Utah + Rocky Mountains
One state park and five national parks in only nine days-dream come true!!
Truly putting our America the Beautiful pass to good use.
In the spring, we (Josh) came up with a few options for a fall trip: And this is really planning for us, I mean more than 8 weeks out we had a things booked and it felt very adult. Here were the options that he laid out in a PowerPoint, maybe we’ll include that at the end.
Grand Tetons + Yellowstone: This was our second choice. Unfortunately, we booked everything too late for it to be a great experience—there weren’t enough good places to stay.
Glacier National Park: The time of year wouldn’t have been ideal, and some of the best hikes here are a bit too long for our kids (10+ miles).
Death Valley + Grand Canyon: Katie and I have done this before, so we wanted something a little different. A quick no from Katie.
We chose to fly into Vegas and see Valley of Fire State Park, followed by a week touring 4/5 of Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks, then we finished the trip with Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado before flying out of Denver.
It was such a busy nine days with about 1,300 miles of driving and staying in three different Airbnbs. And it was so completely worth the effort—an incredibly unique road trip.
Day 1 - Travel + Valley of Fire State Park + Drive to Zion
We started strong with an early flight to Vegas, we flew early on purpose to gain some time there and be able to stop at Valley of Fire on our way to Zion. My (Katie) parents came along and had never seen the orange hues of the desert before so this was the perfect intro for them and the kids. This was a spot Josh and I had driven through in 2021, but I was so sick from eating Panda Express at a casino that we didn’t stop much. Anyways, on Friday, we piled into the car to head to the airport early.
Jon Day watched the barbie movie and laughed and smiled through it - highlight of the plane ride.
When we landed we hopped in our rental car (I wish it was as quick as it sounds, it never is but that’s part of the journey!). and we headed to lunch at the best taco spot. Best because it was or best because we were so hungry? Maybe both. Afterwards, we drove to Valley of Fire and it was just as amazing as it sounds. it is SO red and orange and beautiful. The kids ran and climbed and explored and could have stayed all week. The best part was when we reached the sand and they asked if I brought the sand toys. This was the perfect first stop.
Day 2: Zion National Park
First day in the first park!! We woke before sunrise and went to Canyon Overlook. Little to no research on this popular trail and we were just stunned at the beauty. I mean, single file at some points because *cliffs and kids*. This trail at sunrise was insane. We were cold and amazing and the sun coming up behind us made for the prettiest colors on the canyon. 10/10 would do this one again and again and probably again after that.
Our next Zion stop was lunch at Red Rock Grill then to the Pa’Rus Trail. There was a ton of construction along the Pa’Rus but we walked it anyways, the kids LOVED being next to the water and even caught tiny frogs and held them in cups while we walked. After these walks we headed back to our bnb before getting dinner at the Camp Outpost.
Day 3: Zion National Park
Up early, of course! We parked at the visitor center (the only time of day you can get a spot there) and we took the shuttle to the Narrows. I was bummed about having to use a shuttle but really, it was amazing. The driver told us stories of how he grew up climbing in Zion and brought his son here too. Now his son is married to an Olympic swimmer and they told her they would teach her to climb if she taught them to swim - she now loves to climb and camp in the park and they still don’t know how to swim.
We drove throughout the canyon and saw a few goats and elk then arrived at our stop. We walked the riverside path that ends at the narrows and it was one of my favorite hikes ever. To stand between the canyons and look up was so surreal and a reminder of how small we really are in the grand scheme of things. This thought of how small we really are was recurring for me (Katie) on this trip. Maybe that’s my draw to nature and seeing these grand things. It’s so easy to feel big and great, but it’s not true. We are just dust, and to dust we shall return - the overarching sorrowful truth of the outcome of Genesis three. We were created, we are loved and taken care of through so many common graces in this life that we don’t deserve. One of my favorites is his creation, which we still enjoy- it’s everywhere, it’s free, and it’s all grace.
After this walk, we went to breakfast at Porters - 100% recommend the granola pancakes. It also connected to the cutest gift shop where my kids found a lot of nonsense we had to pass on. From there we took the shuttle again to the lodge for coffee then walked the Grotto trail which was cute and short and led us to the Emerald Pools Trail. This trail was not short or cute, it was long and intense. The views were intense and so were the drop-offs on the trail. this would have been best early morning, but that wasn’t our plan so it was pretty warm with the sun hitting most of the trail. We had a couple of moments where the kids felt scared and we would break, but overall this trail was so pretty. The views were unlike anywhere else we had been in the park.
We ate lunch in the car and then headed home for the afternoon. Louie was especially excited for this evening because we stopped at a small farm before dinner. We fed the animals and then ate dinner, somewhere that I currently can’t remember which means it didn’t leave a mark so there’s nothing to share about it.
Day 4: Bryce Canyon National Park + Travel to Moab
Leaving Zion was another beautiful drive! We took a photo by the sign, grabbed coffee at Perks, and made our way to Bryce! On the way, we made one stop at The Rock Stop, which was weird honestly. I had a pumpkin coffee and it was all pumpkin and hardly any coffee, When we pulled up to Bryce we did the visitor center thing and went to Sunrise Point. Absolutely insane views. We’ve never seen anything quite like this, the hoo-doos are wild. My dad and I walked into them a bit and were just really amazed. From here we went to Mossy Cave Trail - a waterfall in the midst of the hoodoos!! This was my favorite here. Hardly anyone was there, we saw two other families, and we climbed behind the waterfall, played in the creek, and just took our time. I think this was George’s favorite spot too!
And the trek to Moab that no one was quite expecting. Every exit sign read “No Services” for about 4 hours. Though the views were, of course, unmatched. We drove through farmlands, small ranching towns, deserts, and mountains. This drive alone felt like its own trip. The kids watched a movie, my parents took naps, Josh listened to a podcast and I listened to The Perry’s with Phillip Mitchell - wowwwwwww. Here’s a link because you should listen too.
Day 5: Arches National Park + Canyonlands National Park
We made it to Moab!!! Such a pretty town in the middle of the desert. We grabbed coffee and snacks to bring along and went straight for a scenic drive. We stopped to hike at Devils Garden where we saw 3 Arches. It was again, unreal. I’m not sure of the science behind it, but all I know is our God is creative and does what he wants.
For lunch, we ate Greek at Sultan. It was SO GOOD. From here we dropped off the kids and my mom at the house and we took my dad to Canyonlands National Park. It was a bit of a drive but we had to make our rounds. We stopped at Upheveal Dome first. It reminded me of the Grand Canyon in the way that it doesn’t seem real even when it’s right in front of you. We then drove to Mesa Arch and saw it from afar. The crowds were horrendous there and we were tired, we didn’t need the up-close view.
In the evening we ate at the Moab Food Truck park then went to Arches to see the stars!!! This was a huge highlight of our trip. We laid down in the darkest spot I’ve ever seen and looked up to the brightest night sky I’ve ever seen. Everything seemed so dark until we looked at the sky and with each minute our eyes adjusted to see more and more stars. Shooting stars, planets, and the Milky Way. This is a must-do when you’re in any national dark sky park. Memories I will never ever forget.
Day 6: Travel to Estes Park, Colorado
Time to drive to the Colorful Colorado! The fall leaves were popping at every curve, The day was a long one but such a pretty drive. We ate at the very unique Willy’s burritos. (was not good) when we left a girl was running around throwing up, trying to get to a bathroom or trashcan I guess. We did stop in one tiny gambling town to grab coffee and this place about sent me over the edge. Absolutely hilarious. Some older men working, so happy to see us, but this place was not clean and somehow had great reviews. And they were selling everything, like omelets, sloppy joes, and stickers with their logo written in Times New Roman. I think my dad even bought one. I also don’t know what it was called so, moving on! We arrived at our Air Bnb and were pleasantly surprised. The neighborhood had a walking path next to a river and the house was so cozy and the perfect last stop. That night we grabbed Thai food at Estes Thai and snuggled up before a long day of exploring!
Day 7 and 8: Rocky Mountain National Park
This park was one of my favorites, have I already said that? Our first morning there we went into the park with our early entry timed reservations and hiked the Bear Lake trail at sunrise. On the way in, we stopped and saw a herd of Elk grazing and the sun peeking over and hitting the Rockies, giving them a pink glow.
Bear Lake trail was full of different scenes. Fall birch trees, open grassy fields, and of course a lake at the end. This was a solid 6 and a half miles for us and our kids were champions the entire way. On the way in, they played King Fu Panda (for about an hour) On the way back they talked about whether everything around them was food, it was close to lunchtime. We were so impressed and grateful to be enjoying it all with them. It was a really sweet memory that we won’t soon forget.
On our way back we bumped into a wildlife photographer, who just does it for fun, and he shared some of his amazing photos and stories with us. It was sweet. He showed us mountain lions from Brazil that he stood 15 feet from, he showed us lions from Africa, and Elk from Estes Park the night before. The kids really loved that.
After Bear Lake, we grabbed lunch and went to rest. Josh and I took a walk by the river in the neighborhood. By this time, we were pretty tired. We had seen, hiked, and driven a lot and rest was needed. That evening we ate at Bird’s Nest Cafe, a favorite for me. Fun drinks, plenty of homemade pastries, balsamic + fig pizza, and a “chipmunk” smoothie. My gosh. Afterward, we went to Moraine Park to watch the Elk. This is basically a sport in Rocky Mountain NP. People were in their spot, laughing with friends, with their chairs and coolers and snacks, binoculars in hand and ready to go! Herds were all over, munching and walking around. As it got darker we saw some action between two males who were fighting over who would get some of the girlies.
Being in Colorado I knew we needed to fish, so being the least amount of fishermen that we are, we found a trout pond nearby to go to the next day.
We caught a few and I somehow have no photos to prove it. Then to birds nest again for bread and coffee.
After fishing we grabbed ice cream downtown and went back home for more rest. I mean, a cabin in Colorado just screams nap time in the afternoons. We saw some elk in our yard and even right out the window that afternoon.
And just like that, it was our last night in Colorado and the last night of the trip. We ate pizza at Birds Nest and then I said, “Let’s just drive to Marmot Point! It’s not far and a pretty spot”. I did no research, I did not look at the route on the map, I just said let’s go, and they all said okay and dint question me in the slightest. We threw the map on the screen and enjoyed the ride, oh 45 minutes seems long for not that many miles. Thats okay! Mountain roads. Mountain roads that we had no idea about.
All of a sudden our road turned right onto a one-way dirt path. I said go for it and the family seemed a bit hesitant but no one bothered to make us go back home on the last night. Josh slowly took us through Trail Ridge Road. Roadside cliffs that were 12,000+ feet on a one-way dirt road had us all in silence, holding our breath and just believing in faith we’d be fine. I honestly felt great because Josh is an amazing driver, even in a giant suburban that we weren’t familiar with. With every turn, my mom gasped. My dad just left his head back with his eyes closed for the majority of the ride. George just looked. Louie was rocked to sleep by the bumps and curves. Josh and I giggled out of anxiety and shock that this was real. There was no turning around, no pulling off, and no going back - it was only up for us!
After taking the paved way down, we stopped for a late dinner at the best Diner. It was basically a concession stand with everything you could think of on the menu. It was the perfect spot for quick burgers and fries before we had to journey back home the next morning.
When we got to the top, the Alpine Visitor Center, we got out and were completely blown away by the sunset and the views. I was stunned and felt it was more than worth it. Truly the perfect last adventure.