Sometimes you go on a vacation and can’t imagine the next stop topping the one you just left. This was one of those vacations. Each day we found ourselves in shock and awe of the pure beauty we were encountering. We saw God’s majesty and left renewed. We ventured to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Goblin Valley State Park, and Grand Canyon West.
Coming from Florida, it was like we had ventured to another world!
Upon landing in Las Vegas we jumped into our rental minivan, stuffed the luggage in, and prayed the back wouldn’t bust open from being overloaded. When packing for Utah in March you never know what kind of weather you might have. We were prepared for it all and a good thing since we went from the 20 degrees F to the ’80s!
Our Trip started in Zion National Park where we spent the day hiking Riverside walk, Emerald Pools, and Canyon Overlook Trail. We started the day with snow falling, everything covered in white, and the tops of the mountains not visible due to the snow clouds. As we hiked the snow stopped, the sun came out and the green peeked through. By the end of the day, we had a totally different picture of Zion. What a treat it was!
The next day we drove to Bryce Canyon National Park and were greeted with more snow than any of us had ever seen! It was glorious! Seeing the red rock of the hoodoos covered topped with bright white snow was like a masterpiece painting! The ranger warned us not to go down the switchback, and instead, to head to Sunset Rim, to Queen’s Garden, to Navajo Loop, and eventually ending with a climb UP the switchback. Being Floridian’s, we had no idea what we were in for hiking on snow and ice. As we started our adventure we noticed people with special shoes or spikes added to their shoes. We wondered why they had those on. It wasn’t too far into the hike we got our answer as we slipped and skidded over the icy terrain. Somehow we made it all 4 miles without falling, injuries, or toppling over the side with 4 kids. It ranks as my favorite hike because it truly was an adventure to remember!
The next day, on our drive to Moab, we stopped at Capitol Reef National Park. Having done the least amount of research for this park on what trails to take, we relied heavily on the advice from the ranger. We didn’t have a lot of time but wanted to see the best the park had to offer. The first stop was the Petroglyphs. Being our first time seeing anything like this we all stood in awe at the drawlings. Next up, per the ranger’s advice, we ventured to Grand Wash Trail. My husband and teenage boys were all very bummed we couldn’t hike the Narrows in Zion, but this Ranger pointed out these canyons would give us an idea of the scope of canyon walls narrowing in. We felt so small walking through and our kids had a blast exploring all the nooks and crannies! We only saw 2 other families the entire trail and most of the time we were all alone walking in wonder.
Finally, we made it to Moab late that night. Because it was dark while we were driving in we had no idea we had driven through so many wonderful red canyons and mountains. When we awoke at the lodge and looked outside, we found stunning red rock all around! We couldn’t wait to get out and see more!
On our first day in Arches National Park, we explored Balanced Rock, The Windows, and Double Arch. This was by far the most crowded of all the National Parks we visited, but didn’t stop the fun! The next day we started the morning with a Hummer Tour at Hell’s Revenge Trailhead! Wow! This was our kid’s favorite part of the entire trip! Our guide was amazing. We learned a ton, hung off the side of the mountain, clung tightly to the seat, and saw dinosaur tracks! After lunch, we took off to see the famous Delicate Arch! While the hike was strenuous, it was well worth it!
On our drive back to Las Vegas we made a few fun stops. First up was Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trackside. While on the hummer ride we saw a few tracks but this one blew those out of the water. Everyone must see dinosaur tracks at some point in their life! Afterward, we headed over to Canyonlands National Park. There we hiked Grand View Point trail and Mesa Arch. Grand View Point was jaw-dropping. Many compare it to the Grand Canyon and, honestly, we think it was even prettier!How does this trip rank compared to other family vacations? Top of the list! For people who aren’t jumping to run out for a hike, we found a newfound joy in it. We learned how vast our country is and just how rewarding it is to visit National Parks. Thank you, Utah, for opening our eyes to a whole new world right in our own country!
We hiked many miles, ran out of breath climbing, and missed meals because there were no restaurants for miles. We stopped in awe of the magic of snow falling, made snowballs, and found others families envious of our snowball fights. We barely had cell service and filled the rental van full of luggage over and over as we ventured from city to city. We searched for caves and tarantulas but found bats, Bighorn sheep, deer, chipmunks, lizards, and lots of birds.
We road in a hummer, small plane, and a helicopter.
We saw dinosaur tracks, ancient petroglyphs, and thought we were on Mars at one point.
The stars at night were like we were standing in the Milky Way itself!
Some of us stood too close to the edge. Some of us cried out of fear of falling.
We took over 2300 photos and hours upon hours of video. (The truth about going on vacation when your parents are a photographer and videographer – our poor kids!)
We caught the bug to see more National parks and our daughter is a Junior Ranger in 5 parks so watch out!
This truly is a vacation for all ages. We have 3 teenage boys and a special needs daughter who loved every single minute of it. We packed a lot into 8 days but felt it was the perfect sampling of the wonder of Utah! While we did a lot of driving, we were never bored. The roads bring with them their own beauty and around every bend is a new sight to see. I’m so glad we checked with the ranger in each park at the start of the day. They were a wealth of knowledge, especially when recommending trails to take given the weather and the level we could accomplish with our daughter.
Above all, we were blessed with time together as a family away from the world. Memories we had lost, when many vacation plans got halted last year, were recovered. With 3 teenage boys, we know our time is limited for family vacations with all six of us. Thank you, God, for allowing this one to happen. Our hearts are full and we will cherish this trip forever!
