7-10 days is enough time for a first trip. Make sure you visit Antelope Canyon on the trip when you're in the Page area. October is a great time to go and is my favorite time. I'm not sure when the leaves turn in Zion but you might consider going to Capitol Reef for a day or two. Highway 12 connects Bryce and Capitol Reef and is , IMO, the most beautiful road in America. If you go in very early October the Aspens on Boulder Mtn (on Highway 12 on the way to Capitol Reef) will be changing , if you go late October the Cottonwoods in Capitol Reef and the lower elevations of Highway 12 will change.. There is also a great (expensive, though not by NY standards) restaurant in Boulder, UT . http://www.hellsbackbonegrill.com/ and a good lodge. Guaranteed to impressthe wife!


I visited your site and the pics of Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are excellent, you have a great sense of composition!


Bill


PS - I have seen both rattlesnakes and scorpions in the area, but they are rare and unless you actively look for them you are unlikely to see them. In all my trips to the Wave I have seen only 1 scorpion and no snakes. IMO they are not a problem and I wouldn't be concerned.