The statement: "...I won't have time to stop and get checked out "
bothers me a bit because it reveals that you may need a personal-minimums
attitude adjustment before taking on this trek, if you ask me.

At 120 hours (only twice the average hours of a student pilot), no
instrument rating, and I'm guessing not too many hours in-type, and
confronting strange weather patterns, terrain, altitudes and airports, you
SHOULD take the time to get some training or getting checked out between now
and June for the VFR typicals of each area you intend to visit. Consider at
least starting your instrument course. Perhaps one or two advance trips to
each area going commercial for some instruction. You may not intend to go
mountain flying but you may not have a choice if you find yourself playing
ring-around-the-rosie with TSRA while hop-scotching upslopes, lenticulars
and rotors.

Just my $0.02.

"flyboy909" wrote in message
om...
My wife and I are planning a cross country excursion in our new (to
us) Beech Sundowner in late June. We're based in the Northeast and
our plan is to fly out to Manhatten Kansas to see family for a day,
then on to the Grand Canyon area, and then to Denver before flying
back.

I am a 120 hour pilot with no mountain time so I was going south by
way of Las Vegas, New Mexico or Santa Fe and then on to either Grand
Canyon National or Kanab. I figure Kanab (about 4500 ft) is central
to Bryce, Zion, etc so maybe we rent a car there and use it as a base.
Alternative would be to fly up to Bryce Canyon but that airport is at
7500 feet and density altitude concerns me that time of year. I'd
appreciate any input on this.

If we do end up north of the Grand Canyon at Kanab or Bryce, is there
any reasonable way back to Denver without retracing our way south
through Santa Fe area.. maybe through La Veta pass? I don't want to
do any technical mountain flying for obvious reasons and I won't have
time to stop and get checked out.

Any other advice as far as the general plan, stops, etc would be
appreciated.