seasalt

Our family needs to be in Portland, OR at the end of March for a family event. Since we're flying across the country anyway, we've decided to take advantage and check off some family bucket list items while we're out that way.

Our current plan is fly into Las Vegas, as we can inexpensively fly there nonstop from our hometown. We will be renting an RV for this part of our trip because our daughter has multiple anaphylactic food allergies and we need a kitchen in order to feed her safely. We could find hotels with kitchens, but for a trip like this where we're moving quickly it seems it'd be a hassle to wipe it all down and pack/unpack all of her safe stuff every day/night, etc. Aside from that, my husband thinks we should buy an RV and this will be somewhat of a trial run.

So we'll pick up the RV in Las Vegas and then we have two possible itineraries in mind:

1. Zion National Park, Grand Canyon (bucket list for me!!), Sedona, then over to Anaheim for a couple of days at Disneyland. Return the RV in LA and fly from LAX to Portland.

2. Head right to Anaheim, maybe with a detour for either Death Valley or Joshua Tree. Spend a couple of days at Disneyland then drive up the coast to San Francisco (I've heard it's beautiful), stopping for a night or two along the way. Return the RV in San Francisco and fly from SFO to Portland.

We have 7 nights for this part of the trip. It will be mid-March, probably 16th-23rd. Are either of these itineraries feasible in that time-frame? Better at that time of year? Anything you'd recommend cutting out either way? Overall which would be a better RV trip? The RV is pretty much a given on this trip for the reasons stated above. I feel like the RV may be better suited to the first itinerary but I don't know. Any feedback would be much appreciated as I know we need to get booking things!

Wilbur

Arizona advice:

In March, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and really all of Northern Arizona, can still have a large amount of snow. The North Rim will be closed until May 15, so if you choose the Zion and Sedona itinerary, the trip will need to circumnavigate the Canyon, either east along southern Utah through the Grand Staircase / Escalante National Monument, or along the west through the Hoover Dam to get to the South Rim. The western route along I-40 via Kingman to Williams is not very interesting driving, in my opinion.

I personally love the trip through the Zion tunnels and across the Escalante, as it is incredibly beautiful to look north up at the red cliffs, but it is a long way through Kanab to Page and down to the South Rim. Also, check the height of your RV, as the Zion tunnels have a maximum vehicle height limit.

The roads around Sedona have all been upgraded and improved in the last decade, so driving an RV aroung the Page Springs wineries, up the Oak Creek Canyon road, through Cornville to Cottonwood, etc. ought to be much less harrowing than it used to be. The Mingus Mountain and Yarnell Hill roads on either side of Prescott, however, are still narrow, twisty, and dangerous.

Summary for the Arizona route: Check your RV height to make sure you can get through the Zion tunnels, and take the route through southern Utah and around the eastern side of the Grand Canyon. Watch out for weather issues, in particular snow closures. Avoid taking an RV on 89A north of Prescott or on 89 south of Prescott. Do not exceed the speed limit in Wickenburg.

djp98374

in mid March can still be winter in southern Utah and northern Arizona/ North rim is closed but south rim is open.

Weatther isn't an issue iin death valley and Joshua tree.

You could go to death valley to grand canyon to Joshua tree to LA

amanuensis

DenverBrian

If you choose #2 , I'd add Yosemite on the way to SF. Death Valley gets my vote over Joshua Tree.

stablemate77

like this one just rent car go to disney 3 hrs from vegas come back rent rv head north see the west on way to portland

Loren Pechtel

I'll second the warning about the snow. Zion and the Grand Canyon are both pretty high altitude, expect white stuff at that time of year. It's certainly possible (some of my hiking companions are going to the canyon in a few weeks) but not for everyone.

YVR Cockroach

Adjust your driving time up and estimated average speed down. RVs are slow, and will consume a lot more fuel if pushed to travel at normal sedan speeds. If driving a Class C, think U-Haul moving van.

Loren Pechtel

And beware of the hills, they'll sap your speed also.