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I'm visiting the US in September, as I won a travel award of £800 pounds from my University (I'm studying Fine Art at Kingston Uni, UK). I proposed to go to Utah and Arizona and see some of the National Parks, especially the Dark Sky at Arches National Park.
But I really kind of have no idea what I'm getting into, since I've never traveled on my own before. So I wanted to ask some advice from people who have traveled in the US before or people who live there!
So here are the most immediate questions I have:
1. What kind of clothing would be appropriate for Utah/Arizona in mid-September?
2. How much time would it reasonably take in order to properly see a place like Bryce Canyon or Zion National Park?
3. Is public transport good enough for me to get around or should I hire a car?
Also, I want to ask whether you guys have any US travel experiences you'd like to share, or any pearls of wisdom you might have to offer!
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You Should definitively rent a car... Public transport suck in america xD
well it did when i visited
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1: It's going to be roughly 37-40 C during the entire time you're there. Dress how you like for that. Bring a Hat & sunscreen as well.
2) The area you want to go is larger than France and there is areas where you could be 100 miles from any city with more than 1k people. You need a car.
3) You need a car. There's just no way around it. I've driven most of that area a few times. Bring a MP3 player. There is a LOT of time between getting to places.
When traveling the USA, outside of the NYC, Washtington DC axis, think of it like traveling the entire length of England & Scotland as a "day's travel". There's a reason public transport doesn't work well in the USA, it's just a massive expanse in most of country. There's a lot to see, but it's REALLY spread out.
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1. What kind of clothing would be appropriate for Utah/Arizona in mid-September?
2. How much time would it reasonably take in order to properly see a place like Bryce Canyon or Zion National Park?
3. Is public transport good enough for me to get around or should I hire a car?
1. Shorts, T-Shirt would probably be fine. I think they have some cold nights though.
2. Uhm, most of those places are either a full day or half a day (can do 2 that are close to each other a day).
3. You would need a car(or a motorcycle, possibly), especially way out there in the country.
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I live in Palm Springs in California, so the weather here is about the same as Arizona in general. Mid September is nice weather, shorts/t shirt for the most part, maybe jeans and slightly heavier clothing at night, but its guaranteed to be pretty hot the vast majority of the time. Drink a ton of water too, every year we get deaths and hospitalizations from people who visit from colder climates and can't handle themselves in the heat.
Come to think of it, I love warm weather though. I keep my house at 86 farenheit, sometimes warmer, and its going to be about 115-120 this weekend
I've no idea about how long it would take...
If you're visiting big tourist places, there should be bus transportation out of tour agencies and what-not; regardless, renting a car is definitely the way to go for big expanses of country where public transportation is spotty
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1: Don't bring a bomb
2: Don't say you part of a terrorist organizations even for a laugh
3: They have guns don't piss them hicks of
4: ......
5: profit
User was warned for this post
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Well, glad I found this since I actually live in Utah, down in Moab.
First off, GOOD FUCKING CHOICE. Utah is prolly the most beautiful state in the lower 48 (Alaska wins no matter what) but you will NEED a car of some kind if you wish to really see the good shit.
Canyonlands, Arches, and the San Rafael swell are the places you MUST go in Utah and the proper way to have a good time is to bring a tent and such, and just drive around, park somewhere really cool, and go walk down some crazy canyon, and set up camp somewhere.
The Swell is most likely the craziest, weirdest, most alien landscape you will ever see in your life. It used to be a massive coral reef system back when this part of the world was underwater. Now it all crazy as fuck slot canyons you need to be kinda skinny at times to get through. It's hard to find though, so look at some maps and get a good idea of where it is and such.
Moab and all the surrounding area is fucking amazing. Come here and just explore......seriously, you just drive 15 minutes out of town, drive down some dirt road, park the car, and you're in the fucking wild ass desert.
We got rocks like you wouldn't fucking believe son.
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1. Arizona will certainly be warm in September, but cool at night. It'll depend where you are in Utah. Bring a variety of cloths and at least a medium-weight jacket.
2. I haven't been to either of those parks, but it's probably reasonable to dedicate between 3 hours and a full day for a park (unless you're camping). You can see a lot in a short time, or you can spend several days. Depending on the park, there may be tours of specific park features (which are generally affordable). Check the websites for the parks you want to see.
3. Public transit/walking is totally fine in most cities, but getting from town to town is more difficult. You'll have to buy a ticket for a bus or train, which will generally mean planning ahead (there aren't many intercity routes). You can rent a car, but it may get expensive and you'll need an American or International license (research specifics). With £800 (probably like $1300, but I don't know the exact rate), you will likely not want to rent a vehicle unless it's only for a day or so at a time. Taking a taxi anywhere is pretty expensive, especially if you're going long distances.
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1.You really need some shorts, and t-shirts for the blazing hot days. Carry a light jacket for the cooler nights. In that area of the world the temp can go across the entire spectrum of hot to cold so be prepared.
2. You should plan on at least a day per park that you want to visit. Any less than that and you'll be spending more time travelling than anything else. Even if that means you only get to see 3-4 parks, that would be better than only spending an hour or two at all of them.
3. The only real public transportation you could use for going to those parks is like a Coach bus tour. You could purchase a tour of all the parks and the Coach would take you around to them and give you time to see them.
If those types of tours aren't your style you'll have to rent a car, almost no public transportation in that part of the country.
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Are you planning to stay in a hotel? Because those are pretty expensive, your 800 pounds not gonna last.
As was said before car is a must. You should not rent cheapest, as premium cars should be less then 10-15% more, but would be much more comfortable.
If not you should look into camping in those parks (may require additional cheap permit + 20-30 minute class). Get inverter to charge your electrical equipment in the car.
Not sure if you want to take pictures. If yes, do not bring camera that discharges quickly. Maybe learn some about photography, as it is going to be bright.
I would recommend at least 2 nights per park. So you get full day of exploring park see sunrise/sunset. This should give you plenty of time to see everything. That is of course if you are camping, not sure how hotels will work out.
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On July 03 2011 02:40 Elbonbunny wrote:
1: Don't bring a bomb
2: Don't say you part of a terrorist organizations even for a laugh
3: They have guns don't piss them hicks of
4: ......
5: profit
so helpful
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Look up the places you want to visit before leaving and try to put together a plan and have your expenses mapped out ahead of time. You WILL need to rent a car. (Drive on the right side of the road, too... )
Contact the parks you want to visit, they may have organized tours and particular hours they are open. Make sure to budget your money because between rental cars, gas, and lodging, it will be spent quickly, and that's before food.
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United States24514 Posts
My parents were just on a trip to the Southwest recently so I'll forward their advice to you.
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You're definitely gonna need a car. America doesn't have public transportation, because that's for communists.
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Arches national park is amazing... you are going to love it.
You don't necessarily need to rent a car... the arches website actually recommends taking a shuttle or taxi. Renting a car will probably be a lot more convenient, and possibly cheaper. On the downside, driving and finding your own way adds a level of stress that you may not want to deal with. It really depends on what you are comfortable with.
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Try not to freak out while driving.
When I drove on your roads it was the scariest fucking thing for me sitting in the right side of the car driving on the left side of the road.
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1. Like everyone else has said, bring warm weather clothing for the day and sweatshirts/light weight jackets for at night. If you plan on camping, make sure you have enough blankets, as nothing sucks more that waking up chilled through and stiff.
2. The amount of time you should spend at a park depends on what you plan to do there. Just want to see the major attraction sites and take some pictures? Plan for a whole day (which will include travel there and back to whether you are staying, or enough time to set up camp). Things are very spread out here, so it may take 3-6 hours between each park, and you don't want to try to cram more than one into a day, or you won't get to enjoy it.
3. Public transport is certainly NOT good enough for you to get anywhere, unless you go to one of the coastal cities. In Utah/Arizona you 100% should rent a car. Make sure you stock water in the car, and a good map. Pay attention to signs that say things like "No gas station for 100 miles", etc. In fact, I would probably bring some extra gas just in case. It would really, really suck to break down or run out of gas in the middle of the desert, of a place you've never been to, with no cell phone service, and have to walk a majillion miles to civilization. (Try to stick to the main roads rather than take little back roads, it's safer for someone who doesn't know the area.) Of course, this is September, not July, so the probability of you dying out in the middle of nowhere is incredibly low. BUT STILL take some precautions. Also, learn enough about cars so you don't do stupid things, like open your radiator cap until your car has had sufficient time to cool down if something does happen. (I know several extremely dumb people from that part of the country who got severe steam burns from doing this when their car broke down middle of the summer.)
4. While you're wandering around up there, if you have time, I suggest you visit Mesa Verde. Technically it's over the border into Colorado, but only about an hour or two there, and it's an incredible place. The land looks completely uninhabited, and then you make your way down into the little canyons, and there are entire cities standing under the rock in beautiful condition. Very eerily beautiful.
I would say visit Great Sand Dunes National Park as well, but I think that's a bit too far east for you. I suggest looking through the National and State Park websites, and if anything grabs your attention, see if you can fit it in.
5. People are generally quite friendly, so don't be afraid to ask questions if you get lost or don't understand something. Try to get your head around just how enormously spread out everything is here (you may drive 3 hours and see no cars, no homes, no people), and the time it's going to take you to travel places. Also try to plan your stops, because of how long it may be before you hit another place to stop again. If you have to use the side of the road, no one is going to begrudge you watering the grass out there. Be careful not to hit deer or cattle, especially if driving at night. If you don't know how to read a map well, I REALLY SUGGEST YOU LEARN. Satellite GPS is extremely unreliable, as are cell phones once you get out of the major cities.
6. Have fun, and try some real Mexican food if you can get your hands on it. 
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On July 03 2011 02:36 Taf the Ghost wrote:
1: It's going to be roughly 37-40 C during the entire time you're there. Dress how you like for that. Bring a Hat & sunscreen as well.
2) The area you want to go is larger than France and there is areas where you could be 100 miles from any city with more than 1k people. You need a car.
3) You need a car. There's just no way around it. I've driven most of that area a few times. Bring a MP3 player. There is a LOT of time between getting to places.
When traveling the USA, outside of the NYC, Washtington DC axis, think of it like traveling the entire length of England & Scotland as a "day's travel". There's a reason public transport doesn't work well in the USA, it's just a massive expanse in most of country. There's a lot to see, but it's REALLY spread out.
Pretty much answered all the questions.
Car is an absolute need. It's going to be very hot and sunny. Depending how much you want to see I'd give a day per National park imo.
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They actually won't try to convert you in Utah. Anywhere outside of Utah, yeah, you get used to the Mormons at the door. But, they're also extremely nice, so don't worry about that.
Also, as your posting from the UK, I'm going to assume you have a British accent. You can use that to your advantage. American women generally love it, for whatever reason.
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EPT
