I never pass up a chance to plug my home town. There are a lot of interesting things to do in St. Louis.
The City Museum is weird and wonderful. It’s aimed more at kids, but I’ve been there as an adult and had a great time. City Museum - Wikipedia
Forest Park is massive and has many of the city’s cultural attractions. The Zoo, Art Museum, and History Museum are all there and all free. A lesser known but also enjoyable attraction in Forest Park is the Jewel Box, a greenhouse. That will set you back a whole dollar for admission, though. Jewel Box
Across town is the Missouri Botanical Garden, which is beautiful. It should be amazing this time of year. It’s not free, however.
If you’re into antiques and cute little shops, swing by Old Main Street in St. Charles, about 30 minutes west on I70. Walk along cobblestone streets, check out lots of stuff you don’t have a need to buy, and eat at one of the little cafes.
The Grand Canyon is awesome – for about ten minutes, after which it becomes a very very pretty ditch that you just went an hour out of your way to see. Unless you plan to go down into it or mark it off your checklist, it is probably not worth the effort. Canyonlands, by contrast, is just as pretty and not very far out of the way. From Cortez (Mesa Verde), up through Moab (Arches), over to Torrey (Goblin Valley, Capitol Reef), Escalante (awesome drive to Bryce) St. George (Red Canyon, Zion) and then into NV through the stunning Virgin River Canyon.
Oh, I almost forgot. Just east of St. Louis is Cahokia Mounds. Learn about a vast pre-Columbian civilization that built ginormous earthworks. The visitor center is fascinating, and climbing to the top of Monks Mound will be a good way to stretch the legs after the long drive. http://www.cahokiamounds.org/
Thanks for mentioning this, chacoguy. I’ve seen pictures of it, but never knew what or where it is.
We’re seriously thinking about going, and would like some more info about it. I gather from some research that you can only visit the canyon on tours guided by Navajos. Is that right? Some of the review said that the tours are crowded and that it’s hard to get good pictures (even on the photo tours) because there are so many people.
Can you describe your experience? When you went, which tour company, which tour, what it was like, etc.?
Also, if we spend a full day in Page, what else should we try to do?
FYI, we’ve decided to take the advice that some of you gave, and are saving Zion for after we get to Vegas. I’ll post our tentative itinerary in a few days.
Grrrr - missed edit window. I’m pretty sure we went to Lone Rock on our near-disastrous swimming trip. Oh, the swimming was fine (and fortunately the car key survived being left in my husband’s swim trunk pocket!!!) but the “parking area” is not paved and we were pretty worried when we got stuck in the sand.
Also if you’re staying in hotels, avoid the America’s Best Value Inn - it was probably the dumpiest place I’ve ever stayed.
A couple of threads from prior years: Ours, from 2010 ChefGuy’s, from 2012
While a lot of these discuss sites you may visit once you’re settled in Las Vegas, there might be some inspiration for your initial drive as well.
I have been twice, both times there were a lot of other people on the tour. You start in page, then ride a big open truck (pretty much seats on the back of a flatbed) to the canyon. You do have to go with Navajo guides. They walk you through the narrow part and then back again. It is a bit crowded, especially given that the canyon is only about 2-3 feet wide at the bottom. Still I had no problem taking pictures without people in them, mostly by looking up. Don’t have any of my pictures online right now to show examples.
There’s a HUGE power plant there, the Navajo Generating station. The slot is a few hundred yards to the west on the same highway (98?). The upper slot is several miles to the South and you will be driven there by the tour operators. The photos are better in the upper slot but it’s crowded and people are assholes. A tripod for photos is a must. Go in the middle of the day for the best light. Find a shaft of light, toss some dust into it and voila. You’re on the tour guide’s time so do a quick walk through and take your photos on the way out. In the lower slot (between the highway and the reservoir) you simply descend some steps and you’re in. It’s much windier so you can crop other folks out of your shots more easily. You can also take more time as you are walking. The stairs are steep like the ladders on a ship, so have stuff strapped to you so you can use both hands. The price for both tours is insultingly high, but remember, many Navajos don’t have indoor plumbing, so just pay it.
Other things to do are horseshoe bend on Hwy 89, ask locals for directions. There’s a tour of the dam, you can rent boats at the marina.
They’re showing a road closure on 89, you might have to continue across the dam and head over towards Zion.