Utah’s Mighty Five refers to the state’s five stunning national parks, each offering unique landscapes and experiences.
9
5
3
1,250 mi
Our original plan to Utah only included Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef. But we changed some of our plans while we were there to add on Arches and Canyonlands. Because of that add-on, we only had one day to visit both of the parks. Next time we go, we want to spend extra time near Moab so we can do more in both Arches and Canyonlands and add on a few stops such as Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab and maybe hit Goblin Valley State Park between Capitol Reef and Arches.
Getting There
You can see all five of Utah’s National Parks in a few ways. Most people, ourselves included, choose to fly into Las Vegas, Nevada, and rent a car from there. Las Vegas is usually a cheap airport to fly into, and rental cars are typically on the low end, too. Then it’s a matter of driving a couple of hours to Utah to get started on the parks.
Otherwise, the second best option is to fly into Salt Lake City, Utah, and take this trip in the opposite direction. You would still need a rental vehicle since the parks are spread out across the southern half of the state.
Finally, if you don’t want the added fees for a one-way car rental, you can make a loop, but it will add a few hours of driving whether you go in and out of Las Vegas or Salt Lake City.
Best Time to Go
Please don’t do what we did. The summer months are not the best to spend in Southern Utah due to the heat. The best time of the year would be in late Spring, such as March and April, or in early Fall, such as September and October. In the winter months, some of the roads become unpassable because of the snow and ice on the roads. In the summer months, the heat can be unbearable, especially in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.
Day One
Fly to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Nevada
We decided to fly to Las Vegas since this was the cheapest option and had the best choices for flights. My parents came with us on this trip, so they were able to get a layover in Houston from their airport in South Florida. Then we all boarded a plane together from Houston to Las Vegas.
Upon landing, my mom and I took Tyler and Ryan to get the checked bags while my dad and Justin went to the rental car facility to start getting our van. By dividing and conquering, they were able to come to pick us up at the passenger pickup area in the rental van so we could start our first big drive of the trip.
Hotel in Hurricane, Utah: Wyndham Wingate Hurricane Zion
From the airport, we had about a 2.5-hour drive to get to our hotel for the evening. We drove through a little bit of Arizona, but since we didn’t do something in the state, we don’t count that as a state we’ve been to on our quest to get to all 50 states.
We stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham in Hurricane, Utah. The hotel is about a 30-minute drive to the visitor center in Zion National Park, and my mom had enough points with Wyndham to get the hotel for free.
Flying over the mountains into Las Vegas
Day One Map
Day Two
Breakfast at the Hotel
We purposely chose hotels that offered free breakfast. With six people on the trip, this helps save us quite a bit of money since we aren’t eating out for every single meal. All Tyler and Ryan cared about was that they had some Fruit Loops cereal!
Breakfast Time
Breakfast Time
Zion National Park Visitor Center
After breakfast, we loaded up the vehicle and drove to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to start our first day in Zion. Justin and I had been here for a day trip from Las Vegas once before with his parents, but this was the first time for Tyler, Ryan, and my parents. We stopped on the way in to take a quick photo of the entrance sign.
Since it was the beginning of summer and peak season in the park, the roads were closed to private vehicles. The only option was to park our van and take the Zion Canyon Shuttle. Luckily, we were able to find a spot in the parking area for the visitors center since he got an early start to the day. Otherwise, there is a lot of parking available just outside the park with a shuttle that will bring you to the visitor center.
We weren’t positive about what we wanted to do in the park, so we got a map from a park ranger and asked about good hikes for kids Tyler and Ryan’s age (3 and 5 at the time). He suggested a few and then we got in line for the shuttle.
“Feeding” the turtle statue
Waiting for the Zion Canyon Shuttle
Weeping Rock Trail
The first trail we did was Weeping Rock Trail. This is a short hike that takes you to a large alcove where water seeps out of the rock face, creating a “weeping” effect. The water comes from rainfall and snowmelt that has seeped into the porous rock above, taking thousands of years to filter through and emerge as springs along the cliff.
From the alcove, you get a wonderful view of Zion Canyon, including park landmarks like the Great White Throne and Angels Landing.
Weeping Rock is stop number 7 on the Zion Canyon Shuttle.
Trailhead sign
Looking up at the canyon walls
Ryan uses binoculars and daddy’s height for a better view
Looking at birds up on the cliffs
Weeping Rock
A view of the canyon
Family photo underneath Weeping Rock
The viewing platform under Weeping Rock
Plants growing on the side of the wall
Riverside Walk
Our next stop was the last one, shuttle stop number 9, which is called the Temple of Sinawava. This is the start of one of the most famous trails in Zion National Park, The Narrows. While we weren’t doing something as ambitious as The Narrows, we were able to go on the Riverside Walk which is the trail that leads up to the mouth of the canyon.
The path walks along the Virgin River, which carved out the canyon, on a short accessible pathway. We walked all the way to the end of the path where your options are to turn around or walk through the river into The Narrows. We turned around at this point and slowly walked back to the trailhead.
Along this path, we were able to see some deer grazing across the river. The boys also took a few minutes to take their shoes off and dip their feet in the cold river water.
Touching the cold water
Water rushing over the rocks
Looking into The Narrows
Calm spot on the river
A deer across the river from us
Tyler & Ryan take a break with Grandma
Stephanie taking photos along the riverside
Tyler posing with the deer behind him
Looking into the canyon
Riverside Walk
Lunch at Red Rock Grill
For lunch we took the shuttle to stop number 5, the Zion Lodge, and went to the restaurant in the main lodge building called Red Rock Grill. We already knew the food was delicious because Justin and I ate here with his parents a few years ago. Everyone was able to get something they enjoyed and it was a great way to cool off and take a break in the middle of our day.
Welcome sign
Tyler trying to wink
Ryan devouring his chicken tenders
Bacon burger with sweet potatoes fries
Regular burger with sweet potato fries
Grilled chicken salad
Emerald Pools Trail
The Emerald Pools Trail is also at this shuttle stop, so we decided to go ahead and try this trail after we were done eating. We did the Lower Emerald Pools Trail and loved the scenery along the way. There were options to go to the Middle Emerald Pool or the Upper Emerald Pool, but the boys’ little legs were getting worn out by this time so we didn’t want to overdo it on our first day of hiking.
Stephanie & Justin on the first trip to Zion (pre-kids)
Family photo on the bridge to the trail
Red rock formations
Crossing the river to the trailhead area
Walking through the trees
Towering canyon walls
Water barely flowing over the rocks
More canyon walls
All four of us along the trail
Lower Emerald Pool
Visitor Center
We took the shuttle back to the visitor center to get back in the van and head to the hotel.
Snow Canyon State Park
On the way back, my mom and I were looking up other things in the area and found Snow Canyon State Park just a few miles from our hotel. We read about the old lava flows and volcano caldera in the park as well as the unique rock structures and decided to check it out.
My dad was done for the day, so Justin, my mom, and I took the boys to the park for a little bit. We didn’t stay long and didn’t go on any of the trails, but we went just to see the landscape. From the main road, we were able to drive to a lookout point on the top of one of the cliffs to look out on the beautiful red rocks in the area.
While this isn’t as grand as some of the national parks, I’d say Snow Canyon is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.
Driving into the park
Towering rock walls
Different rock formations
The four of us at the state park
Looking at the inactive volcano caldera in the park
Pretty views near sunset
Looking at the edge of the plateau we parked on
Large black volcanic rocks
Rock formation
Dominos Pizza at the Hotel
On the way back to the hotel, we ran through a Domino’s Pizza to grab some dinner to eat at the hotel before going to bed to rest for another day in the parks.
Yummy pizza!
Day Two Map
Day Three
Breakfast at the Hotel
In the morning, we got up and had breakfast at the hotel again. The food didn’t change much, but it was enough to fuel us up for the morning. Originally, we planned to spend another half-day in Zion National Park, but we felt like we did what we wanted the day before, so chose to drive straight to our next lodging. We did decide to take the scenic route, though, that goes through Zion National Park and along Byway 12.
Biscuits & Gravy and a Blueberry Muffin
Driving through Zion National Park
Even if you are just passing through Zion National Park, you must pay the entrance fee. Before the trip, we purchased an America the Beautiful Pass which gives access to all of the national parks in the country, so we just had to show this at the ticket booth.
By taking this route, we were able to drive through the eastern part of the park that we hadn’t visited the day before, including the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. This famous tunnel has 6 “windows” cut into the side that allow you to see through the canyon walls as you drive along the road. The tunnel is low and narrow, and sometimes only open to traffic in one direction if a large vehicle needs to get through.
Driving through Zion
Driving through Zion
Scenic Byway 12 & Dixie National Forest
Another part of our drive was across parts of Scenic Byway 12, also referred to as “Highway 12”. On this day, we drove about half of the scenic highway, from where it intersects Highway 89 through Boulder, Utah.
There’s a reason it’s considered one of the most beautiful and diverse scenic routes in the United States. In this part of the drive, we went through the Dixie National Forest and also saw some of the red rock formations leading up to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Scenic Byway 12 sign
Just outside of Zion
Near the Bryce Canyon area
Bryce Canyon National Park
The original plan was to check into our cabin at Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch after spending time in Zion today, but since we only drove through Zion and were ahead of schedule, we decided to go ahead and stop at Bryce Canyon National Park since we were passing right by it. We arrived at the park at about 11:30 in the morning.
Our first stop, as always, was the National Park Sign and the Visitor Center. We didn’t have a lot of time to spend in the park, and knew we didn’t want to do any long trails while we were there. Since the park wasn’t too busy, we drove to Sunset Point and were able to find parking. Otherwise, during the peak season, Bryce Canyon National Park runs a shuttle bus throughout the park.
Driving through Zion
Driving through Zion
Sunset Point to Sunrise Point Trail
We walked a small portion of the Rim Trail, from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point. This portion of the trail is a great way to see some of the park without the strenuous walks into and out of the canyon. You are above the canyon so you can see formations for a long distance. From here, we were able to see many of the rock formations such as Thor’s Hammer, Wall Street, Silent City, Queen’s Garden, Boat Mesa, and Sinking Ship. This was one of the best places to see many of the hoodoos without having to do a major hike into the canyon.
Tyler & Ryan at the Bryce Amphitheater
Stephanie & Justin at the Bryce Amphitheater
Bryce Amphitheater
Bryce Amphitheater
Bryce Amphitheater
Bryce Amphitheater
The boys in front of Bryce Amphitheater
Bryce Amphitheater through the trees
Ryan got to touch the horse as they came through on a trail ride
Sunset Point to Sunrise Point
Dinner at Rustler’s Restaurant in Tropic, Utah
After walking through Bryce Canyon National Park, we were all hungry, so we had a late lunch/early dinner at Rustler’s Restaurant which is not far outside of the park. We left the park at about 1:45 PM and had our food there by 2:15 PM. It only took us a few minutes to get to the restaurant, and their service was very fast.
Tyler ordered a kid’s hamburger meal and Ryan got their chicken tender meal. Justin got an adult hamburger plate with onion rings and I ordered a grilled chicken salad.
Everyone enjoyed the food and we filled up enough there that this served as our lunch and dinner for the day. We just had some snacks once we got to the rental cabin.
Grilled Chicken Salad
Kids chicken tenders with fries
Kids cheeseburger with fries
Scenic Byway 12
Continuing along Byway 12, we passed through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, and down the section called The Hogback to Boulder Mountain. Justin was a little nervous on The Hogback because it’s a stretch of Highway 12 that winds along a narrow ridge with steep drop-offs on either side. The views from the road were just amazing the entire way.
Between Bryce Canyon & Grand Staircase-Escalante
Between Bryce Canyon & Grand Staircase-Escalante
Deer in the meadows near Boulder Mountain
Check in to Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch
Our new lodging was at the Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch which is on Hell’s Backbone Road. The road itself offers another scenic drive right off of Highway 12. The ranch is only a few miles down the road on the left.
There are a few cabins, hotel-style rooms, and glamping yurts that you can rent. The ranch offers a few sizes of cabin, we opted for Cabin 3, their largest cabin, which has two private rooms and a set of bunk beds in the loft area. This was perfect to give us all a little bit of space and privacy after being in a small hotel room in Hurricane.
The ranch has 168 acres of walking paths, pastures, and wetland ponds. Once we got settled, we walked around the property for a little while.
Entrance to the Ranch
View from the balcony
Walking down by the creek on the property
The cabin we stayed in
Bedroom one-downstairs
Bedroom two-upstairs
Day Three Map
Day Four
Breakfast at the Sweetwater Kitchen
Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch has its own restaurant, Sweetwater Kitchen. When you stay at the ranch, they offer free breakfast. When we first got the menu to order breakfast, we were a bit disappointed in the choices. We had to fill out our requests the night before and turn them in at the main lodge. In the morning, the food was ready for us.
We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of food and the quality of the food! Although it didn’t sound like much at first, we were all very full by the time we left breakfast in the morning.
Before leaving the main lodge, we asked about the closest place to get groceries since our cabin had a full kitchen and we wanted to save some money by cooking since we would be here for a few nights. They said we could either go to the small convenience store a few miles up the road, or the closest grocery store was over the mountain in Loa, Utah. When we looked that up, it was close to Capitol Reef National Park so we again changed our plans a bit and decided to go ahead and hit the road to the park.
Breakfast at Sweetwater Cafe
Birthday decorations for our 5 year old!
Scenic Byway 12
Driving from Boulder to Capitol Reef means we finished driving the entirety of Byway 12. This end of the road has colorful cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges. The road ends right at the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park.
Capitol Reef area
Capitol Reef area
Sunset over the mountains
Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
Like every park, we started with a stop at the national park entrance sign and the visitor center. Then we drove the scenic drive down Capitol Gorge Road to where it ends at the trailhead for the Pioneer Register path.
Capitol Reef National Park Entrance Sign
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Gorge Trailhead & Petroglyphs Narrows at the Pioneer Register Trail
We had a great time here and were very impressed with this park. I feel like it’s highly underrated, and we only explored this area. It was neat to walk between the canyon walls where the pioneers of the area once traveled. There were petroglyphs on the walls as well as the “registry” of names of those who traveled through in the 1800s.
Capitol Reef Gorge
Desert plants
Capitol Reef Gorge
Family photo in Capitol Reef Gorge
One of the many petroglyphs on the walls
Tyler holding up a 5 because this was his 5th birthday!
Ryan in Capitol Reef Gorge
Capitol Reef Gorge
Capitol Reef Gorge
Pioneer Register Hike
Mariana’s Country Cafe
By the time we were done exploring the Capitol Gorge area, we were all very hungry. I plugged in the location for the grocery store and we found a cafe near it to have a late lunch/early dinner. Mariana’s Country Cafe offered a variety of southern-inspired foods, including the “hot hamburger” which was a burger on toast smothered with gravy sauce. I also ordered a side of mashed potatoes and green beans.
Lunch at Mariana’s Country Cafe
Grocery Shopping in Loa
It’s usually not a great idea to go grocery shopping when you’re hungry, which is why we went after going out to eat. My mom and Justin ran into the store while Dad and I waited in the van with Tyler and Ryan. They got some basics for us for the next few days. We didn’t want to overshop since we couldn’t bring a lot of the food with us.
Ice Cream & Cookies for Tyler’s Birthday
Since this was Tyler’s 5th birthday, my mom and dad took him and Ryan to the main lodge building where they had a little camp store. They bought each of them some cookies and ice cream to celebrate Tyler’s birthday.
Sharing ice cream on the balcony
Yummy cookies for the birthday boy!
Day Four Map
Day Five
Breakfast at the Sweetwater Kitchen
We again had our breakfast at the Sweetwater Cafe. After the day before, we had a better idea of which foods we liked and placed an order for a larger variety of foods and shared it all among the six of us.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center
Since we went to Capitol Reef National Park the day before, which was originally on the plan for today, we decided to check out Grand Staircase-Escalante on recommendation from the couple who were running the ranch.
My dad chose to stay behind today, so Mom, Justin, and I brought Tyler and Ryan. We stopped first at the visitor center and they asked if the boys wanted to be Junior Rangers. This was the first time we had heard about the Junior Ranger program and it made me sad we missed it at the first three parks of the trip.
Outside the visitor center
Tyler & Ryan getting “sworn in”
Officially Junior Rangers!
Devil’s Garden Outstanding Natural Area
We talked to the ranger about what to do in the area, and she suggested we take a drive down the gravel road to the end at Devil’s Garden Outstanding Natural Area. Here there was a small picnic area and a bunch of large boulder formations that we were able to climb on and explore.
Before we left the cabin, we packed a picnic lunch so we sat at the tables and ate lunch before exploring. Overall, we spent almost 1.5 hours in the area. It was fun to wander around on the rocks, through some small “slot canyon” type of areas, and under natural caves.
Picnic lunch
Picnic lunch and staying hydrated
Lunch with a view!
All four of us on the rocks in Devil’s Garden
Tyler & Ryan sitting on a large boulder
There were even arches in the area!
More views of the arch
Exploring together
Stephanie and Ryan walking on the large rocks
Dinner at the Cabin
For dinner, we went back to the cabin and made a pork tenderloin with rice. After dinner, we walked around the property near the creek. Tyler had fun with the dandelion flowers. Ryan was walking around until he got stuck in a little bit of mud and had Justin carry him the rest of the way. While we were out there, Dad found a horseshoe that he brought back and placed on the mantle in the main lodge.
Down by the creek on the property at Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch
Tyler found a “wish flower”
Ryan was tired so Justin ended up carrying him
Stargazing
Late that evening, Justin and I stepped outside a few times to look at the stars. It was amazing how much of the night sky we could see out there without any of the light pollution that plagues us in Houston.
Day Five Map
Day Six
Breakfast at the Sweetwater Kitchen
Another breakfast at Sweetwater Kitchen
Burr’s Trail Slot Canyon at Long Canyon
While we were at the Escalante Visitor Center, the park ranger told us about a small slot canyon that’s very easy to get to from the side of Burr Trail Road not far from our cabin. At the time, we didn’t know it had a name but have since learned this is Long Canyon.
It’s not a very narrow slot canyon, but it was the first one we had ever been to. The slot canyon is not marked, and we had to know exactly where to pull over on the side of the road. From the roadway, you can’t tell there’s a slot canyon. Once you park and walk past the trees along the road, the canyon comes into view.
Getting to the slot canyon can be tricky. From Boulder, turn onto East Burr Trail Road. Go about 11 miles and there’s a small unmarked paved pullout on the north (left) side of the road. The canyon is surrounded by 80-foot walls of red, purple, and pink rock.
Just across the street, there’s a small creek where you can observe the natural surroundings, cool off your feet, or walk a bit along the creek banks.
Slot Canyon
Trees and the red rocks in Utah
Looking into the slot canton
Path to the slot canyon
Looking up from the back of the canyon
The small creek across the street
Picnic Lunch at the Cabin
We packed sandwiches for lunch, but never found a good picnic area along the Burr’s Trail that wasn’t swarming with mosquitos. So we ended up driving back to the cabin to eat the sandwiches there.
Grilled Dinner at the Cabin
For dinner, my dad found charcoal in the storage closet and we were (barely) able to get the charcoal grill lit to grill some chicken. There wasn’t a lighter in the cabin, so we were lighting some sticks on fire from the gas stovetop and placing those in the bottom of the grill to get it lit. Finally, it lit and we had delicious grilled chicken with a rice side for dinner. Tyler had been asking to eat out on the deck so we did, although the wind made our food cold very quickly.
Grilled chicken with rice for dinner
Day Six Map
Day Seven
Breakfast at the Sweetwater Kitchen
We were supposed to stay at the cabin for one more night, but we also wanted to see Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. So the day before, my mom and I decided to suck up the cost and we would leave the cabin a day early and booked a cheap hotel in Green River, Utah, which was only about 30-45 minutes from the parks. We got up and had breakfast at the cabin lodge, then packed up and headed out.
Check in to Motel 6 Green River
We got to our hotel at about 11:30 in the morning and luckily they weren’t very busy so we were able to get into our room right away to get our luggage from the vehicle and get a few things settled.
Lunch at Tamarisk Restaurant
Then we went to the diner next door for a late lunch/early dinner before heading to the parks. I got another grilled chicken salad, and this one was the best I’d had. It came with a huge bowl of dressing, which was nice because I put just a little bit on at a time as I needed it. My mom got one also and asked for no eggs so I asked for hers and got twice as many hard-boiled eggs. I love eggs on my salad!
Grilled chicken salad with extra eggs!
Arches National Park Visitor Center
Since the reason we went that way was to visit the parks, we went straight to Arches National Park after having lunch. Even though it was early June, it was incredibly hot in the park. After stopping at the entrance sign and the visitor center, we started driving into the park.
Driving into Arches National Park
An arch and other rocks
Balanced rocks
Double Arch Trail
We didn’t have a goal in mind for the park, so drove until we found something we wanted to do. The first trail we stopped at was the Double Arch Trail in the Windows area of the park. The parking area was large but very busy. This is one of the most popular places in the park with multiple trails at this parking lot.
All six of us made the easy walk from the parking lot up to the arch. Once we got up there, I started feeling horrible so walked back down to the parking area. After about 10 minutes, my dad got very concerned, came and found me sitting in the shade against the restroom wall, and basically carried me back to the van. Because of this, we decided not to do any more trails but just drive through the park.
Ryan checking the “Googa Maps” for the trail
Starting the trailhead for Double Arch
The boys said this looked like a dragon’s cave
First view of the arches
Ryan taking a break under the arch
Double Arch
Ryan & Tyler resting under the double arch
Standing under Double Arch
One more look at Double Arch from the parking area
Double Arch Viewpoint
Canyonlands National Park Visitor Center
Just across the street from Arches National Park is the Island in the Sky region of Canyonlands National Park. I was sitting in the front passenger seat to make sure I got as much of the air conditioning as possible to cool my body down. Looking back on it, we are pretty sure I was suffering from dehydration, heat exhaustion, and getting close to a heat stroke.
Driving into Arches National Park
An arch and other rocks
Balanced rocks
Drive through Island in the Sky
Again, because of how I felt, we spent most of the time in Canyonlands just driving through the scenic road. At one point, my mom and Justin jumped out to walk the short path to Mesa Arch, the most famous arch in Canyonlands National Park. While driving through the park, we were able to look down on the Colorado River on one side and the Green River on the other side.
Mesa Arch at Canyonlands National Park
Beth (Stephanie’s mom) and Justin
Desert at Tamarisk Restaurant
When we got back to the hotel, I chose to stay behind while everyone else walked over to the diner to get some dessert. We were all still full from our lunch there, so skipped dinner to go straight to dessert.
Day Seven Map
Day Eight
Breakfast at the Diner
Since the hotel we stayed at in Green River was the only one without free breakfast, we went to the diner next door again for breakfast. The boys both got the kid’s pancake meal. I also got a meal with pancakes and strawberry sauce for the top. The strawberries were obviously not fresh, and I ended up scraping a majority of them off. I’ve gotten so accustomed to eating real food. The syrup which was obviously high fructose corn syrup full of added sugars was too much for me.
Leave for Salt Lake City
On our trip, we extended the stay and went on to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. If you want to do those, see my itinerary that includes those parks. Otherwise, this is the time to start your drive to Salt Lake City. When we went to Grand Teton and Yellowstone, we still flew out of Salt Lake City and stayed at the same hotel suggested here.
Lunch at Chik-fil-A
For lunch, we stopped at Chick-fil-A while we were on the road. As we were talking about stopping for lunch, Ryan piped up that he wanted “chick-a-lay”. There happened to be one at the next exit.
Check in at Super 8 by Wyndham Salt Lake City Airport
Staying near the airport makes things much easier in the morning. By being close, we didn’t have to worry about getting stuck in a lot of traffic and being late to the airport.
Dinner from Olive Garden
We were all ready for something we knew. I got soup, salad, and breadsticks as usual. Their alfredo dipping sauce for the breadsticks is a must for me. I had a small salad then two bowls of chicken & gnocchi soup! The boys both had a kid’s pizza meal.
Day Eight Map
Day Nine
Breakfast at the Hotel
Time for our last continental breakfast for a long time (I hope). It’s great having one meal free, but the options are so limited. Especially when we were at Super 8 hotels most of the time. The boys did have fun trying to eat an apple without it being cut up.
Arrive at Salt Lake City Airport
We made sure to have plenty of time to get to the airport, drop the rental car off, and get through security.
Lunch at the Airport
For lunch, we were at the Salt Lake City airport. I have to say, I was a bit disappointed with the food options at that airport. Most of the places were grab-and-go without much seating. We had 3 hours until our flight since we had to check out of the hotel at 11 so we wanted somewhere to sit down. With 6 people, two gate-check car seats, and a few suitcases, we needed some space.
After trying one sit-down restaurant, only to learn it was mostly seafood which my mom is allergic to, we ended up at a food court with a McDonald’s for the kids, a Greek place for my dad, and a Mexican place for my mom and me (Justin got food a little later).
Fly Home
Finally, after days of traveling, we were on the way home. While I absolutely love to travel, I also love getting home.
The boys got to check out the cockpit of the plane
Goodbye Salt Lake City
Hello Houston!