[Second Amendment First]

Sounds like a great trip!
We love the mountains for hiking, flyfishing and watching wildlife. My wife first tried climbing in a class in the Grand Tetons about thirty years ago while I took the kids hiking. Our first trip to Colorado with them he decided he wanted to live there. And did.
Some people criticize others for the activities they enjoy but I say to each his own. My wife and I have always enjoyed some out there things, including sky diving.

[Night Hides Not]

I fell in love with Kanab, UT. It's a small town within a two hour drive of several NPs. We stayed at the "historic" Parry Lodge, where the movie stars resided when they filmed in the area.

I'm looking forward to being able to just take a month off and visit my sister in Reno. I can take a week (plus) to get there, stopping in Tucumcari (Route 66), then 2-3 nights in Kanab.

Radiator Springs in "Cars" was patterned after Tucumcari. The original Route 66 cuts through the middle of town, and a couple of motels were named in the movie's credits. O/T, the view from the top of the Moki Dugway in Utah closely approximates the view from the Wagon Wheel in Cars.

Now that I've located several wineries along the Colorado River in Utah, I'm ready for my next trip(s).