We drove from Torry (Just west of Capitol Reef NP) to Cedar City. We stayed in Torry as a base for visiting Capitol Reef. Then we drove 12 through Escalante to Bryce. From there we took 89 south to Zion. On our way back north we left I15 in Cedar City and drove 12 from there to Panquitch where we took 89 north, so we missed a few miles on 12 between the two intersections with 89.

You can find lodging and restaurants around Torry (most), Boulder and Escalante. Rooms will be your basic motel and restaurants were okay, Mexican and Pizza were usually good. Most times on vacation we eat a good breakfast and dinner, but lunch is usually just snacks on the trail or in the car if driving.

What to see? Bryce - hike the lower trails, try to be on the rim for either sunrise or sunset. Capitol Reef or Escalante are great for longer hikes, but both are best if you have a 4-wheel drive. There are limited paved roads (other than Hwy 12), and some of the gravel can be pretty rough. We had a rental sedan so we were limited to what we could drive. However, the drive on 12 through this stretch is scenic. Cedar Creek has an amphitheater similar to Bryce, but smaller. Overnight we had 6" of snow in Bryce (Late October) and they had 20" up on the mountain in Cedar Breaks, so five days after the storm when we drove through we didn't do much more than pull off at the overlooks and trudge through the snow and ice to view the amphitheater. By then the road was clear, but since the park was mostly shut down, they hadn't plowed the overlooks or trail parking lots. The park facilities had shut down the end of September.

Two other interesting areas/places to visit in southwest Utah are the area around Kanab and Snow Canyon State Park north of St. George