I’m not an adventure traveler. So when I tell you that I went on the overnight mule ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, you should understand that I was way out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t my idea -- it was my father-in-law’s and he thought it would be a great experience. So, one lovely day we headed over from Las Vegas, spent the night in a cabin at Bright Angel and prepared for our journey the next morning. ... Read More

This is the second in a series of posts about visiting 12 national parks in Utah and Arizona over 9 days.

To beat the crowds, we woke up early to drive the 18-mile scenic road to Rainbow Point. Outlooks along the way provide hundred-mile views of Bryce Canyon and the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Buses filled the parking lot by the time we reached Bryce Point, where a vertigo-inducing path leads to a tiny—and crowded—overlook.Read More

This is the first in a series of posts about visiting 12 national parks in Utah and Arizona over 9 days.

When facing a “milestone” birthday, the Grand Canyon seems like a good place to mark the occasion. How better to contemplate one’s mortality than to stare at a big hole in the ground? That was the joke that inspired our spring vacation. Ultimately, we planned a 9-day drive trip through twelve national parks in Utah and Arizona, using AAA TripTik and Magellan GPS to map the route.

We flew into Las Vegas and... Read More