Dries Buytaert

We just got back from a family vacation exploring the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon. As usual, I planned to write about our travels, but Vanessa, my wife, beat me to it.

She doesn't have a blog, but something about this trip inspired her to put pen to paper. When she shared her writing with me, I knew right away her words captured our vacation better than anything I could write.

Instead of starting from scratch, I asked if I could share her writing here. She agreed. I made light edits for publication, but the story and voice are hers. The photos and captions, however, are mine.

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We just wrapped up our summer vacation with the boys, and this year felt like a real milestone. Axl graduated high school, so we let him have input on our destination. His request? To see some of the U.S. National Parks. His first pick was Yosemite, but traveling to California in July felt like gambling with wildfires. So we adjusted course, still heading west, but this time to the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce.

As it turned out, we didn't fully avoid the fire season. When we arrived at the Grand Canyon, we learned that wildfires had already been burning near Bryce for weeks. And by the time we were leaving Bryce, the Grand Canyon itself was under evacuation orders in certain areas due to its own active fires. We slipped through a safe window without disruption.

We kicked things off with a couple of nights in Las Vegas. The boys had never been, and it felt like a rite of passage. But after two days of blinking lights, slot machines, and entertainment, we were ready for something quieter. The highlight was seeing O by Cirque du Soleil at the Bellagio. The production had us wondering how many crew members it takes to make synchronized underwater acrobatics look effortless.

On the Fourth of July, we picked up our rental car and headed to the Hoover Dam for a guided tour. We learned it wasn't originally built to generate electricity, but rather to prevent downstream flooding from the Colorado River. Built in the 1930s, it's still doing its job. And fun fact: the concrete is still curing after nearly a century. It takes about 100 years to fully cure.

While we were at the Hoover Dam, we got the news that Axl was admitted to study civil engineering. A proud moment in a special place centered on engineering and ambition.

From there, we drove to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and checked into El Tovar. When we say the hotel sits on the rim, we mean right on the rim. Built in 1905, it has hosted an eclectic list of notable guests, including multiple U.S. presidents, Albert Einstein, Liz Taylor, and Paul McCartney. Standing on the edge overlooking the canyon, we couldn't help but imagine them taking in the same view, the same golden light, the same vast silence. That sense of shared wonder, stretched across generations, made the moment special. No fireworks in the desert this Independence Day, but the sunset over the canyon was its own kind of magic.

The next morning, we hiked the Bright Angel Trail to the 3-mile resthouse. Rangers, staff, and even Google warned us to start early. But with teenage boys and jet lag, our definition of "early" meant hitting the trail by 8:30am. By 10am, a ranger reminded us that hiking after that hour is not advised. We pressed on carefully, staying hydrated and dunking our hats and shirts at every water source. Going down was warm. Coming up? Brutal. But we made it, sweaty and proud. Our reward: showers, naps, and well-earned ice cream.

Next up: Zion. We stopped at Horseshoe Bend on the way, a worthy detour with dramatic views of the Colorado River. By the time we entered Zion National Park, we were in total disbelief. The landscape was so perfectly sculpted it didn't look real. Towering red cliffs, hanging gardens, and narrow slot canyons surrounded us. I told Dries, "It's like we're driving through Disneyland", and I meant that in the best way.

After a long drive, we jumped in the shared pool at our rental house and met other first-time visitors who were equally blown away. That night, we celebrated our six year wedding anniversary with tacos and cocktails at a cantina inside a converted gas station. Nothing fancy, but a good memory.

One thing that stood out in Zion was the deer. They roamed freely through the neighborhoods and seemed unbothered by our presence. Every evening, a small group would quietly wander through our yard, grazing on grass and garden beds like they owned the place.

The next morning, we hiked The Narrows, wading through the Virgin River in full gear. Our guide shared stories and trail history, and most importantly, brought a charcuterie board. We hike for snacks, after all. Learning how indigenous communities thrived in these canyons for thousands of years gave us a deeper connection to the land, especially for me, as someone with Native heritage.

The following day was for rappelling, scrambling, and hiking. The boys were hyped, memories of rappelling in Spain had them convinced there would be waterfalls. Spoiler: there weren't. It hadn't rained in Zion for months. But dry riverbeds didn't dull the excitement. We even found shell fossils embedded in the sandstone. Proof the area was once underwater.

From Zion, we headed to Bryce Canyon. The forecast promised cooler temperatures, and we couldn't wait. We stayed at Under Canvas, a glamping site set in open range cattle territory. Canvas tents with beds and private bathrooms, but no electricity or WiFi. Cue the family debate: "Is this camping or hoteling?" Dries, Axl and Stan voted for "hoteling". I stood alone on "team camping". (Spoiler: it is camping when there are no outlets.) Without our usual creature comforts, we slowed down. We read. We played board games. We played cornhole. We watched sunsets and made s'mores.

The next day, we hiked the Fairyland Loop, eight miles along the rim with panoramic views into Bryce's otherworldly amphitheater of hoodoos. The towering spires and sculpted rock formations gave the park an almost storybook quality, as if the landscape had been carved by imagination rather than erosion. Though the temperature was cooler, the sun still packed a punch, so we were glad to finish before the midday heat. At night, the temperature dropped quickly once the sun went down. We woke up to 45°F (about 7°C) mornings, layering with whatever warm clothes we had packed, which, given we planned for desert heat, wasn't much.

One of our most memorable mornings came with a 4:30 am wake-up call to watch the sunrise at Sunrise Point. We had done something similar with the boys at Acadia in 2018. It's a tough sell at that hour, but always worth it. As the sun broke over the canyon, the hoodoos lit up in shades of orange and gold unlike anything we'd seen the day before. Afterward, we hiked Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden and were ready for a big breakfast at the lodge.

Later that day, we visited Mossy Cave Trail. We followed the stream, poked around the waterfall, and hunted for fossils. Axl and I were on a mission, cracking open sandstone rocks in hopes of finding hidden treasures. Mostly, we just made a mess (of ourselves). I did stumble upon a tiny sliver of geode ... nature's way of rewarding persistence, I suppose.

Before heading to Salt Lake City for laundry (yes, that's a thing after hiking in the desert for a week), we squeezed in one more thrill: whitewater rafting on the Sevier River. Our guide, Ryan, was part comedian, part chaos agent. His goal was to get the boys drenched! The Class II and III rapids were mellow but still a blast, especially since the river was higher than expected for July. We all stayed in the raft, mostly wet, mostly laughing.

Incredibly, throughout the trip, none of us got sunburned, despite hiking in triple digit heat, rappelling down canyon walls, and rafting under a cloudless sky. We each drank about 4 to 6 liters of water a day, and no one passed out, so we're calling it a win.

On our final evening, during dinner, I pulled out a vacation questionnaire I had created without telling anyone. Since the boys aren't always quick to share what they loved, I figured it was a better way to ask everyone to rate their experience. What did they love? What would they skip next time? What do they want more of, less of, or never again? It was a simple way to capture the moment, create conversation, reflect on what stood out, and maybe even help shape the next trip. Turns out, teens do have opinions, especially when sunrises and physical exertion are involved.

This trip was special. When I was a kid, I thought hiking and parks were boring. Now, it's what Dries and I seek out. We felt grateful we could hike, rappel, raft, and laugh alongside the boys. We created memories we hope they'll carry with them, long after this summer fades. We're proud of the young men they're becoming, and we can't wait for the next chapter in our family adventures.