Question: Anne McKenna asks: I am planning a second trip to Kanab, Utah. On my first trip I flew to Las Vegas and drove from there. The drive east to Kanab was fine, but I did not enjoy the steep descent into Hurricane on the return trip. Can I get to Kanab via another airport such as Salt Lake City? A longer drive on a flatter route would be fine.

Answer: Lenora Folk, travel planner at the AAA office in St. George, Utah, answers: If you fly into Las Vegas, take I-15 north toward Hurricane, Utah. A portion of this route from exit 112 in Nevada to Hurricane is a AAA-designated scenic byway with many photo opportunities of the area’s natural beauty. In Hurricane, turn right on Main Street, and then immediately left on 100 South Street which is SR-59. Follow this road into Arizona, where it becomes SR-389. Stop at Pipe Spring National Monument enroute. Be sure to see the cultural exhibits at the Visitor Center and tour the fort if you have time.

Continue to Fredonia, Ariz., where a left turn onto northbound US-89 Alternate will take you seven miles straight into Kanab. This is a flatter route than SR-9, which goes through Zion National Park. This route does go through Hildale and Colorado City, the locations made infamous by Warren Jeffs and his underage polygamous communities. I suggest that you don’t stop there - keep driving!

Another alternative would be to fly into a closer airport - Page, Arizona - which would result in a gentle, shorter drive but almost certainly a more expensive flight. Although it’s an easy 75-mile drive on northbound US-89 to Kanab, the carrier that serves the Page airport tends to use small turbo prop aircraft.

Visit or call your local AAA office to make your final travel plans. You can plan your route to Kanab using TripTik Travel Planner. Be sure to use the drag-and-drop feature to modify the route to take SR-59 at Hurricane.