Overview:
Editors Note: This is just a sample. An actual Jess.Travel itinerary contains much more detail specific to the trip.
This custom travel plan is the ultimate in contrasting experiences. Glamorous to gritty , man-created to natural, and slovenly to sweat-inducing are some of the themes in this great road trip. Perfect for families with itchy kids and adults wanting to be adults, this road trip will satisfy everyone.
If getting your sweat on with an exciting outdoor experience during the day and sipping on cocktails at night are your thing, get in the car already.
The glitz of Las Vegas, the hidden canyons in Southern Utah, a sweet iced coffee where everyone knows your name in Hurricane, the excitement of an ATV ride to view the perfect sunset in Capitol Reef, a cold beer tasting at a food hall in hipster Moab, and the contradictory cultures in Salt Lake City are calling your name.
Plus, how many of your friends have hiked in 5 National Parks in 9 days? Here's your personal travel plan for the ultimate road-trip.
Your route
DAY 1: VACATION MODE
Welcome to Vegas. Your only job today is to get into vacation mode.
✈️ ARRIVE + GRAB THE CAR
Land at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and take the rental-car shuttle to pick up your Hertz rental.
🍔 FIRST STOP: IN-N-OUT
You’re in the West. We’re doing this properly.
Grab lunch at In-N-Out on Maryland Parkway. Order it Animal Style if you want the full experience.
🏨 CHECK IN + DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
Head to The Cosmopolitan, right in the middle of the Strip.
Check in, lose the luggage and hit the Pool District. Vegas will still be there in a few hours. Promise.
🎢 TONIGHT: WALK THE STRIP
When everyone has recovered, wander south toward New York-New York.
Feeling brave? Ride the Big Apple Coaster. Feeling less brave? Watching your children ride it while holding a cocktail also counts.
🍴 DINNER: PICK YOUR MOOD
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Easy: Luke's Lobster for lobster rolls and zero ceremony.
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Lots of choices: Eataly at Park MGM. Great when nobody can agree on dinner.
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Fun: Best Friend, Roy Choi's Korean-meets-LA mashup.
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Make it a night: Bavette's for steak, cocktails and a decidedly more grown-up dinner.
✨ OPTIONAL NIGHTCAP: OLD-SCHOOL VEGAS
Still have gas in the tank? Head downtown to Fremont Street Experience for live entertainment and the massive Viva Vision canopy show.
It currently runs nightly with light shows beginning at 6 PM.
Then go to bed. Tomorrow we earn the hiking shoes.
Paris Las Vegas
The Bellagio fountain
Fremont Experience
DAY 2: LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE
Today is classic Vegas: good food, ridiculous hotels, a little wandering and absolutely no need for a car.
🥐 BREAKFAST IN “PARIS”
Start with breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi inside Paris Las Vegas.
Grab a patio table if you can. French breakfast, Strip views and the Bellagio fountains across the street is a pretty solid way to start the day.
👟 NOW WANDER
Today is intentionally loose. Walk the Strip, duck into resorts that look interesting and stop when something catches your eye.
A few Jess-approved detours:
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Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens — completely over-the-top seasonal botanical displays. Very Vegas. Very free.
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Caesars Palace — wander the Forum Shops, admire the Roman cosplay and buy something you absolutely did not come to Vegas needing.
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Flamingo — pop through the property and wildlife habitat for a quick break from casino carpet.
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Wynn Las Vegas — worth seeing simply because subtlety was apparently never part of the design brief. The atrium and floral installations are gorgeous.
🚝 SAVE YOUR FEET WHEN YOU CAN
Vegas distances lie.
Use the free resort tram between Bellagio, ARIA and Park MGM when it helps. The Strip may look compact on a map. It is not.
🍸 DINNER WITH A VIEW
Head back to Paris Las Vegas for dinner at Alexxa’s.
Ask for outdoor seating if available. You’ll have cocktails and dinner overlooking the Strip with the Bellagio fountains doing their thing across the street.
✨ STILL GOING?
If nobody is begging for bed yet, head north to Wynn’s Lake of Dreams for the free nighttime show.
Lights, music, giant puppets and a 45-foot waterfall.
Because Vegas.
Tomorrow we trade casino floors for canyon walls.
Parent of the year
Kanarraville Falls
DAY 3: HIT THE TRAIL
Vegas was fun. Now we’re going somewhere your shoes are supposed to get wet.
🚗 GOODBYE VEGAS
Check out early, grab coffee and point the car toward Southern Utah.
Today’s main event is Kanarra Falls, a slot-canyon hike through Kanarra Creek with waterfalls, red-rock walls and just enough scrambling to make you feel adventurous.
🥾 HIKE KANARRA FALLS
This one requires a permit, I put that in your fiile folder on the app.
Expect to get wet. You’ll hike directly through the creek, and continuing beyond the first major waterfall involves climbing a 20-foot ladder.
Bring: grippy shoes that can handle water, plenty of water, snacks and a dry layer for afterward.
And check conditions before heading in. Water levels can change quickly, especially during spring runoff.
🚙 NEXT STOP: KANAB
After the hike, dry off and continue south toward Kanab.
This is one of those drives where the scenery basically does the entertaining for you.
⛺ TONIGHT: GLAMPING
Check into Cave Lakes Canyon Ranch, a secluded glamping resort tucked into a private canyon just outside Kanab.
Canvas cabins, fire pits, stars, red rocks. Basically camping for people who still appreciate mattresses.
🌅 YOUR EVENING ASSIGNMENT
Unpack. Grab a drink. Find somewhere comfortable outside. Dinner at the Ranch.
That’s it.
You’ve already done enough today.
Tomorrow: Zion.
Zion NP
#dailygrind
DAY 4: ZION DAY
Today we trade Vegas neon for giant red cliffs. Excellent decision.
🥾 FIRST STOP: KOLOB CANYONS
I’m sending you to the quieter side of Zion National Park first.
Drive the five-mile Kolob Canyons Scenic Road through massive crimson cliffs, stopping at the overlooks along the way. This section sits well north of Zion Canyon and feels dramatically less hectic.
Your park pass is already sorted. Because standing in a ticket line is not an activity.
☕ QUICK WOW: TIMBER CREEK
At the end of the scenic drive, stretch your legs on the Timber Creek Overlook Trail.
It’s a short hike with a disproportionately good payoff.
Bring the coffee. Finish it somewhere pretty.
🥪 MAIN EVENT: TAYLOR CREEK
Next up: Taylor Creek Trail.
This roughly 5-mile round-trip hike winds through a narrow canyon past historic cabins and towering sandstone walls. Plan on about 3–4 hours.
And yes, I’ve got boxed lunches waiting for you.
Find a good spot, sit down and enjoy the fact that nobody had to research where lunch was coming from.
🚗 SCENIC DRIVE TO BRYCE
After the hike, point the car toward Bryce Canyon.
I’ve routed you through Cedar City and the scenic backcountry approach rather than just dumping you onto the most boring highway possible.
Need fuel for the humans? Stop at The Grind Coffeehouse for coffee, snacks and something substantial before the drive.
🏡 TONIGHT: YOUR CABIN
Check into Bryce Valley Lodging in Tropic.
Cute cabin. Simple. Comfortable. Exactly what you need after hiking all day. Bryce Canyon Country currently lists Bryce Valley Lodging as a family-operated cabin property near the park.
Your confirmation and check-in details are already sitting in the itinerary.
🍕 DINNER: KEEP IT EASY
Grab pizza at The Pizza Place in Tropic before heading back into the park. Nothing fancy tonight. Pizza, drinks, happy teenagers, done.
🌅 ONE LAST THING
Head into Bryce Canyon National Park for Sunset Point.
Watch the hoodoos change color as the light drops, take too many pictures, then head back to your cabin. Then go sleep like somebody who earned it.
Tomorrow: Bryce gets weird.
Bryce Canyon
DAY 5: BRYCE DAY
Today is hoodoos, switchbacks and one very scenic drive.
🌄 BEAT THE CROWD
Get an early start for Bryce Canyon National Park.
I’ve already mapped the best order for your overlooks, so resist the urge to stop at every pullout immediately. We’ll hit the good ones without spending the morning fighting for parking.
🚗 DRIVE THE PARK FIRST
Start with the scenic drive toward the southern end of the park.
You’ll get the big-picture views first, then work your way back toward Bryce Amphitheater for the hike.
Translation: fewer crowds, better flow, less unnecessary backtracking.
🥾 INTO THE HOODOOS
Now it’s time to actually get down among them.
I’ve picked the best open trail combination for today based on current conditions, using the Queen’s Garden / Navajo Loop area when available.
Expect roughly 3 miles of constantly changing scenery, switchbacks and those bizarre orange hoodoos that somehow look even stranger from below.
You should probably pick up a togo lunch at the lodge's cafe. Have the kids find the best picnic spot.
📸 HIT THE OVERLOOKS ON THE WAY OUT
Now stop at the viewpoints you intentionally skipped earlier.
No rush. You’ve already done the hard part.
🚙 ROAD TRIP: BRYCE → CAPITOL REEF
Back at the cabin, grab your bags and start the drive toward Capitol Reef National Park.
This is not just transportation. This is one of the prettiest driving days of the trip.
Snacks are handled. Playlist is your responsibility.
🏨 TONIGHT: CAPITOL REEF RESORT
Check into Capitol Reef Resort in Torrey.
Your reservation details are already in the app, and I’ve given you enough time to settle in before dinner.
The resort currently offers everything from traditional rooms and cabins to Conestoga wagons and teepees, all surrounded by red-rock scenery.
🍷 TONIGHT YOU RECOVER
Dinner is at the resort’s Capitol Reef Kitchen.
Comfort food, a drink, and absolutely no more hiking tonight. The current menu leans into Southwestern-style comfort food, steaks, salads and hearty dinners.
Take your wine back to your room, cabin or wagon and sit outside for a while.
You have officially entered the middle-of-nowhere portion of the vacation. Enjoy it.
Tomorrow: Capitol Reef.
Capitol Reef
DAY 6: CAPITOL REEF + ROBBERS ROOST
Today gets a little wild. Good wild.
🌄 MORNING: CAPITOL REEF
Start early in Capitol Reef National Park before the day heats up.
Drive the park’s Scenic Drive through the Waterpocket Fold, with red cliffs, canyons and approximately eight miles of scenery that makes stopping every 90 seconds extremely tempting.
🍑 FRUITA STOP
Swing through the historic Fruita District on your way out.
If the orchards are open for picking, grab some fruit straight from the trees. Yes, this is an actual thing you can do in a national park.
I’ve already checked the seasonal details for your trip, so you’ll know exactly what’s available.
🚙 NEXT STOP: HANKSVILLE
Head east toward Hanksville.
If you haven't eaten lunch grab it here, because today is not the day to discover everyone is starving while standing in the desert.
🧗 MAIN EVENT: ROBBERS ROOST
Your guide is meeting you for a canyoneering adventure in Robbers Roost.
Think slot canyons, rappels, scrambling, remote desert scenery and the kind of terrain you absolutely should not wander into because Google Maps looked encouraging.
Guided canyoneering is offered in the Robbers Roost area, and the region is known for technical slot-canyon routes.
Your guide, equipment and meeting instructions are already handled.
You just need to show up wearing the right shoes.
🚙 ROAD TRIP TO MOAB
Afterward, point the car toward Moab.
Expect approximately another hour and a half of desert scenery before civilization reappears.
🏡 TONIGHT: MOAB SPRINGS RANCH
Check into Moab Springs Ranch.
Your check-in details are already in the itinerary.
The ranch has private outdoor space, hammocks, picnic areas, spring-fed wading pools and plenty of places to sit quietly and contemplate your recent decision to rappel into a canyon.
🍺 TONIGHT: MOAB
Clean up, head into town and get a proper dinner. Some choices...
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Nice dinner: Desert Bistro — polished New American/Southwestern food and probably the best pick when you want one genuinely good dinner after a dusty adventure day.
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Fun + casual: Birdy's Finer Diner — retro-modern, cocktail-forward and a little more stylish than the typical Moab burger stop.
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Beer + comfort food: Moab Brewery — local beer, big casual menu and exactly the kind of place that works when everyone is starving and still wearing hiking clothes.
No itinerary heroics tonight.
Food. Drink. Bed.
Tomorrow: Arches.
Moab mountain biking
Don't break your face
DAY 7: MOUNTAIN BIKE MOAB
Moab + mountain bikes. This was inevitable.
🚵 YOUR RIDE IS READY
Meet your guide with Moab Moutain Bike Tours, get fitted for your bike and helmet, and hit the trail.
I’ve matched the route to your group’s ability level, so nobody needs to pretend they’re ready for some terrifying YouTube-worthy descent.
Your guide, bikes, helmets and trail logistics are already handled.
🌵 RIDE THE RED ROCK
Moab has everything from approachable scenic singletrack to seriously technical terrain, with ridiculous views either way.
Ride. Stop for pictures. Ride some more.
Try not to launch anybody over the handlebars.
🍴 LUNCH: YOU EARNED IT
Back in town, pick one:
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Moab Brewery — burgers, pub food and local beer. Easy, filling and exactly right after a ride.
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Thai Bella — curries, noodles and something completely different if everyone is officially over burgers.
🍦 IMPORTANT SCIENCE
Stop at Moab Garage Co. for liquid-nitrogen ice cream.
Watching dessert get blasted with nitrogen counts as educational travel.
I have decided.
🏊 AFTERNOON: DO LESS
Head back to Moab Springs Ranch, hit the pool, find a hammock and let your legs reconsider today's choices.
No scheduled sightseeing. No hidden agenda. Just recovery.
🍽️ DINNER: PICK YOUR MOOD
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Casual: Moab Diner — classic comfort food, big portions and zero need to dress up.
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Southwestern: Miguel’s Baja Grill — tacos, enchiladas, margaritas and a fun downtown vibe.
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Nicer night out: Desert Bistro — seasonal New American/Southwestern food when you want one polished dinner in Moab.
Tomorrow: Arches.
Arches NP
Tired mommy
DAY 8: ARCHES + SALT LAKE CITY
One last national park. Let’s finish strong.
🌅 EARLY START: ARCHES
Check out and make the short drive to Arches National Park.
Go early. You’ll beat some of the heat, some of the crowds and hopefully that one person who stops their rental car in the middle of the road to take a picture.
Arches has more than 2,000 documented natural stone arches, so today is basically geology showing off.
🚗 DRIVE DEEP, THEN WORK BACK
I’ve mapped your custom travel itinerary so you head deeper into the park first, then work your way back toward the entrance.
That means less backtracking, better timing and more time actually enjoying the park.
Along the way, stop for:
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Skyline Arch
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Sand Dune Arch
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Balanced Rock
🥪 LUNCH WITH A VIEW
Your best bang-for-the-buck stop is The Windows Section.
From one parking area you can explore North Window, South Window and Double Arch without committing the family to another epic hike.
Find some shade, stare at giant holes in sandstone and congratulate yourselves on making it through five national parks without mutiny.
🚙 ROAD TRIP: MOAB → SALT LAKE CITY
Now comes the least photogenic part of the trip.
I’ve handled the route and timing. Your responsibility is the playlist and deciding how aggressively you want to caffeinate.
This is one of those little things a personal travel planner thinks about that doesn’t look exciting on paper but makes the actual vacation work.
🏨 TONIGHT: DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE
Check into Hilton Salt Lake City Center.
Your hotel, confirmation details, directions and everything else you need are already sitting inside your personalized travel itinerary.
Drop the bags and take an easy downtown walk toward the Utah State Capitol and Temple Square.
🍗 DINNER: PICK YOUR ENDING
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Casual + famous: Pretty Bird for spicy fried chicken sandwiches.
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Dinner + cocktails: Whiskey Street for dinner and a proper whiskey to toast the trip.
One last drink.
One last “remember when we rappelled into that canyon?”
Vegas. Zion. Bryce. Capitol Reef. Moab. Arches. Salt Lake City.
A lot of moving pieces.
You just didn’t have to manage them.
DAY 9: TIME TO GO HOME
Nobody likes departure day, so I’ve made this one especially easy.
☕ SLOW MORNING
Sleep in a little. Grab breakfast. Pack whatever somehow exploded across the hotel room overnight.
Your flight information, rental-car return and airport directions are already in your itinerary.
✈️ HEADING HOME
Check out, return the Hertz rental car and head for Salt Lake City International Airport.
No last-minute Googling.
No digging through confirmation emails.
No figuring out where you’re supposed to be.
That’s one of the best parts of having a custom travel planner build the trip before you ever leave home.
❤️ THAT’S A WRAP
Nine days. Five national parks. Multiple hotels. Restaurants. Hiking. Canyoneering. Mountain biking. Rental cars. Reservations. Routes. Timing.
All wrapped into one custom vacation plan built specifically around you.
That’s what I mean when I say custom travel planning.
I’m not handing you a generic list of things to do. I’m building a personal travel plan that connects the hotels, activities, transportation, meals and little details into one trip that actually makes sense.
You get to take the trip.
I get to obsess over the planning.
Go home, dump 900 photos into your camera roll and start thinking about where we’re sending you next.
