We do our best to balance international and domestic vacations with the teens. To us, seeing the world also means seeing other parts of the county. To this end, we headed west for Thanksgiving for an outdoorsy adventure in Moab, Utah. The FamTrav husband and I were there in 2022 for a Rocky Mountaineer: Rockies to the Red Rocks rail experience, and knew the kids would enjoy activities in Arches National Park.
We flew into Salt Lake City where we picked up our rental car for 4-hour drive to Moab. Though it was incredibly cold, everything was sun kissed and gorgeous.
We stayed at the Hoodoo Moab, which is one of the Rocky Mountaineer hotels, and where we stayed last year. But this time we opted for one of the new 2-Bedroom Casitas with patio. The hotel is on Main Street which makes walking to restaurants and stores super easy, and is a short drive from Arches National Park.
The inside space is well designed, and very spacious. But the location behind the main hotel – which the hotel may not have had a lot of control over – negatively affected the view. Maybe the second floor casitas have mountain views, but the bottom floor where we stayed did not. Seems a shame to be surrounded by the stunning red rocks and not have a view of them. Still, this was a great home base for our stay.
One of the excursions we did that was a big hit was a Sunset Safari Hummer Tour. We scaled Hell’s Revenge, weaving in and out of rock canyons. So much fun! Our guide was fantastic, giving us an overview of the geology of the area and background on Canyonlands. Watching the sun set from the summit was surreal. It was incredible how sharply the temperatures dropped after!
Another popular choice with the teens was the Arches National Park Morning Adventure. We traveled with an experienced guide in a small van, and went on short, guided hikes to spectacular arches.
Let me say, if you ever get the opportunity to visit Arches National Park, you must go!
We also had some time to explore on our own, and drove the La Sal Loop Road. It was lovely getting to appreciate another vantage point. And it was snowing lightly at the top, which added to the ambiance.
Here’s a quick little recap of our trip.
What a great experience visiting Moab with the teens! A few days here prior to a Rocky Mountaineer train ride is a must. If you have questions about this, or other national park vacations, ask away. I’m happy to help.
As a full-service travel agent, I would love to be of assistance to you. I am passionate about what I do and pour that energy into crafting perfectly planned itineraries for you. Email ebony@familytraveladventuresllc.com to learn more.
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