Monument Valley - Lake Powell - Bryce Canyon - Zion National Park

FOUR natural experiences all rolled into one epic adventure!

Slightly uncertain of our next move after the Grand Canyon, we decide to head to Monument Valley. As we're cruising along the highway the sun is setting all around us, and as we pull up into camp, it's like a scene from the nativity - the monuments are black outlines, surrounded by stunning pink, orange and purple skies, with the north star shining bright above us. Such a breathtaking sight, we're pleased we made the choice to come here just to see that.

We get comfortable, rustle up an RV dinner, and then sit outside with the camp fire once more to witness the absolutely incredible night sky! With zero light pollution, every single star in the sky has come out to play. 

After dragging ourselves out of bed to catch the sunrise at Forrest Gump Point, we set off to Monument Valley. We kicked off our exploration by immersing ourselves in Navajo history at the museum. Opting out of the pricey organised tour, we decided to do our own trail on foot, covering 7.5km feeling like characters straight out of a John Wayne Western. We packed a lunch to share in the serene and tranquil landscape. Being raised on a steady diet of Westerns with my Dad, we feel right at home in this rugged and beautiful terrain. 

We get back to camp and light up another fire because apparently, we haven't had enough of all of our clothes smelling like campfires yet. We all gathered around to witness the sky putting on its daily show for us and the colours changing all around us. Surrounded by nothing but the monuments and dirt, we all craned our necks awkwardly to watch the stars again like a bunch of stargazing enthusiasts. A magical sight once more.

The next day rolls around and it's time to hit the road once more, this time with Lake Powell in our sights. As we're getting ready to leave, the friendly guy at the campsite desk shares his absolute favourite boondocking site with us - a new term for us meaning camping without any facilities - wild camping in the RV. Excitedly topping up the water to last us and emptying the waste, we hit the road to discover this hidden gem. And what a fantastic spot it is! Right by the water on the picturesque Lone Rock beach, nestled next to Lake Powell. It's absolutely idyllic! The kids are all having a blast playing in the sand, while we soak in the beauty of the surroundings and marvel at the stunning sunset together. Before we know it, we're all in agreement - this place definitely calls for two nights not one as we had first thought!

Oh and I need to mention our amazing stop at Horseshoe Bend on our way here! This place is absolutely breathtaking, all thanks yet again to the Colorado river and the incredible natural erosion its caused. We were all completely blown away by the sheer size of it and we're all in agreement that it's the natural wonders like these that we find most awe-inspiring. We always feel humbled by witnessing the power of Mother Nature firsthand. If you take a closer look at the picture, you might be able to spot a tiny red dot near the inner edge to the right of the bend - that's a kayaker! Just imagine the scale of this place! It was truly unforgettable and an impressive experience that left us all completely in awe.

As we woke up again the next morning to another breathtaking sunrise out of the RV bedroom window, we immediately made the decision not to move a muscle all day! The kids were all absolutely thrilled to relax and spend the entire day playing in the sand. It ended up being a design technology kind of day, with them collaborating to make seats in the sand and build a separate underground tunnel together - showcasing impeccable ergonomic planning and fantastic teamwork. We then marvelled at another stunning sunset, witnessing the sky transform into a mesmerising array of colours, reflected on the lake too, before heading indoors to enjoy a lively card game. These are the magical moments we cherish, where the absence of WiFi only enhances the simplicity of our time together.

The kids are absolutely begging to stay another night, they are loving it so much here. It's a tough decision because we have so many amazing adventures ahead on our road trip, we don't want to run out of days somewhere else. So, even though we're all eager to stay, we stick to the two night plan. Plus, the rubbish is piling up and we're running low on water for basic hygiene - definitely time to hit the road!

Our next adventure takes us to Bryce Canyon, but not without a little detour. Picture this, we made a "quick" pit stop for petrol that turned into a two-hour extravaganza. As we hop out at the petrol station to grab snacks for the journey, Phoebe's phone takes a tumble out of the RV with the screen shattering into a million pieces. I tell her tough luck, we are in the middle of nowhere - literally cowboy country! But, very luckily for her, Dan has a quick google and finds a repair shop just a stones throw away. Miraculously, Phoebe's phone is back in action within the hour and we end up exploring the charming town of Kanab. We learn as we are strolling around that the town is nicknamed 'little Hollywood' and has been the backdrop for many famous western films, including visits from family favourites previously mentioned, John Wayne and Frank Sinatra - a cool little destination in itself that we wouldn’t have realised without that little phone mishap!

Finally we arrive at Bryce Canyon and manage to get a spot in the forest campsite. We're itching to get out for a walk to discover the hoodoos - tall thin spires of rock caused by erosion. At this point, Floss takes a little turn, declaring she's not coming for the walk, feeling ill from the journey. We've been such a tight-knit squad for so long now, it just doesnt sit right when one of us isn't joined in the pack. So, as we're heading up the hill, I make a U-turn back to the RV to work my persuasive magic on her. The rest of the team optimistically make a sign ready for her return. And guess what? Success! Floss joins in the adventure and we all feel rejuvenated by the fresh forest air and the bright sunshine. Off we go for our little geography/geology field trip!

The hoodoos are yet again an incredible feat of nature. Caused by rain and snow and a perfect balance of freezing and thawing temperatures that create this weathering to the rocks. We just do an easy 5km around the rim, seeing that it’s much easier to get inside this canyon, we decide to wait for tomorrow and some decent footwear - Fin is in his crocs again! Its all absolutely beautiful. We also learn that the Paiute people, who lived in this area before Americans, believe that the hoodoos are the petrified remains of ancient “legend people” who were punished by coyote for bad deeds. Believe whatever version of the hoodoos you will!

The next morning, as we'd only booked for one night here, we had to check out by 11am. Thankfully we all got some decent shut-eye because our planned walk inside the canyon turned out to be quite a tricky 8km uphill battle, gaining nearly 500m in elevation. The views and scenery inside were absolutely worth it, feeling like we were in a fairy tale. Despite a little struggle on the final neverending uphill return, with just Poppy who may have lost her marbles for a second there, we were all happy to have successfully completed the hike! 

Our next stop takes us to Zion National Park. The drive felt like a unique experience, completely different to the Grand Canyon. Instead of driving on the outskirts, unaware of what was so close, this time we were cruising right through the heart of this majestic canyon, surrounded by the towering rocks on all sides. It's incredible. However, we quickly realise that finding a camping spot here is not going to be successful. Every nook and cranny is already claimed by eager nature lovers and, after speaking to a Ranger, we learn this place gets booked up months in advance. We've been riding the wave of luck so far, breezing into each spot without too much planning so we appreciate that all good things must come to an end at some point. We retreat from the park to the nearby town of Springdale, only to discover that even the campgrounds there are bursting at the seams too! Thankfully, we get recommended a hidden gem twenty minutes away and we manage to secure the second to last spot available there, with a booking for the following two nights made back at the campground in Springdale which will be walking distance for us for exploring Zion. Phew! We have now just learnt that Zion is apparently the most visited national park in America!

It's early afternoon but, feeling like we've already conquered the day with our morning hike and travel adventures, we collectively decide to take it easy for the rest of the day. The kids are loving basking in the luxuries of a more established campsite - one with a pool, while I'm over here taking full advantage of the laundry facilites!

The following day we rise and shine once more ready for another exciting day. We have to check out by 11am, but no worries as we can already move into our new campsite, allowing us to head straight into Zion National Park. Our first stop is the visitor centre, where Poppy and Fin are eager to earn another junior park ranger certificate and badge during our stay. And, as luck would have it, we arrived just in time for an interactive talk led by a park ranger about the park's wildlife. A great experience as we all learned new and interesting things - mainly to be on the lookout for lions that we didn't realise lived here!

So, as we find ourselves in these National Parks, we are beginning to realise that our only option for entertainment is to put on our hiking trainers and hit the trails! We stumble upon the Emerald Pools where we have the choice of taking a leisurely 1.2-mile stroll to the Lower Pool, a slightly more ambitious 2-mile trek to the Middle and Lower Pools, or going all out with a 2.5-mile hike to conquer all three. With no real plan in mind, we head on, deciding to wing it and see how far our enthusiasm carries us. Everyones surprisingly chipper, soaking in the diverse scenery once again. It's incredible to gaze up at the towering cliffs, now with an appreciation of the millions of years of geological history surrounding us.

Of course we decided to take the longest option and explore all three spots, only to reach the end and find the bridge back to the Lodge (and pub!) is closed! Now thrust into an unexpected problem-solving and team building situation as we're all scrambling to figure out how to cross the river. Despite earlier mockery for sporting crocs, Floss now becomes our hero by offering piggyback rides to help everyone cross with dry feet. It was a funny end to the day. We eventually make it back to the RV to unwind and tackle those junior park ranger booklets!

While we're out, we notice people on the shuttle buses decked out in full waders, sticks and waterproof boots. I stop off at the information point to find out more. Turns out, they're geared up for a hike to The Narrows, where you basically trek through the Virgin River because there's no actual trail. The hike is actually known as Zion's hallmark hike and, despite being challenging, it is apparently suitable for beginners. Feeling confident in our hiking abilities by this point we decide to take on the challenge first thing in the morning after Phoebe and Floss's online lessons.

We end up having a complete emotional whirlwind of a morning! Thanks to a mix-up on my part due to differing time zones out here between Utah and Arizona, and daylight saving time, I accidentally get the girls up and ready for their online lesson way too early, with Pheebs eagerly waiting with her laptop at 8am. After taking the younger ones off for a shower to help create the quiet study environment that she needs, I realise my mistake - we were two hours ahead of schedule! Thankfully, after a quick chat with Kate, the girls' tutor, we manage to adjust the timing. Phoebe now decides to have her shower, meaning Floss hops on for her lesson first. As the morning progresses, Phoebe encounters a hiccup with her ADHD, finding it hard to focus and feeling overwhelmed. She struggles to pinpoint the cause of her distress, causing a full meltdown and an invisible force field blocking her way to learning. 

Thankfully, after a whole year of getting to know Phoebe and her neurodiversites, Kate is incredibly understanding and agrees to postpone the lesson. Pheebs and I take several loops around the campsite and into Springdale, talking things through and attempting to slowly bring her nervous system back again to its happy, relaxed state. We manage to slowly unpick what happened and acknowledge that she's not the biggest fan of change. When I messed up the time and Floss decided to go first, it was like the universe conspired against her and she just couldn't recover from the chaos in her brain.

With a steaming cup of hot chocolate in hand back at the RV, she decides she’s still happy to push forward with the mission of conquering The Narrows. She agrees that being outdoors and completing a challenge will help lift her mood, even though she was tempted to stay curled up in a ball all day. And I explain that, much like missing Floss on the first walk at Bryce Canyon, the family squad needs all members on board, especially when we're about to conquer a legendary hike like this one!

So, back on track for our day ahead, we make our way to the outfitters across from the campsite to gear up for our adventure. After a terrifying briefing on flash floods and now feeling like a combination of Ghostbusters / astronauts / Power Rangers, we hop on the bus to head to the start of The Narrows. As the journey begins, we're all relishing the novelty of wading through water, even though its more challenging than we imagined - battling the water resistance and struggling to navigate the rocks beneath our feet, but with determination and enthusiasm at this point!

So there we were, wading through the waters, with Fin almost turning into a human buoy with the water reaching up to his neck at one point! Poppy takes the first tumble, not hurting anything but feeling the cold from her hands being in the water. We found a little spot on the river bank to take a break and enjoy a sandwich to refuel. Also a bit of chocolate to give everyones energy a little boost! We keep pushing forward until it's Fin's turn to take a tumble, landing on his knee and feeling the pain this time. Again, fueled by a couple of squares of Hershey's chocolate, we keep pushing on, despite the cold taking its toll on Poppy. We're almost there and nothing can stop us now - even if Pops is feeling a little frosty in more ways than one!! As we're reaching the end of our upstream section, with Wall Street in our sight - the section we wanted to reach where it’s at its narrowest - suddenly it was Phoebe's turn to tumble! We were crossing the river and she lands on both knees on the rocks below - ouch! Despite the pain, she manages to hobble over to the edge and, while it's clear she's tough, we have to call it a day for our upstream adventure. 

Thankfully, in the depths of my bag I find the ibuprofen so I can at least give her a couple of these to help with the pain relief. With no other option than to limp our way back to where we started, we turn around to embark on the slowest journey ever, while trying to jump and move around as much as possible to keep Poppy warm! The gang rally together to support each other, Floss especially our little cheerleader, radiating energy and enthusiasm like a ball of sunshine by her sisters side, keeping morale high. As we finally make it back to the beginning, I casually check my watch - we've just trekked 12km! We clearly miscalculated the level of torture we were subjecting everyone to.

What an adventure! Three out of the four of them finished the hike with tears and injuries, but they all pushed through and showed incredible resilience, teamwork and care for each other. They can now proudly say they conquered one of, apparently, the top 10 hikes on Earth. Mission accomplished! And, once they’ve recovered, at least they will all have a great story to tell around the next campfire!

The next morning, with my timing skills finally intact, Pheebs is happily back on track with her lesson with Kate, followed again by Floss. Meanwhile, we take the younger two out of the way to the local coffee shop armed with their trusty junior park ranger booklets. They dive into their work on history, geography, English, art and environmental studies with enthusiasm and dedication. Poppy loves this kind of thing, whereas while Fin loves actively doing the tasks given, he does struggle with sitting, concentrating and having to record it all. However, hard work pays off, as they earn another junior ranger badge, this time from Zion National Park. And lets not miss out how cute they are reciting their junior ranger pledge - definitely worthy of a standing ovation from me! Our goal is now clear - to collect these badges at every National Park we visit, and we are on a roll!

With the RV packed up once more, it’s now time to head to our new destination and next adventure… Las Vegas! I don’t know who should be more worried.. Us or Vegas!