The kids had some time off between camp and school and we figured it was a good time to take them away and visit some new places. We flew into Salt Lake City from Philadelphia (since we were coming from Jersey, it was similar to getting to JFK), spent some time in SLC and then drove about 3.5 hours to Moab, where we would be based for almost the rest of the week.
Day 1 – Friday in Salt Lake City
We landed very late Thursday night and stayed at a Springhill Suites right near the airport. This allowed us to start our busy day relatively early. We began at Antelope Island, a Utah state park located within the Great Salt Lake, about 45 minutes from SLC. There, we saw several animals including bison, pronghorn and mule deer. We completed Buffalo Point Trail, a 1 mile, mostly uphill climb with an easy scramble to nice views. We then drove towards Ladyfinger Point Trail, where we veered off the trail and headed towards Salt Lake. We dipped our feet in the water and tasted its saltiness. It was a unique experience.
We then headed back to Salt Lake City and spent about an hour walking around Temple Square, the home of the Mormons. Like many people, we had seen The Book of Mormon, which sparked a curiosity in us. We attended an organ recital in the Conference Center, saw the Tabernacle, visited the museum and saw missionaries.
Around 1 PM we picked up our Walmart order (amazing game changer) and began the over 3 hour drive to Moab, where we would stay more the next few days. Utah is home to many dinosaur footprints. We stopped Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracksite, where we saw imprints from a large turning sauropod (brontosaurus) and four theropod carnivores of various sizes and Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite, which contains a cache of tracks from multiple dinosaurs over time.
Day 2 – Saturday
We chose to stay in the Springhill Suites of Moab and were upgraded to a family suite. This 2 bedroom setup was perfect for us; the kids shared a bunk bed and we had a separate dining and living area with a full fridge/freezer. It was located right near Arches National Park and had several fun outdoor pools / jacuzzies with the mountains in the backdrop. This was perfect for Shabbat, as we spent most of the day by the pool and outdoors, despite the torrential thunderstorm in the middle of the day. On Shabbat morning we crossed the street to do a short climb to Courthouse Wash Rock Art, which was the kids’ first exposure to petroglyphs, prehistoric rock carvings that depicted some type of scene. It was a great day to reset and gain some energy for the upcoming busy week.
Day 3 – Sunday in Arches
We did something we’ve never done before – woke up for a sunrise hike at Arches National Park. Sunrise was 6:36 AM and we were in the park before 6. We hyped up the day and convinced the kids that it was going to be a great adventure. After much research, we chose to view sunrise from the Windows Trail, a 0.7-mile round trip trail (5-10 minutes to the arch). Although it was chilly, we enjoyed the short climb and the spectacular views. There were about 30 other people with us at sunrise. After sunrise, we drove across the parking lot to Double Arch Trail, where we did a quick 0.6 mile out and back hike to beautiful views of the arches.
Sam was convinced that a visit to Arches would not be complete without hiking to Delicate Arch, the most famous arch in the park. Rita was a bit hesitant and even wrote in the research notes – “it’s 3.2 miles, so pass? has petroglyphs; there is a viewpoint; it is doable.” Sam persisted and we began to think that our kids would be up for the challenge, even Shelly. We decided that the only way to do it would be early in the morning, right after sunrise. Otherwise, it would be too hot and crowded. We started the trail around 8 AM and completed the hike to Delicate Arch by 9 AM; spent about 30 minutes viewing the arch and taking pictures and another hour to walk back to the trailhead. It was definitely worth it!!
The hike begins with a short steep uphill climb and then continues along mostly smooth rocks with some bumps and steps. Towards the end of the trail we had to walk along an overhang until we reached Delicate Arch. Once there, we carefully climbed to the base of the arch and posed for pictures inside and around the arch. By then, the park had filled up a bit. We imagine that it gets even more crowded later in the day. For the most part, the kids were amazing at this hike and really powered through. We were very impressed!
Afterwards we drove to Devil’s Garden, which had a number of trails available. We did 2 quick ones – Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch. The kids were a little tired by now, so it took a bit more coaxing to get Shelly to follow along. Once we reached Pine Tree Arch, they enjoyed playing in the sand by the shadows of the arch. All in all, it was a great morning!! We took the scenic route back towards the visitor’s center, making a few stops for photos along the way. Allen, Joseph and Shelly definitely earned their Junior Ranger badges for this park!
We then did a quick stop at the grocery store to stock up on some more food and snacks for the week. We relaxed by the pool for a few hours to regain some energy and strength. We also did laundry, which allowed us to only bring carry-ons.
Since the morning was so long, we chose to re-enter the park around 6 PM to spend some time climbing and exploring some areas we missed in the morning. We stopped at the Courthouse Towers and Balanced Rock, where everyone enjoyed climbing to new heights. We then rewarded the kids with some Mexican ice cream before heading to bed.
Day 4 – Monday in Canyonlands – Needles District
There are 4 sections to Canyonlands National Park. The most popular one, Island in the Sky, is about 30-45 minutes out of Moab. The Needles is about 1 hour and 30 minutes out of Moab. Since we had enough time, we chose to spend time in both parts of the park. This was our 20th national park!!! And the boys’ 13th!! Shelly’s 12th!!
We were very confident in our hiking abilities after our huge success at Arches the day before. We decided to do the 2 mile Slickrock hike. It was supposed to have beautiful views and be a lot of fun for the kids to climb over. Unfortunately, we had to turn around after the second viewpoint. The heat was unbearable and we were all tired and hot; unfortunately since the drive was so far, we started later in the morning when the sun was super strong. It was very disappointing. There were some nice views, but we felt like the trail was neverending and figured it would be best to turn around. An interesting note – instead of trail markers, there were cairns (stacked rocks) to guide the path.
We then went to another recommended hike, Pothole Point, which was supposed to feel Mars-like with big holes. Again we felt very hot and after 10 minutes went back to the visitor’s center.
We did a quick stop at Elephant Hill, to see some of the actual needles – tall spindly rocks with white lines- that the area is named for.
After a lunch break, we felt a bit refueled, and decided to try one last hike – Cave Spring. This .6 mile loop had views of an old cowboy camp, ancient petroglyphs (which we somehow missed) and 2 ladders to climb to complete the trail. This was definitely better for us than the two previous hikes.
On the way out of the park we stopped at Newspaper Rock, which had many clear and visible petroglyphs.
Our final pit stop was Hole ‘N the Rock, a classic road trip tourist trap with some eccentric art, collectibles and a petting zoo. Some of the animals we fed included a white bison, a camel, a mini donkey and horse, a bull and others. The kids enjoyed it and it broke up the drive a bit. However, the heat was still unbearable.
We had an exciting night planned- a UTV sunset ride in Hells Revenge. It was unlike anything we expected or done before!! Sam was an amazing driver and handled it like a pro. From the first part of the trail we were literally driving up vertical narrow cliffs with bumpy roads. Rita’s favorite part was the breaks, which were a lot of fun to drive through. It was the most thrilling adventure and we had a great time with our guide Don from Moab Grand Tours. We followed him throughout the tour as he guided us through his headset. We stopped out of the car for a viewpoint and to see some dinosaur tracks. A highlight of the trip was when we drove down a steep almost vertical cliff. This was a great activity and a really fun experience in Moab. It is definitely not for the faint of heart. What a fun night !!
Day 5 – Tuesday in Canyonlands – Island in the Sky
After our disastrous time in the Needles, we decided that we had to begin the day early again. And what better way than to experience sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. Although Rita was a bit hesitant, Sam insisted we leave in time for sunrise. We left the hotel by 5:40 AM and arrive at the trail around 6:10. The trail was about a 0.5 mile loop and off trail had some good opportunities for climbing. The views were spectacular and the kids cooperated. We were definitely off to a better start than the previous day.
Due to construction, the Grand View Trail was closed. We did a few viewpoints before heading to the White Rim Trailhead, a 1.8 mile walk with similar views to Grand View. We didn’t do the entire trail since it was mostly similar views and one of the kids needed the bathroom. After a quick stop at the visitor center to get information we decided to try Upheaval Dome, a .8 mile steep trail that would give us a view of a hole in the earth. (Keep in mind, it was only around 9am by this point in the day.) The kids enjoyed climbing up and looking for lizards and animals in the rocks.
After our amazing UTV adventure, we decided to drive down Shafer Canyon, a steep dirt road trail that requires 4×4 drive to navigate. The switchbacks were terrifying and steep. The drive itself was about 45 minutes to the bottom of the canyon and back. It was thrilling to be in such beautiful views.
After a packed morning, we left Canyonlands and headed towards Dead Horse Point State Park, which has a beautiful horseshoe view of the Colorado River. We were all a bit tired at this point, but pushed through to complete the Junior Ranger program and walk to several viewpoints. Dead Horse Point State Park was an easy stop on the way back to Moab because of its location and beauty.
We then spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool to recharge our energy. After dinner we headed back into Arches National Park for one final adventure. We enjoyed playing in Sand Dune Arch, a unique trail with a tiny slot canyon and natural sandbox. Afterwards we chased sunset at Skyline Arch.
What an incredible day – from sunrise to sunset!!
Day 6 – Wednesday in Goblin Valley and Capitol Reef
It was time to leave Moab. We packed up and headed west towards Capitol Reef National Park. On the way we stopped at Goblin Valley State Park. It was otherworldly and amazing for kids. There are several hikes available, but we chose to meander through the open valleys. We walked through Valley 1 and 2, which were great open spaces for us to roam through, climb and hide behind. We even played hide and seek!
Originally, we considered visiting Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon. However, we learned that in order to get to the best parts of the canyon, you have to first hike almost a mile and we thought this was too much for us at this point. Also, there was a small chance of rain in the area and it was highly recommended to avoid the canyon due to the possibility of flash floods.
So we then drove another hour to Capitol Reef National Park. We started the afternoon with a 1.8 mile hike to Hickman Natural Bridge. It was a tiring walk, but we pushed through to reach the cool site. We played some word games along the way to get everyone through.
Capitol Reef NP has several fruit orchards available for picking. It’s amazing that in the middle of the desert, there are blooming apple trees!! We enjoyed picking and eating them! (There were also pear trees, but they require a week to ripen.)
Finally, it was time for us to head to the surprise “hotel” for the night. We were sleeping in a covered wagon!!! We had been telling the kids for weeks that we were sleeping somewhere special that night. The kids were a bit skeptical, but it was incredibly cool. It was our first experience “glamping” and it was nice to sleep somewhat outdoors, while still having a bed and other amenities. Unfortunately, Shelly slipped and busted her lip open. Ironically she was fearless the whole week, hiking and rock climbing, only to fall and get injured in the room. Sam drove her to the nearest hospital 65 miles away to get it checked out. Luckily she didn’t need stitches, but it was still a tiring ordeal. When they came back, we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores with the boys. It was a nice end to the eventful evening.
Day 7 – Park City
Thursday we mostly planned on the fly. We needed to find activities between Capitol Reef and Salt Lake City, as we had a red eye that night. Sam found a cool stop on the way called Homestead Crater. It is a natural hot spring. We swam in the 95 degree water for about an hour. It was very cool to swim in a hole with an open roof, especially while it was raining. This was a great stop for a quick, yet different, activity.
We decided to spend the afternoon at Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. The 2002 Winter Olympics Olympics were held there and the 2034 Olympics will be there as well. After the 2002 Olympics, the area was converted to a museum, training center and extreme sports park. We decided that even though all the kids couldn’t do all the activities, there would be enough for everyone to do for the 3.5 hour slot. We got lucky that the rainstorm ended just before we arrived and the park was relatively empty, allowing us to ride all of the rides multiple times. We took the chair lifts up to the high activities, including the alpine slide and zip line, and tubing down the ski jump ramps at over 55mph. The kids (even Shelly!!) and Rita all completed the intense ropes course, which ended in a zipline. The adults went on the extreme zip and extreme tubing, which were both a lot of fun. Joseph was disappointed that he couldn’t ride the freestyle zip – the weight limit was 50lbs and he only weighed 49.2. There was also a kids area with mini – yet thrilling – versions of the other activities the park offered. The time flew by and we took advantage of every minute, enjoying all the exhilarating activities. At the end, we watched some athletes practice impressive stunts and flips on their skits. What a great afternoon!
It was now time to make our way to Salt Lake City, where we had a quick vegan dinner, snuck in a short bowling session and headed out on the red eye back to Philly. We really enjoyed the trip and highly recommend Utah!!!
