A year of planning, a week of execution, and a trip that arrived exactly when I needed it.
This was one of those plans I kept circling around but never quite committed to. I assumed it would end up in the “someday” pile, but somehow everything fell into place within a week. Maybe that’s how some trips are meant to happen – quietly, without too much planning, right when life feels overwhelming.
Day 1 – Seattle → Las Vegas → Hurricane, Utah
The day I left didn’t feel like the start of a vacation. I was still in work mode, trying to wrap up everything and hand things off. I turned off my Outlook notifications on the bus to the airport, and that’s when it finally hit me that I was actually leaving. The TSA agent congratulated me for something I still don’t understand, but it made me smile and loosen up a little.
The flight was loud with the people behind me practically yelling, but the views were beautiful. Landed in Vegas around 6 p.m., picked up the rental car, grabbed food at Del Taco (wish Bellevue had one), and drove to Hurricane, Utah. It was 1:30 a.m after a Walmart run, hotel check-in, and settling in. A chaotic start, but somehow exactly right for a road trip.
Day 2 – Zion National Park
I have learned that parking in Zion NP can be an issue, so I had an early start. Flash floods had closed many trails, so I started with Lower Emerald Pool (0.8 mile each way) and Weeping Rock (1 mile each way) – short hikes, beautiful views, and that familiar feeling of being tiny next to the mountains.
Then came Hidden Canyon trail with four miles, 2,352 ft elevation, 103°F heat, limited food, and almost no water (Packed enough, but Utah heat is very different from Seattle’s). Every part of me wanted to turn back, but encouragement from hikers coming down kept us going. Decided to turn back at 3 miles in after absorbing these amazing views.
Coming down was faster but tricky, with steep sections and no handrails. By the time I got to the trailhead, I felt equal parts exhausted and proud.
Lesson learned: Utah hikes are not Seattle hikes. Carry more water than you think you need.
Day 3 – Bryce Canyon
Amazing early start to Bryce Canyon NP felt like stepping into another world. Drizzling rain, dramatic skies, and hoodoos carved by time and weather. I hiked from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point through Queen’s Garden, stopping constantly because the landscape demanded it.
The terrain looked almost unreal with formations shaped by snow, water, and time. Even with sore legs from the previous day, this hike felt joyful.
 |
| Queens Garden Hike |
Lesson learned: Pack for every weather, even when the forecast looks impossible.
Day 4 – Arches National Park
Delicate Arch was the goal, and the hike was brutal – steep, exposed, and unforgiving in the afternoon heat. Despite the countless breaks, I genuinely considered turning back. Tip – Most of the hike is fully exposed, so start early or you’ll get toasted from both sides.
A kind older hiker encouraged me to keep going, and a stranger later guided me safely to a viewpoint I wouldn’t have reached alone. Small human moments that stay with you.
It took about 2 hours on the way up, and reaching the arch felt worth every complaint, every pause, every drop of sweat. It’s one of those places that looks beautiful in photos but feels entirely different when you’re standing there. Check out Balanced Rock point, North and South Windows, Double arch etc if you have time.
Day 5 – Canyonlands & Monument Valley
Mesa Arch was stunning – a window framing endless canyons. The crater hike was short but fascinating, especially because no one seems to know whether the crater came from a meteor or a raised salt bed.
The heat was relentless (100+ minimum), but the views made up for it.
 |
| Crater Hike view |
Didn’t plan for Monument Valley, but a GPS glitch took me there anyway. Standing on the road made famous by Forrest Gump, surrounded by towering formations, felt surreal. Sometimes the best parts of a trip are the accidental ones.
 |
| Have you seen the movie Forrest Gump? |
Day 6 – Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend
Lower Antelope Canyon in Navajo land was unforgettable with narrow passages, glowing sandstone, and a guide who explained how millions of years shaped the curves and colors from what used to be an ocean bed. It’s one of those places that feels alive.
 |
| Look at the colors |
Our guide Chad mentioned that if you take the sand from the canyon and microwave it with a few drops of water, you have a piece of canyon with you. So that’s basically how it’s formed with the flash floods.
A boat ride on Lake Powell added a different perspective, and Horseshoe Bend surprised me by being much closer than expected. The wind was wild, the sand was everywhere, but the view was absolutely worth it.
Day 7 – Las Vegas → Seattle
Ended the trip wandering through the Venetian casino, avoiding the casinos, and soaking in the last bits of vacation before heading home. After days of 100°F heat, I found myself missing Seattle’s rain, something I never thought I’d say.
 |
| Trying to look like myself again after a week in 100°F+ heat |
A beautiful, exhausting, unforgettable trip. The kind that leaves you needing a vacation after the vacation.
shilpatalasila.com 