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. 

Arches Day 1: Devils Garden

For the first time all trip, we actually got an early start to the day.  In part, it was because we were warned that the line of cars to get into Arches can take up to an hour to get through and the park, at times, will close to any new traffic if it gets too busy. In part, it was also because we were able to take everything with us, which meant the kids just had to wake up and go pee before we got on our way.   

Thankfully the line of cars wasn’t too long and we were able to make it to the visitor center for the Junior Ranger books, map and guidance before 9:30am (we did ensure the kids had at least put on clothes and had brushed their teeth before going inside.)  From the visitors center, we made our way to Devils Garden for our longest hike yet (recommended by the ranger and a random family I met in the bathroom at Fruita in Capitol Reef). 

Our first and biggest challenge of the day was finding parking at the trailhead.  It was complete madness. It took us at least twenty minutes to circle the one-way parking lot before giving up and parking off to the side in the dirt. Martin wasn’t sure but I didn’t care, I wanted out of the car (we were fine in the end). 

While the kids put on sunscreen and their hiking boots, I made our sandwiches in the “kitchen” and packed our snacks.  And Martin redistributed our water supply to ensure we had enough for the 6+ mile and 3+ hour hike on what was called “primitive trails”. 

Primitive might be an understatement.  The trail led straight up the mountain, across a narrow ledge (with sheer drop offs on both sides) and over boulders to get to the Double O Arches.  From there, you could either return the way you came or continue the loop clockwise through an even more primitive, unmaintained trail.  We continued on and it was awesome.  We were alone most of the second half and at times lost the trail all together (resulting in us attempting to make our way through a deep crevasse with two boulders before we turned around).  The kids slid down rock faces and we walked through sand and sun.  While more challenging and daunting than Cassidy’s Arch, this one felt way more manageable. This was by far the best hike of the trip for me and will most likely be the most memorable. 

That afternoon the kids spent time in the pool and running around with their new friends and we wrapped up the evening with an incredible astronomy session that included views of Jupiter (and four of its moons), the nebula of Orion, a double star in the handle of the Big Dipper and the seven sisters. The KOA hosted guides were incredibly knowledgeable and were able to answer most questions asked including why does the bear (Ursa Major) have a long tail and what is the story of Leo.  

Arches National Park

Founded in: 1971

Size of the Park: 76,519 acres

Topography: With over 2,000 documented arches, it has the highest concentration of natural stone arches on Earth

Number of Annual Visitors: 1.5 million

Popular Hikes: Delicate Arch,  Devils Garden/Landscape Arch, and the Windows Section 

Breuer Fun Facts: One of our favorite stories told to us by a random person on the trails was about a kid who had had enough of hiking and seeing the various arches.  When asked by his parents to take yet another photo in front of an arch he responded “I am done with arches.  The only arches I want to see are the golden arches”.  Our kids thought that was the funniest story ever.

A Bunny Day In Moab

Side note: for those not familiar, a “Bunny Day” is a Breuer term that came from a one-off scene from a movie we only saw once  (The Five Year Engagement) over a lifetime ago but it has stuck.  It typically refers to a day where you just want to lay around the house and do nothing. 

Second Side Note:  We ended up not finding a campsite in Canyonlands (although to be fair we didn’t look too hard).  We instead showed up a day early for our reservation at the Moab KOA and got a site upon arrival. 

After the meltdown on Monday, we decided to take a day off on Tuesday. We were going to lay low, do a little shopping, eat lunch in town, swim in the pool, read books and get caught up on laundry. 

First impressions: Moab is the hipster, desert, off-roading sister city of Bend, OR.  There were coffee shops on every block, there was a mini food truck lot and there were more outdoor apparel shops than needed. There were also countless 4x4 adventure tourism outposts, all with their own jeeps and rock crawlers on display. While in town we bought presents for Meike (belated birthday), I bought a mug for Timber Cove, Oskar bought a sticker (he was officially out of budget) and Alva bought a crochet kit to make a llama. We also enjoyed shaved ice and a decent lunch.  

Back at the KOA I had a little work to do, Martin did the laundry and the kids made a friend playing bocce ball, which led to more friends playing with the camp cat and even more friends playing at the pool.  

Things were starting to look up for Alva and excitement was high when they joined the tie-dye session later that evening at camp. Unfortunately the busy day in town and possibly a little bit too much sugar (shaved ice before lunch, lemonade at lunch, ice cream at the pool and smores with their new friends) might have been the cause of Alva’s second massive meltdown in two days.    

We went to bed mentally exhausted and prayed that she wouldn’t go for a hat trick of meltdowns the next day.

Canyonlands: A Quick Drive Through

From Capitol Reef to Canyonlands, it is less than a two and half hour drive.  And the signs of a potential Alva meltdown due to fatigue noted earlier in the day began to simmer somewhere along that drive. The bickering between Alva and Oskar began halfway through the drive and Alva really started to crack at the visitor center when we wouldn’t buy her the Junior Ranger vest (the vest was $30 and she had only $12 left from her original budget. Normally giving them control of their own budget is enough to prevent any issues, but clearly not this time).   She waited until we were back in the van and then fully broke into tears.  With little room to escape or have any privacy, she tucked herself under the back bed and spent a good fifteen minutes completing her Junior Ranger Activity book in silence to collect herself.  

During this time, I started to get frustrated. While I normally have a bit more patience, time was not on our side.  Canyonlands was a forty minute drive completely out of the way, I wanted to do at least one hike in the park and it was nearing five pm which meant things were going to get dark soon.  If we were going to see any of the park we had to get moving.  Thankfully Martin was a bit more level headed and used his strong negotiation and parenting skills to get Alva out from under the bed.  He leveraged a video of Rasmus on his phone and offered her a can of Pringles to get her out of the funk and into her seat so we could drive to hike the Mesa Arch loop.  

It might be due to the meltdown, or stress of trying to fit it all in (that laid back attitude I was trying to embrace was long gone), but that one hike was enough for me and I didn’t feel the need to explore anymore. We will save our canyons for the Grand Canyon.

Canyonlands National Park

Founded in: 1964

Size of the Park: 330,000  acres

Topography: deep canyons and sheer-walled mesas divided by the Colorado and Green rivers. The park is structured into three distinct districts—Island in the Sky, The Needles, and The Maze. We visited Island in the Sky. 

Number of Annual Visitors: 800,000 

Popular Hikes: Mesa Arch and Grand View Point 

Breuer Fun Facts: We spent less than 4 hours in total in this park.  It was a 40 minute drive off of the main road and after making the trek out there Monday afternoon, we had no desire to do it again.  It also seemed like this park would be better experienced in the canyon (four-wheeling and kayaking) rather than exploring from the top. 

Capitol Reef Day 2: Cohab Canyon in the Morning

Our final few hours in Capitol Reef were spent on the Cohab Canyon trail, which is a steep climb up to the top of the ridge and then a meandering trail through the mountains/canyon and a walk through the wash (the technical term for a dry, sandy, or rocky streambed that only flows with water during rainstorms, snowmelt, or flash flood events).  

The Cohab Canyon trail is an out and back trail that, at the end, connects with a handful of other trails that eventually lead you to other parts of the park, including Cassidy’s Arch. Doing any one of those additional trails was out of the question without a second car waiting for you on the other end (each hike is at least six miles one way), it did give me something to look forward to coming back and completing.  

While I was dreaming about doing more hikes and staying longer, Alva was starting to show signs of hiking fatigue (we had hiked every day for the past seven days). We were able to entice her to keep going with a promise of a croissant when we got to the end of the trail before heading back. She ended up eating three over the course of the hike and her mood never quite fully improved…It was a sign of things to come. 

But we had calmed the tempest and were able to enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of the trail. And the few people we passed all had encouraging words and awe for both Oskar and Alva.  

From Capitol Reef we technically had another night “to be determined” before our reservation at the KOA in Moab.  So we started in that direction with the aim of possibly camping in Canyonlands if we could get one of their first come first serve campsites. 

Capitol Reef Day 1: Easter Sunday and Cassidy’s Arch

We arrived Saturday night and the campsite was perfect.  Situated in a green valley, the campsite was clean, quiet and not overly crowded.  There were trees that offered shade during the day and grassy fields to enjoy the stars at night. We quickly made dinner, the kids went off exploring and Martin and I tried to figure out how the hell we were going to hide easter eggs in the van for the following morning. 

The kids awoke Sunday morning and both agreed to not look for eggs until both had come down from the top sleeping area.  It took them all of two minutes to find the eggs and open their Easter Bags (recently purchased to pack flat) where they found their new 35mm film cameras. Not to brag (but I will) the cameras were deemed the best presents ever!  The kids immediately wanted to understand how they worked and took pictures throughout the rest of the trip. 

We celebrated Easter with a proper Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs and croissants and then, similar to all previous parks, headed to the visitors center for the obligatory Junior Ranger Book and for guidance on what and where to hike.   While Oskar and Alva wanted to hike Cohab Canyon (they had discovered the trailhead just outside of our campsite the previous night) we opted for Cassidy’s Arch with a promise to hike Cohab Canyon before we left the following day.  

We made our way to the trailhead, parked the van, made a few trips between the van and trailhead (once again in need of hats, sunglasses, snacks and toilet paper for the outhouse) and finally started the hike. Within an hour, we all agreed that we really loved this park.  It had all of the scenery of the others, the red rocks, large boulders, dramatic cliffs and half the number of people.  And while I didn’t love the sheer drop offs from those dramatic cliffs (and my stress level was definitely the highest on this hike), I did love the general feeling of the place and would have loved to spend a few more time there.   For some reason everything just felt easier. 

We had a mellow afternoon reading at the campsite and Martin took the kids to play in the river before calling it a night.

Capitol Reef National Park

 Founded in: 1971

Size of the Park: 241,904  acres

Topography: a hidden gem known for the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long warp in the Earth's crust which formed 50 to 70 million years ago. 

Number of Annual Visitors: 1.4 Million 

Popular Hikes: Hickman Bridge, Grand Wash and Cassidy Arch 

Breuer Fun Facts: We had planned to spend only one night in the park since it seemed the least popular of the five.  We ended up spending two and it turned out to be one of our favorites, exactly because it felt the least crowded of the five.

Another Fun Fact: We forgot to take a picture in front of the sign.

Road Trip Adventures on Scenic Route 12

I had intentionally left a few nights open and without reservations so we could enjoy the freedom that the camper van offered us.  We could find a local camp site, we could pull off and disperse camp on national forest land or we could use our emergency card and stay at a hotel. The point was, I was trying to keep some spontaneity alive on the trip and the kids were all for it.  Martin, not so much.  

After Bryce the plan was to drive along the Scenic Route 12 on our way towards Capitol Reef and see what happened.  I will say, while Route 12 is 30 minutes longer, it is definitely worth taking the longer route: there are great views, a climb up through the mountains and descend into the canyons and you pass a lot of great Utah State Parks.  We opted to pull over and explore the Petrified Forest State Park for a break in the drive and a little hike. After the cold of Bryce Canyon, Petrified Forest offered a warm sunny afternoon with minimal crowds.  

After our hike, we stopped for coffee in Escalante (which is apparently known for their cute coffee shops and was recommended by both the Petrified Forest rangers and the lady at the front desk at Ruby’s) followed by our first attempt to camp off the grid at Calf Creek. Unfortunately (or thankfully) the campsites at Calf Creek were all full and in general, it didn’t look suited for our larger van.  So I casually suggested that we might want to keep looking and possibly go all the way to the next national park.  Both kids agreed and Martin took no convincing. 

As a side note: I was not 100% sold on the idea of camping in the wild (aka without some sort of toilet available) and more importantly, I wasn’t looking forward to a grumpy Martin who wasn’t sold on the idea of camping in the wild. So I had spent $25 earlier that morning to secure us a campsite at Capitol Reef for the night but I didn’t tell the kids. Again, trying to keep the adventure going. 

One hour later we were setting up camp at Fruita Campground and I was so thankful we made the decision to head directly to Capitol Reef.

Clyde

Petrified Forest State Park

Bryce Canyon Day 2: Queens Garden Trail / Navajo Loop via Wall Street

After a very cold and windy night, we were all a bit groggy and slow moving the following morning. It was another late start to the day and it took us a few trips between the shuttle stop and van to ensure we had everything we needed (hats, sunglasses, brushed teeth, and hiking boots). Once again, it was shortly before noon before we even got into the park.

Getting off the warm shuttle at the Sunrise Point bus stop took more effort than expected due to the gusty wind and frosty bite in the air.  But we were going to make the most of the day and enjoy a proper hike (and prove the grumpy ranger wrong). We opted for the popular Queens Garden Trail and Navajo Loop which took us down into the amphitheater, past countless hoodoos, through a few natural tunnels and arches and then straight back up the mountain via Wall Street.  Unlike Wall Street in the Narrows (which was named because you can reach out and touch both sides of the canyon walls), this Wall Street is a set of stairs and switchbacks that take you through very narrow paths in the limestone walls, straight up one of the gaps in the spires / hoodoos.  It was such a cool experience and I am glad we ended the hike on this section of the trail.  

The Navajo Trail ended at Sunset Point, which is just a quick walk away from Bryce Canyon Lodge where we headed for coffee and hot chocolate.  The restaurant at the Lodge was closed, but we were pointed to the Valhalla Deck just across the parking lot for coffee and drinks. Randomly enough we ended up sitting next to a couple from Switzerland and had a nice conversation with them about our time living there, switching between English and German without a thought.

We slowly made our way back towards the visitor center to collect the Junior Ranger Badges (the kids didn’t know I had them) and to see if there was an additional prize for finding at least three trail medallions on our hikes (there was, but we didn’t find out until the next day).  The visitor center unfortunately closed ten minutes before we got there and so the grumpy ranger’s plan of giving me the badges in advance actually turned out to be a positive move on his part.  

That evening was spent enduring the chaos of the indoor swimming pool (part of the overall hotel and resort) and the subsequent chaos at the buffet (the only restaurant available within walking distance of our campsite. 

Next stop: the visitor center one more time for the trail medallion prize and then: to be determined. 

Bryce Canyon Day 1: A Very Grumpy Ranger

The drive from Zion to Bryce was a quick two hours (most drives were less than two and half hours) so we were able to head straight to the visitor center before checking into the RV Park for the two night stay. 

Arriving at Bryce Canyon after the craziness of Zion was a breath of fresh alpine air.  It felt so much bigger and less crowded.   Surprisingly, the ranger who assisted us, didn’t feel the same way.  During our short interaction he seemed less than impressed with everything: he warned of the large crowds and prepared us for limited to no parking, he didn’t think we could handle a hike more intense than a one mile loop (after cautioning us to take it easy at elevation) and he preemptively gave me the Junior Ranger Badges (typically given out after the book is completed) so we wouldn’t have to come back and need his help again.

The two hikes the ranger suggested were as easy as expected: Bristlecone Loop (a one mile loop at the end of the 18 mile scenic drive) and Mossy Cave (a one mile loop at the opposite end of the park).  And to be fair, there were a decent number of people who struggled with the slight incline towards Mossy Cave. The kids, conversely, were able to show off their mountain goat skills at Mossy Cave by hiking through the creek instead of the trail on the way back to the van.  

We checked into Ruby’s RV Inn and Campsite late in the afternoon and enjoyed our first warm shower since leaving Las Vegas.  We also turned on the heater in the van for the first time in anticipation of a very cold night. 

Bryce Canyon National Park

Founded in: 1928

Size of the Park: 35,835 acres

Topography: Renowned for having the largest concentration of hoodoos (irregular rock spires) on Earth, which are formed by annual freeze-thaw cycles

Number of Annual Visitors: 2.5 Million 

Popular Hikes: Rim Trail, the steep Peek-a-Boo Loop, and the iconic Wall Street section of the Navajo Loop

Breuer Fun Facts: Bryce Canyon sits at over 9,000 feet above sea level and it was extremely cold when we were there (down to sixteen degrees overnight).  This combination of warm (our first day in Zion) and cold officially makes it a trend of going to National Parks over spring break with both high highs and low lows.

Zion Day 3: A Hodge Podge Rainy Day

The rains started the day before (right as we were wrapping up our hike of the Narrows) and the downpour continued through the night and into the morning.  The benefits of having the van, and more importantly the four person table inside, really came to light as we enjoyed our breakfast out of the rain.  And with no big plans for the day, we enjoyed some downtime of reading in the two respective “bedrooms” before getting started.  

We popped into the visitor center one final time to get recommendations for the day given the bad weather.  They pointed us in the direction of Emerald Pools (also highly recommended by our server at dinner the previous night) so we had a general idea of a plan.  We also realized how lucky we were to hike the Narrows the day before.  The river flow was too high from the rains and it was officially closed. 

Emerald Pools was wet, muddy and worth the hike to see the falls flowing. We started with the lower falls and then wound our way around to middle falls before heading back down completely covered in mud. 

Not willing to miss anything before we had to leave, we also took a quick detour to Weeping Rock and then the Museum before our final night at Zion.  Next stop, Bryce Canyon.