5/22, depart at 8am. Checked into hotel in Grand Canyon at 1:30pm. 2pm, I took a trans-canyon bus to North Rim Lodge, and arrived shortly before 7pm. Not much sunset to speak of: too smokey.
5/23, day hike from North Rim to South Rim, with a short detour to Ribbon Falls.
5/24 Saturday, drove east out of the park, stopping at Grand View, Moran Point, Tusayan Ruin, Lipan Point, Navajo Point, and Desert View. All worth stopping with jaw-dropping views, other than the ruin. From the last couple of viewpoints, you can see a little of Colorado River. 
I really like the watchtower at Desert View by Mary Colter. Circular balconies inside with windows for the view outside. Plastered wall with native themed decoration, delightful.
After a stop at the Little Colorado River Canyon (a Navajo tribal park - not worth a stop after Grand Canyon - no water), we headed to Page. 89 is closed, using the newly paved 89T (T for temporary). Rain started. The dam visitor center's last tour was sold out. I inquired about the dirt Cottonwood Canyon Rd. Was strongly advised to avoid after a rain (the clay-like dirt will be sticky). Wahweap Overlook is a nice stop to view the western end of Lake Powell. The 0.5-mile Hanging Garden trail isn't very interesting: plants grow on rocks due to a small water seep. #mediaviewer/File:Horseshoe_Bend_with_14mm_Lens_on_Nikon_D800e.jpg)
5 miles south of the bridge on 89 is Horseshoe Bend of Colorado River. Walk a half mile in sand to the edge of vertical canyon walls to see the deep green water making an 180 degree turn. Vertical canyon walls. As evening approached, we drove a 270° detour to Cannonville for the night. 
5/25 Sunday. Kodachrome State Park, $8, 9 miles south of Cannonville, just off Hwy 12. The specialty here is the monolithic spire. We first hiked Angel's Palace trail, 1.5 miles. Many Sego Lily - Utah state flower. They are adorable. Great view of the Kodachrome basin. Then, we hiked the Shakespeare Arch trail. Not as scenic. The arch is small.
Hwy 12 is a worthwhile drive all by itself, especially between the town of Escalante and Boulder. The view is exceptionally good as it drops down to Escalante River and comes back up. All the pink stripes on the rocks is fascinating. 
On the way back we stopped to hike the Lower Calf Creek Falls (BLM managed, part of the Grand Staircase Escalante national monument). All campsites by the creek are taken, being a long weekend. 
6.2 miles R/T. A mostly leveled the trail to a 126 foot lower falls adjacent to Calf Creek. 14.4 miles NE of Escalante, 1.1 miles N of Escalante River bridge on UT 12. Quite a lot of flowers, especially Globemallow. Very sandy. Lots of little worms the last mile. Some mosquitos as the sun sets. The fall is pleasant and cool. It seems like it's possible to scramble up to see upper falls. The hike itself is spectacular: walking on the spacious canyon floor of tall pink granite walls.
5/26, 1°C at Bryce Sunrise Point at 6:03am, elevation 8015'. Back to hotel for my parents. 
First stop is Sunset Point for the 1.3 mile Navajo Loop. It's really a highlight. You get to go down to the bottom of the hoodoos, looking up to the red columns and trees. We then stopped at Inspiration Point and Bryce Point, both are incredibly stunning. We drove the the southern tip: Rainbow Point - a bit of a disappointment. There's another stop which shows a stone arch (natural bridge). None as splendid as the points around/in Bryce Amphitheatre.
Hwy 12 west of Bryce is also very pretty. It passes through Red Canyon, 13 miles west of Bryce. A good stop with easy trails in red hoodoos. No fee required. Friendly staff, few visitors. Much warmer than Bryce.
Hwy 9 entering Zion national park is amazing. Giant slabs of granite walls with curved lines, next to the highway. Too close to take a good photo. Then you drive in a tunnel in the giant slab, until you reach the canyon floor to cross Virgin River.
5/27, 32°C at Zion. We took the park shuttle bus (no private vehicle is allowed in Zion Canyon in summer) to the very end, and walked along the river to the Narrows. Flat, trees offer some shade, dripping water on the tall walls lined with yellow columbine. Very pleasant. Didn't have any water shoes to go into the Narrows. Stopped at Zion Lodge for ice cream and lunch. The line for ice cream was really long. We had to wait a bit more because the ice cream didn't have enough time to freeze well. Hiked to Weeping Rock (not recommended, even though it's short), which is quite similar to the dripping walls along the river walk. Hiked to the Emerald Pools (lower, middle and upper). Again, not worth the effort (rocky/sandy trail to the upper pool). The pools are bathtub side, and not really emerald color, and crowded. Did see a goat on the wall behind the upper pool.
After dinner, we drove on Kolob Terrace road to its very end - a reservoir (allegedly good finish). The middle section is very scenic and open. Almost no cars. Some ranches. Trailheads for Subway and other slot canyon trails/climbs.
5/29, Saint George is the closest Utah city to Vegas, on my way to the airport. Founded as a cotton mission in 1861 under the direction of Brigham Young. The cotton venture was not a success, but Young spent his winter here. Free guided tours are offered every day to his winter house, the beautiful white Mormon Church, the Tabernacle, lead by Mormon missionaries from all over the country. 
I learned that both boy (at 18) and girl (at 19) are to serve the church for 18/24 months. Some apply for missionary position after they retire (can server a shorter term). No stipend, but housing provided.
