Spring Break 2026

The past weekend we wrapped up our two week spring break adventure in Utah visiting the five national parks.  I know I say it every year and every trip, but this one was truly special. The idea started out thanks to the National Parks Mystery Book Series that Oskar read last fall.  After reading the book based in Zion, Oskar told me he wanted to hike the Narrows.  And from there we built out a two week adventure: we flew into Vegas Saturday, picked up our sprinter camper van Sunday afternoon, enjoyed four nights in Zion, two nights in Bryce, a night in Capitol Reef, two nights in Moab and built in three nights along the way to see where the winds would take us.  

These are the stories from the road, posted on the date of adventure, so read from the bottom up.

One More Note

Before we left for the trip, the kids and I put together a quick list of things we might want to see, do or accomplish plus a handful of silly “bingo” items.  Below is the list.  I say we did pretty well: 

Tasks Completed

• Slip and fall in water

• See a shooting star

• Make a s’more 

• Watch the sunset

• Watch the sunrise

• Hike the Narrows

• Take an evening walk 

• Make a new friend 

• Walk across a bridge 

• Go for a three hour hike 

• Get lost driving or hiking

Didn’t Complete

• See a scorpion 

• Draw or sketch an object (leaf or stick)

• Dance in the rain

• Tell a campfire story 

• Dance in the dark 

Ruminations on Van Life

After twelve plus days of living in the van, I can’t help but jot down a few parting thoughts of the experience. The first being that at least once a day, I quoted the notorious line from SNL “living in a van, down by the river”

• At less than 90 square feet, I am surprised at how well we were able to manage and navigate the limited space in the van.  We did need to teach the kids the concept of a bottleneck, and I think we would have been more cramped if the kids were a bit bigger, but we managed.  It might have also helped that the van wasn’t a big change in living space from our current 900 square foot apartment. 

• I really leaned into the #vanlife with my everyday appearance.  I bought birkenstocks to wear on the trip (to allow me to slip in and out of the shoes quickly while still wearing socks on cold mornings) and I might have gone more than a few days without a shower

• Between Las Vegas and Moab, we did not pass a single McDonald’s but did see a lot of Subways. 

• The stars are a lot brighter in Utah and the silence is so complete. 

• We had a winnebago and the kids brought their stuffed lion Clyde.  So our mascots quickly became Winnie and Clyde 

• Over the two weeks, we experienced new and different landscapes that changed each day, each of which were dramatic in their own way.  And yet by the end, they all seemed the same: red rocks, canyons, mountains, beauty.   

• The daily hike wasn’t complete until Martin told at least one bad dad joke. He averaged at least five a mile. So while I might make jokes about his lack of enthusiasm for certain parts of the trip, he really was all in for the experience.  

• We met a lot of amazing people along the way and everyone was incredibly friendly.  We met a young woman from Florida in Zion (and again in Bryce) who was living the van life for 3 months while working remotely.  I had a great chit chat with a mom from San Diego at Fruita where we compared notes about where we had been and the benefits of the van vs camping. And the kids had so much fun hanging out with Jack and Hailey in Moab. 

• Our trip was fueled by ham, salami and cheese sandwiches, Pringles and Fruit Loops. 

• I loved the convenience of having everything come with us everywhere we went. I was able to make sandwiches for the day in the parking lot of the visitors centers or gas station while the family was doing other things. There was no fear of leaving items behind in a hotel room. There was no hassle of having to pack up every two days and set up camp. 

• While we did a lot, there was still plenty we could have done.  Throughout the trip, we met a lot of different people and always asked for any recommendations outside of the National Parks.  We received a lot (including Petrified Forest and Escalante) but didn’t make it to most.  A few that we would have loved to see: Kanarra Falls, Dixie Rock and Turtle Canyon Wilderness. 

• And finally, this was the first trip that I can remember that I didn’t want to end. On most vacations, around two to three days before it ends, I start mentally packing and organizing and getting ready to head home.  This trip, I wasn’t ready. I could have enjoyed another two weeks of exploring and hiking and spending time with the family

x

Arches Day 2: A Final Day of Hiking

Our last full day of the trip started with a little less excitement than the day before.  So while we were aiming for a similar start time, we were a bit more sluggish in getting started.  We stopped at a bakery in Moab for fresh coffee and pastries to wake us up and then made our way back into Arches for our final hike of the trip.  After all of the sights and all of the hikes, we were going to hike out to Delicate Arch, probably the most famous image of the Utah National Parks and the symbol found on the Utah license plate.  

Even fully charged with coffee and pastries, the hike was a struggle… not physically due to difficulty, but mentally due to motivation. The kids and I were beat after so many days of go, go, go.  But as always, we found our stride and were able to make it without complaint. 

And like all previous hikes, we met some friendly people along the trail, including a 65 year old woman who had just celebrated her birthday and retirement and was hiking to commemorate it, a two year old who wanted to hike (not hitch a ride in his carrier) and gave us all high fives as he passed and the woman from Sud Tyrol who chatted with Martin for a bit in German.  Meeting these individuals and all of the other people throughout the trip reminded me of the community that can be found in the National Parks and hiking in general.  I am hopeful that I will continue to hike once we get home and possibly strike out on my own for a few. 

We enjoyed a final dinner out at Moab Brewery and the following morning we began the long drive back to Las Vegas and then home.