Our Summer Trip Out West

We are home from one amazing trip to visit friends and family out west. This trip was planned on a whim (less than week out) and everything came together so beautifully. One day, two weeks ago, I was sitting at home trying to get Christian off computers/video games. With me having the summer off and with Nick having to work this summer I needed to go somewhere. I started planning and it happened that friends would be home in Denver and my sister could line up time off to meet us in Salt Lake City. So I jumped and bought the tickets.

I was nervous and Christian was apprehensive about leaving for 8 days and doing this trip without Nick.  The day before we were to leave both Christian and I were like we should just stay home (not Joey, she was beaming with excitement) but with tickets booked and friends and family moving time around to be with us we forged ahead trusting that it was meant to be. 

First stop Denver.

We reconnected with friends in Denver. Our kids were playmates from our Seattle days when they were babies. These Seattle friendships were bonded by sharing in the struggles of raising babies without family around. These Seattle friends became our family.

We spent four days bonding with them. It was so satisfying see their friendships bloom again. It was beyond happy for me to get spend with old friends that love you in a way that only lifelong friends can. They will forever be our forever friends. 

After we left Denver, we flew to Salt Lake City to meet up with my sister. She drove from Reno to meet us which is a 7 hr drive for her.

We spent the day at the pool where the kids reconnected over pool shenanigans.

Then we had In and Out burger a first for my kiddos to enjoy this west coast favorite. Then we spent the evening touring downtown Salt Lake City. 

We visited the Salt Lake Mormon Temple which was absolutely beautiful and a had peaceful vibe.

The next day we woke up early to get to the Salt Lake City Olympic park. We were all blown away with the beauty of this park and the extreme adventure opportunities.

Extreme zip lining down a mountain side. Alpine slide down a mountain. Riding the chair lift over and over again to get these extreme activities, the rope obstacle courses, having the kids meet Olympians in the winter sports as well as watching alpine skiers perform amazing aerials into the pool. 

After a very full day at the Olympic park, we stopped for dinner in Park City, Utah. There we plotted our drive to Zion which was about 4 hrs and 45 minutes drive from Park city. We thought we could drive 2-3 hrs and then stay the night at a hotel along the way and wake early to drive the rest of the way to Zion.

We left Park City about 6:30pm. It was the most beautiful driving that I have ever done. I was so in awe of this highway - highway I-15 south. It was an easy drive with roads wide open and beautiful scenery. The speed limit is even 80 mph.

After stopping for gas at about 3 hrs in a town called Beaver, Utah. We decide that the hotels in that area were a bit sketchy and we would keep driving to a bigger city an hour farther to find a more suitable hotel in Cedar city. Off we went to Cedar city arriving between 10:00-10:30. The kids did a bit of hotel swimming before bed. 

The next morning we rallied for our 45 minute drive to Zion. Another epic and breathtaking drive!

We arrived to a very busy Zion with limited parking. Luckily, I found a spot and saved a spot for Jen right next to me. We headed up to the shuttle line which was pretty long in the morning.

We meet a group of teachers in line for the shuttle that told us about The Narrows trail. We didn't know which trail we were going to do so their input was greatly appreciated. The Narrows is a trek through a river that goes 8 miles in but you can go as far as you like and then turn around.

The water level went from ankle deep at points to waist deep at other points. We had to navigate through river rock that lined the bottom of the river as well as pushing up stream against a strong current.

There were spots were the water was deep enough for kids to swim in.

The water was perfectly cold as the air temp as was very warm. It was the perfect trail/hike for us as it was over 100 in the canyons at Zion.

On our way out of the Narrows we came across this spot in the river where the kids could swim and jump off the rocks in the river. It was so serene. I was in awe of Christian following his fearless cousin River into fast flowing river and jumping and leaping from boulders.

After jumping and swimming for a while we laid out on rocks to snack and to dry off some. There we meet a very friendly squirrel that was coming to snack on a few popcorn kernels that fell out our bag. He was extremely friendly and would crawl up to see the kids and try to climb into my backpack to get more popcorn. The squirrels of Zion are characters for sure.

After we left our squirrel friend we made our way to the Zion lodge for some snacks and regather our strength before did the Grotto trail to the Emerald pools and falls. 

This was the perfect trail to do as afternoon turned to evening and the sun and temps weren't as strong. At the end of trail the kids jumped into the river for a final cool off before left the park. 

We got back on shuttles to the parking lot. We departed Zion around 6:30. We made our way to St. George Utah where we would have dinner and fill up on gas in route to Las Vegas.  Another stop at In and Out :-) 

The drive was about 2 1/2 hrs from St. George to Las Vegas. Another drive of inspiring landscape of mountains and flat desert. Watching the sunset over the mountains and moon high in the sky as we drove west towards Las Vegas.

It got dark around 9pm and we were driving in the dark. One minute it was pitch black than we crested a mountain only to come over the mountain to find the glow of lights of the city of Las Vegas. We could see the skyline of downtown Las Vegas from 15 miles out. Those minutes driving into downtown Las Vegas were thrilling. We drove through the downtown seeing all the epic hotels and lights glowing from the strip.

Our hotel was outside of the city closer to our destination which was Seven Magic Mountains in Henderson. We pulled into the hotel parking lot sometime after 10 pm. I am pretty sure lights out was sometime after 11PM.

The next day we drove to Seven Magic Mountains. Both Jen and I were so jazzed when we approached this marvelous art installation in the desert outside of Vegas as we both had dreamed of seeing it. It was glorious and so worth going across country to see. 

The sky was amazingly clear and temps were pretty mild in the late morning.

Than kids hiked out into desert from there.

Our plan was to head into the Vegas to see the hotels on the strip. In route we came across SpeedVegas where the kids could see the exotic cars from the road.

We decided to stop to see if kids could look at the cars. We were blow away as they not ony let the kids look at them up close but they let get in them and start them.

They had Ferraris’s, Lamborghinis’s, Maclarnens, Audi R8, Porches, Nissan GTRs, Mercercdes AMG. Basically exotic car heaven.

They did tricks in the lot for the kids. The staff was beyond happy to accommodate the kids and offered to drive them in the cars for a very reduce rate to what they offer other people.

Christian and River both rode in the Lamborghini Gallardo reaching speeds over 140.

Joey rode in the Nissan GTR which hit the top speed of 147 mph.  Joey and her driver so thrilled to be getting to ride in her dream car.

I was in tears watching them as this was a dream of Christian's come true.

Some boys are immersed in sports and some boys love sports cars. My Christian is of the latter. 

After the thrilling few hours at SpeedVegas we headed into Las Vegas. Parking at New York, New York, we made our way on foot to the Paris hotel then made the turn back at Bellagio.

We had the HOT Vegas experience as it was over 110 degrees in the afternoon.

We turned back and went into the Bellagio to see the famed glass flower ceiling and flower gardens.

Then made our way back to New York, New York via the tram to get out of the heat a bit. 

There we said our good byes to my sisters and cousins. They had a 8 hr drive back to Reno and we had to head to the airport for our first flight back towards home. 

We flew from Las Vegas back to Denver and took the red eye from Denver to Charlotte arriving at 6:30am.

My kiddos were the bestest kind of travelers especially on that last leg of trip where exhaustion was heavy on our heels. We all slept on the red eye and woke up to come home and than slept from 8am to 5pm😆

This trip was so many things to me. It was reconnecting with friends and family. It was about doing all the things you say - I'd like to visit/see/do that, watching your kids to do epic things that change their view of themselves and what they are capable of and changing or rather expanding their view on the world around them, to see the awe in their eyes, to know that I can adventure solo with the kiddos, and that amazing adventures on the other side of YES.

This was our “You know all those things you always wanted to do? You should go and do them 💛” trip.