arizona – Road Trip Queen

14 Must See Spots on Your Road Trip to Yellowstone!

11 May 2023Posted in arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, National Parks, New Mexico, Road Trip Guides, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, YellowstoneTagged must see stops on a road trip, must see stops on your road trip to yellowstone, road trip destinations, road trip must sees, road trip to yellowstone, texas to yellowstone road tripLeave a comment

Last year we took an epic road trip from Texas to Montana, and then back home! Below, I’m including 14 must see spots on your road trip to Yellowstone! This road trip adventure will take you through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.

Texas

Cadillac Ranch

We are notorious for driving through Texas as quick as we can and not making too many stops in our home state. But, if you’re looking for a quick, fun, colorful stop, then check our Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX. Don’t forget to bring along a can of spray paint!

Address: 13651 I-40 Frontage Road, Amarillo, TX

New Mexico

If you’re coming in from Texas, New Mexico is a great place to stop for the night! We stayed in Farmington, NM and that was about a twelve hour drive for us from home. We typically don’t like to drive that far in one day, but we wanted to knock out a big chunk early on to have more days for exploring. And Texas is a huge state to drive through!

Aztec Ruins National Monument

The Aztec Ruins are a fun and educational stop in Farmington, NM. We spent about an hour here, exploring the different areas of the ruins. The boys loved all of the prairie dogs!

Address: 725 Ruins Rd, Aztec, NM 87410

Shiprock

Shiprock is an iconic sight, rising 1,583 feet tall, about 30 minutes from Farmington! Be aware, it’s considered a sacred place to the Navajo tribe and is not open to the public. We just made a quick stop for a photo on the side of the road!

Directions from Farmington: Take US 64 west to Shiprock and make a left at the intersection with US 491. Continue 7.1 miles on US 64 and 491, and turn right (west) onto the paved Indian Service Route 13. Continue 7.6 miles on IR 13 and turn right (north) onto IR 5010, which is a dirt road. Follow IR 5010 north to Shiprock, which is about 3.5 miles away.

Arizona

Monument Valley

I have always wanted to see Monument Valley, so we made sure to add this route to our road trip itinerary! I am hoping to explore more of this area on a future trip out west. We just drove through, and stopped for a quick photo at Forest Gump Point. I typed that in on my GPS and it led us there! The landscape here was impressive and I am so happy we added this quick detour to our route!

Monument Valley is located on US Highway 163.

Utah

Utah is one of the coolest states we’ve ever visited! On this trip, we drove through Moab on our journey to Yellowstone. Of course, we had to stop for some hiking! There are so many amazing spots in Moab to explore. If you’re short on time, I recommend hiking up to Wilson Arch. If you have more time on your road trip, you can stay in Moab for a few days to explore the two National Parks here!

Wilson Arch

Wilson Arch is a quick, five minute hike from the side of highway 191, about 20 minutes south of Moab. It’s mostly uphill, but we were able to hike up and back down without any issues. You can find the pull out to park right alongside the highway, and even though it’s not very crowded, you’ll see other cars along the road. We like this hike because you don’t have to pay to explore here!

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is the site of over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. It’s one of those places that you just have to see to believe! My boys loved exploring this park and keep asking to go back. There are so many areas to explore, if you’re short on time you can even just drive through and stop at different overlooks to take in the different arches. If you have time for a hike, I recommend the three mile hike to the iconic Delicate Arch! Keep in mind, you do need a timed-entry permit to enter Arches National Park from April 1^st-October 31^st.

Directions to Arches: From Moab, drive north on US 191 for five miles. You will see the sign for the entrance!

Dead Horse Point State Park

I think I prefer Dead Horse Point State Park over the Grand Canyon, it’s that scenic! You don’t need a ton of time here, we just parked and walked along the overlook trail. The views are absolutely breathtaking!

Directions to Dead Horse Point: Drive nine miles northwest of Moab on US 191 and then 23 miles southwest on Utah 313 to the end of the highway. You will see signs for Dead Horse Point along the drive!

Canyonlands National Park

Another amazing National Park in Moab is Canyonlands! The area called Island in the Sky is right next to Dead Horse Point State Park, so you can knock these two places out at one time! The overlooks are truly amazing. If you don’t have much time, I recommend checking out Mesa Arch!

Directions to Canyonlands: From US 191 north of Moab, UT 313 leads to Island in the Sky district. You will keep driving past Arches NP and will see signs for Canyonlands National Park.

Idaho

Idaho has to be the most underrated state we’ve ever visited! We were blown away with the views, the waterfalls, the hiking trails, the mountains, and more! On our road trip, we decided to stay in Twin Falls for a few nights to explore the area and spend some time outside of the car. This ended up being a great choice and one of my favorite destinations of the entire trip!

Perrine Coulee Falls

*Can you see the people on the trail behind the waterfall?*

Did you know that you can hike behind one of the tallest waterfalls in Twin Falls? I had no clue until I began researching stops along our route. The 200 foot waterfall is quite impressive by itself, but having the opportunity to walk behind it was really special!

Directions to Perrine Coulee Falls: This waterfall is just outside of Centennial Waterfront Park. You’ll see cars parked along the street next to the falls. You won’t miss this one, it’s close to the road that leads through the park!

Shoshone Falls Park

Shoshone Falls is also known as The Niagara of the West! If you’re in Twin Falls, you have to visit this park! There are several different paved trails with different views of the falls. And, you don’t need a lot of time here to experience the magic!

Shoshone Falls Park Address: 4155 Shoshone Falls Grade, Twin Falls, ID 83301. There is a $5 entrance fee per vehicle.

Upper Mesa Falls

If you’re driving from Twin Falls, you should make the stop to hike around Upper Mesa Falls near the Idaho, Montana border! I really had no clue that Idaho was full of so many amazing waterfalls. This is a very short hike to a 114 feet high, 200 feet wide roaring curtain of water!

Directions to Mesa Falls: You’ll find Upper Mesa Falls in Ashton, Idaho off of Hwy 20 via Scenic Byway 47. I used the Alltrails app for directions and we had no issues finding it. There were also signs along the drive.

Montana

*Twin Falls, ID to West Yellowstone, MT*

Up to this point, our trip was fantastic, but then we arrived in West Yellowstone, MT and found out that Yellowstone National Park was closed. Yes, we are some of the unfortunate people that made the trip only to learn that other areas of the park had encountered historic flooding. So, we never actually got to enter Yellowstone. We were so sad, but found other things to do in the area.

Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone

We had been so excited to see wild animals in Yellowstone, so it made sense to visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. Plus, it was directly across the street from our lodging. It is a fantastic facility! We loved seeing the bears and were so excited when the wolves woke up and began moving around. We spent several hours here viewing the animals, hearing their stories, and exploring the museum inside.

Address: 201 S Canyon St, West Yellowstone, MT 59758. It costs $16.50 for adults, $11.50 for kids.

Wyoming

Our trip was completely redeemed once we made it to Jackson, WY! The Grand Tetons are absolutely gorgeous. And, the best part is that we got to encounter a real bear in the wild!

Grand Teton National Park

One can easily spend weeks here and not see everything that this National Park has to offer. We had the chance to spend a couple of nights here, and we were able to spend two full days hiking in the park. If I had one place to recommend, I’d suggest the Jenny Lake area! If you want to see wildlife, hike on the Phelps Lake Overlook trail, that’s where we saw the bear!

Visitor Center Address: 100 Discovery Way, Moose, WY 83012

Colorado

By the time we made it to Colorado Springs for the night, before journeying back home, we were exhausted! This is such a neat destination, you can easily spend a week vacationing here alone. So, even though there are tons of activities and attractions to explore here, we opted for a quick visit to Garden of the Gods.

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid! I knew I wanted to bring my boys here. They’ve actually visited this place on several different occasions, it makes for a great stop! My boys love the easy walk around the different rock formations. And the climbing is their favorite part! Plus, it’s always a good idea to get the kids tired before beginning a long trip back home! Don’t miss out on the museum inside the Visitor Center.

Address: 1805 N. 30th Street Colorado Springs, CO 80904

We spent two weeks adventuring through the desert and over mountains on this road trip! Even though we didn’t get to see the main attraction on this trip, we still had a wonderful time and made tons of memories! This road trip did involve a lot of planning, especially for the weather! It was warm in some places, but snowed in others, all within just a few days.

Road Trip Tips

Have a plan! Make sure to know your route and where you plan to stop and stay each night!
Get your vehicle checked before your road trip!
Make sure you have a first aid kit in your vehicle.
Bring plenty of snacks and drinks for the drive!
Create a playlist. If you have kids, have them help you!
Stop often for breaks.
Don’t try to drive too long each day unless you know you and your kiddos can handle it.
Prepare for the weather at each destination on your adventure!
Be patient, expect traffic and weather delays from time to time.
Don’t try to pack in too much each day!
Have fun!

I’m sure we missed a ton of awesome places on this road trip! We do have plans to one day return to Yellowstone, taking a different route. Be sure to check out more of my blog posts for complete travel guides and itineraries! Good luck on your next road trip, I know it’s going to be amazing!

5 Budget Friendly Destinations

21 Jan 202322 Jan 2023Posted in Alabama, arizona, Colorado, Destinations, grand canyon national park, National Parks, New Mexico, OklahomaTagged best budget friendly destination in the us, budget friendly destination, budget friendly travel, tips for saving money while traveling, tips for traveling on a budget, travel tips, traveling cheap, traveling on a budget2 Comments

Plus Tips for Saving Money While Traveling

It’s no secret that I love to travel as much as I possibly can. Traveling can be a pricey hobby, but not if you plan your trips around budget friendly destinations! I’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite budget friendly vacations and have included some tips on saving money while traveling that I hope you find helpful!

Top 5 Budget Friendly Destinations

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

We visited The Grand Canyon for the first time a few years ago and I was utterly shocked at how little this trip cost us! Some might think that visiting one of the true wonders of the world would be expensive, but it was quite the opposite for us. National Parks are excellent destinations for budget-minded travelers since most Parks only charge a $35 entrance fee that’s good for seven days!

So, are you wondering how we saved money on this trip? To start, we traveled over Thanksgiving break in November. The months between November and February are considered the low season, and flights and lodging prices are typically much cheaper this time of year. We also stayed outside of the Park in the fantastic little town of Tusayan, which is also a much cheaper option. To our delight, the entire town was already decorated for Christmas which we absolutely loved!

We stayed at the hotel at the Red Feather Lodge and really enjoyed this place. Since we were visiting in the low season, we paid under $100 per night for our room. Summer rates are a little higher, around $235 per night. From the hotel, it was less than a mile to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim entrance. The rooms at the hotel have refrigerators and microwaves, so we took advantage of this. We shopped at the grocery store in town and bought things for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. We are notorious for packing a picnic lunch to take with us on our hiking adventures and only spending money on dinners at night.

We spent two days at the Grand Canyon, which consisted of hiking, checking out the different look-outs and observation points, and exploring the Yavapai Geology Museum. Once we paid our entrance fee, we didn’t spend any money on any of the activities in the Park!

Entrance Fee-Free Days at the Grand Canyon for 2023

Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Saturday, April 22: First day of National Park Week.
Friday, August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act.
Saturday, September 23: National Public Lands Day.
Saturday, November 11: Veterans Day.

We did choose to fly on this trip instead of road tripping. We actually had Spirit Airline credits that we HAD to use before the end of the year. While this is not my favorite airline, we actually had no issues flying out or returning home. We found that flights to Las Vegas were cheaper than flights into any of the airports in Arizona. So, this too helped us save money and we added a new state to our growing list!

Overall, we had a fantastic trip that didn’t break the bank! Click here to read more about our trip to the Grand Canyon!

Robbers Cave State Park, Oklahoma

Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton, OK is one of our favorite summer destinations! This little gem isn’t necessarily a place we go to beat the heat, but we always have a great time here. This state park is only about 2.5 hours from us in Texas, so it doesn’t even take a full tank of gas to get there! This is a fun destination that never costs our family too much!

*It’s almost like Oklahoma has its own slot canyons!*

This state park offers several activities from hiking, swimming, camping, horseback riding, ATVing, canoeing, fishing, rock climbing, and more! We like to load up our bikes, pack a cooler of food for the weekend, and hit the road! Once here, we always take the hike to the infamous cave that outlaws like Jesse James hid out in, hence the name Robbers Cave! Since we mostly explore and bring our bikes, we actually aren’t spending any money on these activities.

*The hike to the caves is so fun, especially for kids!*

You really can’t visit Oklahoma in the summer without spending time at the lake! Right across the street from the entrance to Robbers Cave State Park is the lake which has an area designated for swimming, canoe/kayak rentals, a playground, and small museum. There’s also a swimming pool that costs $5 per person for the day. We have never purchased tickets to swim at the pool, but we have paid about $20 to rent kayaks and then we swim at the lake. The kids loved this adventure!

We always stay at one of the 26 cabins in the park, but these are really just a step above camping. The cabins are small, but they include a living room, bathroom, 1-2 bedrooms, and a full kitchen. Very little time is spent inside the cabin, we mainly use it for cooking and sleeping. Other than that, you’ll find us outdoors exploring, grilling, or hanging out around the fire pit! Cabin reservations cost about $88 per night, which is what we spend the most on this entire weekend.

This is a great destination for just a weekend or a couple of nights. Our boys love exploring and climbing all the rocks behind the cabins! The caves in the area are pretty cool, too. Click here to read more about our last visit to Robbers Cave!

*Even the parents had fun on this adventure!*

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is one of those places that we find ourselves visiting again and again. There are so many things to do in this area and we will never tire of the mountains. I will admit that even though we’ve been to Colorado Springs a countless number of times, I have never actually based an entire trip around this destination. In writing this post, I have realized that I need to change that!

So, we typically stop and stay in Colorado Springs on our drive to other places. It’s always a great location because it’s easy for us to get to or home from in one day of driving. We like to stay at the My Place Hotel due to the hospitality we received there a few years ago when our Yukon broke down right near this place. They were truly life savers in this unfortunate turn of events and have our loyalty! Plus it has a full kitchen, so that makes it nice to cook breakfast in the morning.

*If you have kids, they will never get tired of exploring this place!*

We love the many attractions that Colorado Springs has to offer, as well. Two of our favorites besides driving up Pikes Peak is Garden of the Gods Park and the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. I could spend the entire day at Garden of the Gods and we’ve visited in several different seasons. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings only require a couple of hours! Garden of the Gods is FREE, so you definitely need to take advantage of this and add this park and visitor center to your itinerary! It costs $12 for adults and $7.50 for kids to enter the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. This allows you to explore both the dwellings and the museum.

*The dwellings are the best part of this place!*

Colorado Springs is a nice getaway and has lodging and attractions for just about any budget! It’s an ideal location to visit for the day, but I can see how we could spend an entire week here, too!

*Even we enjoyed seeing and learning the history here!*

Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

*The Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns National Park*

We recently visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park this past winter and my mind is still blown away at the sheer size and beauty of the caverns. This was just flat out an epic adventure for our family! It’s also now one of my favorite destinations because of how little we had to spend for this adventure and how short the drive was from home.

We spent two nights in Carlsbad, NM and only needed one day at the caverns. I had been given some Christmas money and gift cards and decided to put it all together for a quick weekend trip. Since Carlsbad is only a seven hour drive, I knew this would be the perfect getaway over the long MLK weekend. The caverns are truly stunning and since we visited in the off season, it felt like we had them all to ourselves! All of us were mesmerized and the boys said it was one of their favorite weekend trips to date. We didn’t have to pay to enter Carlsbad Caverns National Park because my America the Beautiful pass is still valid for one more month.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Carlsbad, the rates were under $100 per night. And we definitely took advantage of the free breakfast each morning. We actually had lunch at the nearby Subway and got extra sandwiches to eat the next day on the drive home. We did splurge a little on dinner one night and had steak and seafood at YellowBrix in town. Totally worth it, the food was amazing!

We added a fun stop on the drive to New Mexico at Monahans Sandhills State Park in west Texas. This stop was super fun for the boys and only cost us $8 for the day! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and I cannot recommend this National Park enough. Click here for information about our recent trip!

Orange Beach, Alabama

Orange Beach in the off season is truly a dream come true! This is one of those destinations that I’ve debated even sharing and letting the secret out. If you can visit in the spring, I think you will love it during this season just as much as we do!

This destination is awesome for families, friends, couples, etc.! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Hampton Inn right on the beach. Overall, we saved about $400 visiting in the spring verses paying the summer rates the hotel charges. We loved those beach views and that free breakfast each morning! Usually when we travel to the beach, we spend most of our time at the beach /pool all day every day – which is always FREE. In the spring, the temperatures are not too hot and muggy to enjoy being outdoors and the water is just warm enough to keep the kiddos entertained!

*I love a free breakfast that’s actually edible!*

The difference in this location during the spring verses the summer is not only the price, but also the amount of tourists. Before my last visit in April, I had only traveled to Orange Beach in the summers. Don’t get me wrong, I still love it then, too! But it is really crowded, both on the beach and at restaurants and other attractions. In the spring, there’s no issues finding a great place to set up for the day at the beach. And there’s basically no wait at any of the restaurants.

Orange Beach is a gorgeous beach destination, no matter what time of the year you choose to visit. Click here to check out more about our spring getaway to Orange Beach.

More Tips for Traveling on a Budget

Driving vs. Flying – For us, driving is always the cheaper option when we travel. We don’t use credit cards, so this might not be the case for you if you like to use those points to book flights. But, we prefer to drive when we can. It’s much more budget friendly than paying for a flight, paying for seats & luggage, and then having to rent a car. Driving also allows us to bring more things with us, like food and snacks which also helps us save money!

*I can even travel with just a shoe bag when we drive ha!*

Food Options – When I look at our travel budget, it seems like the majority of our funds go to feeding our family of four. I have found that if we book a hotel that includes free breakfast, this saves us about $30+ per day. This is a savings of at least $150 if we stay for a week! I also prefer to book rooms that have a refrigerator and microwave. This allows us to grab items to make sandwiches for lunches, especially if our trip involves hiking or other outdoor adventures.

*Picnic lunches are amazing when the landscape looks like this!*

Off Season Travel – Traveling in the off season is my favorite time to travel! The prices are always cheaper and the crowds can be nonexistent. If you can handle cooler weather, since the off season is usually in the winter, then I highly recommend giving this a try! You might just find that the off season is your favorite time to travel, too.

*If you prepare for the weather, off season travel can be a blast!*

Staycation/CityPASSes – My boys and I just recently did a staycation in Dallas, TX and had the most fantastic time! We basically had a 45 minute drive to our hotel and saved a total of $115 by using the Dallas CityPASS to visit four popular attractions in the area. I cannot recommend traveling to your nearest city and spending a couple days exploring all that it has to offer. Several locations have a CityPASS or something very similar. We look forward to visiting different cities in Texas in the future!

*We enjoyed our Dallas staycation this past summer!*

Weekend/Day Trips – Not every trip has to be something grand! Weekend trips and day trips are a fun way to get out there and make memories with your family. You can still have a wonderful trip, even if you only have a couple days available in your budget. Day trips are also a great way to explore a local area or attraction without breaking the bank. For us, we have driven 2-3 hours to a location and just spent the day there and then drove back home. When you don’t have to pay for lodging, this can save you hundreds of dollars!

*This was a fun day trip to Glen Rose, which is about 2 hours away!*

National & State Park Trips – National Parks are great places to visit because the most you will pay is typically $35 for your entrance fee and this is usually good for seven days. There are also several different passes available that might offer you even more savings. We have visited several Parks for free using the Every Kid Outdoors Pass when our oldest was in fourth grade. We also saved about $75 this past year using my America the Beautiful Pass. This pass costs $80, but once you visit two Parks, it’s paid for itself! State Parks cost even less to enter. We just recently visited a State Park in TX and it only cost my whole family a total of $8 for the day.

*The Every Kid Outdoors Pass got us into so many Parks for FREE!*

National Park Entrance Fee-Free Days for 2023

Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Saturday, April 22: First day of National Park Week.
Friday, August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act.
Saturday, September 23: National Public Lands Day.
Saturday, November 11: Veterans Day.

Travel Buddy – Finding a travel buddy is another fun way to save money! I love traveling with my best friend and her two boys. It’s so nice to split the cost of gas, lodging, parking, and more. If you have a friend that also loves to travel, you should plan a trip together! Girls/guys trips are also a way to travel together and split costs.

*My best friend is my favorite travel buddy!*

Rewards Programs – If you travel a lot, you should look into different rewards programs. Most of the time when I book a hotel, I use Expedia. Since I have attained Gold Status, I get really nice hotel discounts. These discounts have saved us a lot of money over the years. For instance, I once paid $20 per night for a room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. I really like booking our hotel stays through Expedia because there’s an option to reserve now/pay later and you can usually cancel most hotel bookings 24 hours before your check in date. This has been extremely helpful in the past few years with the changing health protocols and travel restrictions.

*It’s only January and I already have over $100 in credits to use!*

I hope you have found these destinations and travel tips helpful! It truly is my passion to share all things travel with you. I haven’t done it all, but we sure have had a lot of fun over the years! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any help planning your next adventure! I’d also love for you to share any of your favorite budget friendly destinations. Leave a comment if you have a place that we need to add to our list!

Best Destinations for Every Month of the Year

If your New Year’s Resolution is to be more adventurous, but you’re not sure where to start, then you’ve come to the right place! In our family, we truly believe in experiences over things and travel ranks very high on my list of priorities. If I could, I would travel somewhere every month. Now that the boys are older and involved in little league sports, it’s harder and harder for us to get away as much as we used to. Nonetheless, I’ve compiled a list with our tried and true travel recommendations for every month of the year that I hope inspires you to get out there and explore a little more of this amazing country!

January: Winter Park, Colorado

*We took family photos on our last trip to Winter Park!*

What better way to ring in the New Year than a trip to the snowy mountains? This is usually our go to winter adventure destination and I am here to tell you that there is something in Winter Park for everyone! Maybe you’re an adventure seeker and snowboarding or skiing is the thing for you.

*My youngest and me snowboarding together!*

Maybe you want a more restful start to the New Year and would love to cozy up in a cabin and watch the snow fall out the window while sipping hot chocolate! Either way, Winter Park is one of my most favorite winter destinations in Colorado! If you get the chance to go, make sure to check out the tubing hill and you have to eat at Hernando’s Pizza Pub!

*We love all the ski lodges in Winter Park!*

Click here for more details and our full Winter Park itinerary!

February: San Antonio, Texas

Texas is a great state to visit in the winter months if you’re looking for something a little milder than cold, snowy mountains! The best times to visit San Antonio fall between November and April due to milder temps and less crowds. We enjoyed strolling along the River Walk, without needing bulky jackets, and touring The Alamo without the summer crowds!

The average daytime temperature in February is around 65 degrees and only 5 days of rain are expected this month. Even though it’s typically mild during the day, be sure to pack for chilly nighttime temperatures. You’ll never regret visiting this destination. The food is outstanding, the history and missions are incredible, and everyone is friendly down in Texas! Be sure to reserve your tickets in advance to visit The Alamo and add Natural Bridge Caverns to your itinerary!

Click here for more information on visiting San Antonio!

March: Moab, Utah

*Dead Horse Point State Park in Moab, UT*

Our first trip to Utah was in early March a few years ago. To date, this trip has been one of my all-time favorites and I really credit the two National Parks here for inspiring us to visit more throughout the years. We initially traveled to Moab to visit Arches National Park and ended up riding UTVs on some intense trails, seeing petroglyphs, canyons, wildlife, and even some snow!

*An amazing excursion, we all highly recommend!*

This is a fantastic spring break destination, the crowds are much smaller than those in the summer. It will still be chilly here in early March, but it is warming up. You can expect temps to range from 30-60 degrees, so bring layers. Like I mentioned before, it snowed on us one day during our visit so be prepared for unpredictable weather! Check out Wilson Arch on your way in to Moab! It’s a short walk to a stunning arch outside of the National Parks, right off the highway!

*Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park!*

Click here for our full Moab itinerary!

April: Orange Beach, Alabama

I have found that I prefer to visit the beach in the spring when it’s not so hot, humid, and crowded! Orange Beach was the perfect spring destination for us! It was still warm enough to play in the ocean and the restaurant waits were non-existent. We didn’t have many plans for this trip, besides relaxing on the beach and eating as much seafood as possible!

*These boys were all smiles our whole visit!*

The average April temps here fall between 60-70 degrees. But don’t let that fool you, we all got super sunburned! Be sure to grab dinner or lunch at The Hangout, kids will love the hourly foam party! If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway surrounded by emerald water and white sand beaches, then you’ve got to visit Orange Beach, AL!

Click here for more information about visiting Orange Beach, AL!

May: Sedona, Arizona

Sedona has been on my bucket list forever and my boys finally decided to take me over Mother’s Day weekend last May. It was such a special trip! My main goal in visiting was to hike around those stunning red rock formations and my dream came true. Sedona is such a mystical place, it was truly an epic adventure.

May is a very popular time to visit because the temps are ideal for getting outdoors. The average high this month is around 82 degrees and the lows are around 50 degrees. This makes for the best hiking conditions as it’s not too hot in this desert climate. The trails are also popping with wildflowers galore, adding to the picturesque scenery! I cannot recommend this destination enough!

Click here for more details and our Sedona, AZ itinerary!

June: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

*We walked along the bridge from New Jersey to Philadelphia!*

Our very first visit to Philadelphia was in June a couple of summers ago. The weather was absolutely perfect the entire time we were there, which was great since we walked everywhere! I always love walkable cities, especially since I live in a more rural area in Texas. And while we were savoring our week in Philly with 80 degree days, the temps were in the upper 90s at home!

*The boys loved playing in this fountain right in the middle of Philly!*

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and all of the early-American history this city proudly showcases. Even the boys really enjoyed all the history and seeing the places they’ve learned about in person! There is so much to do in Philadelphia, we weren’t able to do it all in one visit. I’d love to take another trip here and would likely visit again in early summer! Take the double decker bus tour when you first arrive to map out all of the places to explore on foot later!

Click here for our full Philadelphia itinerary!

July: Rapid City, South Dakota

Another wonderful summer vacation was spent in Rapid City, South Dakota. Who knew this entire area was so rugged and beautiful! We hiked, we caved, we explored, all the while enjoying the most pleasant summer weather! And I still remember how amazing this little town smelled, too!

While we didn’t visit Mount Rushmore on July 4^th, I think it would be a really cool experience to be there for the firework celebration! There truly is a lot to do in the area, the landscape is stunning, and it remains one of my favorite road trips to date! If you are in decent shape, hike the Sunday Gulch Trail in Custer State Park. It’s a challenge, but the trail is awesome!

*Sunday Gulch Trail in Custer State Park*

Click here for our full itinerary on visiting South Dakota!

August: South Lake Tahoe, California

If you’re looking for a dreamy destination, you should head to South Lake Tahoe! Most kids are headed back to school this month, so I am recommending this destination as an adult getaway! Jereme and I celebrated our anniversary here right before I went back to school last August. It was pretty hot, but the good thing is, there’s plenty of water to cool off in!

We spent our time here around the picturesque beaches and on the water as much as we could. It was a quick trip for us, but we really, really enjoyed this getaway. I have never seen lake water so clear in all my life! We felt like we were in Mexico looking at the Caribbean. There’s nothing better than some nice quality time with the one you love in a gorgeous location! If you’re craving something peaceful and serene, then head to Lake Tahoe! Rent kayaks at Emerald Lake State Park and take a leisurely trip out to the island to hike around ruins on top!

Click here for more details and information about our trip to South Lake Tahoe!

September: St. Louis, Missouri

September to October is considered the best time to visit St. Louis, MO and I couldn’t agree more! Our trip to Missouri was taken in very early Oct. several years ago. We were originally scheduled to visit in mid-September, but unfortunately we all got Covid and felt awful and had to push our trip back about a month. The average daily temps are typically in the lower 80s and can be quiet chilly at night! I recommend packing layers!

*We stayed at the Hyatt to the left in this photo.*

St. Louis is a very dog friendly location, so we brought our pup with us! She enjoyed the outdoor sites, just like we all did. I had no idea how much Lewis & Clark history there is in St. Louis! We did a ghost tour, visited Gateway Arch National Park, and you have got to check out the City Museum. It is the coolest museum we’ve ever visited!

Click here to see more about our trip to St. Louis, MO!

October: Saugatuck, Michigan

*There is something truly special about those Michigan beaches!*

Cool, crisp weather and ideal leaf peeping is what you’ll find if you travel to Saugatuck, Michigan in the fall! I had the opportunity to visit Michigan for the first time ever and I am ready to go back. I had no idea how stunning and picturesque these quaint waterfront towns could be.

The weather in Saugatuck is in the 60s, the perfect temps for cute sweaters and booties! If you can, take a road trip along the Michigan coast and check out towns like St. Joseph and New Buffalo! We actually stayed in New Buffalo and I highly recommend lodging at The Marina Grand Resort! Saugatuck is the most adorable waterfront town and the Wicks Park Bar & Grille serves delicious food and provides cozy flannel blankets for outdoor dining!

Click here for more information about my visit to Michigan!

November: Washington D.C.

*The boys playing football in front of the Washington Monument.*

I have had several trips added to my favorites list, but this one is hands down my most favorite family trip of all time! I wanted to visit DC with my boys and decided to look into this location for a possible trip during our Thanksgiving break. It was highly recommended as a great time to go, because everyone leaves the city that’s there for business. The weather was stunning, we dressed in layers and only needed our jackets early in the morning.

*The view from the top of the Washington Monument.*

We enjoyed the cooler weather as we ventured along the streets and sidewalks taking in all of the historical sights! It was so neat to watch the boys’ excitement as they got to see things from their textbooks in real life! The only downside is that the White House is closed for tours because it’s undergoing Christmas decorating this week. We ventured to George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, we explored all of the monuments and memorials at both day and nighttime, we ice skated outdoors, we ate delicious food, and made memories to last a lifetime!

Click here to learn more about why DC is my favorite trip & to grab our full itinerary!

December: New York, New York

*Christmas decorating in New York is next level!*

I had to include the Big Apple, even though I technically visited the city the last week of November and not actually in December. But there is something truly magical about NYC at Christmastime. It’s cold, it’s crowded, it feels grimy, it smells bad BUT it is still so beautiful! I absolutely love New York, no matter what time of the year. I’ve been six times, still have tons of things on my list I haven’t seen or done, and I cannot wait to plan another visit! I just adore how festive NYC feels around the holidays. If you get the chance to travel in December, I cannot recommend a trip to New York enough!

It was pretty chilly the week were here and we needed coats and hats and gloves. But with the right attire, we had a wonderful time! I recommend doing all of the normal touristy things, while enjoying the holiday decorations. Watch the Saks Fifth Avenue storefront at night, the lightshow is amazing! Venture down by Radio City Music Hall for a show and to see the décor in the area. It will not disappoint. Christmastime in New York should be on everyone’s bucket list!

Click here to see how we spent our week in NYC!

I hope you found these travel recommendations helpful! Be sure to check back soon to see what we’re up to this year. Happy Travels!

Top 10 Hikes Across the US

30 Dec 202210 May 2023Posted in arizona, California, Colorado, Destinations, grand canyon national park, Grand Teton National Park, Iowa, South Dakota, United States, Utah, WyomingTagged best hikes across the US, best hikes for kids and families, best hiking trails, best national park hikes, best trails for kids, best us hikes, easy hiking trails, family hikes, family hiking trails, moderate hiking trails, top 10 hikes in the us2 Comments

It’s no secret that a lot of our road trip adventures have led to some pretty epic hiking destinations! I am sharing my top 10 favorite trails that we have hiked so far. These trails are all suitable for my boys that are under the age of 12!

10. South Kaibab Trail to Ooh-Aah Point at Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

We visited the Grand Canyon in November over Thanksgiving Break. I really wanted to hike down into the canyon, so we decided we would take the rim walk from Mather Point to the Kaibab Trail and hike down to Ooh-Aah Point. If I am being honest, I would have really liked to hiked rim to rim. But that just wasn’t an option with our boys. I also looked into mule rides to the bottom, but you have to be 9 and older and Jake was only 7 at the time. So, we did the hike and trail that we thought the boys would be able to handle the best. We ended up hiking 8 total miles because we went past Ooh-Aah Point. The views were truly stunning the father down into the canyon we hiked. The switchbacks on the start of the trail were really cool, until the hike back up! Just remember that however far you hike down, you must hike back up. And while we didn’t go that many miles down, it was very hard for me to get back up and I am in pretty decent shape. I am thankful that the weather was cooler, I cannot imagine doing that hike in the summer temps. The photos will never do it justice!

South Kaibab Trail Information
Distance: 1.8 miles out & back
Time: 1.5 hours
Location: Grand Canyon NP, South Rim
Rating: Moderate
Grand Canyon National Park website

Click here for our Grand Canyon Trip Itinerary!

9. Hidden Falls Trail in Grand Teton National Park, WY

We were able to spend a couple days hiking in the Grand Tetons this past June on our Yellowstone Road Trip. I really enjoyed every hike, but this one was so peaceful and beautiful! This hike starts at the Jenny Lake area, so we decided to head that way and grab lunch at the store right at the trailhead. From here, we followed the trail around Jenny Lake. If you don’t want to hike, you can purchase tickets for a boat ride across the lake that drops you off about a mile from Hidden Falls. We decided to take the hike since we had been riding in the car so much on this trip! The views are fantastic around the lake and we even saw a deer along the trail. Before getting all the way to Hidden Falls you will eventually see a bridge with a raging river running under it. This is a great place to stop for photos! We stopped in this area and had a picnic snack on the rocks and just watched the river roar by underneath us. From this spot, it’s about a mile or less to the Hidden Falls. This waterfall is majestic and another great location for photos!

Hidden Falls Trail Information:
Distance: 4.9 mile out & back
Time: 2.5 hours
Location: Grand Teton NP, Jenny Lake area, Jackson, WY
Rating: Easy/Moderate
Grand Teton National Park website

Click here for our Grand Teton National Park Itinerary!

8. Lake Haiyaha Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

The hike to Lake Haiyaha was one of the toughest I have ever done. But I am beyond thankful that we persevered and made it to the lake because it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! I visited Rocky Mountain National Park this past October for a long weekend of hiking. RMNP is one of my favorite places on earth, but this was the first time I have ever hiked to Lake Haiyaha. The majority of the hike is up a steep incline and there were several times I wanted to give up and turn around. When you finally even out on the incline, you are then faced with several yards of boulders that you must scramble over to get to the lake. Once you do, the sight is amazing! Especially right now since a rockslide over the summer turned the lake a unique shade of blue! This is one hike that you don’t want to miss! And this is one of two listed hikes that I didn’t take my boys on, but I know that they would have loved the rock scramble. Please keep in mind that you do need timed-entry reservations for Rocky Mountain National Park from early spring through the fall.

Lake Haiyaha Trail Information:
Distance: 4.0 miles out & back
Time: 2 hours+
Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake area, Estes Park, CO
Rating: Hard
Rocky Mountain National Park website

Click here for my Fall in Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary!

7. Munds Wagon Trail to Merry Go Round Rock in Sedona, AZ

We traveled to Sedona over Mother’s Day weekend in May last year. Our first hike of the trip was on Munds Wagon Trail, which is about 8 miles out and back. AllTrails had the hike at 6.4 miles, but I clocked us at 8.1 miles with all of the extra exploring and climbing we did along the trail. I would rate this trail as moderate, especially if you’re hiking with kids. We needed to stop for food quite a bit. Luckily the majority of the hike is uphill on the way to Merry Go Round Rock, which makes the hike to the car mostly downhill. The views are stunning and the trail was very well marked. We really enjoyed all of the hikes we did in Sedona, but this one had those infamous Sedona red rock views the entire way and that’s why I picked this one as my favorite!

Munds Wagon Trail Information:
Distance: 6.4 miles out & back
Time: 3 hours+
Location: Coconino National Forest, Sedona, AZ
Rating: Moderate

Click here to for our Sedona Itinerary!

6. Delicate Arch Trail in Arches National Park, UT

We visited Moab over our Spring Break in March. On our first day in Moab we decided to spend the day hiking at Arches National Park. I had to see Delicate Arch, so that was our first hike for the day. I kept a close watch on the live webcam at the ticket area, and never saw long lines to get into the park. We arrived around 10 am. I am sure it’s much busier during the summer. This was our first visit to Utah, so I didn’t really know what to expect at the Park. But it ended up being super easy! Take the map that is offered to you at the ticket area. The park has signs along the way and we were able to find the Delicate Arch hike fairly easy and we enjoyed the sights along the drive. What I love about this Park is that even people that can’t hike can enjoy almost everything! There are places to pull over and view the famous landmarks or you can park and hike to them. We knew that the hike to Delicate Arch would be the longest and hardest of the trip so we started there first. I am not going to lie, it was pretty hard in one part that is a very steep incline. The rest is fairly easy and the walk back down was no trouble at all. The kids did great and we saw people of all ages and ability levels able to do this one. And I promise that the view at the end is amazing! I also loved that everyone waited turns to take photos under the arch and we all offered to take photos of each other. Please keep in mind that you need timed-entry reservations for Arches National Park starting in early spring through the fall.

Delicate Arch Trail Information:
Distance: 3.2 miles out & back
Time: 1.5 hrs
Location: Arches NP in Moab, UT
Rating: Moderate
Arches National Park website

Click here for our entire Moab, UT Itinerary!

5. Stout Memorial Grove Trail in Redwood National & State Parks, CA

There are several different parks that make up the Redwood National and State Parks, so I had a hard time deciding which area to visit. We settled on Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and the Stout Memorial Grove Trail to hike. I am so happy with this decision, we had the most amazing day in the Redwoods and ended our hike with a beach walk that was absolutely stunning! We encountered maybe 4 people on this day, at both the Redwoods and the beach! So, I highly recommend a visit if you want to experience a National Park with no crowds. The road to this trail does turn into a packed dirt road, but our 2 wheel drive rental car had no issues making the trip! Our boys loved climbing all the fallen trees, especially after being in the car for so long the day before. The pictures don’t really do it any justice, I have NEVER seen trees so big and tall in my life.

Stout Memorial Grove Trail Information:
Distance: 0.7 mile loop
Time: 30 min+
Location: Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park in Crescent City, CA
Rating: Easy
Redwood National & State Parks website

Click here for our entire Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary!

4. Sunday Gulch Trail in Custer State Park, SD

My favorite day in South Dakota was hiking in Custer State Park! I can’t even begin to describe the trail we hiked. I came across images of the Sunday Gulch Trail and knew we had to do it. I am not going to lie, there were tears shed around the 2.5 mile mark from my oldest kiddo. (We didn’t know he was actually getting sick with a fever/cold at the time). This hike is 3.9 miles long, it’s labeled as a HARD trail with a lot of uphill and downhill hiking, trekking through water, over rapids and streams using rocks or tree logs to get across. It was so much fun, but so much work. I can’t even describe how beautiful the sights were and my pictures just don’t do it justice. We could’ve explored this park for 3-4 days! I didn’t get many shots of us on the crazier parts of the trail because I had to help pass our little one off to Jereme and didn’t want to drop my phone in the water. But trust me, it was so cool! We packed a picnic lunch and found a nice, shady area to eat and then took off. It cost us $20 to get into the park, but that includes a 5 day pass to return. There are bathrooms, a store/souvenir shop, canoe rentals, and probably more than I even saw. After the hike, the kiddos and Jereme jumped into the lake for a freezing cold swim!

Sunday Gulch Trail Information:

Distance: 3.9 mile loop
Time: 2 hours+
Location: Custer State Park in Custer, SD
Rating: Hard
Custer State Park Website

Click here for our Texas to South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary!

3. Secret Cove Beach Trail in South Lake Tahoe, CA

Secret Cove Beach was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited. The hike is not very long, roughly a mile from the parking lot. There are not a lot of signs marking the trail, but we still had no trouble finding the secret cove. It is a clothing optional beach, I would never go nude, but didn’t mind if others did. However, we didn’t see anyone else without swimsuits on. We were there pretty early and it felt like we had the entire cove to ourselves. We explored the trails above the cove and just took in the sights, then hiked down to the beach and relaxed on the shore and took a few swims.

Secret Cove Beach Trail Information:
Distance: 0.9 mile loop
Time: 30 minutes+
Location: Carson City, NV
Rating: Easy

Click here for our South Lake Tahoe Itinerary!

2. Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

We visited Rocky Mountain National Park in July a couple of summers ago. On our first day here, we were so excited and decide to head to the Park right before 4:00 pm, and didn’t wait in line for more than 5 minutes to enter. We drove right to the Bear Lake parking lot, used the restrooms at the trailhead, and began the hike to Emerald Lake. It was AMAZING!!!! The signs along the trail were easy to follow and take you around two other lakes, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake, before getting to Emerald Lake. Our boys, ages 10 and 7 at the time, did great on this one. I absolutely love this hike and this National Park! Please keep in mind that you need timed-entry reservations to Rocky Mountain National Park from early spring through the fall.

Emerald Lake Trail Information:
Distance: 3.2 mile out & back
Time: 2 hrs
Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake area, Estes Park, CO
Rating: Easy/Moderate
Rocky Mountain National Park website

Click here for our entire Rocky Mountain National Park & Beyond Itinerary!

1. Lower Caves Trail in Maquoketa Caves State Park, IA

If you are craving a unique travel adventure, then look no further! What makes this State Park so incredible is that it has 6 miles of hiking trails and 13 caves to explore, completely on your own. My family loves visiting caves, but usually that comes with a guided tour and a time limit on your caving experience. Not this place! You park your car and your adventure begins! There are no guides, no time limits, just a nicely marked trail system to venture at your own pace. My boys loved this adventure just as much as I did! We started with the lower caves, so that involved walking down wooden stairs to get inside the caves. There were different places for the boys to climb and explore, and if you have kids, you know that they love to climb and explore! I could not get over all of the geological features and was just in awe the whole time! We will definitely venture back to Iowa just to hike these caves again!

Maquoketa Caves Trail Information:
Distance: 1.7 mile loop
Time: 1 hour+
Location: Maquoketa Caves State Park in Maquoketa, IA
Rating: Easy
Maquoketa Caves State Park website

Click here for more information and photos of Maquoketa Caves State Park!

Helpful Hiking Tips: Bring plenty of food and water for the day, wear sunscreen and reapply often, use bug repellent, bring a first aid kit, take a swimsuit or change of clothes/shoes, expect to get wet, and have a blast!

Budget Friendly Hiking Gear Recommendations

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase any items using the links provided at no extra charge to you.

I would love to hear what your favorite trails are! If you have a favorite trail or a recommendation, leave me a comment. And as always, thanks for following along on our adventures!

Sedona, Arizona

1 Jul 202210 May 2023Posted in arizonaTagged 2 day Sedona itinerary, arizona, best hikes with kids in Sedona, hiking in Sedona, Sedona, Sedona Arizona Itinerary, Sedona with kids, weekend in Sedona4 Comments

We road-tripped from Texas to Sedona, Arizona over Mother’s Day this past May. If you’ve never been, Sedona is awesome! This was a quick trip, but we packed a lot in and really enjoyed all the things we were able to do over the long weekend!

We started the trip from Texas and drove straight to Albuquerque, NM for the night. The drive to NM takes about 9 hours. We didn’t leave until around noon, so we didn’t stop to do much on the drive. Our main goal was to get to Sedona in time to have 2.5 full days to explore the area. So we pretty much stopped to sleep in NM and then drove about 6 hours to get to Sedona the following day. We left early in the morning and got there in the early afternoon. We all LOVED the hotel we booked in Sedona, Hotel Arabella. They had many activities on site, including two pools/hot tubs, poolside drinks & snacks, outdoor games, and plenty of spectacular views. We were upgraded upon arrival to a room with a patio leading right out to the pool. It felt like we had the place to ourselves, nobody else ever used the pool near our room! There was also a good Mexican restaurant at the hotel that offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner, both in-person dining and room service.

Below you will find a great two-day itinerary suitable for kids!

Day 1: Munds Wagon Trail Hike
7:00 – Wake up, get ready for a day of hiking
7:30 – Free breakfast buffet at hotel
8:00 – Quick stop at grocery store/gas station for lunch/snacks on hike
8:30 – Arrive at trailhead
8:30-2:30 – Hike to Merry Go Round Rock via Munds Wagon Trail
2:30 – Leave trailhead
2:45 – Arrive back at hotel
3:00 – Relax in the hot tub – great for those aches and pains from hiking
4:00 – Shower, get ready for dinner
5:30 – Dinner at Javelina Catina (walking distance from hotel)
7:00 – Shopping after dinner (shops around the restaurant)
8:00 – Back at hotel/night swimming and hot tubbing
9:00 – Early bedtime for hiking the next day

Munds Wagon Trail At a Glance:
Open Season – Year-round
Length- 6.4 miles
Route Type- Out & Back
Rated- Moderate

The Munds Wagon Trail is about 8 miles out and back. AllTrails had the hike at 6.4 miles, but I clocked us at 8.1 miles. I would rate this trail as moderate if you’re hiking with kids. We needed to stop for food quite a bit. Luckily the majority of the hike is uphill on the way to Merry Go Round Rock, which makes the hike to the car mostly downhill. The views are stunning and the trail was very well marked.

Views along the Baldwin Trail to Cathedral Rock

Day 2: Cathedral Rock via Baldwin Trail
7:00 – Wake up, get ready for a day of hiking
7:30 – Free breakfast buffet at hotel
8:00 – Quick stop at grocery store/gas station for snacks on hike
8:30 – Arrive at trailhead
8:30-12:30 – Hike to Cathedral Rock
12:30-1:30 – Swimming in the river along the trail
1:30 – Leave trailhead
2:00 – Arrive back to town
2:30 – Late lunch at The Vault
4:00 – Explore downtown Sedona (lots of cool shops)
6:00 – Arrive back at hotel
6:00-8:00 – Night swimming/hot tubbing
8:00 – Order room service from Mole (on site restaurant)
10:00 – Bedtime for drive back home the next day

Baldwin Trail to Cathedral Rock at a Glance:
Open Season- Year-round
Length- 3.7 miles
Route Type- Out & Back
Rated- Hard (the trail isn’t hard, but the climb up Cathedral Rock is!)

Cathedral Rock is a popular area for hikers. It’s more like a rock climb, the hike is the trail that leads to the impressive rock formation! We chose not to go all the way up, we made it pretty far. But with kids I was a little nervous and wanted us to be safe.

One of the main reasons we decided to visit Sedona was because of the amazing landscape and hiking options. I had several hikes that I wanted to do, all those famous hikes like Cathedral Rock, Devil’s Bridge, etc. On Thursdays-Sundays, shuttles run to those more popular trailheads and you cannot simply just drive there on your own. I had read some mixed reviews on the shuttles, like how hard it was to find where they pick you up. So I decided to find a less popular option for our first day hike, which was on a Sunday. This plan worked out perfectly and we had an amazing hike! Then, I thought that we wouldn’t have any issues on the more popular hikes on Monday, but boy was I wrong! What nobody told me about Sedona is that there are tons of hikers and many of the popular trailheads have parking spaces for about 10 cars or less! We had a very difficult time on Monday morning finding any trails with parking spaces available. And frustratingly enough, the shuttles don’t run on Monday-Wednesday, at least not in May. So take my advice now, get up early! On Monday we were at the first trail by 8:30 and had no luck with parking and we had to drive around to five other trailheads before finally finding a place to hike! Even though we enjoyed our visit and there’s not a lot that compares to the views that Sedona offers, I was not expecting the crowds in town or in regards to hiking/parking. But don’t let that deter you from visiting! If you can’t find parking at Cathedral Rock, head to the Baldwin Trailhead. There’s a lot more parking available and the hike was one of my favorites! My boys loved the river, too!

Overall, Sedona is a beautiful destination and we enjoyed our visit. I wish that we would’ve had more time to explore the area, so I recommend going longer than for just the weekend, unless you live closer!

I have several videos (reels) on my Instagram of both hikes and our hotel if you want a better idea of exactly what the trails are like or if you want to see a peak of our room at https://www.instagram.com/road_trip_queen/

And as always, thank you for following along on our adventures!

Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon Road Trip Itinerary

15 Dec 202121 May 2023Posted in arizona, grand canyon national park, Las Vegas, NevadaTagged arizona, favorite hikes at the grand canyon, grand canyon national park, grand canyon with kids, hiking the grand canyon, hiking the grand canyon with kids, horseshoe bend, Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip, las vegas to the grand canyon, las vegas to the grand canyon road trip itinerary, the grand canyon, travel arizona, tusayan arizona, two days at the grand canyon4 Comments

Seeing the Grand Canyon in person has been a dream of mine for a long time. I am happy to report that we finally made that dream come true over this past Thanksgiving holiday! And it was an ideal time to visit the park, the weather was perfect and the crowds were smaller than I have heard they can be in the summer months.

We booked this trip very last minute, so we didn’t get to stay inside the park, but we had the most amazing trip with our boys. If you follow along on our adventures, you know that I like to take advantage of our school breaks. And Jake had asked to go to the Grand Canyon for his birthday… in the summer. Being how it’s super-hot at the Grand Canyon during that time, I decided to push this one off until the weather got cooler. I was wracking my brain for somewhere to go over Thanksgiving break and decided that this might be the perfect time to see the Grand Canyon. We also had Spirit Airline credits that needed to be booked before the end of the year, so the trip planning began!

Being home for Thanksgiving was really important to us, so we decided that we would travel from Sunday – Thursday morning and fly home in time for lunch and dinner with our families. Thankfully we had zero issues with our flights and our traveling days went so smoothly… well everything except for the turbulence on the way home! Eek, that’s a story for another time haha!

Our Itinerary

Sunday – Flight to Las Vegas, Nevada
- Drive to Horseshoe Bend in Page, AZ
- Drive to hotel in Tusayan, AZ
Monday – Grand Canyon National Park
Tuesday – Grand Canyon National Park
Wednesday – Drive back to Las Vegas, NV
- Stop by Hoover Dam
Thursday – Flight home to Dallas, TX

A big goal of mine is to get my boys to all 50 states, so since we had already been to Arizona, I thought it would be cool to start this adventure in Las Vegas and mark Nevada off the list. Plus, flights into Vegas were way cheaper than flying to Phoenix or Flagstaff. We had early morning flights and made it to Vegas by 8:00 am. We were on the road in our rental car by 9:00 am! We decided to drive down the strip and show the boys where we would be staying on our last night of the trip and then we headed to Arizona.

Even though this stop put us about 2 hours out of the way, I knew we needed to go by Horseshoe Bend since we were so close. And that’s exactly what we did! We made it right before sunset and it did not disappoint. This site is about 4 hours from Vegas, and then we had to drive another 2 hours to our hotel in Tusayan. The boys loved exploring Horseshoe Bend and being out of the car. They always enjoy climbing rocks and there were plenty for them to crawl and climb on. But they got so cranky on the drive from Page to our hotel. I mean, we were up at 3:00 am for our flights, so I understood. Because of this, we actually decided to sleep in the next day before getting up for the Grand Canyon.

We really enjoyed our stay in Tusayan. We actually drove through after dark and the town was completely decked out in holiday lights and Christmas décor! We stayed at The Red Feather Lodge and really enjoyed it. Like I said earlier, we booked this trip in October, so I didn’t get to book lodging inside the park. However, the location of The Red Feather Lodge was wonderful and it only took about 5 minutes to drive to the South Rim entrance.

Grand Canyon Day 1

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when visiting The Grand Canyon. I didn’t think we’d see forests and animals, but man did we! Tall trees and lots of elk made the drive to the lookout points really exciting. We decided to start our first day at Mather’s Point. There was lots of space to park the car and a really nice visitor center area with food and coffee options, bike rentals, and Ranger talks. This visitors center was closed when we were there, but we probably wouldn’t have visited anyway. We were way too excited to see the Grand Canyon! The trails are paved and marked very well. The first sight of the canyon is truly awe-inspiring. I always knew it was grand, but it’s almost hard to take it all in, it’s that grand! The lookout points are very crowded, so we decided to venture along the rim trail and explore more on our own away from all the other visitors.

I really wanted to get down into the canyon, so we decided from Mather’s Point we would take the rim walk to the Kaibab Trail and hike down into the canyon to Ooh-Aah Point. If I am being honest, I would have really liked to hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon and camp and then hike back up. But that just wasn’t an option with our boys. I also looked into mule rides to the bottom, but you have to be 9 and older and Jake is only 7. So, we did the hike and trail that we thought the boys would be able to handle the best. We ended up hiking 8 total miles. The switchbacks on the start of the trail were really cool, until the hike back up! Just remember that however far you hike down, you must hike back up. And while we didn’t go that many miles down, it was very hard for me to get back up and I am in pretty decent shape. I am thankful that the weather was cooler, I cannot imagine doing that hike in the summer temps. The views were stunning and the photos will never do it justice!

There are several dining options in Tusayan, but we opted for dinner at the Mexican restaurant at our hotel. It’s called Plaza Bonita Restaurant and it was so, so delicious! Plus, we got a discount for staying at the Red Feather Lodge! We also enjoyed lunch at Foodie Club while we were there! There were several options for all of us and it was a great stop before we hiked the canyon on day two.

Grand Canyon Day 2

Our original plan for the 2^nd day in Arizona was to drive about 45 minutes and visit Bearizona. But, the weather had other plans for us and there was a 90% chance of rain there for the majority of the day. So, we decided to head back to the Grand Canyon to visit the Yavapai Geology Museum and do more exploring. This day was colder and cloudier than the day before, so it was nice to have a place to warm up indoors. The views were a little different here, especially with the clouds! We walked around for a bit and then decided to just drive around the park. It was exciting to see so many elk roaming around. We pulled over into a parking lot and explored the forest area. The boys played “pine cone dodge ball” and some hide and seek. Then, we decided to go back into town and have dinner. We LOVED the restaurant, We Cook Pizza and Pasta. The boys were able to get pizza and I really enjoyed the pasta.

Las Vegas

On Wednesday morning we checked out of the hotel and started the four hour drive to Las Vegas. We made a quick stop to see the Hoover Dam on the drive. The drive was really easy and felt like it went by pretty quick. The dam is really a lot cooler than I thought it would be. We didn’t do the tour inside because this is a bucket list trip for my Dad and I wanted to wait to take it with him! But it was fun to drive over the dam and we also walked along the bridge that overlooks that area. And I got a picture with my boys in their 32 state right there on the walk up to the bridge!

Finally, we made it to Vegas. We stayed at the Bellagio and we were all impressed with the hotel! The Christmas décor was spot on. The only downside was how crowded it was. We got our best Christmas photo at 5:30 in the morning on the way to the airport. The boys just wanted to walk around the strip and check out the different hotels and sights outside. I tried to book tickets to a magic show while we were there, but there wasn’t anything available. We did about 6 miles of walking through different hotels and then decided to head back to our room and order room service for dinner. The boys thought we were so fancy! We only spent one night here and I think the boys actually liked it better than the Grand Canyon. I can’t wait to take them back in the summer so we can enjoy the hotel pools.

Overall, we really had a good time adding a new state to our list and visiting another National Park this year. I know there is so much that we didn’t see or do while we were there. Maybe one day we can visit again when the boys are a little older. I would love to hear any tips or recommendations that you have if you’ve been there. If you’re reading this to help plan your next trip, feel free to reach out with any questions! Don’t forget to follow our fun on my IG at road_trip_queen.

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Happy Travels!

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