Vacation ideas for next April?

[Exterous]

We've got just over a week and are thinking about heading to places like Montana, Idaho, the Dakotas etc. We like hiking but not the overnight\camping type and I'm not sure how good the hiking weather would be in April. We would probably fly into one city and then do a road trip hitting several places before flying back out of another city. I'd also prefer to try and avoid the large spring break crowds if thats a possibility.

Kinda broad but anyone have any recommendations?

 

[dullard]

While I haven't hiked those areas in April, the weather is probably not going to cooperate very well. For example, in Yellowstone (which touches two of the states you are talking about) you can't hike many of the trails except for in July due to snow covering the entire trail. You can see the geysers, paint pots, and most other things, but the hiking is very limited. In April, I go to Utah for hiking.

Slot canyons all around:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...safe=active&tbm=isch&q=escalante+slot+canyons

You think you are on Mars near Escalante:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...hUKEwjzg7i7u5DSAhWD4yYKHZERCTcQ_AUICCgD&dpr=1

Stunning Arches National Park:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...1#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=arches+national+park

Surreal Bryce Canyon (will be winter there, which makes it even better)
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...CgD&dpr=1#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=bryce+canyon

Canyonlands:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...e=active&tbm=isch&q=canyonlands+national+park

Zion is great, although you might not be able to do the river walk in April if the snow melt is high:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...r=1#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=zion+national+park

So instead, go Canyoneering (great for those age ~6 to ~86 of all fitness levels):
http://www.zionadventures.com/courses/courses/advanced-canyoneering-course/

 

[SaltyNuts]

Went to Hawaii recently. Was really cool, I recommend it.

 

[PricklyPete]

Came in to say Utah. Specifically The National Parks and Monuments in Southern Utah. Moab/Arches, Canyonlands, Zion, and soooo much more.

 

[Exterous]

While I haven't hiked those areas in April, the weather is probably not going to cooperate very well. For example, in Yellowstone (which touches two of the states you are talking about) you can't hike many of the trails except for in July due to snow covering the entire trail. You can see the geysers, paint pots, and most other things, but the hiking is very limited. In April, I go to Utah for hiking.

Kinda what I was afraid of. I was trying to think of places I can use my delta voucher to get to before it expires that Southwest doesn't serve well from DTW. Those areas fit the bill exactly but the dates don't seem to work well from a weather standpoint. Might have to rethink my strategy

Went to Hawaii recently. Was really cool, I recommend it.

We really liked it to although we are trying to hit all 50 states before we do too much repeating.

 

[turtile]

Are you limited to that area of the country? I'm heading to NV-AZ and Mexico this April. It's a great time of the year to see spring blooms in the Sonoran Desert which stretches from CA down through Sonora MX.

It's also a great time of year for the Smoky Mountains (but it will be packed) and the Gulf States (Alabama - haven't been there yet but they have a lot of not very well known areas that are unique, Northern FL etc.).

 

[Dr. Detroit]

I was in Escalante, Bryce, Zion the first week of April last year.

Weather was gorgeous in Zion with highs in the 50's. Moved to Bryce at 7000 ft in elevation and was hiking through snow ice and temps as low as 22 at night with daily highs at 37 degrees. Moved to Escalante & Kodachrome and had fine weather at 55 degrees during the day and mid 30's at night.

Headed south due to a big storm coming our way and hit Flagstaff. Woke up to 4 inches of snow on the ground and trudged to the Grand Canyon where it 36 degrees and 20mph winds.

Zion was a zoo of people. Bryce was empty, Escalante was a ghost town, Kodachrome was dead quiet. Grand Canyon was a zoo.

Fly into Vegas and head to Utah. Hotels can be had pretty easily with the exception of Zion as its really busy on the weekends.

I would like to spend a month in Escalante - have some multi-day backpacking routes planned and there are SO MANY trails and backcountry hikes you can do to explore. Little Calf Creek Falls is amazing, slot canyons are everywhere, ruins and ancient drawings are all over the place. We did a backcountry hike to a unmarked slot canyon and did not see another soul the entire 6 miles.

 

[BoomerD]

While I haven't hiked those areas in April, the weather is probably not going to cooperate very well. For example, in Yellowstone (which touches two of the states you are talking about) you can't hike many of the trails except for in July due to snow covering the entire trail. You can see the geysers, paint pots, and most other things, but the hiking is very limited. In April, I go to Utah for hiking.

Slot canyons all around:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...safe=active&tbm=isch&q=escalante+slot+canyons

You think you are on Mars near Escalante:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...hUKEwjzg7i7u5DSAhWD4yYKHZERCTcQ_AUICCgD&dpr=1

Stunning Arches National Park:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...1#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=arches+national+park

Surreal Bryce Canyon (will be winter there, which makes it even better)
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...CgD&dpr=1#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=bryce+canyon

Canyonlands:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...e=active&tbm=isch&q=canyonlands+national+park

Zion is great, although you might not be able to do the river walk in April if the snow melt is high:
https://www.google.com/search?q=esc...r=1#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=zion+national+park

So instead, go Canyoneering (great for those age ~6 to ~86 of all fitness levels):
http://www.zionadventures.com/courses/courses/advanced-canyoneering-course/

Yep, we were in Yellowstone last year in mid-May...it snowed like mad several days when we were there. They opened the road over Dunraven pass while we were there. 10+ feet of snow on the sides of the road where they had carved through some of the drifts. It was like driving through a snow canyon. Cool, but...:brr: We left in a near-blizzard snowstorm. We lived about 150 miles south of Yellowstone in Wyoming for a while. In the high country, you never know for sure when a storm will pop over the mountains and drop 6" of snow on you. The PNW SHOULD be nice in April...but there will probably be some snow in the high country. If you've never been there, the Olympics (and Olympic National Park) are worthy of a couple of days...or more) Plus, there's Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and a bit farther, the North Cascades National Park.

 

[Exterous]

Are you limited to that area of the country? I'm heading to NV-AZ and Mexico this April. It's a great time of the year to see spring blooms in the Sonoran Desert which stretches from CA down through Sonora MX.

Not really but thats an area of the country we haven't been able to get to yet and has better Delta service than Southwest service from DTW. Our schedule gets full pretty far out so if we don't end up going April next year there's a good chance summer 2019 will be the next earliest opportunity. Thats not a bad thing so if its likely the weather won't be preferable (which it is sounding like that is the case) we can wait

Yep, we were in Yellowstone last year in mid-May...it snowed like mad several days when we were there. They opened the road over Dunraven pass while we were there. 10+ feet of snow on the sides of the road where they had carved through some of the drifts. It was like driving through a snow canyon. Cool, but...:brr: We left in a near-blizzard snowstorm. We lived about 150 miles south of Yellowstone in Wyoming for a while. In the high country, you never know for sure when a storm will pop over the mountains and drop 6" of snow on you. The PNW SHOULD be nice in April...but there will probably be some snow in the high country. If you've never been there, the Olympics (and Olympic National Park) are worthy of a couple of days...or more) Plus, there's Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and a bit farther, the North Cascades National Park.

The PNW does sound like a decent opportunity but we'd be going in early April which seems to still be in range of the rainy season

 

[dullard]

Kinda what I was afraid of. I was trying to think of places I can use my delta voucher to get to before it expires that Southwest doesn't serve well from DTW.

That basically describes Mexico. Southwest flies there only during spring break as far as I can tell, and then only on certain days of the week. Yet Delta (and their probable merger with AeroMexico) both fly there.

I've been to Mexico in January and February. And the weather was great. April might be getting a little hot, but shouldn't be too bad yet.

Guanajuato is a wealthy college town that is vibrant, safe, and not yet discovered by tourists:
https://www.google.com/search?q=gua...ved=0ahUKEwjq85i2qJLSAhXBwiYKHW5uDzMQ_AUICCgD

San Miguel de Allende is similar to Guanajuato, a little less wealthy, and has been discovered by tourists, so English is spoken everywhere:
https://www.google.com/search?q=gua...#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=san+miguel+de+allende

Mexico City and the Yucatan Peninsula (see Chichen Itza and the areas south of Cancun) are quite safe and enjoyable trips. All of these would be just one stop when flying. Plus with the peso plunging in value, hotels and food are nearly free unless you go to a high-end resort or very high end restaurant.

 

[glenn1]

OP, who is the "we" you're referring to? You and an adult significant other, you plus spouse and children, you plus ______?

 

[Exterous]

That basically describes Mexico. Southwest flies there only during spring break as far as I can tell, and then only on certain days of the week. Yet Delta (and their probable merger with AeroMexico) both fly there.

I'm pretty sure Southwest flies to Mexico year round - certainly from Feb to the end of their schedule in August. Hobby has flights every day to Mexico City from now until the end of their schedule release in August and I'm pretty sure Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are the same. We previously flew to Cancun in November on them. Now their international flight search sucks and flat out refuses to auto generate international flights with 2+ connections but you can still string them together manually. Mexico isn't a bad consideration though. I'm musing over Costa Rica too but haven't checked their weather yet

OP, who is the "we" you're referring to? You and an adult significant other, you plus spouse and children, you plus ______?

Good question. Just me and the wife

 

[dullard]

I'm pretty sure Southwest flies to Mexico year round - certainly from Feb to the end of their schedule in August. Now their international flight search sucks and flat out refuses to auto generate international flights with 2+ connections but you can still string them together manually.

That might be true, as I can't seem to find exact flight dates. But if you go to Southwest's Flight Schedules website, they only have flights in Feb and March listed (click on the left arrow to change the dates on this link to Feb or early to mid Mar):

https://www.southwest.com/air/fligh...DTW&scheduleViewType=weekly&timeOfDay=ALL_DAY

So, I have given up trying to force Southwest to work. Maybe I should try harder next time and go with manually selecting individual flights.

 

[Exterous]

So, I have given up trying to force Southwest to work. Maybe I should try harder next time and go with manually selecting individual flights.

"Easiest" way I've found to look at options is to use their route map and look at direct flight options to your international destination. Then see if any of those 'gateway cities' have a direct flight back to your origination city. If not then that means there are 2+ connections which means availability rarely shows on their website. Sometimes it won't even work if its 1 connection as Southwest has some odd rules on international routing. For example there is a limit on how long your layover can be on an itinerary with an international flight on it and I believe its 4 hours max. (This might also be true for a domestic ticket. Never run into it domestically one way or another) Thus it can't handle a flight starting 4 hours after your last flight lands as it can't 'check you in' for your flight. So that throws out a fair number of options including late night flights to a gateway city connecting with an early morning flight that other airlines can do.

Not super user friendly but I've strung several trips together myself that don't show as options on their website. It can cost more though (and, rarely, less) but its something I'm willing to put up with in exchange for the companion pass

https://www.southwest.com/flight/routemap_dyn.html

https://www.southwest.com/air/fligh...HOU&scheduleViewType=weekly&timeOfDay=ALL_DAY

https://www.southwest.com/air/fligh...HOU&scheduleViewType=weekly&timeOfDay=ALL_DAY

 

[turtile]

I'm pretty sure Southwest flies to Mexico year round - certainly from Feb to the end of their schedule in August. Hobby has flights every day to Mexico City from now until the end of their schedule release in August and I'm pretty sure Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are the same. We previously flew to Cancun in November on them. Now their international flight search sucks and flat out refuses to auto generate international flights with 2+ connections but you can still string them together manually. Mexico isn't a bad consideration though. I'm musing over Costa Rica too but haven't checked their weather yet

Costa Rica is dry and hot in March and slowly starts the rainy season in July. I went to one of the wettest parts of Costa Rica in March years ago and the rain forest was wilting from record heat and drought. April is actually one of the peak times there and considered ideal.

Also, central Mexico is pretty cool in April if you'd like to avoid a lot of heat. It has a large pine-oak forest with many areas low in population. I will go through part of this in Chihuahua but I'll be in Sonora most of the time which is desert.

 

[Carson Dyle]

April/May is the mud season in much of the rockies. Probably not so bad in the Dakotas, but I'd check with some local resources to be sure. Here in northern Colorado, March and April are the biggest snow months of the year. I wouldn't be planning a trip in advance to do much hiking until late May or June.