact when leaves change color. I am thinking of booking the week of Sept. 25th to Oct, 1st in Park City then spend Oct. 2nd and 3rd in Southern Utah. I would like to spend the 3rd near the north rim of the Grand Canyon, this way I can photograph morning and evening on the north rim. We could spend the 2nd in St. George.
> 
> ...



You have a good plan. Take I-15 south to I-70 east to 24 and then follow 24 to Torrey UT. This is where scenic Hwy 12 starts and is also where Capital Reef National Park is. I would stay the night in Torrey at the Best Western Capital Reef. You can see the park in the afternoon and get an early start on Hwy 12. I would drive down Hwy 12 to Bryce Canyon National Park and stay the night there. I do not recommend taking the free park shuttle at Bryce as it doesn't do all of the scenic drive. It is best to drive the scenic drive in your car.

After Bryce, you can decide what you want to do. You can continue on to Zion or leave that for when you go to Las Vegas.

This will be a pretty leisurely drive giving you lots of opportunity for picture taking.

I cannot express how spectacular the scenery is. I have been all over Canada, USA, and Mexico and have never seen anything as spectacular as Hwy 12 and the National Parks along the way.


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## Rose Pink (Feb 4, 2010)

John Cummings said:


> You have a good plan. Take I-15 south to I-70 east to 24 and then follow 24 to Torrey UT. This is where scenic Hwy 12 starts and is also where Capital Reef National Park is. I would stay the night in Torrey at the Best Western Capital Reef. You can see the park in the afternoon and get an early start on Hwy 12. I would drive down Hwy 12 to Bryce Canyon National Park and stay the night there. I do not recommend taking the free park shuttle at Bryce as it doesn't do all of the scenic drive. It is best to drive the scenic drive in your car.
> 
> After Bryce, you can decide what you want to do. You can continue on to Zion or leave that for when you go to Las Vegas.
> 
> ...


 
I second the Highway 12 route.  We did it traveling the opposite way.  Either way, it is spectacular but not for the faint of heart.  There are many things to see along the way including Kodachrome Basin.


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## DaveNV (Feb 4, 2010)

In case you overlooked them, those two pictures in my previous post were taken during our trip along Highway 12 last Fall.  We hit the Aspens at the height of their color, but the winds were kicking up, and the leaves were flying.  I'm sure within another day or two the trees would be mostly bare.

There's your challenge, Gary:  When to hit Highway 12 on the best Fall day?  

We based out of St. George for the week, but only stayed four nights at the timeshare.  We spent a night at Best Western Ruby's Inn by Bryce, (so we could do sunset and sunrise there - awesome sunrise!), a night at the Best Western Capitol Reef in Torrey for Capitol Reef NP (beautiful scenery, but it rained, and snow was on the way). and then we spent a night inside Grand Canyon NP at the North Rim Lodge (another spectacular sunset and sunrise session.)  Check the Forever Resorts website for inside-the-park reservations.  http://www.grandcanyonlodgenorth.com/

Everyone needs to do this trip.  It's easy car driving, with scenic stops everywhere you look.  Hike some, picnic some, explore a lot - you'll never see it all.  But it's worth every second.

Dave


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