In April, A.L., a member from Hanover, New Hampshire, spent a week traveling with her husband and three kids (ages 9, 11 and 13) through Arizona and Utah.
The real beauty of our trip was that, although it was just a week, we were able to pack in a tremendous amount and see a huge variety of spectacular scenery. The weather was fantastic; it would be cool enough in the mornings that you would need a fleece, then by mid-day you were wearing a tank top.
We started the trip in Sedona, which is known for its vortexes, where there is measurable electromagnetic energy. The best place to stay there is Enchantment Resort [which is connected to destination spa Mii Amo]. The first morning, we did a two-hour trail ride with M Diamond Ranch (www.mdiamondranch.com). They picked us up at our hotel and drove us to their ranch, which was about a half hour away. The ride was very gradual, over about eight miles, through a gorgeous desert landscape, with lots of birds and flowers. We had two guides, who regaled us with stories of mountain lions.
In the afternoon, we went hiking at Bell Rock, which is one of the vortexes. My kids are not usually into hiking, but they had the time of their life. The view was absolutely incredible, vistas unlike anything they had seen before. The red rock canyons looked almost like sand sculpture. My 11-year-old said, “This trip is so much better than the Galapagos!”
The next morning we got picked up by Pink Jeep Tours (www.pinkjeep.com). A guide took the five of us backroading in a Jeep for a two-hour tour up and down these amazing rock formations. Some spots were so steep that it seemed like the car was pointing directly at the ground.
GRAND CANYON
The drive from Sedona to the Grand Canyon was about two and a half hours. We stayed at one of the lodges there, but next time, I would stay at El Tovar, which is a wonderful old building that dates to the early 1900s (www.grandcanyonlodges.com). The restaurant there is quite good; we ate there twice.
It’s easy to escape the crowds at the Grand Canyon if you go hiking in the early morning or late afternoon. Most visitors aren’t really exploring—the tour buses pull up to the rim and people get out, peer over the side, take a picture, and get back in. One wonderful option is the paved eleven-mile hike that goes around the south rim. It’s absolutely beautiful and the ecosystem varies dramatically. You go from beige sand to red rocks, and all the flowers and rocks change. One afternoon, my husband took our two older kids on a six-mile hike. Both nights we were there, I went for a walk at six p.m., when it was totally deserted, but still light enough to see.
LAKE POWELL
The drive from the Grand Canyon to Lake Powell isn’t hard, but I didn’t quite realize just how long the coastline is. We had to switch lodges once we realized that the one we had chosen was 250 miles away on the other side of the lake. In the summer, Lake Powell is like a parking lot, with all the house boats, but it was still deserted in April. We rented a twenty-foot motor boat, got a map, and spent the entire day exploring. We went to Antelope Canyon and Navajo Canyon and saw maybe four other boats the entire time. It was mind-bogglingly beautiful, with sheer cliffs rising 200 feet above us, and a million different colors. There was such a sense of discovery as you cruised around these hairpin turns in the canyons, not sure what you would find around the corner. We found a bunch of sandy beaches to stop and take breaks, and a little Navajo-owned marina where we bought sandwiches. My kids were dancing to Lady Gaga on the boat. “This is the best day so far!” they said.
ZION
Zion National Park was perhaps the most spectacular of all the landscapes we saw. It seemed to be constantly changing, and its towering cliffs reminded us of a cathedral. We stayed at the Zion Lodge (www.zionlodge.com), which is the only hotel inside the park. We found quite nice for National Park standards and there was a good restaurant on the premises. It’s crucial to have a reservation at the lodge. The great advantage of spending the night is that after 4 p.m. all the tourists have left the park and you have the place practically to yourself. We did a trail ride with a guide who was extremely knowledgeable about the area and about the Anasazi. My only wish was that we would have stayed for two nights in Zion. There was so much to explore and it would have been nice to more hiking.
After coming from these pristine, majestic landscapes, Las Vegas was definitely a let-down. We stayed at Caesars Palace, which we didn’t find family friendly at all. We only stayed one night. Next time around, I would only fly out of Vegas and not spend the night. The contrast to all the beautiful nature we had seen and experienced was just too depressing.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
- El Tovar is the place to stay in the Grand Canyon
- One day on Lake Powell is enough (and you don’t need to stay on a house boat)
- One day at Zion is NOT enough; stay at least two nights
- Don’t end in Vegas: the contrast is too jarring and depressing
- Bring hiking boots that are already well-worn in
Read about a family spring break in Belize
Read about hiking in Jackson Hole
Read our Las Vegas destination report
To book a similar trip, contact our booking department
