After so many months being cooped up in quarantine due to COVID we were ready to get out. We thought that a road trip to some National Parks would be a great way to get out of the house. So we decided to hit the road! We packed and started driving all so excited to get out of the house. We decided to have our neighbor who we had spent all of quarantine join our adventure.
Valley of Fire
Our first stop from San Diego to Zion was Nevada's State Park Valley of Fire. When I did not win the lottery to get tickets to the Wave in Utah I discovered the Valley of Fire, which has its own wave and I was set on seeing it whether or not it was 125 degrees when we got there. There are a lot of great hikes at the Valley of Fire but we only did "The Wave" and a few pull overs at the start to stretch our legs.
The Wave is his is one of the most gorgeous spots in the Valley of Fire. White and red zebra print sandstone creates a great photo opportunity. It’s a 1.5-mile round trip hike out to the Fire Wave. The trailhead is across the road from Parking Lot #3 on the North side of the White Domes Road and the trail heads south.Be prepared, in the summer it's deathly hot and there is hardly any shade along the trail. It was 125 degrees when we hiked it just did it slow and with a lot of water and in late afternoon.
After our hike we stopped in Vegas for a quick bite to eat. It was spooky. Las Vegas was a ghost town in the middle of August.
Under the Canvas
Then we headed to Zion. I was very excited we had booked three nights at Under Canvas. One note it would be nice to stay here when it was not so hot since there is no AC. If you are not a camper and into roughing it, which we are not hence the glamping some nights it was a bit hot and hard to sleep without the AC. Other than that we loved it! So fun.
Tubing
The first morning before our hike we decided to take intertubes down the river since it was a nice hot day. It was a fun thing to do with the kids that was different then a hike. We used Zion Tubing. https://www.tubingzion.com/
The Narrows
Our first hike was definitely my favorite hike ever, The Narrows, People say to arrive early to the hike to beat the crowds but we actually arrived at around 1pm and I think that was the secret to beating the crowds. There was a large line of people leaving The Narrows when we arrived and no one on our shuttle there. Another good piece of advice I would give anyone with small kids who would like to hike farther into the Narrows, bring a blow up boat. This made my kids love this hike. They were in and out of the boat. My five year old spent most of the hike in the boat and my seven year old spent most of the time out of the boat, but they both were in it.
Some advice check the weather. You don’t want to get caught in a flash flood down there! Get off on the Last Shuttle Stop – Temple of Sinawava- for the trailhead to The Narrows. The bus ride from Stop 1 (right near Watchman Campground) to Stop 9 (Temple of Sinawava) takes about 40 minutes. The Hike is as Long as You Want it To Be. This is an amazing hike that literally all fitness levels can enjoy. For The Narrows hike, the first mile is a well-maintained path that leads to the spot where you can enter the river. From here, you can wade through the river as long as you want before turning around and hiking back out. The furthest you’re able to go without a permit is the ~10-mile round trip hike to Big Springs. I went about 2.5 miles in just a bit past the area called “Wall Street” before turning around to come back. Bring a Dry Bag. I recommend protecting your electronics with a dry bag – there’s some spots of the river that are waist-deep or chest deep depending on water levels we went when it was pretty low, and you don’t want to risk getting your phone or camera wet! (Or if you accidentally slip and fall)
Canyoneering
The next morning we got picked up by Zion Guru and did some Canyoneering not too far from where we were staying. This was DEFINITELY worth it. It was the kids favorite activity of the trip. Miss and Jonathan were amazing. I wish we had done a full day!
Emerald Pools
That afternoon we went back into Zion and hiked Emerald Pools. It was a 3.2 mile out & back trail takes you through beautiful scenery to the emerald pools. Half of the hike is climbing up the hill to the pools. We went to the upper pools. Sadly in the summer the falls are nonexistent but it was still a beautiful hike. Part of me wishes we had done this hike before the Narrows because it is hard to follow the Narrows. We did not do Angel's Landing, which is another hike that is very popular and would be a great hike to slot in on this day because I have a fear of height and so do my neighbors.
Food in Zion
To note we loved getting lunch and breakfast at Deep Creek Coffee Co. The food was amazing there.
Kanarra Creek
On our way to Bryce Canyon we made a stop at Kanarra Creek. Kanarra Creek requires a permit. So make a reservation ahead of time. It is definitely worth the stop and one of my top hikes. Similar to the Zion Narrows, but on a smaller scale, this makes another great slot canyon destination and is truly beautiful. For part of this hike, you will be walking in the Kanarra Creek, so water shoes are recommended. There are several obstacles along the way that require some rock scrambling or the use of ladders so this does require some skill but my 5 and 7 year old were able to do the hike.
Hiking up the canyon further, you'll tediously make your way up a second set of small falls, this time without a ladder. Just tree branches and boulders helping you up.
Then, the canyon widens again. We made our way up to more falls where we sat and ate our picnic lunch. There, the creek cascaded over huge, mossy rocks into a pool of water, making it a natural playground. We took our turns sliding down the rocks.
Bring lots of water, like two water bottles each. Pack a lunch. Give yourself up to 4 hours to enjoy the hike.
The address is 375 E. 100 North St, Kanarraville, UT 84742. 3 to 4 miles, round trip.
Bryce Canyon
We stayed at the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel which was nice and a great location. We did have dinner at Stone Health Grill which was delicious and would have eaten there ever night if it was open. https://www.stonehearthgrille.com/
The first morning we did likely the most popular hike in Bryce Canyon starting at at Wall Street (entrance is down Navajo Loop we got lost and did part of the Rim Trail away from Sunrise Point) and then we circled to Queen’s Garden up to Sunrise Point. This made the climb more gradual than starting Queen’s Garden which many people do. This was a beautiful hike. There are many other great hikes to do but we were only here for a day. The hike will take about 2-3 hours. Bring plenty of water, especially when the weather is warm.
Bryce Canyon sits at a relatively high elevation, 8,000 feet. It is normal to feel out of breath here, even with short climbs. The final climb out of the amphitheater can be tough, so expect to take several breaks to catch your breath on the way back up.
After our hike we went on an hour horseback riding tour that the kids were looking forward to and then an ATV tour with Ruby Inn. Both were a lot of fun.
Seven Magic Mountains
The next day we woke up and started our drive home. On our way there I spotted the Seven Magic Mountains and wanted to stop. So we stopped in Las Vegas for some custard at Luv-It Frozen Custard and then went to the Seven Magic Mountains. These were two great stops on our way home and a magical ending to a great road trip.
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