Day 1: A land of national parks, desert wilderness and green forests await us. We’re off to the Canyon­lands, passing over the western Kansas plains and eastern Colorado. Night in Denver.

2: We drive west along I-70 though the Rocky Mountains toward Utah. Shortly after crossing into Utah we leave the interstate and drive on highway 128 toward Moab. This highway, known as the Upper Colorado Scenic Byway follows the the Colorado River. As the river winds through the valley we are treated to scenic views of the La Sal Mountains. Night in Moab.

3: This morning we visit Arches National Park with the greatest concentration of stone arches in the world. Leaving Arches we travel through southwest Utah to Bryce Canyon City for the night.

4: We start our day with a tour in Bryce Canyon National Park which has some of the most colorful rocks on the earth’s crust. Next we drive to Zion National Park. Our mid-afternoon arrival allows time to visit the lodge before embarking on a guided tram tour to see how wind, water and time have transformed the park’s earthly elements into awesome canyons. Night in LaVerkin.

5: Today we enter Arizona traveling on Hwys 389 and 89A. Our noon stop is at the Cameron Trading Post before we enter Grand Canyon National Park. By late afternoon we arrive at Maswik Lodge near the South Rim. Night in Grand Canyon.

6: This morning we are free to enjoy the beauty of the Grand Canyon. You may choose to rise early to see the dramatic sunrise at the Canyon, ride the shuttle service that allows Canyon views from different locations or simply relax and enjoy the view from our hotel which sits near the rim of the Canyon. In the afternoon we travel to the northeastern Arizona town of Kayenta for the night.

7: Today we travel into southern Utah for an off-road tour in open air vehicles into Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park where isolated monoliths of red sandstone tower 1,000 feet above the valley floor. Following an included lunch we drive to Four Corners Monument where Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico join. Night in Cortez, CO.

8: A short ride takes us to some of the largest and best cliff dwellings in existence in Mesa Verde National Park. This afternoon we travel north. Night in Montrose.

9: Just east of Montrose we visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The park contains 14 miles of the narrowest portion of the canyon where the distance across at the rim is 1,100 feet and only 40 feet across near the riverbed below. We continue our journey east this afternoon to Colorado Springs for the night.

10: The beauty of the national parks and canyonlands of the southwest are fresh on our minds as we make our way back home.