This article is reprinted from a WeChat reader’s public account, 懒人 33 的吃喝玩乐. Original link.

This spring break road trip in April actually started with something from two years ago. On our drive to Yellowstone, we passed through Boise and saw an amusement park that had shut down because of COVID. I promised my two kids that we’d come back someday if we had the chance. To my surprise, that ended up being the most memorable part of the trip for them… Two years later, COVID was still around, so we planned another road trip.

Itinerary

The Grand Circle refers to a broad area in the American Southwest, mainly in Utah and Arizona, with well over a dozen major sights. It’s basically impossible to cover everything in one trip, so this time we mainly did the route from Salt Lake Citi through Moab and Sedona to Las Vegas. Overall, I thought April was an especially good time to bring little kids (mine are 3 and 6) to this region. Here was our itinerary:

Day 1: Drove out after school in the afternoon; overnight in La Grande

Day 2: Driving day, with a meal and park stop in Boise; overnight in Provo

Day 3: Arches National Park; overnight in Moab

Day 4: Canyonlands National Park, Dead horse point State Park, Arches National Park; overnight in Moab

Day 5: Monument Valley; overnight in Sedona

Day 6: Soldier Pass Trail, Dell Rock; overnight in Sedona

Day 7: Cathedral Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Birthing Cave; overnight in Las Vegas

Day 8: Hotel pool day; Mystere show at night; overnight in Las Vegas

Day 9: Valley of fire state park; overnight in Twin Falls

Day 10: Head home

In reality, the first two days and the last day were basically all driving, so it would be much more efficient to fly into Salt Lake City and then fly home from Las Vegas. That would save quite a bit of time.

What to Wear, Eat, and Where to Stay

Clothing:

The weather changed a lot on this trip. We brought clothes for all four seasons and ended up using all of them. Sedona and Las Vegas were around 70 degrees, so short sleeves were fine, while northern Utah—especially in the mornings and evenings—was cold enough for padded jackets.

Food:

A lot of the time, we just ate wherever we happened to be passing by, or picked up food at grocery stores to eat on the trail while hiking. A few restaurants we tried and liked were:

Tortas de Fuego (Sedona), Mexican food

https://www.tortasdefuegosedona.com

Hunan Rice Noodle (Las Vegas)

https://www.hunanricenoodlenv.com

These two were decent as well:

Joy Luck Restaurant (near Salt Lake City), Chinese food

https://joyluckrestaurant.com

98 Center Moab (Moab), Vietnamese food https://www.98centermoab.com

Hotels:

Lodging in Moab is pretty expensive in April since it’s peak season. Even a fairly ordinary hotel was close to $300 a night. We stayed at Hyatt Place Moabhttps://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/utah/hyatt-place-moab/slczm

We booked with points—12,000 points per night—which felt like a great deal, since cash rates for the same period were over $400 a night.

In Sedona, we stayed at Sedona Village Lodge

https://www.hotels.com/ho443358/sedona-village-lodge-sedona-united-states-of-america/?display=description

It’s not in the busiest part of Sedona, but it’s very close to Bell Rock, and overall very convenient.

In Las Vegas, we stayed at Bellagio and Delano, booked through AMEX FHR, which came with benefits like dining credits, early check-in, and late checkout. Bellagio also upgraded us to a suite, which we were very happy about. With little kids, a pool is absolutely essential, so on our Las Vegas day we basically spent the morning at the Bellagio pool and the afternoon at the Mandalay Bay pool connected to Delano. Bellagio’s rooms were a bit dated, but the location, lobby decor, and fountain show were all excellent. Delano is a bit farther out, but the Mandalay Bay pool complex has a lot of options, including a lazy river, sandy beach areas, and more.

All of our other hotels along the route were breakfast-included properties chosen based on our route and driving plans.

Transportation:

More on that below.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is especially great for families with kids. Many of the arches can be reached without doing difficult trails, and little kids also love climbing around on the rock formations in Arches. Starting this year, timed entry reservations are required during peak season (not needed before 6 a.m. or after 5 p.m.): https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/timed-entry-reservation.htm

The park releases one round of entry permits two months in advance, and another round at 6 p.m. the day before. Morning prime-time slots are especially competitive, so if you’re planning to go, definitely set an alarm and grab your reservation early...

The windows section

We entered the park around noon on our first day and started with The windows section. This area includes Balanced Dell Double arch , The Windows and Turret Arch, and the trail is very easy and not long at all, so it offers a lot of payoff for very little effort.

Balanced Rock

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Double Arch

The North and South Windows

Turret Arch

Delicate Arch viewpoint trail

While the kids rested in the car, I went to do the Delicate Arch viewpoint trail by myself. Honestly, it wasn’t that interesting—I walked quite a while just to get a tiny distant view. It was nowhere near as worthwhile as hiking all the way to Delicate Arch itself.

Delicate Arch

As Utah’s iconic landmark, Delicate Arch absolutely did not disappoint. The trail is a little challenging, but both of our kids completed it. We started hiking at 5 p.m. because we wanted to catch sunset. Their dad carried instant noodles, hot water, and a bunch of other food, since we figured it would be late by the time we got up and back down. And sure enough, while watching the sunset from up there, we also ate dinner. As we climbed, the weather kept getting better—the clouds cleared, the sun came out, and it got warmer and warmer. By the time we reached the top, with the arch, blue sky, and snow-capped mountains in the background, and then slowly waiting for the sun to set, it was just incredibly beautiful. After sunset, we started hiking down. Our mistake was forgetting headlamps, so we ended up feeling our way through the second half of the descent by moonlight.

Watching the sunset happily after finishing our instant noodles

Landscape Arch

We went back into the park the next afternoon and did the trail to Landscape Arch. It was supposed to be an easy trail, but that day there was a high wind warning, and we honestly felt like we could be blown away while walking. It may have been the strongest wind I’ve ever experienced... Sand and little rocks were flying straight into our faces. My older daughter could still walk some of the way, and sometimes the tailwind even pushed her forward, which she thought was kind of funny. My younger daughter was basically carried by her dad the whole time. Even when the wind died down briefly, she still didn’t want to keep walking—she was just completely overwhelmed by it. On the last stretch, the trail ran between two rock walls, and the wind there was unbelievably strong—and directly against us. We actually stopped and tried to figure out how we were going to get back, because my older daughter couldn’t keep walking on her own anymore either. At that point, a man kindly stepped in, picked her up, and carried her through that last section back to the parking lot. The wind was so strong that night that while we were swimming in the hotel’s outdoor pool, a nearby sun umbrella got blown up into the air, flew some distance, and then crashed to the ground. Luckily, it didn’t hit anyone.

Landscape arch is the longest arch in the park, and it’s definitely impressive.

Canyonlands National Park

This time we only briefly explored the section closer to Moab. I’ve heard The Needles area is excellent, so that will have to wait for another trip.

Mesa Arch

Before the trip, a friend recommended going to Mesa Arch for sunrise. I hesitated a bit, because that meant getting up a little after 5 a.m., but I decided to go anyway—by myself, of course. It was absolutely worth it. The view changed minute by minute and was incredibly spectacular, easily one of the top three sunrises I’ve ever seen. Later, the whole family came back again during the day.

Grand View Point Overlook

You can drive right up to it, then walk along the rim trail. This is probably one of the classic views in the area.

Dead Horse Point State Park 

We didn’t have enough time, so we mainly visited Dead Horse Point Overlook and walked part of the rim trail. It was beautiful.

Monument Valley

I had been to Monument Valley before, but back then we were exploring on our own, so once we drove to a certain point we couldn’t go any farther. This time, I found a tour online and followed a guide deeper into the valley to see some different scenery.

We chose the 2.5-hour guided tour by Dineh Bekeyah Tours: $75 for adults and $10 for kids. Highly recommended.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g57072-d11478198-2_5_Hour_Guided_Tour_of_Monument_Valley-Monument_Valley_Utah.html

Delicious Navajo Fry Bread

In the distance there’s a dragon, and up close there’s a pile of shells.

Big Hogan

If you look closely, it looks like a parrot’s head.

Suns Eye

Camel butte

Ear of the Wind

Sedona

Sedona is in northeastern Arizona. People say its energy field is especially strong and that it has a very spiritual vibe, making it a great place for healing and reflection. There’s a popular saying: “God created the Grand Canyon but He lives in Sedona.” The four strongest vortex sites are said to be Dell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. There are many hiking trails around Sedona, and it’s often described as a paradise for day hikes. Since we were traveling with a little one, we couldn’t do anything too difficult, but even in just two short days, our itinerary was packed.

Because the weather is hot, the best seasons to visit are spring or fall. I thought April was perfect—short sleeves were comfortable for hiking, as long as you remembered sunscreen.

Soldier Pass Trail

This hike is a little over 4 miles round trip and not too difficult. At the end, you climb into Soldier Pass Cave; little kids may need an adult to give them a boost. Along the way you pass Seven Sacred Pools, so the trail never feels boring. The trailhead is in a residential area, and the parking lot is very small. Since it has become increasingly popular, it has been closed off, so now you have to park more than a mile away at the park and ride and then take the shuttle in. You can also park at Jordan Road Trailhead, but that adds 2 miles round trip. Do not park in the neighborhood, or you may get a ticket.

Soldier Pass Cave is a very unique cave, where you can see a distinctive cross-shaped beam of light.

Dell Rock

After finishing Soldier Pass Cave, we went back to the hotel for a nap, then came to Dell Rock to climb around on the rocks and watch the sunset. The parking lot is large, and you need a red rock pass, though a national park pass also works. It’s basically a natural playground. Adults loved it too. At sunset, the golden light hitting the red rock mountains in the distance was spectacular. Highly recommended.

Cathedral Rock

One of the most famous spots there. But based on reviews, although the trail is short, it’s fairly difficult, so we didn’t think our little one could handle it. My husband got up early and did it on his own. Parking here is also very hard to get, and during the day the lot is simply closed, though you can take the shuttle. Because he arrived early enough (before 7 a.m.), he was still able to park. By the time he finished and drove out, the lot had already been blocked off. According to him, kids could probably manage the climb too, and it was well worth it.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

This church built into the rock face is especially distinctive, and the view from the entrance looking out is excellent.

Birthing Cave

The trail to the cave itself is fairly boring. For a long stretch, you’re just walking on flat ground with no shade, and it gets very hot. There are a few forks along the way, but the wrong turns are blocked by tree trunks, so you just need to pay a little attention. The last section requires some climbing uphill. The cave itself was a little disappointing—there were just too many people inside! It felt like dumplings being dropped into a pot, haha.

Las Vegas

In Las Vegas, we basically just relaxed—eating and drinking at the hotel and making the rounds of the different pools.

Mystere show

Because our younger child was not yet five years old, there were many shows she could not attend, including famous ones like O and KA. We chose Mystere, another Cirque du Soleil show that has already been running for 30 years, so we figured it had to be good. We ended up loving it, and the kids were completely captivated the whole time.

Valley of Fire State Park

As we drove back north, we had originally planned to spend some time here. But when we arrived, the wind was extremely strong again, and my younger daughter immediately refused to stay and started crying (the shadow of landscape arch was still there). So we left in a hurry and saved it for next time.

About the Author

This article is reprinted from the WeChat public account “懒人 33 的吃喝玩乐,” run by a reader from our WeChat group. The pieces there are all original and excellent, and everyone is welcome to follow it.